Winery wins silver at ripe old age of 100
A Waikato winery has scooped a silver medal in the ‘‘Olympics of wine awards’’ – on its first try.
Vilagrad Winery’s 2021 pinot gris took silver in the London International Wine and Spirits Competition.
The Ō haupō -based winery outscored the competition as one of the best pinot gris in the world.
Fourth-generation winemaker Jacob Nooyen said the vineyard was this year celebrating 100 years of establishment, and had never entered the prestigious and longstanding awards before.
So he figured, why not?
The risk paid off, and Nooyen said it was amazing that a small winery in Waikato had beaten wines from France, Italy, Germany and Canada.
The history of the winery began with Nooyen’s Croatian great-grandfather, who travelled down to Waikato from the north in 1906.
He cleared the land to make way for a variety of features including a deli, an orchard, fig trees and by 1922 a simple vineyard.
The venture has continued to grow since then, and thrived as it was passed down the generations.
The winning wine was a dry pinot gris from 2021.
Nooyen said it had been a warm summer with cold nights, which helped in retaining the flavour.
The fermenting wine smelt like apricots and pineapple, he said. ‘‘It’s beautiful and fruity with a crisp finish.’’
Nooyen said the pinot gris received a score of 93 out of 100 – with gold just out of reach, needing 95 points.
He described the competition as the ‘‘Olympics of wine awards’’ and said it was almost impossible to get a medal.
He said it was a team effort, with both the family and staff putting in lots of work.
‘‘We’re all just blown away by this result, for a small Waikato winery to be recognised on the international stage is a huge honour.
‘‘We look forward to going for gold.’’ Vilagrad Winery also received a bronze medal for the 2021 Mt Pirongia Pinot Gris and a silver medal for the 2020 Charminer at the New Zealand Wine Show.
The award-winning pinot gris is available to purchase online and at wine outlets across the region.