Pegasus Bay

Established and involved with winemaking since the early 1970’s’ the Donaldson family are pioneers of local winemaking and grape growing. Pegasus Bay Winery is located approximately 40 minutes north of Christchurch in the Waipara Valley. The location gives it protection from the cold Pacific winds and means that the warm days, cool nights and dry autumns allow for prolonged ripening of the grapes which, in turn, results in intense flavours from optimally ripened fruit. This is helped by large smooth stones and gravel retaining heat from the day (a little like the pudding stones of Beaujolais).

The large, well trained workforce at the winery means that vine care, pruning, and fruit selection can be done by hand and with meticulous care and attention to detail. This result’s in only the finest fruit of the optimum ripeness goes into the wines at Pegasus Bay.

Pegasus Bay is very much a family affair with the whole family being involved on one level or another. Ivan Donaldson oversees what wine styles are adopted and the overall winemaking processes. He certainly knows his grapes – he is also a wine judge and writer. Christine Donaldson looks after the grounds of the vineyards but also has a passion for the opera and is heavily involved in the opera scene in Canterbury. Their eldest son, Matthew Donaldson is the winemaker having obtained a degree in oenology and a post grad in viticulture. Edward Donaldson is the Marketing Manager while youngest son Paul is the General Manager.

Stockgrove Rd, Waipara

RD 2 Amberley 7482

North Canterbury

New Zealand

The Donaldson family

The Pegasus Bay Reserve wines all have an opera link as Christine Donaldson has a passion for all things operatic. They even host operas in the vineyard’s natural amphitheatre.