Hawke's Bay Chardonnay awarded Champion Wine

Hawke's Bay Chardonnay awarded Champion Wine of the Show at 25th Air New Zealand Wine Awards

Saturday night's 2011 Air New Zealand Wine Awards dinner saw the Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show go to Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010. This wine also scooped the O-I New Zealand Champion Sustainable Wine and the Rabobank Champion Chardonnay trophy.

Hawke's Bay and Marlborough topped the trophy tally with each region winning 6 trophies. Martinborough received 3 trophies, and the remaining 3 trophies were awarded to wines from the Nelson, Central Otago and Auckland regions.

Sustainability continued to be an important focus at this year’s awards with 23 Pure Elite Gold Medals awarded - up from 13 in 2010. Of the 23 Pure Elite Gold Medals, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay featured prominently, receiving 6 and 5 medals respectively. Sauvignon Blanc received 3 Pure Elite Medals. 7 Elite Gold Medals were awarded across numerous varietals and classes.

Air New Zealand General Manager Marketing and Communications Mike Tod says the evening’s awards also mark the airline’s 25th year sponsoring the event.
“It has been a privilege for us to have worked alongside the industry through a remarkable period of growth. The airline and the wine industry fit each other very well, and in many ways our evolution over the past 25 years mirrors each other.
“Congratulations to all of tonight’s winners, who are deservedly so after being judged against 1500 other wines that were entered.”

The 2011 Air New Zealand Wine Awards dinner was held in Auckland last night [eds: 12 November] at The Langham Comedian and TV host Jeremy Corbett kept over 600 guests entertained as the MC for the evening. The trophy winning wines were served with a six-course menu designed by Air New Zealand's consultant chefs.

Organised and owned by New Zealand Winegrowers, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards is the country’s most prestigious wine competition, and regarded as the official competition of the New Zealand wine industry.

ENDS

© Scoop Media