TE MATA

Established in the early 1890s, Te Mata is New Zealand's oldest winery and, like Villa Maria and Babich, proudly family-owned. In the last thirty-odd years, Te Mata Estate have established themselves as a leading force in New Zealand wine, with John Buck's Te Mata Coleraine acknowledged globally as one of New Zealand's finest red wines, their Bullnose Syrah considered one of New Zealand's finest examples, and their Elston Chardonnay garnering huge acclaim.

While a family-operated winery, it is the team at Te Mata Estate that ensure this winery remains at the top of the game: you have Chairman John Buck's vast experience and guiding hand, Peter Cowley's exceptional winemaking skills, and Nicholas Buck’s drive and dedication to the expansion of a proud legacy. Three generations of the Buck family work here, and Te Mata Estate regularly work in the Bordeau and Burgundy to gain experience.

The remarkable consistency that Te Mata Estate has achieved for over thirty-five years is attributable to their control over every aspect of winemaking and, importantly, the longevity of their team. CEO Nicholas Buck explains: "All grapes are harvested exclusively from estate vineyards; we don't source fruit from any other region and our wines are made, matured and bottled on-premise. We have retained an excellent team that have worked together managing the vineyards and the winemaking, vintage after vintage."

Peter Cowley

One of New Zealand's leading winemakers, Peter is a key figure in the development of Te Mata Estate's culture of wine excellence. Peter developed his interest in wine through restaurant work while a student. He completed a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) degree at Auckland University and then the Graduate Diploma in Wine from Roseworthy College, near Adelaide. He was awarded the inaugural Hazelgrove Scholarship which involved microbiology research projects at the Australian Wine Research Institute. After a vintage at the Rouge Homme Winery in Coonawarra, under John Vickery, Peter returned to New Zealand.

Peter commenced work at Te Mata Estate in 1984 as the sole winemaker and has, over more than 30 years, overseen the creation of Te Mata's range of quality wines to the point that he is now responsible for all aspects of Te Mata's wine production, from vine to bottle. Peter lives on the Bullnose vineyard with his wife Gail, their two children, James and Eden, and their dog Jack. Peter has been active as a Senior Wine Judge in Australasia since 1992 and describes himself as "a lover of old wines, old motorcycles and old girls".