Stonecroft was established in 1982 by Dr Alan and Glennice Limmer, making it one of the earliest vineyards in what is now known as the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District®. At the time, this land was dismissed as too stony and infertile for agriculture. Planting vines here was a calculated risk.

Dr Limmer, a soil scientist consulting to vineyards across Hawke’s Bay, recognised the potential others had overlooked. In those early years, Stonecroft stood alone, surrounded not by vines but by a very different landscape that included a rubbish dump, a drag strip, a gravel quarry and an army firing range.

Progress was hard-won. The initial application to build a winery was declined, then overturned on appeal, opening the door for winemaking in the area. What followed was a prolonged effort to have the land recognised and zoned for viticulture. A legal battle with a quarrying company continued for nearly a decade, during which time Stonecroft remained the only winery in the district.

The case was finally resolved in 1992, paving the way for investment and the transformation of the Gimblett Gravels into one of New Zealand’s most important winegrowing regions. Today, the surrounding land is almost entirely under vine.

Stonecroft’s first vintage was in 1987. In 1989, the estate released New Zealand’s first modern commercial Syrah, helping define the future of the variety in this country. This pioneering spirit continued with the release of New Zealand’s first commercial Zinfandel in 1998.

More recently, Dermot McCollum and Andria Monin guided Stonecroft for over a decade, building a reputation for wines of precision and site expression, consistently recognised at the highest levels.

In 2024, Stonecroft entered a new chapter under the custodianship of Fistonich Family Vineyards. With a deep respect for its heritage and a clear vision for its future, the family is honoured to carry the Stonecroft legacy forward.