Vineyard Victory: Dancing Water’s Global Triumph
Dancing Water Winery is home to some of Aotearoa, New Zealand’s oldest living, dry-grown, ungrafted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines.
Over the past seven years, the vineyard has been restored and, in that process, discovered its ability to produce exceptional Rosé.
Owner and Managing Partner Kim Schofield, who along with her husband has led the revitalisation of this historic Waipara vineyard, comments,“I wanted to make a Rosé that competes with the French-style Rosé my friends were drinking. It was a wonderful series of events that led to us entering three very different Rosés into the International Wine Spirit Challenge (IWSC), but I never dreamed we would be standing on the world stage with medals for all three. We were getting great feedback from our customers, but nothing could have prepared me for the email I got from the IWSC!”
The IWSC is an annual awards programme with a mission to champion the best wines from around the world. Renowned for its expertise, influence, and personal approach. In 2025 there were more than 12,000 entries from over 90 countries across all wine varietals.
Each year, the IWSC assembles panels of expert judges to assess worldwide styles of Rosé as part of the Rosé Awards for 2025. The medal system reflects strict quality benchmarks with fewer than 3 percent of entries awarded the prestigious Gold medal, denoting exceptional quality; Silver goes to 22 percent; and 50 percent receive Bronze.
Three medals have been awarded to Dancing Water Winery
Gold medal: Blanc De Noir 2024
Silver medal: Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2024
Bronze medal: Georgie Rosé Diamante 2024
While the team was still celebrating this New Zealand first, news arrived of another honour. Dancing Water had been shortlisted for one of the most respected distinctions in international wine, the IWSC Rosé Producer Trophy. Reserved for the best-performing producers within each category, the trophy is recognised across the global wine industry as the benchmark for quality Rosé. The winner will be announced on November 12th 2025.
Dancing Water has been quietly redefining what New Zealand Rosé can be. What began as a wine made for friends has evolved into something far greater, built on the restoration of heritage vines, collaboration with local talent, family ownership, and meticulous craftsmanship. The winery now produces seven expressions of Rosé, each reflecting dedication, place, and precision.
Kim Schofield continues,“We are so lucky that two of NZ’s top winemakers, Matt Connell and Dom Maxwell, and legendary Viticulturist Dr David Jordan share our vision to make serious Rosé. I feel enormously proud of what we have achieved and our continued growth and expansion. Our direct online sales model means we have been able to grow mostly through word of mouth and keep our pricing tight. It’s really nice to be recognised globally as amongst the best, but our motivation and enthusiasm will always be generated by our friends.”
Learn more about this journey below:
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