Te Mata pulls the plug on flagship ‘Coleraine’ wine

For the first time in 20 years Te Mata Estate winery in New Zealand has pulled the plug on its flagship wine Coleraine due to the tough 2012 growing vintage.
The Coleraine wine which is made at the  Te Mata Estate winery at Havelock North, New Zealand.The Coleraine wine which is made at the  Te Mata Estate winery at Havelock North, New Zealand.
The Coleraine wine which is made at the Te Mata Estate winery at Havelock North, New Zealand.

Coleraine had become widely regarded as New Zealand’s finest red wine and was first bottled in 1982 and since then become a sought after collector’s line.

But as Te Mata Estate director Nicholas Buck explained, the 2012 season was “challenging” with only 20 per cent of the normal Coleraine volume being produced.

“That left us with a tough decision - what do we do?”

The last time Coleraine failed to make it to the shelves and cellars was as result of lower than average summer temperatures in 1991 brought about by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.

However, fans of the fine red will be buoyed by news that the 2013 Coleraine was well under way after one of the best vintages in decades.

“Oh yes - there will be a 2013,” Mr Buck said.

Of the fledgling 2014 vintage now on the vines Mr Buck said the indications at this stage were it would be plentiful and was looking good.

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