Johanneshof Cellars is a boutique winery in Marlborough that merges European tradition with New Zealand clarity — a cellar where old-world sensibility meets the cool, sunlit elegance of the southern hemisphere. Founded in 1991 by Edel Everling and Warwick Foley, Johanneshof draws from both partners’ winemaking roots: Edel from Germany’s Rheinhessen, Warwick from generations of New Zealand viticulture. Together, they’ve built a producer known for finely crafted aromatics and sparkling wines, shaped by patience, detail, and respect for time-honoured methods.

The vineyards lie in Rapaura and the cooler Omaka Valley, where deep river gravels and clay soils yield wines of natural acidity and purity. Johanneshof was one of the first Marlborough wineries to plant Gewürztraminer and Grüner Veltliner, and remains one of the few producers in New Zealand to age wine in a traditional underground rock cellar, hand-dug into a hillside to preserve consistent, cool maturation conditions.

Winemaking is gentle and precise. Fermentations are slow and often cool, conducted with native or neutral yeasts, and extended lees contact is used to develop texture without sacrificing freshness. For Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling, Johanneshof follows the Champagne model rigorously — bottle fermentation, hand riddling, long lees ageing, and disgorgement by hand. Their Emmi Brut, made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is a standout, offering exceptional complexity and finesse.

The wines are expressive and refined. Gewürztraminer is a flagship — lychee, rose petal, and exotic spice wrapped in a dry, elegant structure. Grüner Veltliner shows white pepper, fennel, and fine salinity, while Riesling — both dry and off-dry — offers citrus blossom, lime zest, and precise acid structure. Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc are equally detailed, crafted with a nod to Alsace and Wachau more than to Marlborough’s louder interpretations. Across the range, Johanneshof’s wines carry a signature of quiet depth and European poise.

What defines Johanneshof Cellars is its devotion to tradition — not as nostalgia, but as discipline — crafting wines that honour heritage while articulating their own clear, Marlborough voice.

These are wines shaped by hands, soil, and silence — expressive in their detail, and built to whisper with grace rather than shout for attention.