Matakana: Quality vintage

VICKI HOLDER visits a winery in Matakana, where the good life flows freely - just like the wine it produces.

The Antipodean, a tiny Matakana winery founded in 1988, has achieved legendary status with some of the highest-priced, lowest profile wines ever made in this country.

Most of its annual output of around 200 to 300 cases is exported, often to private customers. Although a number of local enthusiasts are devoted collectors, New Zealanders have hardly had a chance to sample just how good the wine is. After tasting the 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1997 vintages, International wine writer Nicholas Bryant praised The Antipodean in the National Business Review, describing the mid-2001 reds as "brilliant, in my opinion, the best red wines made in this country".

After three decades, this small vineyard, an hour north of Auckland, is for sale. For health reasons owner Michelle Chignell-Vuletic, along with her partner, Petar Vuletic, have decided to sell their farm, vineyard and winery. They have realised their dream of making a great wine and hope the new owner will adopt their vision by continuing the work to make it their own.

The farm comprises just over 40ha with a small boutique vineyard of about 1.8ha and a small well-equipped boutique winery building, wine-making apparatus and some wine stocks. The small volume of wine produced has been a deliberate choice to seek quality at the expense of quantity. For quality has always been paramount for The Antipodean.

Planted in the late 1970s, the vineyard features Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Shiraz, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. All the vines were planted on grafted rootstock. Of these, the first three varieties were blended to make the wine called The Antipodean, which acquired cult status for its quality and high prices.

The grapes are pruned to limit production, and when they are green any late bunches are removed to create verjus. They are then picked at maximum ripeness and fermented.

The tradition on the property has been to make the harvest a one-day event for friends and colleagues. The harvest is hand-picked into cube boxes and promptly processed from bunch to grape juice to wine. The wine is assembled and placed in barrels for two years and then bottled and released.

The wine and methods are modelled on those of the top producers in Bordeaux, although the Vuletics are the first to admit the result is a pure reflection of the Matakana terroir - or regional character - a blend of factors including the soil and climate that contribute to the unique flavour of the wine.

Set among rolling country, gentle hills and some flat land, there are many brilliant building sites on the farm. They include a level section at the top of the hill with views across Omaha Beach to Little Barrier Island and another landscaped site in a natural ampitheatre with tree-lined access. The owners have preferred a more reclusive lifestyle, but a new owner might want to add value to the property by attracting wine buffs. For outdoor events, a natural ampitheatre could be also developed.

The Vuletics have been living in a house attached to the winery. During their tenure, they have conducted tours through the neatly tended vineyards and immaculate winery, which Cuisine magazine recently described as "a fascinating experience, especially when Michelle and Petar explain their winemaking philosophy".

Apart from the vineyard the balance of the land has been landscaped and fenced for pastoral grazing. Having originally been an Ayrshire stud, it's well-suited to cattle. A neighbour has paid monthly for the privilege of grazing the property with pedigree cattle.

The pastoral farm has extensive road frontages, sea views from the hills and hundreds of exotic trees, including olives, several types of oak, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, bays, figs and chestnuts. The olive groves are more than 20 years old. With such a good track record, the new owner might want to extend the olives over the rolling country. Water for the farm is sourced from natural springs and gravity-fed to the stock, winery toilets and vat coolers.

Matakana has become a renowned wine region, and this property was where it all started. Its reputation offers advantages to anybody buying the property as there is no shortage of local wineries who would probably be more than happy to get involved in the winemaking.

Vital Statistics

ADDRESS: Tongue Farm Rd, Matakana.

FEATURES: The Antipodean Farm and Vineyard with boutique winery building, winemaking apparatus and wine stocks; the New Zealand trademark for The Antipodean to be used for future vintages and application to unfinished vintages; not being sold as a going concern; landscaped and fenced pastoral land; several spectacular building sites; wine tourism possibilites; future development opportunities.

SIZE: Land area 40.3427ha.

TENDER CLOSES: 4pm, September 8.

AGENT: Bill Logan, Ray White, Devonport. Ph 446 6266 bus; 021 669 669 mob.