Maxwell named the south’s young winemaker of the year
Marlborough’s Abigail Maxwell has been named the South Island’s top young winemaker and will now compete for the national title.
Maxwell, from Babich Wines, beat seven other contestants to take home the Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year South Island Final on Friday.
Kelsey Daniels from VinLink Marlborough came second, with Peter Russell from Framingham Wine Company taking third place.
Maxwell and Daniels will go on to compete for the ultimate title at the national final next month.
‘‘This is such an amazing achievement for me and totally unexpected,’’ Maxwell said.
‘‘I’m so excited to take out the title for Marlborough and look forward to representing the region in Auckland next month.’’
The annual event, held at the Marlborough Research Centre, saw the contestants taste, blend and test wine.
The marketing component of the competition also saw the entrants present a two-minute speech.
Wine Marlborough events manager Georgie Leach said the competition was a chance for under-30s in the wine industry to show off their skills.
‘‘These guys are really just starting out in their careers, this is about encouraging them to follow their dreams,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s great to be able to benchmark against your peers and this competition is a great experience for them to learn about the industry.
‘‘I’ve heard from past winners that the doors the title opens are just immense. It’s experience that money can’t buy.’’
The national competition final would be held on September 20 in Auckland.