Region’s best winemakers honoured
Members of the Marlborough wine industry gathered in celebration on Thursday night to hear the results of the only wine show held in the region.
Marlborough Wine Show organiser Belinda Jackson said wine drinkers around the world were continually amazed at the quality wines that were being made in Marlborough.
The sixth annual show was a chance to recognise that success and celebrate the collaboration across the industry, between growers, winemakers and marketers, she said.
There was a record 549 wines entered into the show, with those who took out gold medals or trophies being presented their awards at the Marlborough Convention Centre dinner.
The winner of the OI Trophy for Champion Wine of the Show, was the Pa Road Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014, produced by te Pa Wines.
Te Pa Wines director Haysley MacDonald said when he was accepting the award that the company was fairly new to making wine.
‘‘Well this is fully unexpected,’’ he told the assembled guests. ‘‘We’re new to this sort of thing, so to get this is amazing.’’
The other big award of the night, the Marlborough Museum Legacy Award, was given to The Doctor’s Riesling, produced by Forrest Wines, for their 2006, 2009 and 2014 vintages.
The legacy award recognised consistency, by judging three vintages over a ten year period with a minimum of two years apart.
Accepting the award, Forrest Wines co-owner Dr John Forrest thanked the people in the Marlborough industry that had helped he and his wife, Brigid Forrest, make wine.
‘‘We’re small, so we’ve got to stand together,’’ he said.
One of those was Jane Hunter, the managing director of Hunter’s Wine, who was honoured during the awards dinner with the Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award was presented every two years to people who have made major contributions to the Marlborough wine industry. Hunter, known as the ‘‘first lady of New Zealand wine’’ said the transformation of the industry since she arrived in the region in 1983 when there was 30 acres of sauvignon blanc had been amazing.
‘‘With the miles and miles of sauvignon blanc that are here now, I don’t think any one could have foretold that,’’ she said. ‘‘New Zealand and Marlborough especially make some of the best wines in the world.’’
As well as the trophy winners, a host of gold medal winning wines, which made up 10 per cent of total entrants, received awards.