Mills Reef

"I always knew New Zealand had the potential to produce wines on par with any of the famous wine regions of the world." ~Paddy Preston, founder and winemaker of Mills Reef Winery.

Over a decade ago, The Preston family established the Mills Reef Winery in New Zealand. The "Mills" name is a reference to Paddy's great grandfather, Charles Mills, a sea captain who arrived from the U.K. in 1864. The "Reef" refers not only to the captain's keen eye at sea but also to Charles' efforts in the underground mines of New Zealand. The latest generation of Prestons have continued to search for gold and to look below the surface for new and better winemaking techniques.

Mills Reef concentrates on the production of only a limited number of varietals - those most suited to the Hawkes Bay region. The Hawkes Bay, New Zealand's oldest wine region, is synonymous with rich, creamy, and complex layers in Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc with tropical fruit and stone fruit dominant flavors. Experience has shown that its low vigor vineyard sites are ideally suited to growing premium Burgundy and Bordeaux varietals. The major city of the Hawkes Bay, Napier, enjoys similar sunshine hours and temperatures to those found in Bordeaux. This helps produce Cabernet Sauvignon rich in blackcurrant and raspberry flavors, reminiscent of the Medoc.

Mills reef owns a 40-acre vineyard on Mere Road in the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand. Additionally, the winery enjoys a long-term contract with an adjacent vineyard property for the production of its Sauvignon Blanc. Te Horo Vineyard, an hour north of Wellington on the west coast, is an additional source of Pinot Noir. The latter vineyard sits on the same latitude as Martinborough where the country's finest Pinot Noir is grown.

Sauvignon Blanc: 80 acres

Chardonnay: 50 acres

Red Varietals: 100 acres

Red Varietals:

Merlot - 28 %

Syrah - 8 %

Malbec - 14 %

Cabernet Sauvignon-14 %

Cabernet Franc - 14 %

Pinot Noir - 22 %

Paddy first began Mills Reef as a way of furthering his lifetime hobby and interest in winemaking. In 1989 he purchased a Hawkes Bay vineyard with the goal of producing wines to rival both the Old World classics and the new wine stars of New Zealand. Paddy has been the driving force behind Mills Reef. His son Warren, describes him as "an artist, a person who is single-minded in seeking to produce the perfect wine."

Tim has been involved in winemaking alongside his father Paddy for 17 years. Tim conducts tasting and promotions of Mills Reef Wines both domestically and internationally. His knowledge of the vineyard from harvest to bottling makes him invaluable to their customers.

The source for the "Elspeth" label wines is Mere Road Vineyard, a 17 hectare (40 acre) vineyard in the “Gimblett Gravels” region of Hawkes Bay. This region is establishing an enviable reputation internationally as a world class producer of Bordeaux style blends, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The new designation aims to promote and protect the country's best Bordeaux-style blends from outside influence as the industry grows. No more than 5% of a wine labeled "Gimblett Gravels" can be sourced from outside the viticultural area, made up of the vines of roughly 1300 acres of gravely soil which resulted from a great flooding of the Nagaruroro River in 1870. Mills Reef super-premium “Elspeth” range wines are a testament to this region.

For more information visit www.gimblettgravels.com.

COME VISIT! For the lucky traveler, living is easy at the Mills Reef Winery, situated on 20 acres near Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region. This area is a hugely popular seaside destination with a population of 90,000. Not only can one enjoy fine dining in a relaxed environment but an award-winning 150-seat restaurant provides an ambience which compliments fine wine and cuisine. Sunday lunch at Mills Reef has become a Tauranga tradition, and the winery restaurant was voted the best in the country!