Stamps and many of the items found on these pages can be purchased from:-
This is the third part of our New Zealand Wine Post collection, taking us through the third 10 years. This collection is incomplete and needs a lot more work in some areas but we've decided to open it for viewing as we continue adding new items and completing further sections.The Wine Post, also known as New Zealand Wine Post, is a privately owned postal service in New Zealand. It is operated by Weston Winery New Zealand, which is the World's Most Southern Winery and acts as its only post office. The Wine Post began issuing its own postage in 1990. It is one of the many independent posts of New Zealand which has a deregulated postal environment. The Wine Post stamps are for their domestic and international postage for their own winery.
Page One - New Zealand Wine Post 1990 - 1999.
Page Three - New Zealand Wine Post 2010 - 2019.
Page Four - New Zealand Wine Post 2020 - 2029.
Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Official Stamps.
Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Wine Labels.
Page Four - New Zealand Wine Post 2020 - 2029.
Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Official Stamps.
Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Wine Labels.
WP#54.
2010 Land of Grapes - Definitive.
Date of Issue - 20 Sept 2010.
$2.50 - New Zealand & Southern Cross,
"Land of Grapes."
Left-hand - Joined pair with the name of the name of the issuer "New Zealand Wine Post" and the four stars of the Southern Cross in the top selvedge.
Right-hand - Corner single with value and other inscription in the selvedge.
Land of Grapes First Day Cover - 3rd September 2010.
2010 New Zealand Wine Post - Land of Grapes issue showing a spectacular strip of three huge error where the paper has been creased and damaged during printing.
WP#55.
2011 Pink and White Terraces 1880 - Commemorative.
Date of Issue - 20 May 2011.
$3.00 - Pink & White Terraces.
The Pink & White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana were described as the eighth wonder of the world and a major tourist attraction. They were destroyed in 1889 when the bottom of the lake exploded as part of the great volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera. This stunning stamp, a commemoration of this great attraction, was taken from an oil painting from the years before the eruption. The Pink Terraces can be seen in the foreground with the White Terraces seen between the hills in the distance. In the far-right background the flat top of the brooding Mount Tarawera, waiting for the day it would erupt, destroying everything around it.
Pink & White Terraces Full Sheet.
WP#56; WP#57; WP#58; WP#59.
2012 Winepost Definitive Issue.
Date of Issue - 21 April 2012.
$2.00 - Mount Cook Daisy. (Special Postage)
Matua Tikumu - Mountain Daisy - Mount Cook Daisy.
Commonly known as the Mountain Daisy, there are many varieties found in the mountain districts of both North and South Islands. The leaves are covered with a velvety coating of fine hairs and the flower rays are white and daisy-like, being up to 100mm in diameter. Often these plants spend their winter deep under the snow only growing to bloom during the short period of the hottest summer months.
$4 - Franz Joseph Glacier. (Special Postage)
Franz Josef Glacier is a major tourist attraction on the West side of the South Island. This 'river' of ice begins high in the Southern Alps and extends down to only 300m above sea level. I once took the guided walk up onto this glacier and it is truly an unforgettable experience. Recently the glacier has been retreating and many scientists worry that should this continue, most of the lower glacier will eventually disappear.
$7.00 - Wine Regions. (Secures Special Postage)
This stamp shows a vineyard with rows of grapes growing towards harvesting. What is of more interest is the map of New Zealand showing various areas colour coded. These are the most famous wine-growing areas in New Zealand.
$15.00 - Kea (Export Postage.) $15.00 - Kea (Used Example).
I've just compared these two stamps. I noticed that the black appeared darker on the mint stamp. When I looked closer I discovered that the black had a fainter ghost image to the left like it had been printed twice.
The kea; (Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot of the superfamily Strigopoidea found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak. The kea is the world's only alpine parrot. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. The kea nests in burrows or crevices among the roots of trees.
Keas are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food and will work together to achieve a certain objective. They have been filmed preparing and using tools. On the West Coast of New Zealand, you can return to your car to find it severely damaged by Keas. They have been known to pick the rubber off car windows and destroy wiper blades.
This stamp is shown in our post How the Kiwi Lost His Wings.
This pair has a large perforation shift pushing the image up to the top-right corner.
The First Day Cover for this definitive issue. Notice its own special postmark and the cover both feature the New Zealand map from the $7.00 value showing the various wine regions.
This stamp is shown in our post How the Kiwi Lost His Wings.
WP#60.
2013 Mount Aspiring - Commemorative.
Date of Issue - 25 May 2013.
Mount Aspiring / Tititea is New Zealand's highest mountain outside the Aoraki/Mount Cook region. Set within Otago's Mount Aspiring National Park, it has a height of 3,033 metres (9,950 feet). Māori named it Tititea, which translates as Glistening Peak.
Mount Aspiring / Tititea sits slightly to the west of the main divide, 30 kilometres west of Lake Wanaka. It lies at the junction of three major glacial systems — the Bonar Glacier, which drains into the Waipara River, and the Volta and Therma Glaciers, which both drain into the Waitoto River. The Waipara is a tributary of the Arawhata River, and both the Arawhata and Waitoto Rivers flow out to the west coast in between Haast and Jackson Bay.
$3.00 - Mount Aspiring / Tititea.
This stamp is based on an ink engraving especially commissioned for the design.
Above is a joined pair of the Mount Aspiring stamp. If you look closely at the 'D' of 'New Zealand' in the left-hand stamp you will see a gap at the top end of the curve. I've copied and enlarged this for a closer view below.
Enlargement of the 'Broken D Error.'
A Bit of History.
Mount Aspiring First Day Cover.
Special Exhibition Item.
An interesting numbered display or exhibition card, dated 10th March 2013, showing images of the Winepost stamps issued over a period of four years from 2010 through 2013 (four stamp issues). This item was designed for the collector market and had no postal value.
WP#61.
2013 Dunedin Botanic Gardens 1863 - 2013.150th Anniversary 2013.
Date of Issue - 25 September 2013.
$3.00 - Royal Oak,
Dunedin Botanic Gardens.
Dunedin Botanic Gardens 1863-2013.
The first tree planted in the gardens was the Royal Oak pictured in this stamp.
Special First Day of Issue cancel. The flower in the centre links back to the Rhododendron Issue of 1995. New Zealand Wine Post 1990 - 1999.
2013 New Zealand Wine Post Dunedin Botanic Gardens 150th Issue
With the blue colour missing on the left-hand stamp.
2013 - America's Cup Win (Abandoned unissued design.)
Stamps were printed but abandoned before being issued.
2013 New Zealand Wine Post - America´s Cup win unissued stamp due to
Team New Zealand's unsuccessful attempt at winning the cup. New Zealand only had a single win left to take the cup, but they lost every next race and did not win the cup. The stamps were printed in advance with such great odds but could not be issued after the loss. These stamps can only be found unused (mint) with the word 'Specimen' printed across it.
(New Zealand did take the cup in 2017)
An airmail cover prepared for the issuing of these stamps but never used.
WP#62.
2014 New Zealand Flag and Silver Fern.
Date of Issue - 21st July 2014.
The Flag of New Zealand with the four stars of the Southern Cross against a blue background with the British Union Jack in the top left corner. Below is another famous symbol of New Zealand, the Silver Fern.
The Southern Cross, one of the smaller constellations of the southern sky, is made up of the four major stars seen here and a number of fainter ones. From New Zealand it is seen in the southern sky all year long, scribing a circle around the South Pole. The silver fern is one of the many native ferns, in this case having a very distinctively silver on the undersides of its fronds.
$3.00 - A joined pair with a "specimen" example on the left.
$3.00 - Flag & Silver Fern. (Two single examples.)
A corner pair showing the Printer's name in the selvedge.
2014 Flag & Silver Fern - First Day Cover.
Notice the cancel on this cover, showing both New Zealand's flag and the Silver Fern. This brings to mind something very current facing our country today. As I am writing this in November 2015, New Zealand is going through a process to consider and vote for changing our flag. Interestingly some of the more popular alternative designs feature the Silver Fern.
Unfortunately, in what became a very emotional and political issue, the final vote went against changing the flag.
WP#63.
2014 NAC Dakota Aircraft over Christchurch Airport.
New Zealand Wine Post 2014 Dakota over Christchurch airport 1966.
Corner selvedge pair with sheet number, colour bars and livery of NAC wings.
The design shows a National Airway Corporation (NAC) aircraft flying over Christchurch International Airport, most likely having just taken off or about to land. The Dakota DC3 formed the backbone of the National Airways Corporation (NAC) after WWII. They flew well into the late sixties. In those days there were a lot of grass airfields so they could serve a lot of rural regions as well as the main routes.
$3.00 - 2014 NAC Dakota over Christchurch.
Corner selvedge pair with sheet number, colour bars and livery of NAC wings.
The design shows a National Airway Corporation (NAC) aircraft flying over Christchurch International Airport, most likely having just taken off or about to land. The Dakota DC3 formed the backbone of the National Airways Corporation (NAC) after WWII. They flew well into the late sixties. In those days there were a lot of grass airfields so they could serve a lot of rural regions as well as the main routes.
WP#64.
2014 - Christchurch Cardboard Cathedral.
(Christmas Issue)
The 2011 Christchurch Earthquake badly damaged the Christchurch Cathedral. While a decision was being concerning the damaged building, if it would be saved and repaired or demolished, it became clear that the congregation needed a place of worship in the meantime. The Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the transitional pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch opened in August 2013. It was designed by architect Shigeru Ban and seats around 700 people.
$2.00 Cardboard Cathedral.
Even this example shows the image is not centred on the stamp. Perforation shifts seem to have been a problem with this stamp.
$2.00 - Cardboard Cathedral.
A joined pair, slightly off centred is shown above with the sheet number And printer.
A bottom-left corner block showing four good examples of this stamp.
The building rises 21 metres (69 ft) above the altar. Materials used include 60-centimetre (24 in)-diameter cardboard tubes, timber and steel. The roof is of polycarbonate, with eight shipping containers forming the walls. The foundation is a concrete slab. The architect wanted the cardboard tubes to be the structural elements, but local manufacturers could not produce tubes thick enough and importing the cardboard was rejected. The 96 tubes, reinforced with laminated wood beams, are "coated with waterproof polyurethane and flame retardants" with two-inch gaps between them so that light can filter inside. Instead of a replacement rose window, the building has triangular pieces of stained glass. The building serves as a conference venue as well as a cathedral.
WP#65; WP#66.
2015 - Red Kiwi Special Post (Official).
Date of Issue - 1st June 2015.
The Red Kiwis were produced for special official mail sent to either Parliament or HM Customs. The Parliament mail was important legal correspondence concerning Weston Winery or the future of the Wine Industry. The HM Customs letters were correspondence concerning the shipment of wine in and out of New Zealand and the payment of tax on wine produced.
$9 Red Kiwi - To Parliament.
$5 Red Kiwi - To HM Customs.
Notice the left-hand stamp has a corner salvage and plate number.
A fairly simple design following the vertical format of the WinePost Official Stamps.
Red Kiwi Officials - First Day Cover.
WP#67.
2015 - Christmas.
Date of Issue - 1st November 2015.
$4.00 - Christmas Sermon.
A preacher/minister preparing the Christmas Sermon which he will deliver at the Christmas service on Christmas Day. It is said that an average sermon can take between eight and ten hours to prepare. Here the preacher is burning the midnight oil (candle) as he studies. The star of Bethlehem can be seen through the window.
2015 Christmas Sermon First Day Cover.
2016 - Courtney Windju Pinot Noir - Pre-Issue.
$4.00 - Courtney Windju multi. $7.00 - Courtney Windju pink.
New Zealand Wine Post 2016. The proof Se-Tenant pair was printed imperforate on gummed paper that was intended to be used for the actual issue. These were limited proof printings and Presentation cards (see below) released at a special stamp exhibition, announcing the new wine Courtney Windju Pinot Noir and the philatelic items celebrating this wine, ahead of the wine release and stamp release.
WP#68; WP#69.
2016 - Courtney Windju Pinot Noir.
Date of Issue - 2nd July 2016.
Date of Issue - 2nd July 2016.
$4.00 - Courtney Windju Pinot Noir (multi).
This attractive girl visiting from the USA inspired Weston Wines to name a special Pinot Noir after her. Her photo first appeared on the wine label but late was used to promote the wine with its own postage stamps.
A block of four showing the sheet number 005 and printer colour lights.
$7.00 - Courtney Windju Pinot Noir (pink).
Single stamp with selvedge showing sheet number and colour lights.
2016 Courtney Windju Pinot Noir - First Day Cover.
WP#70
2016. Yellow Wine Barrels Issue- Secures Special Postage.
Date of Issue - 8th August 2016.
$4.00 - Yellow Wine Barrels.
Special Postage.
$4.00 - Yellow Wine Barrels with corner selvage.
Wines, particularly red wines mature better in oak barrels. These can either come from the USA or Europe, each giving a different flavour to the wine. The barrels are kept on their sides and are often turned and topped up during the maturing process. You can see a winemaker taking a sample from one of the barrels. (Or is it a cheeky cellar-hand getting a free drink!)
This design was first considered for the highest value of the 1995 Definitive issue. The design was then changed to a view of the Winery with the winemaker seen taking a sample through the open door. Interesting, how after all these years, this design appears again.
First Day Cover - NZ Wine Post Yellow Wine Barrels.
Colour Trials for the Wine Barrels issue.
Notice all of these trials below are missing the year under the word Winepost.
This proof shows black barrels against a yellow background.
The next step was to trial more yellow in the design. The writing still needed to be darker.
Colour trial with black ink smudge over the left stamp.
2016 - The Yellow Rose. (Trial Design.)
Trial Design - The Yellow Rose.
The main purpose of this colour proof was testing colours for the Wine Barrels issue. In the final design, the yellow barrels were chosen with black writing.
2016 - Bees Are Important. (Trial for possible 2017 issue.)
2017. Imperforate colour proof trial.
A 'Bees Are Important' issue being considered for 2017. In the winemaking industry, bees
are needed to pollinate the grape flowers for a good crop of fruit. This design was intended to promote the program to save bees from chemicals and imported diseases. In the foreground, in front of the hives, are purple thyme flowers while behind the hives are what look like sunflowers. The random colouring of the hives are so returning bees can quickly find their home hive. One problem I can see with this design is that the words across the bottom, "Bees Are Important" are lost in the purple thyme flowers, almost impossible to read. In fact, you really need to look closely to even see that there is some text there. The NZ WinePost also saw this problem and began a series of trials to make this text more readable.
They then tried giving the writing a red outline. That was also not successful as the words are still lost in the purple flowers.
2017 Proof without writing "bees are important." Taking the writing out like this loses the point of this issue, promoting that bees are vital to all forms of agriculture and farming.
WP#71
2017. Bees Are Important - Secures Special Postage.Date of Issue - 9th April 2017.
In the winemaking industry, bees are needed to pollinate the grape flowers for a good crop of fruit which leads to a good vintage of wine. In fact, bees are vital to all forms of agriculture and farming.
$4.00 - Bees Are Important.
The issued version has the writing in a bold filled-in black and the picture behind has been slightly lightened. It was always their intention to add flying bee, top-centre, but it had been left off the earlier designs until the problems mentioned above had been solved. Notice they finally got it right because now the text "BEES ARE IMPORTANT" and "NEW ZEALAND WINEPOST" is very easy to read.
Bees Are Important - First Day Cover.
Very simple cover with a bee collection pollen from a flower. Like the bee on the cancel too.
WP#72; WP#73; WP#74; WP#75.
2017 Old Wine Labels Exhibition.
Date of Issue - TBA
The four stamps of this issue celebrate old Westons Winery labels of the 1980s. New Zealand WinePost was established as an independent local post for the purpose of shipping wine around New Zealand and overseas. This means there is a close relationship between Westons Wine labels and NZ WinePost stamps with this issue a fitting celebration of their common design heritage. You can see more labels like these on our special page New Zealand Wine Post - Wine Labels.
2017 Old Wine Labels Exhibition - $5.00 Sally Ride 1985.
Sally Ride was the first woman to ride in the space shuttle.
2017 Old Wine Labels Exhibition - $7.00 Falklands War 1982.
A Harrier Jump Jet - one of many British aircraft that took part in the war to win the Falkland Island back after they had been occupied by Argentina.
2017 Old Wine Labels Exhibition - $8.00 Ships Wine 1985.
The ship is Cousteau's research ship Calypso which visited Dunedin in 1985.
2017 Old Wine Labels Exhibition - $10.00 Britannia 1982.
This wine label commemorates the Royal Visit of 1982 when Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited New Zealand with their son Prince William.
2017 Overland Delivery - Pre-issue Proof.
This is a pre-issue imperf trial printed on paper with no gum. This was a special release for an exhibition before the actual stamp was issued. This is an updated design of the delivery truck first seen in the 1991 WinePost issue.
2017 Overland Delivery - Imperf Trial.
This trial can be identified because there is no date in the bottom left corner.
2018 Mount Cook / "Ariki" / "Aoraki" - Trial Proof.
Another pre-issue trial proof. While these proofs usually become WinePost issues, it does not mean all of them will. Some designs have sat for a number of years before finally being issued as postage stamps. This design shows New Zealand's highest mountain, Mt Cook/Aoraki, reflected on Hooker Lake.
Notice the mistake? Mt Cook is called 'Aoraki' not 'Ariki' as appears on these stamps.
I like the kowhaiwhai pattern (Maori rafter pattern) on the left-hand side.
The incorrect mountain name "Ariki" didn't carry a date while the correct mountain name "Aoraki" had the date under the word 'Winepost."
2018 - $10 Mount Cook / Aoraki - Trial Proof.
Here is the corrected version including the correct mountain name but the question still needs to be asked how did this happen in the first place with the two names being so different.
WP#76.
2018 Mount Cook / Aoraki.
Date of Issue - 10th April 2018
2018 - $10 Mount Cook / Aoraki.
This design shows New Zealand's highest mountain, Mt Cook/Aoraki, reflected on Hooker Lake.
2018 - $10 Mount Cook / Aoraki - Full Sheet of Ten.
I notice that the kowhaiwhai pattern (Maori rafter pattern) on the left-hand side, the one I liked on the trial sheets, has been retained. Other features on this sheet include in the lower-left corner, the sheet number (40), the printer colour 'lights' and the printers name. In the top left corner are the year, the issuer and title of the stamp.
WP#77.
2018 Overland Delivery.
Date of Issue - 1st June 2018.
$8.00 - Overland Delivery (Joined pair.)
2018 Surf Life Saving - Pre-issue Proofs.
Four Design Development Proofs.
Top-right - The basic design of a surf lifesaver running into the surf.
Top-left - The black overprint "St Clair Surf Life Saving Club."
Bottom-right - Red & Yellow text added, NZ Wine Post, value & Date.
Bottom-left - All elements added to one stamp.
WP#78; WP#79.
2018 Surf Life Saving.
Date of Issue - 1st September 2018.
Established in 1911, St Clair Surf Life Saving Club was one of the very first surf life-saving clubs to patrol in New Zealand. The club has been providing a continuous volunteer service focused on saving lives and preventing injury for St Clair beach users and the wider Dunedin community for over 100 years.
$10 - Surf Life Saving (Basic design). $12 - Surf Life Saving (with overprint).
First Day Cover - 1st September 2018.
2018 Dunedin Wine & Food Festival - Proofs.
WP#80.
2018 Dunedin Wine & Food Festival.
Date of Issue - 2nd November 2018.
The Dunedin Craft Beer & Food Festival was held at the Forsyth Barr Stadium | 12pm – 7pm | Saturday, November 10th, 2018. There were 80+ Breweries/Ciders, 24 Wineries, 6 Spirits, 28 Food Vendors. Local vendors included 27 vendors from Dunedin, 23 from the Otago area. Gluten-Free, Vegetarian and Vegan food options were also available.
First Day Cover - 2nd November 2018.
The selvedge inscription left on the stamp makes this item somewhat different. It is a beautiful cover featuring the spectacular stamp artwork.
Numbered Presentation Card - 2nd November 2018.
It is unusual for these cards to have a postmark. This postmark is the Festival Postmark.
Sheet Corner with top corner with selvedge printing.
Block of four.
2019 Birds Issue Proofs.
Printing & Colour for 2019 Birds Issue.
This is a special proof issue of the artwork and two possible imperf designs of two values of which only one will be chosen or not at all. And there may be other changes to the final stamp. Normally such material is issued sometime after the stamps have been issued but this time the chance was taken to issue something unique for stamp collectors and for a planned exhibition. It is not sure if a mini-sheet of four stamps or sheets of each bird stamp will be printed. Being considered is sheets of all the bird type as Se-tenant or se-tenant pairs. Printed on white high-quality stamp paper. No gum. Several other birds are planned for this spectacular issue that will also be issued as proofs. This is something very beautiful and a unique collector item.
Trial proof for the small birds' issue.
Light values were tried on the left and dark values were tried on the right. The dark values were selected for the final issue.
2019 Birds Issue.
$25 Weka (Air Export).
$7.00 - Whitehead. $15.00 - Yellowhead.
New Zealand Wine Post 2019. Small Native Birds Presentation Card No 1. Whitehead; Yellowhead and Weka - set of three imperf.
Printing Errors.
In both of these corner pair, the left-side perforation is missing. Of extra interest is on the top pair, the writing in the selvage is wrong, naming the bird on the stamps as a Yellowhead instead of the correct name of Weka.
2019 200th Anniversary of First Grapes Planted.
Missionary Samuel Marsden planted about a hundred grapevines of different varieties he had brought from Sydney at the site he had chosen for a new Church Missionary Society (CMS) station at Kerikeri. He wrote in his journal that:
"New Zealand promises to be very favourable to the vine, as far as I can judge at present of the nature of the soil and climate Should the vine succeed, it will prove of vast importance in this part of the globe."
Stamps and many of the items found on these pages can be purchased from:-
Page One - New Zealand Wine Post 1990 - 1999.
Page Three - New Zealand Wine Post 2010 - 2019.
Page Four - New Zealand Wine Post 2020 - 2029.
Special Page - New Zealand Wine Post - Official Stamps.