Mission Estate Winery

Mission Estate Winery is New Zealand's oldest surviving winemaking concern, first established in the Hawke's Bay in 1851 by French Catholic Marist missionaries for producing sacramental wine.[1] It is one of the largest wineries in the Hawke's Bay and remains wholly New Zealand owned.

Mission Estate Winery
La Grande Maison, former mission seminary building, built 1880.
LocationTaradale, New Zealand
Coordinates39.5184699°S 176.8426571°E / -39.5184699; 176.8426571
Wine regionHawke's Bay
Founded1851 (1851)
Known forJewelstone
VarietalsCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Sémillon
TastingOpen to the public
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Marist missionaries, in order to make sacramental wine, were the first to introduce viticulture to the Hawke's Bay Region, planting the first vineyards in 1851 at the original mission station in Pakowhai.[1] The mission moved 5 kilometres (3 miles) north to Meeanee in 1858, taking its cottage with it using steam-powered traction engines, and subsequently building residence halls, a school, and St Mary's Church (built 1863).[2][3] More vineyards were planted at Meeanee, and the mission recorded its first commercial sale of wines in 1870.[2] In 1880 the mission built its seminary building at Meeanee, the two-storey La Grande Maison (French, "the grand house"), and purchased a large 325-hectare (800-acre) plot of land nearby in Taradale in 1897, where more vineyards were planted. The vines were tended by travelling from Meeanee, however disastrous flooding in 1909 prompted the mission to move its operations to the Taradale location.[2] In 1911 the wooden La Grande Maison building was sawn into 11 separate pieces and transported 5 kilometres (3 miles) to its current location over two days, using traction engines.[4] The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake caused extensive damage to the region and the mission estate, including the loss of nine lives when the stone chapel was destroyed.[2]

The early 21st century saw Mission Estate undergo considerable expansion, mirroring the overall expansion of the New Zealand wine industry. New buildings and facilities at Mission Estate were opened in 2007, greatly increasing its wine production capacity.[2] In 2012, Mission Estate purchased 100 hectares (245 acres) of Marlborough vineyards after the 2008 Financial Crisis forced Cape Campbell Wines, the former owner of the land, into receivership.[5] In 2017, Mission Estate took over ownership of founding Bridge Pa Triangle winery Ngatarawa Wines when its owners, Alwyn and Brian Corban (whose family established the Corbans winery), reached retirement age.[6]

References
  1. Dalley, Bronwyn (24 November 2008). "Wine – Page 1. 19th-century origins". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  2. "Mission Estate Winery, established in 1851 by pioneering French Missionaries". Mission Estate Winery. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  3. "St Mary's Church". Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  4. "Greenmeadows and Taradale". Hastings Standard. I (22). 9 January 1911. Retrieved 9 December 2019 – via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).
  5. Berry, Michael (14 May 2012). "Mission Estate Winery buys Marlborough vineyard". The Press. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 December 2019 – via stuff.co.nz.
  6. Smith, Aneke (21 June 2017). "Corbans hand over reins of Hawke's Bay business". Hawke's Bay Today. Retrieved 9 December 2019 – via The New Zealand Herald.
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