Black Estate - Waipara's star attraction

How North Canterbury’s Black Estate showcases biodynamic farming flavours

Between twice winning New Zealand’s Best Winery Restaurant in the Cuisine Good Food Awards and making a fan of New York Times wine columnist Erik Asimov, Black Estate has led the way in putting the Waipara wine region on global tastemakers’ radars.

In 2007, Pen Naish and Nicholas Brown bought the original eight hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines that had been first planted in 1993. Since then, they have added two more vineyards and the restaurant.

Why the Waipara Valley produces great wine and food

Black Estate is known for dishes that pay homage to the land by highlighting locally sourced and foraged ingredients. Pen Naish says this was a natural evolution for winemakers who love to make wines that show place and season.

She says Black Estate focuses on organic, biodynamic and regenerative farming practices to grow quality fruit in their vineyards.

“Not only do these farming practices ensure more in-depth flavour and expression in our wines and food, it also leads to more nutrient-dense, healthy produce and ensures we’re building soil health, increasing water-holding capacity and resilience and also sequestering more carbon, which ultimately contributes to reducing global warming.”

How place gets reflected on the plate

Black Estate has had three head chefs since the restaurant opened in 2012, and Pen says they have all fulfilled that vision beautifully.

Head chef Olly Le Maitre says Canterbury’s seasonality means he juggles what’s available with what he wants to cook, and “from a guest point of view, they get to see real cooking with what produce is available in real time, which keeps it exciting.”

“We’re very spoiled with what we get around here and the quality of it, and the people that grow it really care. From a cooking point of view, we tend to just do a few things to enhance it or showcase it, but not get too sophisticated or technique driven, so it’s honest, flavourful cooking.”

Pen says overseas tourists especially value getting an experience of what the region is about when they visit Black Estate. “They’re always very grateful for that, and things like Olly’s vegetable dishes blow the New Yorkers’ minds.”

“Having a restaurant in the countryside is really special. Eating food with that much fresh air and life and nature around is such an influence on the guest, the chef and the staff. It just brings a vibe, so you can't help but get into that atmosphere and way of life.”

The local growers behind Black Estate’s award-winning restaurant

Olly mentions a few of the restaurants’ suppliers, starting with Little Owl, a biodynamic farm near Gore Bay, about 45 minutes north of Waipara.

“Michael and Liz have this very small farm on a hill where the weather can be quite extreme.”

Depending on the season, he gets ingredients such as tomatoes, Portuguese spinach, interesting brassicas, endive and radicchio. “And he’s got porcini that grow wild on his farm in the right season, so he'll bring those in for us. Or sometimes he picks some of his heritage fruit trees — you always get reminded of the season because of what Michael’s turning up with.”

Pen adds that King Truffles is a Waipara highlight she looks forward to every winter.

“For 10 years we’ve been taking people from all over the country for a truffle day out. We take them to the farm on a bus, and they can dig up truffles and then come and have a five-course lunch with the special menu Olly and his team put together with aged wines. They see two sides of the valley and meet two families doing different things: one’s growing vines and running a restaurant, one’s growing truffles, and it’s all very real because you’re actually in the field realising this is where your food comes from.”

Another option is to helicopter in from Christchurch for the day’s experience.

Black Estate’s latest homegrown ingredient is beef from the vineyard

As a biodynamic grower, Black Estate has been grazing a few cows for several years and using the manure in compost. Recently, they added a few more to help manage pasture and to grow food for the restaurant. Raised regeneratively, their low-line Angus are smaller cows, which Pen says are less impactful on the land.

“They graze at Netherwood vineyard, which is where we live and have our winery, and we serve it with a wine from Netherwood vineyard. The cows and the vines have been growing in the same place, and it's just wonderful. It’s hard not to think about the sense of place with that beef, and it really does taste good.”

Olly agrees, noting the “depth of the roast beefy taste. It’s very different to other sorts of Angus or grass-fed beef — it’s quite distinctive, but in a very good way.”

It’s all part of being a local food showcase and a good neighbour. “We're going to sell mince to customers that want to purchase some great, nutrient-dense, regeneratively-grown beef. It’s just small-scale, but we have really enjoyed being able to grow something different and offer really nutritious food to our community.”

Your questions from this article answered:

What are the Cuisine Good Food Awards?

The Cuisine Good Food Awards are widely considered the gold standard and most prestigious accolades for New Zealand’s hospitality industry.

Operating for over two decades, they act as the definitive annual guide to the absolute best dining experiences across Aotearoa, evaluating everything from high-end fine dining to exceptional neighbourhood wine bars.

Can you buy Black Estate beef directly?

Yes. On a small scale, Black Estate sells nutrient-dense, regeneratively-grown mince from their low-line Angus cows directly to customers and the local community.

Does Little Owl farm near Gore Bay sell directly to the public?

Yes! While Michael and Liz primarily supply premium ingredients to local spots like Black Estate, Little Owl Biodynamic Farm operates a roadside gate stall on weekends during abundant seasons.

Visitors and locals travelling near Gore Bay can buy their seasonal organic produce, heritage fruits, and vegetables directly from the farm gate. They also offer a farm stay cottage (The Little House) on-site for those wanting a full farm retreat.

How can I buy fresh North Canterbury truffles directly from Kings Truffles, and when is the harvest season?

You can buy fresh Perigord Black Truffles directly from the Kings Truffles online shop during their winter harvest season, which runs from June through August.

They personally harvest, grade, and ship the truffles via overnight courier in specialised chilled packaging to ensure peak aroma. Outside of fresh truffles, you can buy their direct-to-consumer artisanal products online year-round, including their signature 10% fresh truffle butter, truffle salt, and truffle oil.

What is the Black Estate Truffle Day experience?

Held every winter in partnership with Kings Truffles, this special event takes guests on a bus (or helicopter from Christchurch) to a truffle farm to dig up fresh truffles.

This is followed by a five-course truffle-infused lunch paired with aged Black Estate wines back at the restaurant.