Tussock Hill Vineyard

The long and winding road up to Tussock Hill Vineyard & Cellar Door is as inconspicuous as it is rewarding. On the edge of the rocky summit road on the Port Hills sits 10 acres of vines with expansive views across to the Southern Alps. Tussock Hill is as pretty as a picture. 

The unfaltering vision of the Targett family has made the Vineyard and Cellar Door experience possible for all.  The family purchased the site five years ago after Graham, who had been working as a carpenter at a nearby house, discovered that the then domestic vineyard was for sale. A seed was planted. Not long afterward, and with a little family cajoling, a wild dream became a full blown reality. Tussock Hill is one of those true family affairs with Graham, his parents John and Tina, sister Sally and Graham’s wife Melaina (even the kids) all involved in operations. Graham and Sally manage the viticulture which includes the land in the Port Hills and fourteen acres in Canterbury’s winemakers’ stomping ground, Waipara. 

Sharing their wine with people was always their ambition, and Melaina, who runs the Cellar Door, quickly realised food should be part of the equation too. There is an effortless synergy between the wine and the food. The menu has been crafted with care and skill; spotlighting the best organic suppliers and producers in the region to create dishes that make the wine pairings sing. Just as the grapes are grown right here, elements from the plates have been foraged and sourced from the section you dine upon as well. Foraged kawakawa leaves are wrapped around the Octopus Terrine, and dollops of cherry mayonnaise are adorned with delicate fennel flowers, which are found in the garden.  

Tussock Hill’s wine is organic and made with low intervention winemaking practices reflecting their ethos to hero the grape. Their deep appreciation for the whenua is all-encompassing; committed to putting the right stuff in to get the best results back. Sitting on the veranda here, it is easy to understand how that wild dream took hold.       

Open for lunch Wednesday to Sunday, bookings are highly recommended. Why not make a weekend of it and book a night or two at one of their vineyard retreats? The luxury accommodation provides everything from breakfast and lunch to complimentary wine and private tours of the vineyard.