Our Story

Mission’s story begins with a group of French Missionaries. In 1838 with the blessing of the Pope, they sailed to New Zealand with little more than their faith, generations of winemaking experience and a few precious vines.

In 1851 the Fathers established a mission station near the Ngaruroro River between Napier and Hastings at Pakowhai and there they followed the tradition of running a balanced farm property with fruit trees, cattle and a vineyard.

The missionaries moved to land they had purchased at Meeanee and a major community was established.  A cottage for living quarters was transported from Pakowhai and later a Church, school and study halls were built.  Vines were planted to produce both sacramental and table wine to continue their wine-drinking tradition.

Brother Cyprian Huchet, the humble son of a vigneron from the Loire Valley rises to the exalted position of Mission Estate Cellar Master and oversees New Zealand’s first recorded commercial sale of wine.  Having grown up amongst the vineyards and wine cellars in France, Cyprian Huchet’s wine knowledge became extremely sophisticated, instilling a wealth of knowledge that lives on at Mission Estate today.

A new two-storied house costing 2020 pounds and 10 shillings was built.  It was known as La Grande Maison or the “big house” and became the home for the early French Marists for three decades.

The 800-acre Mission Estate is purchased from the Tiffen family.  The Marist brothers travelled each day from Meeanee to work the new land where a small orchard and some vines were planted. The first grapes were tended on the gently sloping land of the southern spur and the terraced area that is now used for the annual Mission Concert.

Following a disastrous flood, it was soon realised that the land where the house was located was subject to periodic flooding so Father Smythe decided to move the Mission community to the present site.  The Mission building was cut into eleven sections and rolled on logs and pulled by traction engines. The journey, just under 5kms took two days.

57 English Plane trees which still stand today in the driveway are planted.

A new Gothic Chapel was erected and named Mount St Mary’s.

In 1930 a contract was let for the construction of a three-story concrete accommodation block. On 2 February 1931, the students moved into the new building. The next morning on 3 February 1931 at 10.47am, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck Hawke’s Bay causing serious damage to the region and the entire Mission. Two priests and seven students who were meditating in the stone chapel were killed when it hit.

Additional vineyards planted as production grows.

5,500 gallons of wine is commercially sold.

Fontanella sparkling wine is launched – New Zealand’s first Méthode Traditionelle.

17,000 square foot expansion to winery building is undertaken.

Approx 110 acres of grapes planted at Meeanee and Greenmeadows. Paul Mooney becomes Mission winemaker having trained under the Brothers.

New Zealand’s first whole bunch pressed, barrel-fermented Chardonnay is made at Mission Estate.

Marist seminary leaves St Mary’s and relocates to Auckland.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performs at the inaugural Mission Concert.

Mission Estate is a founding member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand.  More than twenty years later, SWNZ is still widely recognised as world-leading, with 96% of New Zealand’s vineyard producing area certified by the programme

Mission establishes an environmental management system and is audited to the ISO 14001 standard. We are successful in achieving ISO 14001 – the first winery to achieve this in New Zealand.

Mission main house, La Grande Maison is extensively refurbished and receives an architectural award. Mission Restaurant opens.

Rod Stewart plays to 25,000 fans at the annual concert.

In 2007 the winery undergoes a major expansion doubling grape pressing capacity. The production facility was designed to deliver maximum energy and water efficiencies – a vital element in our ongoing commitment to the environment.

100-hectare Cable Bay Station Vineyard in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough is purchased. Farmhouse accommodation opens.

**Mission first block organically certified

Mission successfully navigates vintage and continues to trade during the global Covid-19 pandemic. Mission Restaurant undergoes a major refurbishment and reopens for summer.

Mission celebrates 170 years! Mission relaunches its wines with an updated label design.