- Elephant Hill winery is back on the market, with its Hawke’s Bay estate potentially split.
- The $15m-plus estate includes a luxury lodge, vineyards, winery, cellar door, restaurant, equipment.
- Owners prefer one buyer after 2024’s failed sale, though separate sales could preserve the brand.
Elephant Hill winery in Hawke’s Bay is back on the market, but this time the owners are open to offers that could lead to the break-up of the multimillion-dollar estate.
Start your property search
Up for grabs are the owner’s luxury lodge overlooking Cape Kidnappers, the vineyards in Te Awanga and Gimblett Gravels, the winery, the cellar door, and the restaurant, plus all the winery plant and equipment.
The 32ha estate, which has a combined RV of over $15m, was first listed for sale in 2024, but the owners failed to find a buyer.
Colliers agent Mike Laven told OneRoof that while the three properties could be purchased individually, his clients still hoped to sell to a single buyer.
Elephant Hill’s distinctive look was created by award-winning architect John Blair. Photo / Supplied
Opera singer Jose Carreras at Elephant Hill in 2009. He is one of many international stars who have visited the estate. Photo / NZME
Elephant Hill CEO Andreas Weiss, far left, in 2020. He told the New Zealand Herald in 2024 that the family was selling up so they could move on from his father’s death in 2016. Photo / Paul Taylor
"Our vendor’s preferred outcome is the sale of Elephant Hill as a going concern, reflecting the unique quality of the offering: a highly respected premium wine brand, a world-class architecturally designed winery and cellar door, a luxury lodge and three exceptional vineyards with distinctive terroir characteristics," he said.
"This a rare opportunity to purchase an iconic super premium wine brand with outstanding property assets."
He said that in the five days since the listings went live, he had fielded interest from New Zealand buyers, especially for the luxury lodge.
Discover more:
- Shortland Street star finally sells home after relenting on price
- 'Oh my God': Teachers refused to let tiny town's school die
- Shrek director Andrew Adamson quietly lists his $11m pad
If the listings are sold separately, the Elephant Hill brand might still survive, he said. "We expect the brand will end up with another large wine company, because it is a good brand and would fit into a portfolio."
German couple Roger and Reydan Weiss founded Elephant Hill after they fell in love with Hawke’s Bay during a visit to New Zealand in 2001.
They bought coastal land at Te Awanga / Haumoana, planted vineyards and opened the winery in 2008. The brand is internationally renowned, with critics praising the estate’s wine and its architecture.
Roger Weiss died in Germany in 2016, and the winery is currently managed by his son Andreas. When the estate was first listed for sale, he told the New Zealand Herald: “Everybody knows Elephant Hill because of the passion and of the investments that we did here.
The Weiss family’s four-bedroom lodge at 219 Parkhill Road, in Haumoana, was also designed by Blair. Photo / Supplied
The lodge sits on a 12ha site and boasts a 20m lap pool. Photo / Supplied
The home is stylishly dressed and is bathed in sunlight. Photo / Supplied
“We are a small, high-performance team. I think we have the best people in their respective places. You can’t find anyone better in Hawke’s Bay, and I’m very proud of that.”
He told the Herald in 2024 that the family was selling up because it was time to move on. “[My parents] created the dream; they created the vision of Elephant Hill. Since my father died, my mother, she comes over here more to cry than anything else because they built it together.”
He added that he hoped to find someone who shared his parents’ vision and passion for wine and the land. “It is, I think, breathtaking and mind-blowing sometimes. I am just looking out from my office looking at the bay, and it’s just a beauty.”
The winery for sale at 86 Clifton Road has a dramatic barrel-vaulted underground cellar. Photo / Supplied
Also up for grabs is STONE Vineyard, a 19ha vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels wine-growing district. Photo / Supplied
One of the biggest talking points of Elephant Hill is the architecture of the winery and the Weiss’ four-bedroom lodge. Both were designed by award-winning architect John Blair using pre-aged and patinated copper exterior cladding.
The lodge at 219 Parkhill Road sits on 12ha of land, and according to the listing, sits “in harmony with the surrounding landscape overlooking the Pacific Ocean and iconic Cape Kidnappers” and was designed for “relaxed luxury and sophisticated entertaining”.
It features expansive “open-plan interiors, a premium European-appointed kitchen, an executive office and integrated smart-home technology. The living spaces flow effortlessly to sheltered outdoor entertaining areas, landscaped gardens and a 20-metre infinity-inspired lap pool positioned to capture the impressive coastal outlook”.
The winery at 86 Clifton Road, Haumoana, Hastings, covers three levels, has a 400-tonne capacity and sits on 20.27ha of land. Features include an 894sqm climate-controlled barrel hall, a barrel-vaulted underground cellar, laboratory, offices and comprehensive production areas. It has been home to several award-winning chefs and has hosted a swag of international stars, including opera singer Jose Carreras.
The listing on OneRoof notes that the restaurant and cellar door “offer beautifully appointed dining and tasting areas, a commercial kitchen and expansive outdoor terraces overlooking the vineyard and Pacific Ocean. Floor-to-ceiling glazing frames panoramic views, while the upper administration level offers further flexibility and potential for alternative uses, including possible residential accommodation, subject to the necessary approvals”.
Elephant Hill’s Gimblett Vineyard at 2290 State Highway 50, Roys Hill, is also up for grabs.
Laven and co-listing agent Hadley Brown describe the 19.78ha vineyard as a “premium viticultural asset in one of New Zealand’s premier wine-producing locations”.
The vineyard comprises two contiguous freehold titles, with about 14.64ha planted in Syrah, Merlot, Malbec and Chardonnay.
- Click here to find more properties for sale in Hawke’s Bay
