Summerhouse Story - pure freedom

Heather and Meric Davies come from a long line of New Zealand farmers. Having graduated from Massey University with Agricultural Degrees and farmed cattle in the North Island for 10 years, Heather and Meric decided to follow their passion for the land, growing fruit and fine wine and founded the Summerhouse single-vineyard in 1995.

Their journey of freedom started with a quest for the perfect site. Heather and Meric realised that Marlborough’s climate of long hot days, with cool nights and unique soil structure produces some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They carefully sourced the Summerhouse vineyard, which lies in the confluence of the Wairau and Waihopai Valleys in Marlborough, New Zealand.

True to their ambition of owning a family vineyard and allowing nature and quality to influence decisions, Heather and Meric have always taken the ‘hands-on’ approach at Summerhouse. The 24hectare vineyard was initially planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which have been joined by the recent additions of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Grüner Veltiner.

As farmers, it is no surprise that Heather and Meric’s philosophy on winemaking starts in the vineyard. They meticulously tend their own vines and work with nature to ensure that the vineyard is given the freedom to capture the essence of the season, variety and terroir in each berry.

Within a few years of establishing the vineyard and perfecting the fruit quality, Heather and Meric decided to share this freedom and craft their own single-vineyard wines.  

Heather and Meric sought guidance and knowledge from expertise in their field in order to realise their goal and produced their first artisan wines. As is their way, they made no fanfare of releasing their first wines and just quietly sold a few cases here and there before officially celebrating their creation with family and friends.

Remaining true to Heather and Meric’s ideals, the Summerhouse brand was developed to represent ‘freedom’ – something the Davies’ enjoy and value from their lifestyle in their beautiful and inspirational part of Marlborough.

Rather than be told what to expect from this wine, you are encouraged to take your own journey of discovery. The imagery evokes feelings of freedom and memories of childhood summers, yet also of dreams and aspirations. The back label features a poem inspired by the Summerhouse vineyard, which further contributes to the enticing feeling of freedom, relaxation and being what you want to be. The wines clearly show empathy with today’s busy lifestyle and offer a respite, a haven. By enjoying Summerhouse wines, you are transported to that special place where you are free to be you.