Standing on the shoulders of giants
Waipara Springs celebrates 36 years of wine, food, family and community.
Thirty-six years and three generations is a legacy worth celebrating.
Waipara Springs marked the milestone on October 16 with an intimate gathering at its historic winery restaurant.
In typical Waipara Springs style, the evening was beautifully executed, without a hint of pretence.
Among the guests were loyal customers, current and former staff, family, neighbours and friends.
Everyone had played some part in the Waipara Springs story.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in a small rural community, it also takes a village to keep a business afloat, let alone help it thrive.
Current owners Andrew Moore, the third generation of his family to work the land, and his partner Katie Lumber understand the significance of what they've inherited.
"We stand on the shoulders of giants," Andrew says.
"They took it as far as they could with the resources they had, which gave us the opportunity to take it even further."
Those giants include his grandfather, who farmed the property, and his parents, Bruce and Jill Moore, who had the foresight to recognise what Waipara's unique terroir could produce.
They planted grapes when vineyards were still a novelty in the district, eventually opening the restaurant on October 13, 1990.
Growing up in North Canterbury in the 1980s, I remember Waipara as predominantly sheep and beef country.
Gradually, the landscape changed.
Rows of vines began replacing livestock, and Waipara Springs was among the pioneers of what would become one of New Zealand's most celebrated wine regions.
For me, and no doubt countless others, Waipara Springs is woven into a lifetime of memories.
Family occasions, lunches with friends, even hens' nights.
When my children were small, it was a favourite destination.
There was a sandpit to keep them occupied, the food was always good without being fussy, and Jill Moore was invariably there, welcoming everyone with her warmth, easy smile and a basket of complementary bread rolls that were good enough to have an almost cult following.
Jill was a ray of sunshine, no matter how busy or tired she must have been.
That sense of genuine hospitality has endured.
"It's really important that we remember the people before us," Katie says.
"This was the first winery restaurant in the whole valley, and it's still operating under the original family, which is quite a massive thing."
The connection extends far beyond the wine and food.
Over the decades, Waipara Springs has provided a first job for countless local teenagers, with entire families passing through its doors as employees.
"Our family business has touched a lot of lives over the years," Andrew says.
Continuing that tradition takes considerable work.
Andrew and Katie have expanded and modernised the business, with the restaurant now capable of accommodating 150 people indoors and 200 outdoors.
They have also diversified into gin and on-site accommodation, while carefully preserving the character of the historic buildings.
The restaurant itself was originally a shearing shed, later converted into a grain shed, while other parts of the complex have served as barrel and tank rooms.
During renovations, Andrew and Katie discovered an unexpected link to the property's farming past.
"When we opened up one of the walls, we found the old shearing shed panels were still there," Andrew says.
"They had my grandfather's markings and numbers from 1945 written on them. So, we turned them into a glass rack."
Even the warehouse has a history of its own.
It was originally the Balmoral Fire Station, relocated to the property after being dismantled.
"There hasn't been a lot of new stuff over the years. It's always been about finding ways to make things work," Andrew says.
For Katie, those layers of history are fundamental to the Waipara Springs experience.
"One of the things people say when they come to Waipara Springs is that it has an ambience that just can't be replicated," she says.
"It's got a feeling. People come in and naturally feel calm, and a lot of that comes from the rustic character of the buildings.
"We want to keep that character. We're never going to alter that."
Rather than undertaking sweeping renovations, the couple have taken a measured approach, improving and adapting existing spaces while retaining their character.
Rooms have been opened up, walls relined and insulated, and spaces created to accommodate larger groups, including cruise ship visitors.
"We don't go out and spend a whole lot of money and then try to recoup it," Andrew says.
"We save up and then spend the money so we don't get ourselves into trouble."
It's a practical philosophy that would no doubt resonate with the generations of farmers who worked the land before them.
While the physical surroundings have evolved, the underlying philosophy of Waipara Springs remains remarkably unchanged.
"We're not pretentious people, and we don't want a pretentious winery," Andrew says.
"We're just farmers making a product and selling it ourselves. You've got to keep your feet on the ground, make wines that are well-balanced and enjoyable for everyone, and make everyone feel welcome."
Despite the challenges of an increasingly competitive wine industry, Waipara Springs remains proudly family-owned, exporting wine to around 18 countries while retaining its strong local following.
There is something reassuring about a place that has evolved over nearly four decades without losing sight of what made it special in the first place.
Because good food, great wine and genuine hospitality aren't subject to trends.
And they never go out of style.
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