Established in 1986, Gladstone Vineyard was the first of a cluster of boutique wineries established on the old riverbed of the Ruamahanga River at Gladstone, east of Carterton in the Wairarapa.

In February 1996, Christine and David Kernohan took over the vineyard. Both born in Glasgow, Scotland, they emigrated to New Zealand in the late 1970s with their young daughters Lyn and Gail. Christine took on the dual roles of Managing Director and trainee winemaker while David continued his role at the School of Architecture in Wellington, alongside weekend wine sales and quality control at the vineyard.

The Kernohan's first vintage in April 1996 was overseen by Belgian-born winemaker Jean Charles Van Hove, who helped build on the solid reputation of Gladstone Vineyard's wines by securing a Gold Medal for the 1996 Sauvignon Blanc later that year.