Vineyard practices at Fairhall Downs Estate are meticulous, earning the family-run company a library of gold medals and trophies for its wines.

Ken and Jill Small started growing grapes under contract in 1982 on the Marlborough property they had then recently purchased. In 1994, they formed a partnership with daughter Julie and her husband Stuart Smith who, like Ken, came from an agricultural background, farming with sheep and deer in Canterbury.

Together, Ken and Stuart worked side by side at Fairhall Downs. Vineyard tips and techniques were passed on, hopes and ambitions shared and soon a winemaker was being hired. In 1996, the first wines were produced in bottles wearing the Fairhall Downs Estate label.

The family now prides itself on producing consecutive vintages of premium, single vineyard wines. They are sold widely throughout New Zealand, while recognition overseas makes the export market an important part of the business.