April 15, 2026
The Chardonnay pushed its first leaves overnight — two days ahead of what my notebook says. cool maritime, high sunshine, big diurnal swing is running warm. I'll take it, cautiously.
2026 Vintage
Wairau Chardonnay
Marlborough, New Zealand
About this Crew
Revealed on enrollment
Winemaker
Made on a small Marlborough estate — Chardonnay on free-draining stony alluvial loam over greywacke. Anonymous by design: the trade name is revealed on commitment, after the samples and the data have done the talking.
The history.
The old terraces were going back to scrub when we took them on. We rebuilt the walls, replanted the gaps, and left the survivors; the oldest vines here have outlasted three owners.
What this vintage is showing so far.
“Rain when we wanted it, then it dried out. The vines are carrying a fair crop; I'll likely drop fruit at veraison to keep the rest honest.”
— the winemaker, updated this month
Philosophy.
My rule is simple: don't make a decision the vineyard already made for me. Free-draining stony alluvial loam over greywacke sets the acid and the tannin; I keep the cellar clean and the timing honest.
The year ahead
Every shipment, every sample, every pick.
Real dates as they're known. Updated as the vintage progresses.
November 2026
Flowering update
Fruit set, first yield estimate.
January 2027
Verijuice ships
Pressed from green fruit, shipped to every member.
March 2027
Pick expected
Livestream from dawn. Date confirmed 48 hours ahead.
May 2027
Post-ferment sample
Your wine at its youngest, weeks after pressing.
August 2027
First barrel sample
A pull from the vessel where your wine lives.
November 2027
Blend trial
Vote on the final cuvée with the Crew.
February 2028
Bottling
Livestream from the bottling line.
April 2028
Wine arrives
Your bottles, allocated pro-rata to your vines.
November 2026
Flowering update
Fruit set, first yield estimate.
January 2027
Verijuice ships
Pressed from green fruit, shipped to every member.
March 2027
Pick expected
Livestream from dawn. Date confirmed 48 hours ahead.
May 2027
Post-ferment sample
Your wine at its youngest, weeks after pressing.
August 2027
First barrel sample
A pull from the vessel where your wine lives.
November 2027
Blend trial
Vote on the final cuvée with the Crew.
February 2028
Bottling
Livestream from the bottling line.
April 2028
Wine arrives
Your bottles, allocated pro-rata to your vines.
Meet the current Crew
15
members
21
cities
3
countries represented
5 yrs
average tenure in wine
No individual profiles — privacy matters inside the Crew. You'll meet each other once you're in.
How it's priced
By the vine.
The winemaker sets the price per vine. Buy as few as 5 — choose how many in the next step. Your bottles are allocated pro-rata to your vines.
Wairau Chardonnay
Priced by the vine · 5-vine minimum
$54 / vine
From $270 · 5 vines · USD
- A share of the lot, by the vine (5-vine minimum)
- Samples across the season: verijuice, post-ferment, barrel, finished wine
- A vote at every fork — pick date, oak, where the blend lands
- Your bottles at release, allocated pro-rata to your vines
- Livestream access to every moment
Lot full
Pickup or ship
How your wine reaches you.
Swing by the tasting room when the next shipment is ready. Free. For everyone else, ship is the default and equally smooth.
Ship to my address
Standard carrier, adult signature required. Flat fee per shipment. You can switch the destination per shipment at any time.
Ships to: US
Choose at signup. Switch per shipment anytime.
Recent updates
From the rows.
March 30, 2026
Dug soil pits across the old block. You can watch the free-draining stony alluvial loam over greywacke change with every shovel — it's why no two rows here taste the same.
March 12, 2026
Welcomed the Crew this week — notes came in from further away than usual. If you've never tasted unripe-grape verjuice, the summer ship will surprise you.
Join this Crew.
One year of your life, inside one vineyard's year. You'll follow the winemaker from bud break to bottle.