Hampshire Vineyards

About

Some vineyards feel new, shiny, and purpose-built. Hampshire isn’t one of them and that’s part of what makes it so special. This land has been in the Hammond family for over 100 years, shaped first by crops, stock, and the kind of hard, hands-in-the-soil graft that makes Marlborough what it is.

Wine came later, but the roots here run far deeper than vines.

After careers in IT and Intellectual Property, Brigid and her husband made the massive decision to leave Wellington behind and return to the farm in 2012. It wasn’t the obvious move on paper, but it was the right one in every way: a chance to raise their three children with space, community, and the rhythm of the seasons at their doorstep.

In 2003, long before the Awatere Valley became a buzzword, Hampshire was one of the first contract growers in the region. Sauvignon Blanc went in the ground for names many of us know. What started as a family farm slowly grew into 135 hectares of vineyards, row by row, season by season.

And yet, for all that scale, the heart of Hampshire’s own label is tiny and deliberately so.

Just 3.5 tonnes of hand-picked Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris from single vineyard parcels, crafted into wine they are proud to share with the people who helped grow it.

Their winemaker is close friend Simon Barker (Barkers Marque Wines), and the philosophy is beautifully simple: make wines that feel like home… honest, generous, and shared around the table with family and friends.

Brigid and her family have raised three young children while running a working farm, a large vineyard, and now their latest baby: their boutique wine label. There have been steep learning curves, wild seasons, and the usual chaos of small-business life… but also a huge sense of pride. Because when they open a bottle, they know exactly which row it came from and who helped get it there.