Paws Off My Pinot as NZ Bottles Catnip Vino for the Global Pet Scene

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Just when you thought New Zealand’s export playbook couldn’t get any weirder, or more wonderful, along comes a boutique beverage company turning catnip into vino for your fur baby. Yes, really.

Source: Muttley's Estate Catnip Cat and Dog Wine

Meet Muttley’s Estate, the cheeky Kiwi startup bottling shelf-stable “pet wines” for discerning dogs and cats—and now plotting a horticultural expansion to make Aotearoa a global catnip capital. Sparkling tail-chasers like Champawgne, Purrno Noir, and Pawt have already won over 40 stockists across the country and a direct-to-consumer following online. The US market is next.

“Catnip’s a resilient crop, and it grows like a charm in our climate,” says John Roberts, director of Muttley’s Estate and full-time champion of pet-human cocktail hour. “Even a small plot yields enough for a high-value product, so we don’t need sprawling vineyards. It’s efficient, sustainable and frankly, a bit hilarious.”

But behind the novelty is a sharp-eyed business move. Global demand for catnip is surging—particularly in the natural pet care and aromatherapy sectors. The catnip essential oil market alone is tipped to reach $400 million by 2030, with an annual growth rate of nearly 6%. So while the world debates oat milk, Muttley’s is quietly filling wine bottles with feline euphoria and canine calm.

And calm is exactly what many pets need.

“Urbanisation, fireworks, pandemic stress—our animals are struggling,” says John Roberts. “Studies show a third of dogs are noise-sensitive and nearly 30% are highly fearful. Cats show signs too, though more subtly—tail flicks, gaze avoidance, all the polite signs of feline disapproval.”

Source: Muttley's Estate - Cats and dogs enjoying their 'Nip' of non-alcoholic wine.

That’s where the wine comes in. Not the boozy kind, Muttley’s range contains zero alcohol, but blends with varying catnip concentrations. The “whiter” varietals lean feline; the bolder, red-style infusions are crafted with dogs in mind.

Longer-term, Muttley’s Estate is eyeing a nationwide catnip boom, fields of it. A horticultural sideline that could deliver fresh income for growers while turning forgotten corners of farmland into feline goldmines.

“We’re investigating large-scale cultivation and even human food applications,” says Roberts. “Catnip is from the mint family, completely safe for people. So who knows, maybe we’ll see a Muttley’s mojito down the line.”

While NZ’s horticulture sector has long leaned on apples, kiwifruit, and sauvignon blanc, this unexpected entrant into the export scene might just be the most loveable and quirky yet.

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