Matakana Estate is the largest winery in the Rodney region and dates back to 1996 when the first vines were planted by the Vegar-Fitzgerald family – pioneers with Croatian winemaking history. In early 2012, the winery was taken over by new owners with a dream to expand the quality winemaking business to include luxury accommodation. 2018 saw the grand opening of the Matakana Estate Lodge.

Matakana Estate was the first winery that CEO Chrissy Lu visited and holds a special place in her heart. She believes the Matakana region is truly amazing and will be the next NZ hot spot. The community and local businesses have a lot to offer both local and international tourists. 

“There was something about this land that attracted me when I first visited more than 10 years ago and, I still feel that today. The dream to build a vineyard resort is ambitious and it will take time, but it is a dream that I am determined to turn into reality. The Matakana region has everything that embodies the true New Zealand lifestyle and that is what makes it so beautiful.”

The current plans are a renovated cellar door venue space, expansion of accommodation offerings and the addition of luxury glamping units. They will use the space to host more events like live music in the summer, picnics on the lawn, and further develop Matakana Estate into a resort-based retreat with spa and retail offerings, as well as a walk/cycle trail that will run through the property and connect with others. 

Images Context Architects 

This is a big dream and a huge project that will span the next few years, and Matakana Estate are taking it step by step. The cellar door venue is expected to be ready by the beginning of October 2020, and more events are expected to happen over this summer.

The team at Matakana Estate wants to work with the community and local businesses to help promote the region as a whole, and they want to share their passion for the area with everyone else. 

However, Matakana Estate are first and foremost a winery, so wine production will continue. The vines wait for no one. Proud of their locally produced wines, they will be focusing on quality over quantity. The new hero product to be launched soon is a rosé made from estate-grown Syrah. It is a beautiful blush pink rosé with aromatic notes of blackberries and red currants with violet tones and a hint of fresh green herbs. A showstopper summer wine that they cannot wait to share.