Cornwall Vineyard

Alec Harper and partner Peta Elliott purchased their 14ha property in 1997, and the following year established a pinot noir vineyard. This may seem a small planting, but they obtained cuttings from Alec's sister Brenda and brother-in-law Peter Bosworth at Morningside Vineyard. Their garage was turned into a nursery, with lights on 24 hours a day, encouraging the cuttings to strike and thus become rootlings ready to plant. Since then the duo has micro-managed every task in the vineyard: when a caterpillar invasion occurred they spent every evening with buckets in hand, picking off the caterpillars one at a time. -JAMES HALLIDAY