A Cinderella Exclusive
Discover the Legacy of the Aurora Vineyard, home of Central Otago’s oldest Syrah and founded by Cinderella’s own Brad Banducci. Rich, velvety and an exceptional example of cool-climate Syrah/Shiraz, these two vintage releases are the last time that Aurora wines will be available. Available exclusively through Cinderella, this is your only chance to acquire some for yourself.
Read on for more.
The Aurora Vineyard was a passion project of five collaborators, who hand planted the vineyard themselves (represented by its five-vine logo). The vineyard was named after Aurora Australis - the southern lights which glow over its vines - and the nearby gold deposit, Aurora Reef.
Aurora wines are crafted from hand-harvested grapes grown on site and reflect the true terroir of Bendigo - a historic gold mining area in New Zealand’s Central Otago. A place of history, promise and celestial skies.
Aurora painted in gold.
Among these five collaborators was Cinderella’s co-founder, Brad Banducci. While at BCG advising for a Marlborough wine brand, Brad told their CEO that the world’s next great wine area would be in Central Otago, and that they would be foolish to pass up on it.
With their permission, he put his money where his mouth was and bought some land himself.
The vineyard was planted in 2001 on a patch of land in Bendigo, with mainly pinot noir and riesling. However, there were some hot slopes at the front of the property that collaborator Greg Hay thought were ideal for Northern Rhône-style Syrah (Shiraz). They decided to back his instinct.
25 years later, they are the oldest Syrah plantings in Central Otago.
Committing to Aurora was the turning point in Brad’s career towards retailing.
The Aurora Vineyard was recently sold, and is no longer releasing under its own label. However, Brad and Tom Topping (the long-term Vineyard General Manager) never stopped believing in its Syrah...
These two vintages are a final homage to celebrate the “Legacy of Aurora” and are available exclusively through Cinderella Wine Experience.
