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Bilancia: The cult winery in search of perfect balance 

Founded in 1997 in Hawke’s Bay, Bilancia has been a labour of love for winemaking couple Lorraine Leheny and Warren Gibson. Anne Krebiehl MW meets the duo and tastes a vertical of their iconic La Collina Syrah.

A young winemaker couple: one Kiwi, one Australian, both born under the star sign Libra. Both had a deep love of Italy and shared a dream of making their own wine. Work had taken them around the globe, but a job in New Zealand called them home.

They lost no time in securing land and planted their dream vineyard. Unlike most people in New Zealand, they planted on a hill. They called their venture Bilancia – because it was the name of their star sign and what they aspired to in their wine: balance and harmony.

They called the Syrah-based wine they made from 2002 onwards La Collina, Italian for ‘little hill’, after the name of the vineyard. It has since become a New Zealand icon.


Tasting notes and scores from a vertical of La Collina listed below



Bilancia vertical: Tasting notes


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