Trinity Hill triumphs with Champion Wine

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For immediate publication

26 November 2007

Trinity Hill triumphs with Air New Zealand Wine Awards
Champion Wine of the Show

The 10th major award in as many weeks, but also the most prestigious, Trinity Hill has claimed the Trophy for Champion Wine of the Show for the Homage Syrah 2006. The wine also received the Fruitfed Trophy for Champion Syrah.

Chairman of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, Steve Smith MW said, “The Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2006 can only be described as an iron fist in a velvet glove. It has extremely complex flavours which are simply fantastic, but it is not flamboyant or hard-hitting. This is a very serious wine.“

It is the first time a Syrah has been awarded the trophy for champion wine of the show. “This is New Zealand putting its hand up and saying hey; we’re not just about Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.” Smith continues, “You could take this wine anywhere in the world and people would drop their jaw when you said it was from New Zealand.”

In another first, Trinity Hill recently won the trophy for champion shiraz/syrah at the 2007 Liquorland International Wine Competition with the 2006 Gimblett Gravels Syrah – the first time in the show’s 14 year history that the trophy has been awarded to New Zealand.

Director and Chief Winemaker, John Hancock said, “We are incredibly proud to have won the Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show - it is great testament to the quality of our vineyards, our viticultural and winemaking teams and confirms an exciting future for Hawke’s Bay Syrah.”

Other recent awards for Trinity Hill include:
• Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2006 – Champion Red Wine at the 2007 Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition
• Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2005 and Gimblett Gravels Viognier 2006 - Blue Golds at the 2007 Sydney International Wine Competition
• Gimblett Gravels Tempranillo 2006 – Trophy for ‘Other Red Varieties’ at the 2007 Tri-Nations Wine Show
• Gimblett Gravels ‘The Gimblett’ 2005 – Trophy for Champion Merlot Dominant at the 2007 Hawke’s Bay A & P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards
• Gimblett Gravels Montepulciano 2006 – Trophy for Other Premium Red Varietals at the 2007 Hawke’s Bay A & P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards
• Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2006, Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2006 and the Homage Chardonnay 2002 – Best in Class at the 2007 Hawke’s Bay A & P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards

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