All-Access. All in one subscription.
Subscribe now

All-Access + BusinessDesk Weekly

Pay just
$10
$2
per week
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All-Access + BusinessDesk Annual

Pay just
$349
$49
per year
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

More success for Waitapu

Northland Age
13 Oct, 2014 07:40 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
SWEET SUCCESS: Sandra and Eric Shackleton with the wines that have added to their medal collection.
SWEET SUCCESS: Sandra and Eric Shackleton with the wines that have added to their medal collection.

SWEET SUCCESS: Sandra and Eric Shackleton with the wines that have added to their medal collection.

It might be one of the smallest wineries in the North, or indeed the country, but what Sandra and Eric Shackleton's Waitapu Estate lacks in size it makes up for with quality.

Perched high in the hills above Pukepoto, with sweeping views of 90 Mile Beach and as far east as Hihi, the winery added to its collection of medals with two bronze awards at this year's New Zealand International Wine Show, the biggest event of its kind in the country.

Cabernet Franc Syrah and Syrah Tempranillo were this year's medallists, following the bronze awarded at the same event to its Pinotage 2010 two years ago.


"Next year we'll be looking for silver, but a wine has to be very good to be awarded any medal,"

Mr Shackleton said.

All-Access. All in one subscription.
Subscribe now

All-Access + BusinessDesk Weekly

Pay just
$10
$2
per week
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All-Access + BusinessDesk Annual

Pay just
$349
$49
per year
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Waitapu is very much a boutique operation, founded by the Shackletons and their sons in 2000. And while the wines are gaining a national reputation, they are still exploring a range of options, including plantings to produce the Spanish red Tempranillo, the Italian red Sangiovese, the re-planting of Chambourcin and new plantings of the Spanish white Alberinho.

It had all been something of a learning curve, Mr Shackleton added. A pharmacist by trade, he had prepared his entry into what financially was fundamentally a hobby by acquiring a diploma in viticulture and wine-making at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Hastings, but the real learning had begun with the planting and tending of vines and the production of wine.

With just five acres in vines the estate was too small to be financially independent - "It would have been, and might be in the future, but the global financial crisis hasn't done much for us in terms of people's discretionary spending," he added.

Waitapu had more than one string to its bow, however. The property is now producing olive oil, pressed on the estate, and consideration was being given to adding red wine vinegar to its repertoire, while the property is gaining a reputation as a very pleasant location for functions, with a little tasting as an added attraction.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Premium
Northland Age

Kaeo water fight: Resident receives bogus legal threat over comments

Northland Age

Far North news in brief: Student scholarship; Vision Kerikeri AGM

Northland Age

Volunteer says flood impact worst since 1988, despite $7.65m works


Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Flu ravages Christchurch high school: 56% of students off sick on one day
Christchurch

Flu ravages Christchurch high school: 56% of students off sick on one day

There's a new type of avocado growing in New Zealand
The Country

There's a new type of avocado growing in New Zealand

How much protein do you really need?
Lifestyle

How much protein do you really need?

Mum speaks on finding son dead at mental health unit - and what she says health staff got wrong
New Zealand

Mum speaks on finding son dead at mental health unit - and what she says health staff got wrong

All Blacks get Barrett boost for Argentina; Sititi, Williams to miss first test
All Blacks

All Blacks get Barrett boost for Argentina; Sititi, Williams to miss first test

Controversial rapper joins Rhythm and Alps lineup for 15-year anniversary
Entertainment

Controversial rapper joins Rhythm and Alps lineup for 15-year anniversary



Latest from Northland Age

Premium
Premium
Kaeo water fight: Resident receives bogus legal threat over comments
Northland Age

Kaeo water fight: Resident receives bogus legal threat over comments

A fake lawyer has tried to silence a Kaeo resident with a cease-and-desist letter.

11 Aug 05:00 PM
Far North news in brief: Student scholarship; Vision Kerikeri AGM
Northland Age

Far North news in brief: Student scholarship; Vision Kerikeri AGM

11 Aug 04:00 PM
Volunteer says flood impact worst since 1988, despite $7.65m works
Northland Age

Volunteer says flood impact worst since 1988, despite $7.65m works

10 Aug 04:00 AM


Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet
Sponsored

Farm plastic recycling: Getting it right saves cows, cash, and the planet

10 Aug 09:12 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All-Access. All in one subscription.
Subscribe now

All-Access + BusinessDesk Weekly

Pay just
$10
$2
per week
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All-Access + BusinessDesk Annual

Pay just
$349
$49
per year
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search