Gifts for holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations, retirements, special occasions, and long weekends with friends.
How sustainable is a bottle of New Zealand wine that has travelled halfway around the world? Research from New Zealand Winegrowers reveals why food miles tell only part of the story. From vineyard practices and renewable energy to lighter glass bottles and efficient sea freight, we explore the factors shaping wine’s environmental footprint, and how Te Mata Estate is contributing to a more sustainable future.
Te Mata Estate, New Zealand’s oldest family-owned winery, marked its 130th anniversary with a strong showing from Wine Enthusiast in September 2026. Critic Christina Pickard scored four wines from the 2024 vintage between 94 and 98 points. Bullnose Syrah led the ratings at 98 points, followed by Coleraine at 97, Estate Syrah at 95, and Awatea at 94, spanning Te Mata’s entry-level and flagship Hawke’s Bay wines.
Te Mata Estate has been nominated for New World Winery of the Year in Wine Enthusiast’s 2026 Wine Star Awards, alongside four remarkable wineries from Australia, Argentina, Chile and Armenia. It is a fitting recognition of Te Mata’s long relationship with Hawke’s Bay, our historic vineyards and the belief that great wine begins with understanding, respecting and listening to the land.
From the pioneering Chardonnay and Pinot Noir plantings of 1892 to Elston and Alma today, Te Mata Estate has spent more than a century exploring these great Burgundy varieties in Hawke’s Bay. Discover the historic vineyards, pioneering wines, distinctive soils and climate, and the modern viticulture and winemaking behind Te Mata’s uniquely Hawke’s Bay expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
For more than 30 years, Te Mata Estate has explored what Syrah can become in Hawke’s Bay. Bullnose brings together Northern Rhône vine material, Bridge Pā perfume, Gimblett Gravels structure and the vivid fruit, floral aromatics, pepper, exotic spice and freshness that have made Hawke’s Bay Syrah distinctive around the world.
In October 2026, Hawke’s Bay will welcome the world’s great wine regions as host of the Great Wine Capitals International Annual Conference. For Te Mata Estate, it is a special moment to celebrate, share our story internationally, and be part of a global conversation about place, culture and tourism.
Critics have called it “modern claret at its finest,” pairing the architecture of a fine Bordeaux with the brightness and generosity of Hawke’s Bay fruit. It is more approachable young than Coleraine, more perfumed and more immediately seductive, while still rewarding a decade or more in the cellar.
2026 was defined by precision. The 2026 growing season in Hawke’s Bay opened with a dry, hot spring, setting the tone for a vintage where timing and patience mattered more than anything else. Two early summer rain events provided just enough relief to lift the canopy at the right moment, before the season returned to long dry days and cooler nights through late summer and early autumn.
Wine-Searcher’s “Best Value Sauvignon Blancs of 2026” highlights the continuing strength of New Zealand and Chile in producing world-class Sauvignon Blanc at accessible prices. Among the standout wines, Te Mata Estate Sauvignon Blanc was named the No. 9 best value Sauvignon Blanc in the world, reinforcing Hawke’s Bay’s growing reputation for premium quality and exceptional value on the international stage.
Elston Chardonnay has just been named the fourth best value wine, of any wine, of any style, from anywhere. And the best value chardonnay in the world.“Chardonnay is the world’s favourite white wine style.”The depth of quality to price on offer in New Zealand chardonnay is really reinforced with six wines selected in the Top 100.”
Discover an experience designed for every wine lover, from first-time visitors to serious collectors – and our new Summer Courtyard experience.
