Another top vintage wine festival fermenting

From left, Douglas Haynes, Hawkes Ridge; Paul Ham, Alpha Domus; Grant Edmonds, Sileni and Redmetal; Damian Sweetapple, Ngatarawa; Jason Stent, Paritua; and Chris Wilcock, Ash Ridge, toast the festival.

For the organisers of the third Bridge Pa Wine Festival, which is set to be staged in that winemaking "triangle", the prospects for it are like the three past vintages produced - it is looking very good.

"Ticket sales are already strong and ahead of the same time last year," festival spokesman Paul Ham said, adding he expected the "sold out" sign to go up again.

The inaugural 2015 festival, which involved seven wineries in the Bridge Pa Triangle region, drew 900 people and last January's event saw 1500 people enjoy the day or fine wines, fine food and entertainment.

The 2017 festival, on January 21, has been expanded to cater for 2000.

Mr Ham, who is managing director of Alpha Domus, one of the eight wineries taking part for 2017, said everyone involved had been thrilled by how well the events had been received and were looking forward to the third of what was now set to be an annual event.

"We are confident we can once again offer festival-goers an outstanding day out," he said.
Wineries involved are Abbey Estate, Alpha Domus, Ash Ridge, Hawke's Ridge, Ngatarawa, Paritua, Redmetal Vineyards and Sileni Estates.

As with previous events, the participating wineries will be connected by hop on/hop off bus services throughout the day allowing guests to take in as many wineries as they like, will all eight within a five minute journey of each other.

Mr Ham said all the wineries had the capacity to cater for large groups of people and all were stepping up the catering requirements and musical events.

Dealing with the additional numbers would not be an issue, he said.

"Last year the buses all ran like clockwork and the hop on hop off is a really good system - it gets everybody around well."

Mr Ham said the driving force behind the festival was in creating the opportunity for people to experience what the winemakers involved said was a unique area of winemaking, and at the same time enjoy a spot of good food and entertainment.

"The triangle contains the oldest soils on the Heretaunga Plains and is characterised by three unique free-draining soil types overlaying red metal alluvial gravels - ideally suited to viticulture," he said.

The "triangle" takes in more than 2000 hectares on the western side of the Heretaunga Plains and produces many of the country's top-rating wines.

The festival attracted a good number of out-of-towners this year and Mr Ham anticipated that would be the case again.

Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager Annie Dundas described the festival as "a real point of difference" on the region's line-up of summer events and said it played to the strengths of the Bridge Pa winemaking region.

"It is so good."

Tickets for the eight-hour festival, which will kick off at 10am, start at $35 per person and are available through Eventfinda.