In 2024 the recipient of the Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Hall of Fame Award at the Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards was Paul Mooney.
Loyal, dedicated and understated are all descriptors that could be used for Paul Mooney, who we recognise tonight with the Hawke’s Bay Wine Hall of Fame Award.
In a world preoccupied with change, it is refreshing to encounter a constant, such as Paul’s 45 years making wine at Mission Estate until his retirement in 2024.. An outstanding tenure when you think that his hands have shaped over a quarter of the vintages produced by our country’s longest-established wine estate.
But it was by happy coincidence that this legacy was established. Following his graduation from Waikato University in 1979 and a year as a geophysics technician on remote Campbell, Paul left behind the wind-swept sub–Antarctic Island to join Head Winemaker Brother John Cuttance of the Marist Brothers, as a trainee winemaker for Mission Estate.
The classically trained Brother John mentored his understudy and must have had confidence in his student as in 1982 Brother John stood down as Chief Winemaker and his student took over the reins.
“He was an awesome guy, a great mentor and a very good winemaker”, Paul recounts. Brother John had a background working alongside oenologists from the University of Bordeaux in France and influenced Paul’s development as a winemaker. Paul recalls a steep learning curve when he began his winemaking journey, including learning from winemaking “bibles”- French winemaking textbooks published during the 60s and 70s. Notably, Paul was to become the first layperson to take on the role of Chief Winemaker.
Since this time Paul oversaw the evolution of Mission vintages from “primitive’ equipment (his words) to a modern fully integrated winery. He has also managed Mission’s changes in wine styles, varietals & growing regions.
Paul is hugely deserving of this honour, joining other greats of the industry in the Hawke’s Bay Wine Hall of Fame.
