Mt Difficulty began in the early 1990s with 'the Gang of Four', the owners of five newly planted vineyards at Bannockburn in Central Otago, New Zealand, who agreed on a handshake to make wine under one label. The first vintage, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay, came in 1998, and Matt Dicey joined to build the winery and stayed as head winemaker for 20 vintages.
Bannockburn has the most continental climate in New Zealand, with hot summers, cold winters and long, dry autumns that suit Pinot Noir. Current winemaker Greg, an Adelaide oenology graduate who worked at Shaw + Smith and abroad, was New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year in 2018.
Mt Difficulty is accredited under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand and takes an organic approach in the vineyard. The cellar door sits on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Cromwell Basin and Lake Dunstan.
- Address
- 73 Felton Road, Bannockburn, Cromwell 9384, New Zealand
- Founded
- 1998
- Winemakers
- Greg Lane, Elliot Borren
Visit the Mt Difficulty website