Our Story

About Us

Chris Canning
             Co-proprietor and Winemaker


His first encounter with wine came while harvesting grapes and punching down the caps in Nuits St.Georges during the vintage of 1961 – unaware at the time that it was to become known as ‘the vintage of the century’. His enthusiasm for winemaking grew further in northern Italy before he returned to New Zealand in 1976 and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Semillon at deRedcliffe Estates south of Auckland, expanding the range with contract growers in Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. Despite producing medal-winning wines and a high profile in the 1980s he quickly realised that the wrong grapes in the wrong place would never satisfy his long term ambitions. After developing the Hotel du Vin as a ground-breaking model for wine tourism he sold the property in the early 1990s returning to in 2002 after some years in Australia. His approach to winemaking, viticulture and to life is that there is no point in creating something that is ordinary or of doing anything less than well.
His children, Hugo (deceased), Sean and Charlotte, bear that cross as best they can.
Chris was the President of the Waiheke Winegrowers Association 2007-2009. 

The Hay Paddock Limited
Seaview Road, Onetangi Valley,
, 1843
NEW ZEALAND


email: [email protected]

Tel: +64 (09) 372 9539
Mob: +64 (027) 4968 783 (Chris)
Mob: +64 (021) 931 355 (Bryan)

Cellar Door and Member Sales:
Jules Silk +64 (021) 211 2829


 

 


Bryan Mogridge
             Co-proprietor


Bryan gained a degree in Biochemistry at Massey University and entered the wine industry as General Manager of Corbans in 1983 before being appointed Managing Director and CEO of New Zealand’s largest wine company, Montana Wines Limited in October 1984. In 1985 he was elected the President of The NZ Wine Institute (now New Zealand Winegrowers), a role he filled for six years, leading to his induction as the inaugural Life Member in 1998. In the same year he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the wine industry and in 2008 he was inducted into the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame.
During his time as leader of Montana Wines and of the Wine Institute, Bryan was instrumental in building a solid export base for all New Zealand wine, and his establishment of overseas markets and strong international relationships led to New Zealand becoming the featured wine nation at the London Wine Trade Fair in 1988 in just the second year of entry.
Bryan and his late wife, Heather, shared a passion for wine and the outdoors which led them to build a final resting place on Waiheke and to share with their friends, the Cannings, a desire to develop a top vineyard together. While he continues to pursue a wide range of business interests, he passionately promotes the virtues of The Hay Paddock and Harvest Man to all who share his passion for fun, friendship and good wine.