Bill and Ross Spence came from a long line of winemakers, working on their father's winery from a young age before and after school. Both brothers went on to study - Ross in winemaking and viticulture and Bill viticulture. After their studies, they decided to strike out on their own to make wine that people would really enjoy drinking.

With the help of their grandmother and mother, the Spence brothers bought their own block of land on Matua Road in North-West Auckland.

The brothers were true innovators with a drive to try new things. So they hunted up and down the country for new grape varieties, selling some and planting others as trial varieties. Bill and Ross found many of these new varieties on government trial blocks scattered everywhere. Quite a lot of them didn’t grow any fruit or were infected with virus.

However, some of the vines the brothers trialed showed real potential. These were Semillon, Cabernet Franc, Grey Riesling and… you guessed it – Sauvignon Blanc.

By 1969, Bill and Ross started planting their vineyard, including their first commercial planting of Sauvignon Blanc. Over the next couple of years, the brothers cloned the vines continually.

It was now time for the brothers to start making wine. Back then, it was pretty hard to get a wine licence – but they found an old orchard for sale which still had a winemaker’s licence attached to the old tin shed.

Bill and Ross bought the tin shed (and the licence that went with it) and Matua was born!

Bill and Ross made small amounts of Grey Riesling, Gamay Tienturier, Semillion, Chablis and Burgundy blends and Sauvignon Blanc. They named their wines Matua, and with their first run of 400 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, Matua became the first producer of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc!

A new partnership gave the Spence brothers a real boost to grow Matua, purchasing a big block of land in Waimauku, Auckland.

Matua's vineyards expanded and one of the most modern boutique wineries in the country was built.

Today, the historic hunting lodge can still be seen on this property, however Matua's winery has since moved to Marlborough.

Bill and Ross set about purchasing properties in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough. They also develop close relationships with growers there, as well as in NZ’s sunny Gisborne to supply premium grapes. The brothers provided their growers with quality vine plants, ensuring the clones were of the best quality.

In 2001, Beringer-Blass Wine Estates invested in Matua Wines. At the winery, things didn’t change much, with Bill and Ross staying on. In 2002, our now Matua Chief Winemaker Greg Rowdon started a role working in the Matua cellar. In 2003, Ross retired and Bill continued as the General Manager of production and supply until late 2009 when he became Matua Brand Ambassador.

In 2012, Matua turned teal, unveiling a bold new look! This was also the year Matua won New Zealand Producer of the Year at London's International Wine and Spirits Competition 2012 - the first time Matua's quality was recognised on the world stage!

Since winning NZ Producer of the Year at the IWSC 2012, things have just been getting better. In 2015, Matua won Champion Winemaker of the Year three years in a row!* And, with 16 Trophies and 68 Gold medals in two years**, Matua is one of New Zealand's most internationally acclaimed wine brands.

In 2016, we were very happy to announce Greg Rowdon as our Chief Winemaker after an 18 year relationship with Matua.

And Bill? He still pops in to the winery to see us all, in between his trips overseas to spread the word about Matua!

*Royal Easter Wine Show 2013, New Zealand International Wine Show 2014, Royal Easter Wine Show 2015.

**2013 - August 2015