Tussock Hill Vineyard and Cellar Door Restaurant sits at 210 Huntsbury Avenue in Cashmere, on the volcanic slopes of Christchurch's Port Hills. It is an organic vineyard first and a restaurant second — though on a fine day, with a glass of estate wine and plates from the seasonal sharing menu in front of you, it can be hard to say which is the bigger draw. Lunch is served overlooking the vines, with the Christchurch cityscape stretching out beyond.
The land was originally part of a large sheep farm. In 1998, Robin Woodsford and his partner Julie bought a ten-acre block with a vision of an organic vineyard and olive grove, planting Pinot Noir vines, olive trees and native plantings, and earning official organic winegrowers certification in 2016. In 2017 the property came up for sale, and Graham — a carpenter working on a house overlooking the vines — persuaded his wife Melaina, his parents and his siblings that Tussock Hill should become the Targett family's venture. Today Graham and Sally manage the Home Vineyard along with a second organic vineyard in Waipara, while Melaina runs the cellar door restaurant and Vineyard Retreats.
In the restaurant, Head Chef Adam Harrison crafts a seasonal sharing menu from the finest local Canterbury produce, designed to pair with the estate's handcrafted organic wines. Beyond lunch, there is a wine shop for taking bottles home, functions and private events, gift vouchers and published accessibility information.
The wider philosophy reaches past the table: regenerative agricultural practices, holistic livestock grazing and a steadily growing biodiversity across the properties. A Google review captures the mood many visitors describe: "Magnificent food, kind staff and an absolutely beautiful setting. A must visit."
Part way up Christchurch's volcanic Port Hills, on Huntsbury Avenue in Cashmere, Tussock Hill Vineyard occupies the kind of setting that makes you slow down on the drive in. The vines sit on what was once a large sheep farm, and from the cellar door restaurant you look out over the organic vineyard with the whole of the Christchurch cityscape beyond it. This is lunchtime dining, Canterbury style: a seasonal sharing menu, estate wines grown a few steps from your table, and no particular reason to hurry.
The land began as part of a big sheep station on the Port Hills. In 1998, Robin Woodsford and his partner Julie bought a ten-acre block of it with a clear vision: an organic vineyard and olive grove. Over the following two decades they planted Pinot Noir vines, olive trees and native plantings across the bare tussock hillside, holding firmly to organic practices — a belief rewarded with official organic winegrowers certification in 2016.
The next chapter began in 2017, when the property came up for sale. Graham, a carpenter working on a house overlooking the vines, realised he had found his passion, and convinced his wife Melaina, his parents and his siblings that Tussock Hill should become a family venture. It has. Today Graham and Sally manage the Home Vineyard and a second organic vineyard purchased in Waipara in early 2018, while Melaina runs the cellar door restaurant and the Vineyard Retreats accommodation. Everyone in the Targett family has a part to play — including the youngest generation.
In the kitchen, Head Chef Adam Harrison builds a seasonal sharing menu around the finest local Canterbury produce, with plates designed to pair with Tussock Hill's handcrafted organic wines. The format is made for lingering: dishes arrive for the middle of the table, so a long lunch can wander through several of them alongside a glass or two from the estate range.
Lunch is served Wednesday and Thursday from 10am to 4pm, and Friday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Bookings are recommended, particularly on weekends. If you need a second opinion on the whole affair, one Google reviewer put it plainly: "Magnificent food, kind staff and an absolutely beautiful setting. A must visit."
Tussock Hill's ambitions stretch well past the cellar door. The family aspires to integrate regenerative agricultural practices and holistic livestock grazing across its properties, with biodiversity increasing all the time. This is a working, breathing farm — you may well share the hillside with the resident livestock — and the story of the land is part of what you taste in the glass.
There are other ways to enjoy it, too. The wine shop lets you take the organic range home, in person or through the online store. Private functions and special events are a specialty, with the vineyard doubling as a venue for celebrations. Gift vouchers solve the tricky present-buying moments, and the Vineyard Retreats offer the rare chance to wake up among the vines themselves.
Tussock Hill Vineyard and Cellar Door Restaurant is at 210 Huntsbury Avenue, Cashmere, Christchurch 8022. Because it is lunchtime dining only, time your visit for the middle of the day — and book ahead if you are aiming for a weekend. The team publishes both a "getting here" guide and detailed accessibility information on its website, which is worth a read before your first trip up the hill. Questions can be answered on 03 260 0902 or at [email protected].
Come for the wine, stay for the view, and leave with a bottle — that is the Tussock Hill loop, and it is a hard one to beat in Christchurch.