News
Pinot Palooza Wellington 2017! 30 JANUARY 2017
Get down to Wellington with us at Pinot Palooza 2017 for the finest Pinot Noir in the Southern Hempisphere! Come along to enjoy a glass of our Lands & Legends Pinot Noir.
History
The Early Days - The 1960s
Bill and Ross Spence came from a long line of winemakers, working on their father's winery from a young age before and after school. Both brothers went on to study - Ross in winemaking and viticulture and Bill viticulture. After their studies, they decided to strike out on their own to make wine that people would really enjoy drinking.
The Trial Years - 1966
With the help of their grandmother and mother, the Spence brothers bought their own block of land on Matua Road in North-West Auckland. The brothers were true innovators with a drive to try new things. So they hunted up and down the country for new grape varieties, selling some and planting others as trial varieties. Bill and Ross found many of these new varieties on government trial blocks scattered everywhere. Quite a lot of them didn’t grow any fruit or were infected with virus.
However, some of the vines the brothers trialed showed real potential. These were Semillon, Cabernet Franc, Grey Riesling and… you guessed it – Sauvignon Blanc.
The First Vineyard - 1969
By 1969, Bill and Ross started planting their vineyard, including their first commercial planting of Sauvignon Blanc. Over the next couple of years, the brothers cloned the vines continually.
Matua is Born - The early 70s
It was now time for the brothers to start making wine. Back then, it was pretty hard to get a wine licence – but they found an old orchard for sale which still had a winemaker’s licence attached to the old tin shed. Bill and Ross bought the tin shed (and the licence that went with it) and Matua was born!
Matua produces New Zealand’s first Sauvignon Blanc - 1974
Bill and Ross made small amounts of Grey Riesling, Gamay Tienturier, Semillion, Chablis and Burgundy blends and Sauvignon Blanc. They named their wines Matua, and with their first run of 400 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, Matua became the first producer of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc!
Matua Gets Growing! - The late 70s
A new partnership gave the Spence brothers a real boost to grow Matua, purchasing a big block of land in Waimauku, Auckland. Matua's vineyards expanded and one of the most modern boutique wineries in the country was built. Today, the historic hunting lodge can still be seen on this property, however Matua's winery has since moved to Marlborough.
...and Growing! - The 80s - 90s
Bill and Ross set about purchasing properties in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough. They also develop close relationships with growers there, as well as in NZ’s sunny Gisborne to supply premium grapes. The brothers provided their growers with quality vine plants, ensuring the clones were of the best quality.
Now
Since winning NZ Producer of the Year at the IWSC 2012, things have just been getting better. In 2015, Matua won Champion Winemaker of the Year three years in a row!* And, with 16 Trophies and 68 Gold medals in two years**, Matua is one of New Zealand's most internationally acclaimed wine brands. In 2016, we were very happy to announce Greg Rowdon as our Chief Winemaker after an 18 year relationship with Matua. And Bill? He still pops in to the winery to see us all, in between his trips overseas to spread the word about Matua!
Vineyards
Hawke's Bay
Hawke’s Bay is a real suntrap, perfect for growing our award-winning Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes. Its growing conditions have been compared to Burgundy and Bordeaux in France with hot, dry growing seasons making for red wines packed with red fruit flavours and whites that are tropical with a dash of natural minerality.
Our favourite spot: Our Matheson vineyard, in the Bridge Pa Triangle. This is where we grow our award-winning Single Vineyard Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Malbec – it’s a spot worth its weight in gold.
Marlborough
Marlborough is the most famous wine region in NZ thanks to the incredibly unique style of Sauvignon Blanc it produces. But there’s a lot more to Marlborough than just crisp, fresh and zesty Sauvy! Its cool climate is turning out some pretty impressive Pinot Noir filled with red fruit flavours, citrusy Chardonnay and beautifully floral, aromatic Pinot Gris and Riesling.
Our favourite spot: It’s pretty hard to beat a picnic at our Matua Marlborough vineyard on a sunny day with a cool glass of Matua Marlborough Sauvy…
Central Otago
We reckon it’s not going to be long before the world notices that Central Otago is the next big thing – especially with Pinot Noir. What's more, Matua is now the single largest producer of Central Otago wine! We select our Matua Single Vineyard Pinot Noir grapes from fantastic sites perched amongst the mountains. The region’s diurnal temperature extremes and dry autumns make for dark, brooding Pinot Noir with a unique flavour profile.
Our favourite spot: We’re keen on some of the smaller sub-regions in Central Otago, especially elevated sites near Lake Dunstan, nestled into the foothills of the mountain ranges.