Mission Estate is on a new mission - to make great reds from Syrah.

This is the oldest winery in New Zealand, which is no mean feat in a country as young as ours. And this month we have new Mission wines in store again, for the first time in... well, quite some time. It's fortuitous timing too because two of the three new Mission Estate Syrahs we now have in store were made from the exceptional 2020 vintage. 

New wines from New Zealand's oldest winery

2020 Mission Jewelstone Syrah RRP $39.99

2020 Mission Reserve Syrah RRP $27.99

These wines would have made their forebears proud.

The Mission Estate was founded in 1851 by Catholic missionaries who were new immigrants from France and were, if you'll excuse the pun, on a mission. Wine was a small part of that mission as its purpose was, supposedly, purely sacramental. 

The history of this impressive old winery is fascinating. It was originally established on another site and in 1858, it was moved five kilometres by steam powered traction engines to Meeanee. And then in 1880, the Mission was established as a grand two storey building, which was moved in 1911 to its current site in Taradale. It had to be sawn in two pieces to be shifted and it was later caused significant damage by the 1931 Napier earthquake, which saw the loss of nine lives on site. It has since gone through enormous expansion and Mission Estate now owns land in Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and has also acquired the winery formerly known as Ngatarawa Wines; a great brand established originally by Alwyn Corban; a member of the New Zealand wine industry's pioneering Corban family.