The Man O’ War story begins with a special piece of land rich in history. Located at the eastern end of Waiheke Island, Man O’ War is a stunning array of coastal hillsides with high cliffs and pristine beaches forming a ruggedly beautiful coastline.
It was along this coastline that Captain James Cook came to anchor during his first voyage around the islands of New Zealand in 1769. Upon sighting the ancient stands of magnificent Kauri trees ashore, Cook noted in his journals that they would make ideal masts for the Man O’ War warships of the Royal Navy. Thus the name Man O’ War was bestowed upon this unique land.
Over two hundred years after Cook first sighted Man O’ War, and convinced that world class wine could be grown here we began planting our first vines in 1993. Today, Man O’ War consists of 150 acres of vines planted in 76 individual hillside blocks, each with a distinct soil profile and micro climate.
Every single block bears the footprints, and sometimes the names, of those who transformed Man O’ War’s rugged hillsides into a spectacular patchwork of vines. Each block has been meticulously designed with different rootstocks, clones and planting densities to best match the specific terroir on offer.
Driven by this blueprint, Man O' War's white varieties have been carefully placed high on the exposed volcanic hilltops of Man O’ War so that they benefit from cooling sea breezes, extending their growing season and giving them great concentration and minerality. While their red varieties are draped down precipitously steep sheltered clay hillsides enjoying the heat and drainage provided, promoting serious intensity and depth.
For over a hundred years, generations of the Spencer family have sailed past the Eastern End of Waiheke Island admiring its spectacular natural beauty and rugged coastline.
With the desire to protect and enhance this treasured piece of land, their family progressively purchased the four contiguous farms that now form Man O’ War Station through the early 1980’s.
As that decade progressed and we became witness to the world class wines being grown on Waiheke by Stephen White at Stonyridge and the Goldwaters, the family decided to join the fray and began to develop what they believe has now become one of New Zealand’s great vineyards and the basis of a family wine business for generations to come.
