At latitude 39 degrees South, the climate in Hawke's Bay is warm and dry, due largely to the sheltering effects of inland mountain ranges. With an annual average of 2200, sunshine hours are high, while rainfall and humidity are low. Although Hawke’s Bay is approximately the same distance from the equator as central Spain or southern Italy, the lack of continental effect and a strong maritime influence combine to produce climatic conditions less scorchingly hot than either of those regions.

 

Sileni produces fine wine from two vineyard sites on river gravel soils in Hawke’s Bay, each of which has slightly different climatic characteristics suited to different grape varieties and wine styles.  The warm, free-draining Triangle vineyards around the winery are planted on the gravel deposits of an old river valley and provide the Merlot based red and Semillon wines. Further inland, on a dry river gravel terrace 100 metres higher in altitude, the cooler Plateau vineyard produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

 

We also source Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir fruit from some excellent sites in the Marlborough region of the South Island. This enables us to produce superb examples of New Zealand's most acclaimed wine styles.

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