Tiraki Wines

The vines supplying the grapes for Tiraki wine are situated on Longfield Farm in Fairhall, which lies on the outskirts of Blenheim in Marlborough. The fourth and fifth generations of the Hammond family currently farm the 260Ha property at Longfield. Over the past 150 years, the land and the activities it supports has seen continuous change, but what has remained constant is the Hammond’s family commitment to producing the highest quality products from well-nurtured soils. In January 2023 Tiraki was the first wine brand in New Zealand to be certified a B Corp brand.  

Longfield Farm covers 260 hectares. 186 hectares are planted in Sauvignon Blanc, 6ha in Pinot Noir, 2.3 ha in Chardonnay and 0.5 ha of Syrah. A few paddocks and hills remain on which stock is grazed (mostly sheep) prior to going into the vineyard over the winter months. The Hammonds have also been planting waterways and other parts of the farm unsuitable for vineyards or farming. Approximately two hectares of the property are planted with native species.  

Josh Hammond is the Tiraki winemaker and Longfield Farm and Vineyard manager. Originally Josh studied Law and Chemistry at Otago University. But, he says, from the age of 12 when they first started planting vineyards, he spent much of his holidays working in the vines. After finishing his degrees, and with a desire to travel, he worked at a winery in California. He loved the experience and knew then that he wanted to be a winemaker.  

Further post graduate studies in Oenology and Viticulture at Lincoln University followed, as did working as winemaker for Villa Maria in Marlborough, before moving to London where Josh set up an Urban Winery (Renegade) and made wine from European and English grapes. Moving back to New Zealand he worked as winemaker for Isabel Estate in Marlborough before coming back to the family business and starting Tiraki. 

Josh’s father, Robin is the 4^th generation of the family to farm Longfield. In 2009 Robin purchased Eglinton, a 480ha farm about 35 minutes further up the Wairau Valley. For 14 years it was run as a sheep and beef farm and in 2023 they started converting 83 hectares of the property to vineyards. In 2020, a 20ha Sauvignon Blanc vineyard 10 minutes from Longfield was purchased. 

Across these three properties they have 8 full-time staff, including Josh and Robin. Robin is now beginning to do a bit less around the property, leaving Josh to run day-to-day, but helping where needed, spending time with the grandchildren, or in the Marlborough Sounds. As well as the full-time staff, they also rely on seasonal labour (RSE employees) who are contracted through vineyard labour companies and carry out a lot of the manual work in the vineyard, from pruning to wire lifting and hand picking. 

The business is a family-focused one. While Josh and Robin are based at Longfield, Josh’s brother and sister, Tyler and Ella Rose are also part of Tiraki but both live in Amsterdam. Tyler looks after finance, and European sales, while Ella Rose co-ordinates sales, social media, marketing, and web design. 

Their first vintage in 2020 was exported only to China but they now sell to 30 countries around the world, with a focus on Asia and Europe, with one of the business founders (Chris) based in Shanghai. Tiraki wines can also be purchased online through its website and at a small number of restaurants and bars throughout New Zealand.  

Tiraki can also be found at The Wine Shed, a new boutique wine shop that opened in Blenheim in March 2025 sells Tiraki, along with several local wines. The Wine Shed owners say they wanted to bring together a collective of smaller Marlborough producers without their own cellar doors. And they see this as a great opportunity to promote Marlborough wines with a group of like-minded high-quality producers. 

Tiraki has a distinctive label which, Josh explains, reflects the name and the origin of the wine. Tiraki translates to the clearing of the skies and is a play on the Maori name for Marlborough - Te Puta te Wairau (the hole in the clouds of Wairau). It is a fitting name for a region with one of the highest sunshine hours in the country, supporting the production of world class wines. Josh says they wanted the label and brand to reflect who they are - a modern label for a younger generation in the wine industry. “It also ties together our family heritage - our Ngai Tahu ancestors who have called the South Island home for many generations and our English ancestors who emigrated to New Zealand and started farming on this land at Longfield in 1870.” 

When Rural Delivery visited at the beginning of March 2025, bottling was underway for their 2024 Chardonnay. As well, Pinot Noir and preparations were being made for picking the 2025 vintage. They have also started producing a traditional methode sparkling wine, so picking Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for this, Josh explains, is always the first pick at the end of February or beginning of March. Chardonnay and Pinot for table wines follow and then Sauvignon Blanc is harvested from about the third week of March. 

Technology is employed in the vineyard with a view to both improving operational efficiency and environmental outcomes. Josh says the use of recycling sprayers captures spray that passes through the canopy and recycles it. During the early part of the season, 30-50% of the spray is recovered, and is closer to zero by the end of the season (as there is a lot more leaf area to capture and hold the spray). Also, new blocks being developed are incorporating sub surface irrigation. This will reduce the need for irrigation maintenance, water consumption by about 20%, weed growth and the subsequent minimisation of herbicide use. The mechanisation of many vineyard jobs traditionally carried out by contract labour has also helped to reduce operational costs. 

Other challenges for the grapes are climate variability as well as pests and diseases. Birds are a constant challenge and traditionally they have used nets and bird bangers to keep birds away from the fruit. While nets are still used for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, a bird scaring laser is being trialed on a Sauvignon block this year. As well, Josh says while every season is different, “generally we are working to prevent powdery mildew during the growing season and botrytis towards the end of the season and as we move closer to harvest. In a wetter season the impact of these is higher and more challenging.”  

Building resilience is also high on the priority for Tiraki. Josh says, “by establishing Tiraki and growing our own brand in markets across the world we have greater control of our supply chain, from grape production through to bottled product. This can help us avoid fluctuations in grape sale price and control our own supply and demand.”  

Perhaps the most significant development in recent years was in 2023, when Tiraki was awarded B Corp Certification. This, as Josh explains, is awarded to businesses meeting a high level of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency making a positive impact on society and the environment. Several major global brands are now certified B Corp including Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, The Body Shop, Allbirds shoes, and Pals. 

To gain B Corp certification, Tiraki was audited and required to provide answers to over 200 questions relating to governance, workers, community, environment and customers. 

Among its business activities, Tiraki donates 2% of revenue to charitable organizations. Most recently, Friends of Rotoiti (a nature recovery project), the Picton Dawn Chorus (reinstating native birdlife) and Live Ocean (marine conservation projects) have benefitted. 

Tiraki prioritises using locally owned and family-operated businesses and suppliers. Other sustainability and supplier traceability measures include using ethically sourced label and case makers (audited to comply with global environmental standards), a label made from sugar cane pulp and hemp, kraft cartons, and reduced bottle weight. They also work with those wineries and vineyards with their own sustainable practices in place. 

Josh says when Tiraki was set up, “a lot of the B Corp values aligned with how we wanted to run the business, so from that perspective it didn’t require us to change a lot.” They are required to re-certify every three years and need to score higher than their previous certification to retain B Corp status. “This requires us to be continually thinking about how we can improve what we do from an environmental, social and governance point of view.  

In terms of access to markets, we are hoping it will help with our growth in North America where several large well-known companies are B Corp certified, and consumer awareness seems to be higher than other parts of the world.”  

It is, they say, “a way of doing things that made sense to us.” It is a way of balancing profit, purpose and responsibility, they say – “something we have always done and will always do.”