OUR FARMS
Welcome to our place.
Our two farms are based in the remarkable hop growing area of Tapawera and Kohatu in Te Tau Ihu - The Top of the South Island New Zealand.
At the perfect latitude for hop farming, with a unique soil mix and an outstanding weather microclimate, we grow 9 hop varieties across 265 hectares in the Motueka River Valley system.
WHY WE STAND OUT
THE LAND
BENEATH
PICK TIME
PHILOSOPHY
MODERN
PROCESSING
PLANET
FRIENDLY
OUR LAND
Hop growers in New Zealand have traditionally stayed away from stony river beds.
We observed how Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wine growers used river beds to develop distinctive flavours for their celebrated wines.
Borrowing from their knowledge, our farms are located on either side of the Motueka River and have a rich diverse tapestry of terroir within each farm.
That diversity is unusual for hop farms in New Zealand, and gives Hop Revolution a unique advantage. We harness this diversity in our land to bring new and distinctive character to our hops. We use our own special recipe of soils and pick time to deliver more choice in aromas and flavours to brewers.
PICK TIME PHILOSOPHY
Towards the end of February our hops are ready for harvest .
We apply science and an obsessive attention to detail to decide the exact pick time for each lot.
Pick time is vital to aroma and flavour. We’ve listened to brewers and have fine-tuned our picking philosopy to deliver a diversity of aromas and flavours that brewers are searching for, even from familiar New Zealand varieties. That’s what makes Hop Revolution different.
Modern Processing
We use state of the art picking and drying technology to process our hops.
Wolf picking machines ensure that as much leaf and stem are removed from the hop bines as possible. This guarantees a high level of hop purity in our pellets which results in superior quality beer.
A Wolf drying system perfectly controls moisture levels during the hop drying process. Hops travel through louvred floors to three different levels to guarantee even moisture levels. Temperature and humidity levels are monitored and precisely controlled by computer at each level for optimum hop quality.
Planet friendly - Pest management & Sustainability
New Zealand doesn’t have many of the pests that are a threat to hops elsewhere, so we rarely use pesticides.
New Zealand hop farms never use Bifenazate which is tightly controlled by the EU.
As sustainable farmers Hop Revolution uses predator mites to keep our main predator - the spider mite - under control. Mildews are not a problem either, so we have no need to use fungicides. We are grateful to our local environment for providing us with these ideal hop growing conditions and we work in harmony with it to protect and nurture it.
We are accredited by Global G.A.P so you know that we value and care for our environment by farming sustainably.
Visit our farms. Watch our hop harvest.
