Matua - Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Matua began in 1974 with a vision shared by Bill and Ross Spence–to revolutionize the New Zealand wine industry by making wines with the best fruit from the best vineyards. A philosophy that still stands today.

Their journey is truly a start-from-scratch story: Bill and Ross Spence come from a long line of winemakers. Ross studied winemaking formally but both learned the craft. After graduation, they set out to create their own wines. Without prejudice, they tried many varieties others had been unwilling to try, and had some success with some of them, including Semillon, Cabernet Franc, Grey Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.

By 1969, they started their first commercial planting of Sauvignon Blanc. Over they years, they cloned the vines, continually expanding their production, in the hopes of starting their own winemaking operation.

Nowadays, it is hard to separate New Zealand and Sauvignon Blanc these days, but Matua was the first to put them together, producing New Zealand’s first bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in 1974.

Matua is also committed to being world leaders in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and today it is one of New Zealand’s most awarded and internationally acclaimed wineries. Matua Chief Winemaker Nikolai St George has been awarded the titles of Winemaker of Show/Year several times at New Zealand’s most prestigious wine shows, and has garnered many awards, e.g., the 2013 and 2015 New Zealand Royal Easter Show Wine Awards in addition to the 2014 New Zealand International Wine Show.