Established in 1993 by John Kelly, Thyme Hill was a true test of entrepreneurship and Central Otago character. The vision paid off, with Thyme Hill Merlot winning multiple awards prior to John’s unfortunate passing in 2008. Following this a hiatus of vineyard maintenance occurred until 2011, until keen grapegrower Inge Diks purchased the vineyard and set about building the next chapter of Thyme Hill Merlot. The challenge of reviving the vines and continuing John’s vision of boutique Merlot would apply to only a select few, but Inge was up for the challenge of learning how to craft climate into wine down in this corner of the world.

Naturally all of us here at Thyme Hill were keen to get the first taste of the grapes, however due to the condition of the vines the decision was made to grow for vine health rather than harvest for the first two years, and therefore the first vintage under our new skipper came in 2014. These two years allowed the grapes to recover and set up for long-term success, and our patience has paid off, with dramatic increases in yields and quality of the grapes over the last 9 years. At Thyme Hill the focus is on the process rather than the outcome, and we find that this yields to consistent and quality grapes.

Grapes are hand-picked and the wines are crafted under the watch full eye of Antony Worch, wine maker at Alexandra Vintners in Central Otago. Thyme Hill Wines are from a single vineyard and 100% grown and produced in Central Otago, New Zealand.

All of the work is done by hand, and harvests are a great occasion every year for celebration with friends, family and the community.