Kemblefield
The Kemblefield story began in the early 1990s when two Californians, John Kemble and Kaar Field, began their search to find suitable vineyard land to establish what has become Kemblefield Estate Winery.
Director and Chief Winemaker John Kemble has 29 years of experience and spent 15 years at Ravenswood Winery. He researched several potential sites in New Zealand before finally making his choice in Mangatahi, Hawkes Bay. He felt its unique microclimate, reminiscent of his California homeland, was the ideal place to combine his winemaking knowledge with superb Hawkes Bay grapes.
At Kemblefield, John is producing an excellent range of estate wines including Zinfandel, which he introduced to the region. In 1994, John was the first to bring Zinfandel cuttings from Ravenswood Winery’s prestigious Old Hill Vineyard in California to New Zealand. Kemblefield Estate Winery is still one of only two New Zealand wineries to grow this varietal.
John grows all his own grapes in Hawkes Bay, giving him the control needed to produce consistently fine wines. In addition to wines he makes in Hawkes Bay, he also sources Sauvignon Blanc from the prestigious Marlborough region to produce a wine that delivers tremendous value.
John and Kaar wanted Kemblefield to embody New Zealand and its passion for wine, so they chose a label whose design incorporates a contemporary view of traditional Maori carvings. The representation of a fern frond symbolizes the unfolding of new life and renewal. Renewal is very important to the Kemblefield family, and their Terrace View Vineyard is an accredited member of New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing.
