Matakana Wine Region

Matakana Terroir

Matakana soils are a complex mix of clays, peat loam, and sandy soils – with vineyards predominantly planted on sedimentary sandstone and greywacke clays. The historic vegetation that grew on these soils (e.g. Puriri and Kauri) has a differing impact on soil nutrition and fertility – leaving vineyards soils with varied vigour and nutritional value, and typically sufficient water holding capacity to allow the vines to grow and ripen without irrigation.

The Matakana wine growing geographical indication sits in the north eastern corner of the Auckland region, effectively bounded by the Hauraki Gulf to the east, and the range of hills surrounding Mt Tamahunga to the west. The strong maritime influence moderates both high and low temperature extremes – giving moderate, warm, summers and mild winters. During the growing season Matakana experiences a relatively small diurnal shift between day and night temperatures – this results in fruit that ripens at a balanced pace giving wines with distinct characteristics of their vineyard site, well balanced acidity, and moderate alcohol levels.

The prevailing winds are from the south west, allowing the Waitakere, and other Western, ranges to shelter Matakana from some of the rainfall that greater Auckland receives. However its coastal nature, and the prevalence of more typically easterly sea breezes in the summer, ensures that site selection remains important to maximise exposure to the sun and air flow that decreases humidity and corresponding disease pressure. The complex mix of soils, aspects, and localized weather influences gives the Matakana region a very diverse range of vineyard sites.