Feature | Gisborne
A glass of wine, something to eat in lovely surroundings - the joys of visiting cellar doors.
G I S B O R N E
Winery Visits Tasting is meant to take you out of your comfort zone, to try something you wouldn’t normally, says Shona Egan of Bushmere Estate, and I totally agree. Visit wineries, try something different from your usual tipple and explore the diversity of your favourite varieties. By Charmian Smith
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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2021
Matawhero Matawhero is one of the key winery visits in Gisborne, not only for the fine wine, lunch platters and peaceful ambience among the vineyards, but also for its history. Bill Irwin was one of the pioneering grape growers in Gisborne, importing vines like the famous Mendoza chardonnay clone in the 1960s. In the ‘70s and ‘80s his son Denis made wine, his famous gewürztraminer and chardonnay becoming icons of the New Zealand industry. Denis even sent Queen Elizabeth wine after her 1978 visit to New Zealand.
Kirsten Searle and the late Denis Irwin share a bottle of Matawhero’s iconic Irwin Chardonnay which celebrates Bill Irwin and his son Denis, founding the vineyard in the 1960s.
