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Coal Pit is a boutique family vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand. We are committed to producing world-class wines from our certified organic vineyard and on-site winery.
The Coal Pit name is derived from the historical area in the nearby mountain ranges which provided the early pioneers, musterers and gold miners with coal as they passed over the Coal Pit saddle. The coal was bagged at the pit, loaded into carts and brought down Coal Pit road to the valley.
The flagship Pinot Noir 'Tiwha' pays tribute to Rosie's late father.
New Zealand born Chris Heaphy, of Ngai Tahu is a close friend of the family and the creator of the iconic Coal Pit label.
Heaphy’s abstract painting hangs in the Coal Pit tasting room - the inky black lines top and bottom represent the coal seams that were once a part of the Central Otago landscape, while the dominating cadmium red represents the predominant Pinot Noir plantings in the vineyard. The effect is a striking design that complements the individuality and beauty of the vineyard and Coal Pit wine.
The vineyard is nestled on the warm north-facing slopes of Gibbston, the highest sub-region in Central Otago. The vineyard faces north toward the Crown Range Mountains and the Kawarau River. Gibbston and Queenstown attract the extremes of New Zealand weather with snow covered winters and hot summers. The landscape is arguably one of the most detached and volatile grape growing regions in the world but at the same time the extreme seasonality in Gibbston's climate is perfect for producing remarkably high-quality fruit.
Coal Pit Vineyard covers 12 hectares of land in the heart of Gibbston. The 7 hectates of vines date back to 1994, some of the oldest in Gibbston.
The vineyard is planted on the glacially formed schist based soils, with a mix of clones for added complexity and balance. Coal Pit typically yields intensely aromatic wines with strong minerality.
Coal Pit is one of the few single vineyards in Gibbston where the grapes are grown, handpicked and crafted into wines on site. Coal Pit Vineyard is now fully organic.
Rosie's decision to construct a winery in 2007 was integral in shifting the boutique vineyard's focus towards premium quality, allowing complete control from vine to wine.
Situated in the heart of the Coal Pit vineyard, the building faces north toward the Crown Range Mountains and the Kawarau River. The winery comprises a tasting room, a temperature and humidity controlled barrel room, laboratory, meeting rooms and owner's accommodation.
Rosie gained her interest in viticulture while completing study in Advanced Urban Horticulture at Sydney’s Ryde School of Horticulture. Five years later, having moved to Ireland with her family and still keen to further her viticultural studies, Rosie commuted to the UK for a year to study Viticulture at Plumpton College, near Lewes, East Sussex. In 2000, whilst still in Ireland, she learnt that the Coal Pit Vineyard was on the market. After realising that this was a rare opportunity to acquire a beautiful vineyard on the Gibbston slopes she returned to her homeland with her husband and four kids to pursue the dream of producing world-class wines.
Hugo has grown up around the vineyard and made his first vintage at the age of 8 under the guidance of the Gibbston Godfather, Alan Brady. Down the line, whilst working for PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, Hugo worked on the New Zealand Winegrowers 2018 Strategic Review. This developed both Hugo’s knowledge of the industry and his passion for growing Coal Pit into a world-class sustainable family business. Hugo assists multiple arms of the Coal Pit business with specific focus on the finances and branding.
Anika, a Lincoln and Ohio State University graduate, joined Coal Pit for the 2018 vintage with experience working in Oregon, Australia, Germany, South Africa, Burgundy and New Zealand. Anika's passion for Pinot Noir led her to Central Otago. Anika lives on the vineyard with her partner and her dog Molé. This enables Anika to have constant interaction and oversight of the vines. Anika has been a driving force in Coal Pit's transition to organic production. Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, named Anika as one of New Zealand's Young Winemakers to Watch in 2021.
Originally hailing from the UK, Selina has been a Queenstown local since 2013 and has passionately embraced the lifestyle (and the wine) that Central Otago has to offer. With over 15 years of office management and accounts experience, Selina manages the day to day finances and administration for the company and loves the close knit team environment that Coal Pit offers.
Emma has joined the team as our Fine Wine Experience Curator. Leveraging her experience in hospitality and event curation, Emma is a natural community-builder who designs experiences that bring people together. Originally from the UK and based in Queenstown for the past 5 years, Emma curates private tastings and manages our Cellar Club and local events. Emma also volunteers as Events Coordinator for Queenstown Women in Tech, championing connection and community across the region.
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