Our Story

In 2003, Jules Stephan bought a sheep paddock in the Waitaki Valley after soil tests revealed conditions with striking similarities to Burgundy.
What followed was a leap into the unknown: six hectares planted to Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, in a region still finding its identity as a place for wine.
The first vines went into the ground in 2005. The first Q Wine vintage came five years later. More than two decades on, the same vineyard continues to surprise us.

In 1863, Charles Levet and his son William planted one of New Zealand's earliest commercial vineyards on the banks of the Whakapirau River near Wellsford. Their wine was sold through Israel Wendel's, New Zealand's first licensed wine shop, and enjoyed at Government House. More than 160 years later, Charles's great-great-grandson, Jules Stephan, is growing wine again, this time on the limestone-rich soils of the Waitaki Valley.

It began with a curious resemblance: the natural form of a vine echoing the letter Q. The founder’s background in quantum physics and fascination with the extraordinary energy of quasars brought another dimension. One inspiration discovered in the vineyard by an observant eye, the other reaching far beyond it. Two perspectives brought together in a single letter.

Q Wine. Curious by nature.