History & Name

In the mid-fourteenth century, the Arawa canoe made landfall at the Rangihoua inlet after entering through Putiki Bay. The canoe landed to make repairs after its long voyage from Polynesia.  Kahu Matamamoe was the son of the Canoe's captain and later returned to Waiheke to live at Putiki.

From every standing point of our vineyard, Putiki O Kahu or Maori Hill (the generic name used by locals) is in view. This distinctively shaped hill was named after Kahu Matamamoe who built the original pa and named it after himself, Putiki-o-Kahu, "the topknot of Kahu" as declamation of ownership in the ancient Maori manner. It is said that Kahu always wore his hair in a "topknot" and if you look closely at the summit of the hill its shape reflects this and the hill became know as "topknot hill".