Welcome to Chateau Garage

The moment struck at a Chateau in Beaujolais. A couple of kiwi backpackers, Ollie and his wife Rebecca exploring France in their battered VW van, parked up for the ‘99 grape harvest. By day hand harvesting grapes and the evenings were spent with other vintage workers tasting wines in the dimly lit Chateau courtyard. Every wine had a story. The vineyards, the growers, the makers, and the crazy seasons past. Ollie knew then that his future was in wine and returned to NZ to study viticulture and winemaking at EIT, Hawkes Bay.

More grape harvests in vineyards and wineries across New Zealand and France ensued.

Ollie took on the role of Chief Viticulturist for Villa Maria Estate in 2007. Mentored by Sir George Fistonich, Ollie lived his dream and at the end of each vintage would bring home a small parcel of grapes to ferment into wine in the garage.

In March 2021 , Ollie purchased two tonnes of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cornerstone vineyard owned by Bob Newton and Dinah Kennedy. It is a vineyard famous in the industry for it’s stony, gravelly soils. Ollie was entranced by the dark chocolate and rich berry flavours in the grapes.

The aromas were so intoxicating during fermentation that Ollie decided to buy some new French oak barrels. After fermentation, the wine was gently pressed and hand poured into the barrels. Ollie still talks of the unforgettable sensation of the rush of aromas of virgin oak and ripe Cabernet, as he tipped the first wine into the new barrels.

Fast forward 5 years and this amazing wine is bottled. Twenty cases bottled as ‘Hugo’. A knock out blend from three barrels Ollie felt best expressed the terroir. The dark chocolate flavours in the vineyard are still in force, with wild berry and dark olive notes. Current release from this vineyard is now vintage 2024.