Matariki is a family owned winemaking company in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, created by the passionate belief of the owners John and Rosemary O'Connor that great wines are made in the vineyard.

After training in Italy and Germany, we returned to New Zealand and recognised Gimblett Road as having the now proven potential to grow international quality wines. From small beginning is 1981 Matariki now owns 60 hectares of this exceptional grape growing area.

The success of Gimblett Road is due not only to a hotter, drier microclimate but also to its deep stony soils. These extremely free draining gravels, from the remains of the historic Ngaruroro riverbed, have a mixed variation of silt cover. John's careful analysis of the meandering contours laid down by the old river has identified individual plots; each matched to a classic grape variety. On the more gravelly soils the Gimblett Road classics of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah along with the New Zealand icon Sauvignon Blanc flourish.

Where gravels are overlaid with deeper silts Matariki grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a little riesling for our late harvest desert wine. To add further interest to the Gimblett Roads wines, in 1997 Matariki purchased a 10 hectare vineyard site on the cooler limestone terrace below Te Mata peak. This vineyard provides a longer growning season and additional balance for the Matariki Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These two prestigious sites and choice of such diversity in 'terroir' ensure a complexity of flavours unique to Matariki.

Matariki's annual journey across the sky controls the seasons and encourages the earth to provide us with her bounty. In autumn as the crops are harvested and preserved and as the days become shorter Matariki disappears below the western horizon. The descending darkness of winter brings time to reflect on the cycle of life.

We trust that the essence of Matariki fleetingly captured in each bottle of wine will enhance the celebrations in your life.