Our Story - Living the Dream

 

When a young Alex Sipka first arrived in New Zealand, the first place he went was Matakana Valley. He immediately became attached to the New Zealand countryside. He worked at Providence vineyard at Omaha alongside an old family friend Jim Vuletich, and soaked up the knowledge of wine and winemaking that Jim generously shared. “I fell in love with the wine industry and the region. It became a new passion in my life. Since then I’ve dreamed of having a vineyard here.”

 

For twenty years Alex worked hard in the property investment and sound technology industries but he never lost sight of this dream. Each year he would return to Matakana to help with harvest and this kept the dream alive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though much of the hard work has already been done, there are more upgrades to come including doubling the size of the winery, adding a underground cellar, expanding wine production to include everything from first press to bottling and planting an orchard. We also intend to plant more vines, including some Italian red varieties

 

Alex and his wife Susan see Ascension as a legacy for their son and future generations of their family. "I hope Ascension will stay in our family for generations. We hope our kids and their kids will grow up to become a part of the lifestyle here.”