Wrights Vineyard and Winery win gold again

‘Happiness in a bottle': The award-winning Methode Traditionnelle sparkling wine made by Wrights Vineyard and Winery.

Wrights Vineyard and Winery has won a gold medal in the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards for its Methode Traditionnelle 2012 sparkling wine.

“It's great for Gisborne, for organics and for us,” said winemaker Geoff Wright.

“Gisborne has long been known for consistently producing grapes to make methode traditionnelle and sparkling wines. Lindauer is consistently produced from Gisborne grapes.

“Today, that folklore again proved true, with our Wrights Methode Traditionnelle 2012 being awarded gold.”

Only 1600 bottles of the wine, called Entity, were made, with each bottle individually numbered.

“The wine could best be described as happiness in a bottle,” Geoff said.

“Aged in the bottle for seven years, before being disgorged (finished) last year, the wine is made from hand-picked parcels of grapes from a number of varieties.

“This adds to the depth and complexity in the wine,” he said.

“The wine is bright golden in colour and reflects our fantastic growing climate and excessive hours of sunshine.”

This is not the first golden accolade for Wrights in the competition.

They also took out gold in the last two competitions for their Wrights Reserve Chardonnay — “helping to cement Gisborne's place as the Chardonnay capital of New Zealand,” Geoff said.

Wrights has been producing Methode Traditionnelle since the turn of the century (2000). It is carrying on a tradition started by Geoff's Croatian great grandfather in 1931 in Kumeu, Auckland.

To celebrate 20 years since Geoff began carving his path in the industry, Wrights will be releasing a new Methode Traditionnelle.

“This wine has been bottle-aged for eight years,” he said.

“It will be disgorged prior to Labour Weekend, a weekend long earmarked for a celebration of all things good in Gisborne.”