AMOISE WINES

AMY FARNSWORTH

Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

AMOISE wines was born out of three barrels and a dream in 2018, founded by Amy Farnsworth. When she came to Aotearoa in 2009 to reconnect with her New Zealand roots, she fell in love with biodynamic farming and recognized the importance of treating the land and people as an interconnected ecosystem. This experience shaped her future winegrowing and winemaking principles. Through her vintages in Europe, Amy learned many time-honored methods that inspired her, allowing her wines to be a nod to tradition while focusing on New Zealand terroir.

She enjoys working with smaller plantings of Gamay Noir, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Albariño. The grapes are sourced organically, primarily from the exceptional Two Terraces vineyard in Mangatahi, Hawke’s Bay.

Amy farms her parcels biodynamically, utilizing vineyard-derived yeast cultures, gentle handling, and no additives or adulterations. Her goal is to craft wines that are not only delicious but also nourish the soul.

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BACKGROUND OF NATURAL WINE IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand's natural wine scene is an exciting chapter in the country's winemaking narrative, marked by a commitment to sustainability and a return to traditional, minimal-intervention practices. While New Zealand's wine industry gained international acclaim for its Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, the natural wine movement has added a unique dimension, drawing inspiration from both ancient winemaking methods and the country's pristine terroir. Regions like Marlborough, Central Otago, and Martinborough have become focal points for natural wine enthusiasts, where winemakers harness the expressive qualities of local grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. With a blend of innovation and reverence for the land, New Zealand's natural wine producers are contributing to the global conversation on sustainable viticulture and producing wines that encapsulate the essence of their terroir.

Organic, Biodynamic and Natural wine. What’s the difference?

To understand this concept and its various ramifications, it is necessary to keep something clear in mind: before the 20th century and the spreading of affordable synthetic fertilisers, all farming was organic. When the shift to the use of synthetics and pesticides happened, it became necessary to diversify traditional organic farming from the new modern farming. 


ORGANIC WINE

Simply put, organic farming forbids the use of synthetic fertilisers, synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms. The basic requirements are generally specific and engage the farmers not to use any chemical fertilisers and other synthetic products in the vineyard. It does not prevent the vintner from using the conventional winemaking process after harvesting. 


BIODYNAMIC WINE

Let’s take organic farming one step further: Biodynamic. The creator of this agricultural system is the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who developed the principles of biodynamics in a series of lectures given in 1924 in Germany. Here lies the foundation of true organic wines, with a strict limit in the use of additives, stringent requirements and at the end obtaining a biodynamic certification.


NATURAL WINE

The previous definitions are usually, and rightfully, associated with it, because most natural wine is also organic and/or biodynamic. But not vice versa!

Natural wine is wine in its purest form, simply described as nothing added, nothing taken away, just grapes fermented. No manipulation whatsoever, minimal intervention both in the vineyards and in the winery. Healthy grapes, natural yeast and natural fermentation, with no filtration nor fining. Sounds easy, right? However, making natural wine is unforgiving and it requires a bigger amount of work than conventional wine. To this day, natural wine has no certification yet.