Wines and Wineries of Hawke's Bay

"The Napa Valley of New Zealand!"

From the early 1950's Tom McDonald’s Church Road Winery was experimenting down Church Road (at that time very much a rural area) producing Cabernet Sauvignon from grapes off a five acre block while many watched and waited for the outcome. The result proved excellent, and his 1951 cabernet (first tasted in 1954) was considered the equal to Bordeaux by a leading wine critic.

Not far away and also in Church Road was the Mission Estate, established in 1851 by 'visionary' French Missionaries. Arriving in Hawke's Bay from France, the Mission's forbears first discovered the region's potential for growing grapes, making wine to celebrate Mass. The Mission has a unique position in the New Zealand wine industry as the country's oldest winemaker and the only 19th-century wine producer still under the same management.

These early wineries, followed later by the establishment and recognition of Te Mata Estate and Stonecroft laid the foundation for what is now, a truly exciting and world class wine region.  Te Mata Estate is also known for its impressive architectural design by Ian Athfield, an architect known internationally for his approach to modernism imbued with traditional New Zealand forms.

The Esk Valley, north of Napier, has also seen a change from land once planted in Palamino grapes to make fortified wine, to new plantings of merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc. Premium wine produced by Linden Estate, the Esk Valley Estate are now joined by the wines of Wishart Estate, one of Hawkes Bays newest wineries.

Ngatarawa is home to Alwyn Corban, where he established in 'The Stables Winery' in the late 1970's. New wineries such as Red Metal and Huthlee Estate are found producing superb Reds. There is also such outstanding wineries as Akarangi and Bradshaw Estate along with the well known, long established, Lombardi (Black Barn)Wines.

Welcome additions to the Hawkes Bay wine scene have been Clearview Estate and Beach House Wines, both established in a unique coastal strip near world famous Cape Kidnappers. This virtually frost free area, a stones throw from the sea, has underlying, historic, river shingles. Clearview's Tim Turvey produces consistent medal winners from these hand picked, hand crafted wines.

Inland behind the Taradale hills there is a wonderful winding picturesque valley which follows the meandering Tutaekuri River. Grape plantings have expanded rapidly in this valley during the nineties, the valley benefiting from the placement of a major stop-bank funded by landowners with foresight and vision that is now being rewarded. Wineries such as Riverside Wines and Sacred Hill are gaining worldwide recognition for their superb wines. A recent addition is the Moana Park Winery which released its first wines in 2000.

The most exciting sub-region covers some 800 hectares of gravels in the Roys Hill area west of Hastings. Once considered waste land and of no use for anything or to anyone, one should have taken note of the lonely Stonecroft Winery situated down the quiet Mere Road. Gimblett Gravels as this sub-region is now named, is already producing some of New Zealand's finest Merlot, Bordeax blends and Syrahs. Wineries such as Matariki, Te Awa, Trinity Hill, Ngatarawa, Unison and Vidal Estate have an assured future with production off the hot Gimblett Gravels.

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