20th October 2009
Te Awa lures Wunderkind Winemaker
One of New Zealand’s most respected young winemakers has been spirited away from his Marlborough base to head the charge for a new direction by one of Hawke’s Bay’s iconic wineries.
Te Awa built a reputation for producing high quality wines in the renowned Gimblett Gravels region back in the 1990’s, and while a change of ownership in the early 2000’s allowed them to expand and experiment - the pursuit of quality has remained paramount.
Enter Antony Mackenzie. 1970 was a good vintage in Gisborne according to Ant, but his formative years were cemented in Hawke’s Bay, where his Dad earned a crust working with many of the pioneer winemakers in the area. Growing up around grapes sparked an enthusiasm for learning about and ultimately making great wines.
After tertiary studies in economics & biochemistry at Massey and earning his post-grad diploma in viticulture & oenology from Lincoln Ant was ready to unleash his winemaking skills on an unsuspecting Marlborough. He was the winemaker for Framingham and then became the Chief Winemaker for Spy Valley (one of New Zealand’s most dynamic wine companies) before taking the role of Group Chief Winemaker for Mud House Wine Group in 2008.
Having gathered a boatload of prestigious national and international trophies over the last 15 years for his Marlborough wines (including being named White Winemaker of the Year at the Japan Wine Challenge 2006) and extending his wings working countless vintages across the globe; Te Awa knew the time was right to bring Ant home.
“I’m just so stoked to be able to bring my family to this fantastic region where I grew up” says Mackenzie, now Te Awa’s General Manager & Chief Winemaker. “Te Awa has an enviable reputation for producing great Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Bordeaux reds, Syrah and excellent Pinotage. I’m also about to release the 2009 Te Awa Sauvignon Blanc and the 2009 Left Field Chardonnay which are the first two Te Awa wines that I’ve made myself” he adds.
“Plus, together with my assistant winemaker Cameron McInnes, I’m incredibly proud to be able to release some outstanding wines that were crafted by Te Awa’s original winemaker, including a re-blended and newly released 2007 Left Field Merlot which came from an absolute blinder of a vintage and is drinking beautifully”.
For further information regarding all sorts of new developments that are in the pipeline for
Te Awa, please contact office@teawa.com
