Our identity

Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. As a Māori company, we have a strong spiritual connection to the land, to our culture and a tradition of kaitiakitanga—guardianship of our natural resources.

Aronui is inspired by the Māori mythological basket of knowledge associated with crafts, arts and working with the land in beneficial ways. We felt that this name reflected our intention to make premium wines that echo the beautiful lands in which the grapes are grown. 

Kōwhaiwhai

Kōwhaiwhai is the ancient Māori tradition of painted pattern-making.  These symmetrical designs decorate the rafters of the elaborately adorned where tupuna (house of ancestor) and represent lineage, ancestry and the story of generations. 

In the spirit of this tradition, Aronui celebrates the kōwhaiwhai pattern. Within our logo, the pattern is silhouetted within the rolling hills of the Moutere Valley, with the sun rising above. 

Rauponga

Carving is one of the most celebrated and recognised forms of Māori art. Historically, wood, greenstone and bone were used to create essential items to assist in catching, propagating and preparing food. Over time Māori developed the skill of carving to create elaborate and artistic objects including jewellery, pou (carved posts), whare whakairo (carved meeting houses) and tekoteko (carved human forms). Powerful carvings found in the meeting house depict ancestors and their history, while pou whenua, strategically placed on the land, acknowledge and represent the relationship between Tangata Whenua (the people of the land), their ancestors and the environment.

Various types of surface patterns are adopted by carvers. One of the most common is rauponga, characterised by a row of notched chevrons. Rauponga is represented in the unique typeface used for Aronui, a tribute to the tradition of carving.