Press Release 30/11/05

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Mission Winery Restaurant Expansion

More than 150 years after French Marists pioneered one of
Hawke's Bay�s earliest winemaking ventures and established
Mission Estate, the winery has reaffirmed its place among leading
local winemakers with significant expansions to its restaurant, function and conference facilities.

Following in the enterprising tradition of its founders, the recently-completed redevelopment represents the culmination of a
six month project designed to meet the ever-increasing popularity
of the Mission Estate for fine a la carte dining, private functions
and conferences.

The first stage, completed in June this year, saw the existing restaurant redecorated and the development of a bar where
diners can enjoy a quiet pre-dinner drink. At the same time the
kitchen was upgraded with new, more efficient equipment,
enabling chef Steve Beere and his 15-member kitchen brigade to serve greater numbers of diners and several private functions at
the same time.

The recently-opened final stage of the project gives them the
choice of a third dining area - a delightfully private upstairs room
with a covered outdoor balcony capturing a magical view across vineyards to Hawke's Bay�s coastline with Cape Kidnappers in the distance. Named after St Peter Chanel, it serves as an alternative to the Red Room and the outdoor garden terrace, and provides a secluded area for private dinner parties or small corporate affairs of up to 50 people.

A similar expansion in conference and function facilities means that in addition to the restaurant�s Red Room, which can be closed off to create a private venue, Mission Estate now offers three other areas, catering for everything from major conferences and large weddings of about 180 guests, to small meetings and private dinners.

On the second floor, the bookshelf-lined room that served as the library for the decades of Marist seminarians who trained at the Mission before 1991, has been redeveloped into a smaller conference venue for up to 30 delegates and is also available for private dining. Equipped with modern facilities - its own bar, data projector and adjacent breakout areas - it nevertheless retains all the charm of the elegant, 125-year-old Grande Maison.

Equally typical of the aura of history permeating the Mission is the nearby Smythe Study, another small conference/function room where old photos and other memorabilia provide glimpses of seminary life and the development of the surrounding vineyards.

Nowhere though is the richness of the past more dramatically conveyed than in the vaulted, 73-year-old wooden chapel. With its airy high ceilings, gracefully arched windows and detailed timber paneling, it is an exquisite setting for weddings and has helped make Mission Estate a top choice for couples who want something very special to make their day a little different.

Now equipped with its own bar, French doors opening onto the terrace and garden-surrounded lawn where guests can enjoy pre-dinner canap�s and drinks, it is also an awe-inspiring setting for other large functions and celebrations.

The fine food and service which have made the Mission one of Hawke's Bay�s most highly-acclaimed dining establishments, are matched by corresponding recognition for its wines. This year alone has brought three gold awards, first for the Jewelstone Chardonnay at the New Zealand International Wine Awards, then for the 2004 Reserve Chardonnay, at the Mercedes Benz Wine Awards and most recently for the 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards.

Mission Estate�s cellar now produces 15 wine styles, including chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, gew�rztraminer, semillon, syrah, several cabernets and pinots, merlot and vigonier. All available at the cellar door and made from grapes sourced mainly from Hawke's Bay, they represent the full diversity of the region�s wine territory, from the alluvial land around Greenmeadows, to the Gimblett Gravels and sun-baked inland river terraces.

Sheltered behind vines near the estate�s landmark building, is the natural amphitheatre that provides the venue for the nationally-famed annual Mission Concert. Once covered in vineyards, for one divine night every February, the big dell �rocks� as thousands of visitors from around the country party to entertainment by leading international performers.

Since the first Mission Concert in 1993 when Dame Kiri Te Kanawa set the benchmark for what has become one of Hawke's Bay�s most lavish spectacles, the annual announcement of the upcoming entertainer has aroused a fever of anticipation and over the years concert-goers have been rewarded for their wait with legendary performers ranging from Ray Charles and Shirley BasseySuccess Mission to Kenny Rodgers and the Beach Boys.

Set to be staged on 25 February, the 2006 Mission Concert promises to be as exciting as ever and will provide an appropriate climax to the busy summer in store for Mission Estate as it launches the latest development in its long, venerable history.