Stormwood's Syrah comes from the same single vineyard as their Meritage, on Waiheke Island's Owhanake Peninsula, planted back in 1992. Expect blackberry with ripe plum and spice, medium-bodied and generous, with sweet fruit and silky tannin. It's an easy-drinking style of Waiheke Syrah, built for pleasure rather than years in the cellar.
Waiheke's warmer, maritime sites suit Syrah well, and Stormwood's version leans into the variety's generous side rather than its more brooding, peppery one. Winemakers Heinrich Storm and Michael Wood hand-pick the fruit from a vineyard they know well, rather than farming an estate of their own.
This is a wine for a week-night dinner as much as anything more formal - it doesn't demand food or patience the way some structured reds do. Alongside Stormwood's own Meritage, which is the more serious, cellar-worthy red in the range, the Syrah is the one to open sooner and enjoy for its fruit.
What it tastes like
Blackberry leads, with ripe plum and spice sitting alongside it. It's medium-bodied with an abundance of sweet fruit, and the tannin is ripe and silky rather than firm or gripping. There's real generosity here rather than austerity - this is a Syrah built to be enjoyed young.
Forty percent of the barrels are new French oak, and it shows as a gentle vanilla and spice note that supports the fruit rather than dominating it.
Style at a glance
- Body: Medium
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Balanced, not the main feature
- Tannin: Ripe and silky
- Oak: French oak, 40% new, 12 months, adding gentle vanilla and spice
- Style: Generous, fruit-forward, easy-drinking Waiheke Syrah
Food
This is flexible enough for a mid-week dinner: a simple grilled sausage with mustard, a Margherita pizza, roast chicken thighs, or a lamb and rosemary skewer. It's also good with a mild beef curry if you want something a little different, and a hard, nutty cheese like Gruyère works well beside it.
Who makes it
Stormwood is a collaboration between Heinrich Storm and Michael Wood, two winemakers who've worked together on Waiheke Island for more than a decade and have over 30 years of combined experience on the island between them. Storm, South African-born, has worked at Goldie Estate since 2008. Wood previously worked at Obsidian Vineyards, was named New Zealand Winemaker of the Year in 2017, and also makes the wine at Te Rere and Eventide. Rather than farming a single estate of their own, the pair source and hand-pick from single vineyards across the island, choosing the best parcels for each vintage - this Syrah comes from the same block on the Owhanake Peninsula as their Meritage, planted in 1992 and one of the earliest Syrah plantings on Waiheke, growing in sandy clay soils within a natural amphitheatre fanned by afternoon sea breezes.
When to drink it
Most Waiheke Island Syrah drinks well for 5 to 10 years from vintage, and Stormwood hasn't published a specific window for the 2022. Its sweet fruit and silky tannin already make it approachable now, and it isn't a wine built primarily for long cellaring.
Technical details
| Winery |
Stormwood |
| Wine |
Waiheke Island Syrah |
| Vintage |
2022 |
| Variety |
Syrah |
| Vineyard |
Single vineyard, Owhanake Peninsula, Waiheke Island (planted 1992) |
| Region |
Waiheke Island |
| Country |
New Zealand |
| Fermentation |
Open-top fermenters, twice-daily plunging, extended maceration |
| Oak |
French oak, 40% new, 12 months |
| Serving temperature |
Best served slightly below room temperature, around 16-18°C |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Stormwood Waiheke Island Syrah 2022 is available via our winenz.com website. For delivery in New Zealand you can purchase from thewineryonline.co.nz. If you are visiting New Zealand, you can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine.
Questions we are often asked
What does Stormwood Waiheke Island Syrah taste like?
Blackberry with ripe plum and spice, medium-bodied with an abundance of sweet fruit and ripe, silky tannin. It's a generous, easy-drinking style of Waiheke Syrah rather than a firm, structured one.
Is Stormwood Waiheke Island Syrah a blend?
No - it's 100% Syrah, from the same Owhanake Peninsula vineyard as Stormwood's Meritage.
How long will Stormwood Waiheke Island Syrah 2022 keep?
Most Waiheke Island Syrah drinks well for 5 to 10 years from vintage. Stormwood hasn't published a specific window for the 2022, but its sweet fruit and silky tannin make it approachable now.
What food goes with Stormwood Waiheke Island Syrah?
Something simple and flexible: a grilled sausage with mustard, a Margherita pizza, roast chicken thighs, or a lamb and rosemary skewer. A mild beef curry is also a good match.
Who makes Stormwood wine?
Winemakers Heinrich Storm and Michael Wood, who've worked together on Waiheke Island for more than a decade. Rather than farming their own estate, they hand-pick from single vineyards they know well across the island each vintage.
Where can I buy Stormwood Waiheke Island Syrah 2022?
The Winery ships Stormwood Waiheke Island Syrah 2022 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. It is also available in our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores.
