Black Ridge owners Verdun Burgess and Sue Edwards will celebrate the anniversary at the place where they released their first vintage of riesling and gewurztraminer wines in 1988 - at Olivers Restaurant, Clyde.
Black Ridge was one of four vineyards selling their first wines that year, joining fellow Alexandra grower William Hill, Gibbston Valley Wines in the Kawarau Gorge and Rippon (Wanaka).
All the wine was made and bottled at Rippon.
Just 15ha of grapevines were planted in total by the fledgling vineyards, and they produced five tonnes of grapes, with Black Ridge accounting for half.
The region now has 75 growers with more than 1500ha planted and last year 9500 tonnes was processed.
Establishing a vineyard in the rocky, unforgiving landscape was not easy, although Mr Burgess knew it would work, despite negative comment from others.
He set about planting vines in separate blocks at his vineyard while the others conducted smaller scale experiments.
The riesling and gewurztraminer vines still grow in the same place, so that was obviously the right place from the outset, Mr Burgess said.
Once the vines started growing and the leaf canopy became heavy, it was obvious strainer posts needed to be put in.
Digging holes into rock meant some innovative thinking and 1300 sticks of gelignite and 6km of explosive flash cord later, the strainers were in.
Mr Burgess relates the gelignite stories with gusto, recalling how he timed the final blast each day for "just when all the neighbours had sat down and had their sherry glasses up to their lips - they all wore their sherry ".
The couple have enjoyed their vineyard life and Mr Burgess said they were there to stay.
Orchardists had to keep changing their trees every few years to keep up with the changes in consumer demand, but vines could last up to 75 years, "so we've still got a long way to go yet."
