Tony Bish Wines

About Tony Bish Wines

Winemaker Tony Bish is a Chardonnay fanatic and, for many, the Hawke’s Bay "King of Chardonnay". Tony produces premium wines made exclusively from Chardonnay. As such, Tony is New Zealand’s only Chardonnay specialist. Tony Bish produces 6 different Chardonnay styles, that have all received wide acclaim in NZ and in key overseas markets.

About winemaker Tony Bish

Tony has had a long career in the NZ Wine industry, spanning 40 vintages and counting. He was Senior Winemaker and Founder of Sacred Hill Vineyards Ltd, a highly awarded winery with significant exports. At Sacred Hill, he created one of New Zealand's iconic Chardonnay, the "Rifleman Chardonnay".

Tony Bish Wines was established in 2014, as an independent, high-quality family-owned business.

The Tony Bish Chardonnay

All Chardonnay’s produced are sourced from vineyards within the Hawke’s Bay region on the East Coast of the North Island, New Zealand. Tony has specifically selected unique vineyards based on soil type, management excellence, clonal selection and unique climatic aspects particular to each site. Tony is very involved in all aspects of viticulture for each site, working with growers to achieve the best expressions of each site to produce premium Chardonnays with regionality, inherent fruit quality and integrity.

Innovation is at the heart of all Tony does. He has built NZ’s first concrete egg fermenters and produces two wine styles made with this unique methodology. Tony also imported the first French Oak Ovum egg fermenter to the Southern Hemisphere.
You can choose between three different Chardonnay:

1. Fat & Sassy Chardonnay: cheeky and fun, all curves and lusciousness. Made in a large oak barrel.
2. Heartwood Chardonnay: the barrel fermented Hawke's Bay classic. 11 months in new and seasoned barrique barrels. The 2018 vintage was among the „Top 100 Wine Discoveries“ by Robert Parker‘s Wine Advocates.
3. Golden Egg Chardonnay: very unique Chardonnay. From the same grapes as Heartwood. The difference is in the winemaking. Fermented in NZ-made concrete eggs.

Critics about Tony Bish and his wines

• Top Wineries of New Zealand 2018 & 2019 & 2020 & 2021 – Bob Campbell MW
• “Tony has a distinguished record as a producer of top chardonnay.” – Bob Campbell MW
• Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Top 100 Wine Discoveries 2020 (Tony Bish Heartwood Chardonnay 2018).
• „he's quickly established his own label as one of the region's leading lights.” - Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
• “The King of Chardonnay“ - Joelle Thomson
• "Tony is a leading vigneron of Chardonnay." – Cameron Douglas MS