Our Wine

Ellero is a combination of our two family names, Manell and Montero. Our wines are personal expressions, products of our background in the wine business, and the unique and spectacular environment here in Central Otago, where the forces of nature come together with strength and purity. Central Otago is a dynamic region, requiring active participation in all aspects of winegrowing to showcase vibrancy and coax out nuance. We have never understood the concept of “hands-off winemaking”. Most of our time is spent in the vineyard “getting it right”, implicit in our organic farming practices, as we want our site to come across clearly thru the wines. In making our white wines, we don’t just want fruit purity. We love the minerality and wild herbs in our off-dry Riesling that melds with the crispness of the apply fruit; it reminds us of the nearby snowy mountains and glacial waters. Our dry Gewürztraminer is full of spice from ripe skins and rosy aromatics, and richly textured from puncheon aging. With Pinot Noir we strive for balance of fruit vibrancy, spice and savoury . . . we want Beauty and some of the Beast.