About: Cairnbrae

The Cairnbrae Estate is one of the original Marlborough heritage sites, established by the Browns who immigrated from Scotland to New Zealand in search of adventure. They planted the vineyard beneath the majestic Marlborough mountains and named it 'Cairnbrae' in honour of both their Scottish heritage and the rock-strewn soil of their new home. The term is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word 'cairn'; a man-made structure of stones. For untold centuries these rock constructs have marked safe passages forward, celebrated events and honoured places of reverence and history. As the mark of a new beginning, a celebration of a great moment in their personal history, the term must have seemed only too-appropriate for the Browns. In 2001 the Mason family, owners of the Sacred Hill Vineyards in Hawke's Bay, took over from the Browns and continued their tradition of adventure and discovery, finding new way to craft the most vibrant, elegant and complex wines from their famous stony soils.