Hawke's Bay Chardonnay awarded Champion Wine of the Show at 25th Air New Zealand Wine Awards
Date: 13 Nov 2011
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.
Regional highlights
The trophy winning wines from Hawke’s Bay were: Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010 (received 3 trophies); Corbans Private Bin Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2008; Villa Maria Reserve Hawke's Bay Merlot 2009; Bilancia Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2010.
The trophy winning wines from Marlborough were: Dashwood Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (received 2 trophies); The Sounds Marlborough Méthode Traditionnelle 2008; Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2011; Charles Wiffen Late Harvest Marlborough Riesling 2009 and Lawson's Dry Hills The Pioneer Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2010.
The winning wines from Martinborough were: Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2010 (received 2 trophies) and Martinborough Vineyard Manu Martinborough Riesling 2011.
The trophy winning wine from Central Otago was Charcoal Gully Estate Sallys Pinch Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010.
The trophy winning wine from Auckland was Mudbrick Vineyard Waiheke Island Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2010.
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.
For further information visit www.airnzwineawards.co.nz
@AirNZWineAwards
facebook.com/AirNewZealandWineAwards
AIR NZ WINE AWARDS 2011 - TROPHY WINNERS
Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010
O-I New Zealand Champion Sustainable Wine
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010
Label and Litho Champion Sauvignon Blanc
Dashwood Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011
JF Hillebrand New Zealand Ltd Champion Pinot Noir
Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2010
Rabobank Champion Chardonnay
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010
Wineworks Champion Sparkling Wine
The Sounds Marlborough Méthode Traditionnelle 2008
Stuff.co.nz Champion Gewürztraminer
Corbans Private Bin Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2008
Guala Closures NZ Champion Pinot Gris
Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2011
Plant & Food Research Champion Riesling
Martinborough Vineyard Manu Martinborough Riesling 2011
BDO Champion Other White and Rosé Wine
Waimea Nelson Viognier 2010
Business World Travel Champion Merlot
Villa Maria Reserve Hawke's Bay Merlot 2009
Gold Medal Vintage Insurance Champion Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot/Cabernet Blend
Mudbrick Vineyard Waiheke Island Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Fruitfed Supplies Champion Syrah
Bilancia Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2010
New Zealand Winegrowers Champion Other Red Styles
Not Awarded
The Langham, Auckland Champion Dessert Wine
Charles Wiffen Late Harvest Marlborough Riesling 2009
New World Champion Open White Wine
Dashwood Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Fairfax Media Champion Open Red Wine
Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2010
Newstalk ZB Champion Exhibition White or Sparkling Wine
Lawson's Dry Hills The Pioneer Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2010
Kapiti Champion Exhibition Red Wine
Charcoal Gully Estate Sallys Pinch Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010
Pure Elite Gold Medals
Gewürztraminer
Lawson's Dry HillsThe Pioneer Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2010
Pinot Gris
Moncellier Marlborough Pinot Gris 2011
Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2011
Riesling
Charles Wiffen Marlborough Riesling 2010
Martinborough Vineyard Manu Martinborough Riesling 2011
Sauvignon Blanc
Dashwood Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Lake Chalice Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 11 Cell Block Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Chardonnay
Vidal Reserve Series Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010
Villa Maria Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2009
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumatao Auckland Chardonnay 2010
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2009
Dessert Wine Styles
Seifried Nelson Sweet Agnes Riesling 2011
Pinot Noir
Charcoal Gully Estate Sallys Pinch Central Otago Pinot Noir
2010 Gibbston Valley Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010
Mud House Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010
Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2010
Triple Bank Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2010
Two Degrees Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009
Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends based on Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon
Mudbrick Vineyard Waiheke Island Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Syrah
Bilancia Hawke's Bay Syrah 2010
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Syrah 2010
Elite Gold Medals
Gewürztraminer
Corbans Private Bin Hawkes Bay Gewürztraminer 2008
Riesling
Hunter's Marlborough Wairau Valley Riesling 2008
Dessert Wine Styles
Charles Wiffen Late Harvest Marlborough Riesling 2009
Corbans Cottage Block Cut Cane Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2009
Pinot Noir
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Southern Clays Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009
Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends based on Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon
Matua Valley Single Vineyard Matheson Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
