Blank Canvas was founded by a husband-and-wife team: international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson and Master of Wine student Sophie Parker-Thomson. Their philosophy is to treat each vineyard as a “blank canvas,” focusing on small-batch, single-site Syrah wines that truly reflect the terroir. The estate avoids herbicides or systemic chemical controls, following sustainable viticulture practices, and the wine is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Their careful, respectful approach helps deliver a Syrah of purity and elegance that shows what cool-climate New Zealand can achieve with Rhône-style ambition.

Hawke’s Bay, located on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island, is the country’s second-largest wine region and its oldest. Renowned for its warm, dry maritime climate, the region is particularly well-suited to producing high-quality red and white wines with distinctive character and balance.

While Hawke’s Bay is generally warm with plenty of sunshine, it is moderated by coastal breezes that help preserve acidity in the grapes and extend the growing season. The region’s varied soils—ranging from gravelly riverbeds to clay and limestone—offer excellent drainage and contribute to the complexity of the wines. The famous Gimblett Gravels sub-region, in particular, is prized for its free-draining alluvial soils ideal for premium red varieties.

Hawke’s Bay excels with Bordeaux-style reds, especially Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, often blended to create structured, elegant wines with dark fruit, spice, and earthy undertones. Syrah is another standout, producing refined, peppery wines with floral aromatics.

Chardonnay is the leading white variety, known for its richness, stone fruit flavours, and balanced oak use. Aromatic whites like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris also thrive, offering vibrant, fruit-driven expressions with refreshing acidity.

Syrah, also known as Shiraz in Australia and parts of the New World, is one of the world’s most celebrated red grape varieties. Its origins trace back to the Rhône Valley in France, where it thrives in both the northern Rhône’s steep, granite slopes and the warmer southern regions. Syrah vines are hardy and adaptable, tolerating a range of soils, but they prefer well-drained sites with ample sunlight. The grape is naturally vigorous, with small, thick-skinned berries that produce deeply coloured wines rich in tannin and flavour.

Today, Syrah is planted widely across the globe. In France, it remains dominant in appellations such as Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Crozes-Hermitage. In Australia, Shiraz is the country’s flagship variety, producing styles from bold, ripe Barossa bottlings to elegant, cool-climate Yarra Valley expressions. Significant plantings also exist in South Africa, the United States (notably California and Washington State), Chile, and Argentina.

The style of Syrah/Shiraz varies with climate and winemaking approach. Cool-climate examples offer notes of black pepper, violets, and fresh blackberry, with firm acidity and structure. Warmer regions produce richer, fuller wines with flavours of ripe plum, black cherry, chocolate, and spice. Across styles, Syrah is prized for its depth, versatility, and ability to age gracefully.