Aard Wines
Hawke’s Bay
Facts.
First Vintage: 2023
Scale: 1 - 5T
Range: Rosé, Chardonnay, Pet Nat, Syrah, Petit Pinot
Cellar Door: You can taste these wines at their family cellar door at Hopesgrove! Yes they are part of the Hopesgrove family legacy…
About
Aard Wines is the shared project of Annabelle and Bart, two people who arrived in wine from very different directions before meeting, by chance, in the Mosel Valley during vintage 2021.
Annabelle grew up working in her family’s vineyard, with wine always present but never planned as a career. After university, she took on her first vintage simply as a way to travel. The vintage bug caught quickly. What followed was six years of moving between harvests and wine regions around the world, always chasing the next season. When she landed in Germany during COVID, it felt like the right moment to formalise what had become a deep passion. Annabelle enrolled in a Masters programme focused on wine and sustainability, while working at an organic and natural winery in the Mosel. It was there that she met Bart.
Bart’s path into wine began through drinking it. Over time, a love of organic, biodynamic and natural wines grew into something more serious. Already working in horticulture, the shift into viticulture felt natural. He began working with natural wineries across Germany, learning hands-on in vineyards and cellars, before crossing paths with Annabelle in the Mosel.
They stayed in Germany for several years, including a season renting a small Riesling vineyard and making a tiny project together. When the opportunity arose to return to New Zealand and farm vines at Annabelle’s family property in Hawke’s Bay, they decided to take the leap and build something of their own.
For Annabelle and Bart, everything begins in the vineyard. Being involved in the farming of the vines they work with, understanding the site, and building a relationship with each block is fundamental to their approach. Watching the vines change through the season, responding to what each year brings, and harvesting fruit that truly reflects its place matters far more to them than intervention in the winery.
Once the grapes are off the vine, their philosophy is simple. They aim to be as hands-off as possible, ideally adding nothing and taking nothing away. The wines of Aard are intended as honest expressions of what the vines have produced in a given year, shaped by farming, season, and place rather than technique.
Aard Wines is a continuation of a journey that began in vineyards far from home and has come full circle. Thoughtful, quiet wines rooted in farming, connection, and trust in the process.
