Collection: Dry River

Dry River is one of New Zealand’s most quietly revered wine estates — a Martinborough pioneer that has, since its founding in 1979, pursued purity and precision with monastic focus. Established by Dr. Neil and Dawn McCallum, Dry River helped define the fine wine potential of the Martinborough Terrace, not through volume or flair, but through structure, age-worthiness, and a deep commitment to place. Today, the estate continues its legacy under the stewardship of winemaker Wilco Lam, crafting wines that are restrained, textured, and uncompromisingly site-driven.

The estate vineyards lie on the ancient alluvial gravels of the Martinborough Terrace, where low-fertility soils and wide diurnal shifts yield fruit of natural concentration, acidity, and aromatic lift. The property is dry-farmed and managed with a long view: yields are kept exceptionally low, and each block is meticulously pruned and hand-harvested to capture balance at the vine. Organically farmed and tuned to the rhythm of each season, Dry River’s viticulture underpins its reputation for clarity and longevity.

Winemaking is deeply intuitive and minimal. Each lot is fermented separately, often with wild yeasts, and there is no fining, filtering, or winemaking embellishment unless absolutely necessary. Pinot Noir is fermented in small open vats with gentle extraction and aged in fine-grained French oak (mostly used), allowing the wine to breathe into itself. Whites — including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay — are treated with long lees contact, slow ferments, and little intervention, producing wines of texture, tension, and slow evolution.

The wines are structured, poised, and built for age. Pinot Noir is savoury and mineral — red cherry, dark florals, forest floor, and fine tannins layered over schist and silence. Riesling is taut and stony, with citrus oil, lime, and a dry, saline finish. Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris offer uncommonly serious, textured expressions — rich yet focused, with phenolic grip and aromatic nuance. Chardonnay is restrained and mineral, walking the line between reduction and quiet generosity. Across the portfolio, Dry River’s wines are not made to charm early — they are crafted to unfold.

What defines Dry River is its discipline — a producer that listens more than it speaks, shaping wines not for fashion, but for the quiet permanence of the cellar.

These are wines that do not ask to be noticed — they wait to be remembered, with gravity, composure, and the kind of patience that comes only from deep trust in the land.