THE DREAM

In the 1970s, a group of friends left Detroit for New Zealand and bought a dairy farm north of Auckland. They planted many native trees but also fruit trees. They had a dream of growing good, organic food for their families and wider communities. The friends one by one slowly moved on, though one family remained, and the dream continued.

THE DISCOVERY

By the early 1990s, the family had an abundance of fresh fruit - there was more produce than the market could absorb. Rather than letting the surplus go to waste, in 1993 the eldest son Eli and his father Dale partnered with a winemaker Logan Petly. They made wine from one of the fruits - the feijoa, of which became Lothlorien Winery’s signature sparkling feijoa wine.

From the beginning, every year, the Lothlorien Winery feijoa wines earned gold and silver awards, establishing a tradition of quality that continues today.

THE STORY CONTINUES

In the late 1990s, Eli met Kim, who soon joined the family business. Together, they have spent many more years growing the business while holding onto its original values: organic growing, high quality and New Zealand-made. Today, Lothlorien Winery remains as the original family-owned business making and growing certified organic fruit wine in the Ahuroa Valley, where the people and the orchards are still at the heart of it all.

This Feijoa Place.

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Eli, Terry and Liam in the Lothlorien Winery feijoa orchard IMG_1222 sml 1.jpeg
Three bottles of Lothlorien winery wine on a wooden barrel, with an outdoor vineyard landscape in the background.
A man with a long white beard, black jacket, and shorts stands in a lush green forest, looking off into the distance.
BioGro certified organic logo featuring a stylized plant with three leaves above the words 'bio' and 'gro' inside circles, with 'certified organic' around the design.
A man leaning against a pickup truck parked on a paved road with trees and vineyard in the background
Two men are standing outside near a wooden railing, drinking champagne and talking. They are surrounded by trees and greenery.
Three silver trophy cups and three bottles of wine on a wooden barrel outdoors in a vineyard.
A man pours white wine into a glass at an outdoor gathering with four women; three women are visible, one is drinking wine, standing in a greenery-filled outdoor space on a sunny day.
Person handling multiple glass bottles with metal caps in a wooden crate, likely in a manufacturing or bottling facility.
A woman sitting on a sandy beach holding a bottle of Lothlorien winery wine, with a similar bottle in the background on the sand.
A young man with glasses and a white shirt smiling and shaking hands with another person at an outdoor gathering, holding a bottle of white wine. There are plates, glasses, and a floral centerpiece on the table.
A group of six friends enjoying a picnic on the beach, with some standing and others sitting on rocks, toasting drinks, with a grassy hillside and trees in the background on a sunny day.
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A woman holding a clear glass bottle of Lothlorien Feijoa wine with a beach background, smiling and looking to the right.
Close-up of a plant with green leaves and bright red flowers against a background of green landscape and cloudy sky.
Person sitting under a tree in an orchard, harvesting or inspecting fruit, with several buckets nearby and mountains in the background.
Person in a red dress holding a package of three bottles of gift wine on a beach.
A lush green orchard with rows of trees extending towards distant mountains, under a clear blue sky with a few wispy clouds.
People walking and shopping at an outdoor market, looking at baked goods and other items at various stalls.
Six women on a beach smiling and raising bottles of beer for a toast.
Two women smiling and holding bottles of beer with labeled 'Lothlorien' in an outdoor setting.
A certification badge stating 'Certified Vegan' in a circular design with black and gray colors.
A bottle of Lothlorien Manuka Honey liqueur and a glass with ice and honey liqueur on a table decorated with pink flowers, with people in the background at an outdoor gathering.
Bottle of Lothlorien Feijoa bubbly wine with tags that say "Thank You" and "I'm Yours".
Two people standing at a booth selling bottles of lemon-flavored beverages with a backdrop of shelves filled with bottled drinks.
A woman with glasses and a pink shirt talking to a woman with short dark hair and floral dress at a booth with bottles of drinks, in a busy indoor event.
Hand holding several green feijoa fruits in an orchard with green trees and blue sky in the background.
Bottles of orange juice and small bottles of yellowish milk or cream on a market table with colorful flower bouquets in a metal bucket.
A table set with a bottle of white wine, two wine glasses, a cheese platter with meats, cheeses, and grapes, a basket of breadsticks, and a person reaching for the platter. Outdoor setting with other tables and chairs in the background.