THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW ZEALAND WINES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9733, 22 May 1897, Page 5

THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW ZEALAND WINES.

iFew people, perhaps, nnaoiAe. that tih£ unpretentious tjro-gtorey bufldujg in Woi* cester street' Bast, bearing the title of. the " Waverley Wine Vaults," is. the distributing and sample room oi a colonial wine industry which has grown to considerable dimensions in the'- hands of Mr E. C. Mouldey and his eons. Mr Mouldey began the manufacture of colonial wine twenty years ago. Then confined' himself almost exf clusively to fruit wine, owing to*the difficulty of procuring grapes. This difficulty* however, largely disappeared nine years ago, when he entered into possession of the section he now occupies in Worcester street, and on which he has carried out great improvements. The building into which he moved bis plant' was a email Hal!,-' known as Gee's Schoolroom, anil in this he carried on his operations and stored his products* As the demand for New Zealand wines ira« proved—a slow process, owing partly to thp limitations of the law—he emarged bis" pr** mises, which are now capable of meeting more than his present requirements.' 'Toe street entrance optons into the cample and distributing room, where the wines which have matured are standing in casks or bottles. Beyond this is the packing and corking department; .a .storage room containing several ZOOgal casks of wine, which rem&m there for five yeAra to mature; a private office; then the factory where the wine,la manufactured and fermented;.and .finally the vaults, which, like other portions of the establishment,-«are of recent construction. The vault is 40ft x 40ft. It contains over 100 casks of wine maturing; is capable of holding 200 casks, or about 10,0Q0gal, and has been built and timbered with a view of carrying another storey. In his establishment Mr Mouldey aanofactures port. Con* stantia, quinine, and quinine port wiasa, and unfermented wines, the last being used in churches throughout New Zealand for Sacramental purposes. The quinine port wine has been reported on to be equal ia strength to , the imported port, and 3p Monldey'e sale of it is limited to certain channels. My Mouldey's,, stock will in future be made from grapes grown in hie own vineyard at Heat&cote, and the manufacture of it ,is done by mmseJf and hie eons. The industry is & commendable one, and has qixteflsivo operations, notwithstanding wba* Mr Mouldey considers the absence of encouragement* He ifl of opinion that New Zealanders would become greater drinkdra of wine if the prices at which ifc'.oould be obtained were less. Even at the prices with which he now can place bis products on the market, he anticipates an improvement in the colonial palate; but if he were,permitted to hold a license to retail, he would, he considers, be able to reach many s family, more especially numbers of those who, under medical. advise, ■wish, but at present cannot afford, to procure «uch delicacies at the ruling ratea. Jfc has required the possession of no small amount of patience and perseverance jto bring tM manufacture 'of New Zealand mnea m Ohristchurch to it» present position, arid Mr Mouldey' deserves to reap a substantial reward in consequence. 1007