The Kiwiesque Story
Kiwiesque began as a love story when owners Bayden & Justine met in a small Eskdale Church back in 2007
Bringing our lives & families together, we built the Luxury Lodge as a family home in 2012 on the site of the original woolshed on 2 hectares of vineyards. The red corrugated iron architecture is a nod to the history of this place and its agricultural past. The carpets, ceiling and wall insulation are all sheep’s wool, keeping with the woolshed theme.
When a neighbouring piece of land became available, we decided we wanted to share the beauty and tranquillity of this retreat with others, and we built the four-bedroom Vineyard Villa.
Luxurious accommodation facilities & picturesque vineyard surroundings will help you and your guests to unwind and relax. Switch off from the daily grind, breathe in the fresh air and spend quality time with those around you. We encourage all of our groups to stay a minimum of three nights so that there are two full days where you can really forget about the stresses of everyday life and relax into the rest and relaxation Kiwiesque provides.
From its origins as a warm family home, Kiwiesque exists solely to bring people together.
Meet your hosts
Justine, Bayden & Boris
We love the bounty Hawke’s Bay offers – from the freshest food and the finest wine, to endless outdoor pursuits if you’re keen to balance things out!
We’re delighted to live and work in this beautiful corner of Hawke’s Bay, and look forward to sharing it with you.
Kiwiesque Vineyard
Kiwiesque overlooks the vineyard, including a producing block of Pinot Gris and Albariño grapes. Albariño is a white variety from Galicia in Spain, grown in a coastal climate and enjoyed with the very best seafood tapas. We wish to replicate this experience with all the exceptional Hawke’s Bay seafood on offer.
Hawke’s Bays 2007 vintage was a very sunny and dry year, producing outstanding Reds. Our 2007 ‘Farting Kiwi’ Flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is a ripper. In limited supply, it is best enjoyed with BBQ Kiwiesque lamb on site.
In 2016 we replanted a new block of Cabernet Sauvignon to supply our ‘Farting Kiwi’, the latest 2021 vintage we’re currently enjoying. Our Kiwiesque vineyard is registered as a Sustainable Winegrower with SWNZ.
Our sheep play an important role, grazing the vines for eight months of the year. This exposes our grapes to the sunlight for ripening and reduces spray use and mowing.
Kiwiesque Heritage
Kiwiesque has evolved from a red corrugated woolshed on a sheep farm, later developed into a vineyard. Both from farming backgrounds, Justine and Bayden designed Kiwiesque Lodge to replace the Woolshed and establish their tourism venture in the vines where the sheep still roam.
Justine has used her decorating flair to create a stylish classic country farmhouse feeling. Both rustic and modern, this unique feel enhances the environment for guests to relax in style.
Bayden is a real local with heritage going back to East Coast tribal ‘Te Aitanga a Mahaki’. His first European ancestor, an early settler, set up Whaling stations at nearby Tangoio and Cape Kidnappers in the 1840s.
Kiwiesque Environment
Kiwiesque has been designed to capture the rustic charm, shape and texture of the old red corrugated iron woolshed as well as being environmentally friendly.
The sun’s natural light and heat are captured by the positioning of the vast glass areas. Heat is then retained by double glazing, insulated concrete flooring and sheeps’ wool insulation in the walls and ceilings.
Natural wood fires and LED lighting have been utilised for energy efficiency. Pure rainwater is harnessed from the extensive roof area. All wastewater is treated on site returning to the land as irrigation.
Kiwiesque Wines
Our two-hectare vineyard surrounds the Lodge and Villa and includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Albariño and Pinot Gris, which we harvest and use to produce our very own wine, which we invite you to enjoy! There’s something pretty special about enjoying a delicious bottle right where it was grown, and we’re always happy to tell you more about the process.
Our ‘Farting Kiwi’ Cabernet Sauvignon is our ‘big’ red made on-site, which includes the great 2007 vintage. Our other red wines include the 2019 ‘Mad Cow’ Cabernet Merlot, 2019 ‘Dog Botherer’ Tempranillo and 2016 ‘Farking Kiwi’ Syrah. Our white wines produced from our vineyard include our ‘Flying Sheep’ Pinot Gris, ‘Flying Fish’ Albariño and ‘Wooly Fish’ Albariño Gris. These wines were produced by the winemaker and students completing the Charles Sturt Wine Science degree at EIT Hawke’s Bay.
Kiwiesque Lamb
We love sheep here at Kiwiesque! You’ll see the flock doing their bit in the vineyard and around the grounds.
Acting as our lawn mowers and pruners, they are at home in the vineyard. Here, they eat the vine leaves that surround the grape bunches, allowing the sunlight to ripen the grapes, leading to top quality wine.
For the last 20 years Bayden has been involved in the development of the ‘Primera’ sheep, which is a blend of the traditional British breeds and renowned for eating quality.
For the past 15 years, Bayden has worked with farmers in the UK and Australia to establish this breed and supply high-end lamb markets that demand the highest quality.
Guests have the opportunity to dine on our own meat, with our self-catering BBQ packs featuring our own Kiwiesque bred ‘Primera’ lamb.