Selaks

Region:

New Zealand, Auckland

Address:

PO Box 471, 45 Station Road, Huapai, Kumeu Auckland, New Zealand

Website:

http://www.selaks.co.nz

Description:

When Marino Selak first arrived in New Zealand from his native Croatia in 1906, there were a few things missing. Apart from olive oils and the traditional Croatian food, it seemed that wine was in seriously short supply. Back in Croatia, wine was the centre of the table that brought families and friends together - part of everyday life. So Marino decided to create his own by buying some land for a market garden, orchards and vineyard, unwittingly creating a wine that would become a world favourite. 34 years later and the Selaks wine had become so popular in the local Auckland community that Marino asked his relatives in Croatia for help. Perhaps lured by the prospect of growing wine in the fields of New Zealand as opposed to going to war, Marino’s nephew, Mate Selak, sailed to New Zealand on a one way ticket at the tender age of 16. He must have enjoyed his new home because by the time Mate was 23, he had purchased the land from his uncle and had begun experimenting with champagne style wine. The wine brought a taste of Europe to the country and was instantly popular. However, the government confiscated the Selaks’ land to build a new motorway. Showing the same pragmatism as his uncle almost 60 years before, Mate continued to make wine from his basement until he purchased 20 acres of land in the Kumeu area of West Auckland. Fast forward to 1982 and Mate found himself back in the Northern Hemisphere – this time at the first ever tasting of New Zealand wines at New Zealand House in London. The 1980’s saw Mate’s sons take the Selaks wine into more modern styles as the New Zealand Sauvignon story began to take off. It was at this time that Darryl Woolley became winemaker – and more than 20 years later he is still there. Mate passed away in 1991, but not before 25 acres of land was purchased in Marlborough – now renowned as the home of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The emphasis on careful, consistent winemaking that brings families together continues to this day.

Email:

info@selaks.co.nz

Phone:

+64 9 412 6666

Fax:

+64 9 412 7124