Everything's coming up rosé
Dancing Water Wines’ Kim Schofield started creating wines for her friends. It has since grown into an internationally awarded wine brand.
For Kim Schofield, wine has always been about the moment. A bottle opened with friends, something special poured at a celebration, or simply a great glass of wine at the end of the day.
It’s an approach that has helped shape Dancing Water Wines, but the journey – particularly when it comes to rosé – hasn’t always gone according to plan.
One of the first twists came when disease struck the Scheurebe grapes used to make the much-loved Georgie Rosé. Rather than harvest early and compromise on flavour, Kim made the difficult call to pick only pristine fruit. A block that could normally produce around 3000 bottles yielded enough for only about 100.
Suddenly, Dancing Water needed another rosé.
The solution was The Classic, an unconventional blend of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. “It just saved the day,” Kim says. “I wanted it to be a really great wine to just have in the fridge – when you’ve got unexpected visitors, you’re having a party, or you feel like a beautiful glass of wine at the end of the day.”
That willingness to do things differently has become a hallmark of Dancing Water. When Kim secured premium Pinot Noir fruit from Central Otago, originally intending to make Pinot Noir, another happy accident occurred.
When the fruit wasn’t right for the intended wine, Kim asked a simple question: could they make rosé instead?
The answer was yes – although convincing the grower to let premium Pinot Noir become rosé proved another matter.
“It’s not rosé, it’s Blanc de Noir,” Kim recalls declaring.
The name had a wonderfully circular connection. Years earlier, at the birthday of Georgie – the very Georgie behind Georgie Rosé – Kim remembers repeatedly ordering another bottle of rosé at a restaurant, only to be corrected: “It’s not rosé, it’s Blanc de Noir.”
Years later, that phrase would come back to her – and the resulting wine would earn international acclaim.
Dancing Water’s 2024 Blanc de Noir received Gold at the International Wine & Spirit Competition, while Dancing Water was shortlisted for the global Rosé Producer Trophy. Its Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé also received Silver and Georgie Rosé Diamante took Bronze.
For Kim, the recognition was almost unbelievable. In New Zealand, she says, rosé has traditionally been treated as something of an afterthought.
That perception changed dramatically when international recognition took her to France and introduced her to some of the world’s leading rosé producers.
“I had no idea that we were one of the top rosé producers in the world,” she says. “I had no idea how unique we were.”
Visiting France also reinforced Dancing Water’s philosophy: pristine fruit, hand harvesting, careful winemaking, and an unwavering focus on quality.
But awards aren’t ultimately what drives Kim. It comes back to the people opening the bottles.
“I’ll continue to listen to my friends and customers, and make them what they love. Good wine adds a little magic to life.”
Kim wants everyone to share in the Dancing Water story – and the stories don’t stop at the vines. On her podcast, Between the Pours (on YouTube), she shares more tales from the world of wine.