Obsidian - Welcome to Obsidian

We invite you to explore our Island of Wine and enjoy the wines from Obsidian Vineyard

Obsidian Vineyard nestles in the coastal hills of the Onetangi viticultural area on the northern coast of Waiheke Island. The flagship wine, simply labeled The Obsidian, is the blend of the very best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

The Weeping Sands label is made with the same meticulous care and attention as Obsidian, but for earlier drinking. All wines are from the single Waiheke Island vineyard except the Obsidian, Chardonnay which is sourced from a small family vineyard block on Waiheke Island overlooking the Tamaki Straight.

The Obsidian vineyard was established in 1993 with the specific objective of producing a great Bordeaux-style red however since that time new varieties have been introduced and Obsidian now has eight varietal wines. New wines to its portfolio  include Syrah, Viognier, Chardonnay, Rose and Montepulciano.

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Weeping Sands claims Trophy in Liquorland International wine competition An emerging new red grape variety, Montepulciano, has once again gained the highest accolade for Obsidian Vineyard on Waiheke Island. The Weeping Sands Montepulciano 2009, made from grapes grown on the company's estate vineyard in the Onetangi Valley, has taken top honours as the "Champion Varietal Red" at the Liquorland International Wine Competition. The wine is made by Obsidian's winemaker Michael Wood at a nearby winery in Onetangi. Mike observed "we had already won a gold medal with this wine in the competition and knew we had a chance for the trophy; our closest competitor was an imported Italian Chianti. It's satisfying to know we won the trophy with an Italian grape, but grown and made locally" First released by the company in 2006, the Montepulciano has consistently performed well for Obsidian, winning a gold medal and trophy at its first showing at the Bragato wine competition in 2007. It has since gone on to collect an array of medals and 5 star awards. "We expect demand for this wine will exceed our supply, as in recent years. It's time we planted some more montepulciano! " observes Mike. Montepulciano is a popular red grape variety in Italy, where it is grown extensively along the central Adriatic coast. In New Zealand there are now 9 producers, with just 10 Ha of Montepulciano grapes growing in 2010 according to WineNZ, the national wine growers' organisation. The rape is a very late ripener, and needs a long hot growing season, such as Waiheke offers, to achieve ripeness and flavour. Shown Lindsay Spilman (left), director of Obsidian, receiving the trophy from chief wine judge Mike de Garis. Lindsay Spilman Director