We are a small vineyard just five minutes from the Village of Havelock North in Hawkes Bay Wine Country. Our focus is on premium Bordeaux styled red varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Our award winning whites include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. All our wines are Estate Grown and the fruit is hand picked. With just over 25 acres many of our wines are available only through the cellar door and this website.
Our elevated north facing site on the lower slopes of the Te Mata hills is not only an excellent location for grape growing it also provides us with stunning views, a warm sheltered micro-climate and a perfect situation for the visitor to spend an hour or two, a night or two or even a week or two. You can taste our wines, have lunch at the Bistro, a Summer Saturday morning at the Market, an evening at a concert in the amphitheatre or all of the above by staying in one of our properties. Because we are not large, we are very keen on building a relationship with the person who consumes our wine. This is why we encourage people into Hawkes Bay and into our vineyard. While a virtual visit is OK, nothing can replace the experience of actually being here. We are open seven days and we welcome a call or a visit some time soon.
Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family owned, producing internationally recognised wines exclusively from its Hawkes Bay vineyards.
Under the direction of John Buck, Te Mata Estate has, over nearly thirty years, produced a stunning array of red and white wines including famous labels such as Coleraine, Awatea cabernets/merlots, Bullnose syrah, Elston chardonnay, Cape Crest sauvignon blanc and, launched in 2009, Zara viognier. Te Mata Estate has also developed a unique single vineyard from which it produces its Woodthorpe wines.
After tasting the European way of life, Thornbury’s winemaker Simon Fell decided that a career in winemaking was the way to go. Returning to New Zealand he added to his Bachelor of Science degree by enrolling in a Wine Science Diploma at Tairawhiti Polytechnic in Gisborne. Desiring to gain valuable work experience, his career took him on a journey throughout the country and around the world, working vintages in regions such as Central Otago, Oregon, Bordeaux and Western Australia.
In 2000, Simon took up a position at Esk Valley Estate where he contracted winemaker Gordon Russell’s infectious enthusiasm for Hawkes Bay wine! However, the lure of Europe was again beckoning and Simon left for France before heading to Chile and then Napa, where he was the winemaker for a boutique winery specialising in classic reds.
Simon returned to New Zealand in 2003 to take up a position with Hawkes Bay’s Vidal Wines where he remained until 2006 when he took up the position of Thornbury’s winemaker. “The opportunity to produce varietal wines from each of New Zealand’s key winegrowing regions is extremely exciting,” says Simon. “This challenging approach to winemaking enables a winemaker to be innovative and work closely with the viticulture team to ensure the wines express their unique terroir.”
