Growing Legacy: Celebrating 50 years at Te Mata Estate
OPINION: Whenever I present Te Mata's wines into markets, I often begin by saying that our winery's story is a weird one.
"I feel somewhat obligated as a Kiwi," he says a few weeks after joining the guild, as the first New Zealander in its 660-year history. The Vintners Guild was founded in 1363, as one of the 12 Great Livery Companies of London. It created the WSET and the Institute of Masters of Wine, "and have really stuck around because of their charitable works, constantly updating themselves while remaining true to their aims", Toby says, fascinated by the age of the organisation. "Sophistication and continuity are always interesting ideas in wine."
Having a New Zealander in the company is valuable, he says, "since the world that defines the Vintners Guild is fine wine, and global wine trade and wine culture... Having a New Zealander in that room and having the quality of New Zealand wine acknowledged in that room, is something of value. It's a mark of recognition." Traditionally, joining the Vintners Company occurred via patrimony, restricted to those whose father or grandfather was a member. "Now, they are a much more inclusive place, but this is the first time they've allowed outsiders like me in," Toby says. "In my group of 40 joining, I'm one of only four on the Vintners' Trade Entry Scheme for people in the industry."
Toby's wine career started when he was five years old, working at his family's Te Mata winery to pitchfork stalks into a bin as they flew out of the de-stemmer. He'd cleaned plenty of tanks and gutters, pruned and planted plenty of vines, and bottled, labelled and packaged plenty of wine, before starting work at the cellar door, and eventually representing the wines abroad. At times the guild, with its "incredible" buildings, collections, and traditions, "does seem a very long way from Hawke's Bay and vineyard life", he says. Not to mention herding sheep across the Thames.
