Another year has passed and I feel tremendous pride and excitement as I write to you about the release of our next canine charity series wine - just in time for the festive season.

Mawson “Pisa” Chardonnay 2023 may be our fifth “dog” charity wine but it is our first Central Otago Chardonnay. A milestone worthy of celebration! New Zealand makes Chardonnay in relatively small quantities but with character and quality that has garnered interest and praise worldwide. Chardonnay from “Central” stands out for its citrus purity, showcasing a lighter, brighter style than the warmer regions further North. At VALLI, we produce fewer bottles of Chardonnay than any other variety but it gets perhaps even more attention in the winery. We love making it, (drinking it), and showcasing the beauty of this grape and how the style is influenced by the climate and soils in which it is grown. We also love giving back to NZ with creative projects that teach us more about our winemaking and make us feel more connected to our community.

Mawson Chardonnay is a wine of great purity and focus. The grapes are from the Highgrange Vineyard, an elevated site on Mt. Pisa which also gave us the fruit for our most recent charity wine - the VALLI Levi Pinot Noir 2022. There are a few bottles still available if you haven’t tried “Levi”. I believe Pisa is a very exciting sub-region and we are lucky to farm this exceptional vineyard. (Watch this space for another Pisa Pinot Noir bottling coming soon, but for now, let’s return to the present….)

The 5th vintage of our canine charity series celebrates the accomplishments of Mawson, a Stewart Island/Rakiura predator detection dog. He works hard to keep our predator-free islands safe from stowaway rats and other pests. We will proudly donate proceeds of this wine to SIRCET, the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community and Environment Trust to help fund bi-annual Kiwi Avoidance Training to help protect our native flightless birds from local dogs along with other initiatives for the benefit of NZ’s third island. Halfmoon Bay receives over 50,000 visitors a year, attracted by the wealth of bird life and unique plant species found on the island. SIRCET relies upon volunteers and donations to help them with inititatves to protect these important species - the health of these populations directly impacts the island’s economy and the quality of the visitor’s experience.

I remember our first release of Waitaki Chardonnay from the 2015 vintage as if it were yesterday and the recent vintage of that wine sold out in record time. That tells me we aren’t the only people that enjoy special Chardonnay. I honestly don’t know if this will be our only Central Otago Chardonnay, but I do know we have yet to make another. I also know this is a special wine and your purchase can help keep Stewart Island/Rakiura a magical place to visit. You might even be inspired to head there for your next holiday.

Thank you for being a part of this special initiative. We couldn’t do it without your support.

Jen Parr · VALLI Winemaker