The tiki is a hand-carved Māori treasure, most often worn as a necklace close to the heart, and for generations, has passed between people - a taonga carrying aroha, good fortune, the message that the giver thought especially of you.
We named our wine Tiki because, when given with care, it can carry that same intention. And because the name itself comes from our tipuna, Ngāti Uenuku Kōpako chief Tikitere Mihi. We carry his name as both an honour and a responsibility.
Tikitere Mihi (Ngāti Uenukukōpako, Te Arawa)
Guided by values we hadn't so much chosen as inherited - kaitiakitanga, the guardianship of what comes after us; and manaakitanga, the generosity of spirit that turns a meal into a memory - we make our wine with these in mind.
They were passed to us the way the best things always are - through the people who lived them before we did. Through Royce's mother, Sally Hariata McKean (Ngāti Uenuku Kōpako, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi), whose influence continues to shape the way we do things today.
So we make wine with that in mind. We farm in a way that honours the land. We craft in a way that honours the season. We share in a way that says to whoever receives it: we thought of you. This moment matters.
Our wine grows from Waipara, North Canterbury - where the land doesn't rush and neither do we. What ends up in our bottles reflects that: expressive, balanced, made for the table and the people around it.
Every bottle is made to be shared. Brought to a table. Opened for someone.
Sue & Royce McKean
Founders of Tiki Wine & Vineyards