Wine: Let's get this party started

Roland Norman of Tukipo River Estate has new releases to celebrate at next month's FAWC event.

Once upon a time, in the mid-90s, Harvest Hawke's Bay Weekend was all about dressing up, hitching a ride to the racecourse, paying $10 for a wineglass and striding towards the tasting tents determined to take it seriously and learn something that year. Yeah right! After the first 15 50c tastings you'd be lucky if you could still string a sentence together, let alone discuss the finer points of filtration and flavonoids. And forget about participating in vertical tastings. Horizontal was the safest place to be, lying down, slurping, hoping to attract the attention of someone with a cellphone (because back then, not everyone had one) so you could call a taxi.

Maybe the driver would understand drunken mime and get you home - or at least to the BP for a mince and cheese pie.

As the Hawke's Bay wine industry grew, the annual festival evolved to incorporate bus routes so festival goers could get out and experience individual cellar doors, and enjoy a smorgasbord of wine, food, entertainment and educational experiences over an entire weekend. It meant creating a greater connection between wine fans and the individual wineries, and it worked well for a few years - until the wine industry grew larger, more diverse and more spread out.

It became increasingly competitive. Who could draw the biggest crowds and keep them for the longest? The costs just didn't add up for many small to medium producers and they felt left behind. Others felt the visitor experience had become too hard to manage.

The iconic festival was then shifted to a single venue again, on to a hill in the middle of the famous Gimblett Gravels district. However, despite the industry's best efforts it was impossible to keep everyone happy.

Weather and transport were always an issue and the event was soon at the mercy of a ballooning calendar of summer events competing for vital tourist dollars. More importantly, Hawke's Bay was evolving into a sophisticated cuisine-conscious destination - so how could the region celebrate that properly?

The old festival format no longer fit. Something had to change, and the industry had to step sideways for a year or two so innovative people had time to plan the best way forward.

Now, 19 years after that first Harvest Hawke's Bay Festival, FAWC has taken over. Short for Food And Wine Classic, November 1 will be the start of the third 10-day celebration of food and wine involving creative collaborations of winemakers, local and international chefs, food personalities and some of Hawke's Bay's best-known food producers.

I took that directly from the guidebook because it's the best summary of what's now seen as one of the top food and wine events in the Southern Hemisphere. Hats off to Hawke's Bay Tourism. They've done that in just two years. The legions of loyal followers of these fabulous events have been dubbed FAWCers by celebrity chef Ray McVinnie, and they'll be able to take their pick of more than 60 events including masterclasses, long lunches, degustation dinners, private chefs in homes, vertical tastings and loads more.

One that caught my eye is The Wines That Launched a Thousand Sips at Triangle Cellars on Ngatarawa Rd on November 2, 8 and 9. In a showcase of three tiny, terrific boutique producers, Hawke's Bay's first Fiano will be revealed by Bush Hawk vineyards and Douglas Haynes from Hawkes Ridge will open his noble viognier and his 2010 Grand Reserve Tempranillo. "It's turned into a big wine. I am really pleased with it," he says.

Roland Norman from Tukipo River Estate will also crack open his 2012 Fat Trout Chardonnay and his limited release 2010 Islander Chardonnay named for the famous aircraft his grandfather designed.

There's still time to register for events like this and if you visit www.fawc.co.nz I think you'll agree, as a celebration of this region's cuisine culture, FAWC is the future.

SIPS OF THE WEEK

Tukipo River Estate 'The Islander' Chardonnay 2010 $45

Winemaker Roland Norman created this wine to commemorate 50 years of the Islander aircraft designed by his grandfather Desmond Norman - aircraft that are still working hard today. Enticing aromas of creme brulee, almond meal and poached peach lead the way to a burst of tangy tropical freshness in the mid-palate and a full, plum, juicy finish. It's drinking nicely now, but will develop well over the next year or three. www.tukiporiverestate.co.nz

Hawkes Ridge Grand Reserve Tempranillo $48

At 14.9 per cent alcohol, it's a big wine indeed. Hand-picked fruit from their Maraekakaho vineyard was aged in 75 per cent French and American oak for 2 years before another year of maturation in the bottle before being released. It has a distinctly ruddy red colour with aromas of prune, pickled walnuts and deep spices, while in the mouth the solid core of acid buoys the savoury spice, cocoa and dark fruit and adds to the long, warm finish. www.hawkesridge.co.nz

Honeymoon Honey Wine 750ml $15

This honey wine is made by fermenting Canterbury honey in pure springwater with a handful of crushed strawberries; it's then settled and aged until clear. Producer Lance Fraser believes that honey makes the best wine "because honey is a bio-available nutrient for the wine yeast". This means the yeast thrives in honey. There's a beeswax and berry aroma yet it's crisp, dry and tangy - not sweet or cloying..

Available from Frank's Liquor in Christchurch (03) 351 9285 or for other stockists email: lancefraser@yahoo.co.nz.