Fruit Wine Reinvented

Bringing fresh innovation to the world of fruit wine, Mirabelle Fruit Wines celebrated its first release late last year, launching seven distinct varieties online, with five also available at Matakana Liquor.

The story behind Mirabelle Fruit Wines is one of passion, tradition, and experimentation. Founder Torsten Glaser, originally from Germany, has been crafting fruit wines since 2014, inspired by his discovery of feijoas after settling in New Zealand in 2013. However, his winemaking roots run even deeper - his journey began with a rich crop from his family’s Mirabelle plum tree in Germany, where fruit winemaking has long been a tradition.

As a trained chef with an affinity for bold and intense flavours, Torsten was immediately captivated by feijoas, not only for his culinary creativity but also for use in winemaking. Over years of experimentation, with different fruits and recipes, methods and techniques, he perfected the craft of hobby fruit winemaking - even converting a bedroom in his rental property to a cellar and winemaking space.

While his final processes are more labour and time intensive, they have proven to achieve better results, harnessing the full potential his selected fruits have to offer in the wines, which include a Plum Mead and Sparkling Plum and Feijoa.

In 2023, a chance encounter at The New Zealand Cider Festival marked the next chapter of Torsten’s journey. There, he met Justin and Cynthia of Bohemian Cider, who showed a keen interest in his plans to start a fruit winery. Soon after meeting they offered Torsten the opportunity to lease some space at their Bohemian Cider Shed, nestled between Snells Beach and Warkworth. Inspired by the Mahurangi region’s reputation for wine and its welcoming community, Torsten made the decision to relocate and establish Mirabelle Fruit Wines.

Since then, Torsten has worked closely with local trades, businesses, and growers to set up production, source fruit, and build meaningful connections in the community. With a focus on quality and sustainability, Mirabelle has already earned accolades, including a silver medal for its Plum Rosé and a bronze for its Dry Feijoa Wine at the 2024 NZ Cider Awards.

Mirabelle Fruit Wines will have a stall at the Matakana Village Farmers’ Market from mid-February and will be participating in the Mangawhai Food and Wine Festival in mid-March. Locals and visitors alike are invited to discover the art of fruit winemaking, reimagined with modern craftsmanship and deep-rooted tradition.

www.Mirabelle.co.nz | FruitWine@Mirabelle.co.nz