Konrad & Co Story

Konrad & Co. is fully owned by the Hengstler family – Konrad, Sigrun and their two sons Conrad and Carlo. The Hengstlers originally migrated from Germany to Australia, where they settled for a period of over 20 years. While travelling through New Zealand in 1987, Konrad discovered Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and was immediately attracted to this outstanding wine. From that point, the decision to move to Marlborough and become involved in the wine industry was an easy one.

The first 10 hectares were planted in 1996 with Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, a variety that Sigrun felt very enthusiastic about, due to the suitable terroir of the Waihopai Valley. Since then the plantings have been extended to 20 hectares and also include Pinot Noir, the ideal red grape to suit the diurnal climate of Marlborough. Extensive sunshine hours (over 2500 per annum) and cool nights create the perfect background for these elegant fruit driven wines.

The flavours and acid content of the grapes from the Waihopai are very dominant, so it was felt that it would be advantageous to develop a second vineyard in the Wairau Valley, a warmer site that produces full bodied wines with good alcohol and ripening potential. There are now another 20 hectares of mainly Sauvignon Blanc and some Pinot Noir of 3 different clones in production, making it to 40 hectares for the total family owned vineyard area.

Every year, after fermentation, wines from the two distinctly different sites are used for the blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, giving the family the opportunity to maintain the same high quality and consistent flavours year after year. The grapes for the award winning Riesling are grown exclusively in the Waihopai Valley vineyard next to the office and residence.

Quality is the absolute focus of Konrad and it starts in the Vineyard where no corners are cut, and continues in the winery where ‘handcrafting’ is the applied standard. To confirm the ongoing standard of high quality, the company participates in numerous international wine competitions where varieties over all vintages have been recognized with gold, silver and bronze medals. London, Singapore, Dallas and Australia are just some of the locations where the Konrad brand joins other quality New Zealand wines that continue to receive accolades.

Being a family-run business, control over quality is truly ‘hands on’. Konrad’s philosophy is ’the best fertilizer is the foot of the farmer’. Through everyday personal involvement, a focus on quality, and a commitment to reasonable pricing, the result is simple…value for money for the customer.

“I sincerely hope you will gain as much pleasure from our wine as we have had creating them”.

Konrad Hengstler

Marlborough   Region

Best known and largest winegrowing region in NZ producing pure, aromatic wines. Exhilarating Sauvignon Blanc, crisp Chardonnay, fine Pinot Noir, precise Riesling.