Meet Rod McDonald

I spent nine years as winemaker at Vidal Estate in Hawke’s Bay and was awarded New Zealand Winemaker of the year in 2006, glory days. I left later that year with a few ideas about what Hawke’s Bay wines could be like, where the great ones would come from, and started Rod McDonald Wines, now Te Awanga Estate.

The plan was to consult to a few leading producers and launch a family of wines, which now sits with Trademark, Quarter Acre, Te Awanga Estate, Mister and One Off, Two Gates.   Our winemaking happens at The Hawkes Bay Wine Company in Pandora on the edge of Napier, but our cellar door and spiritual home is on the coast at Te Awanga.