A “refreshed” NZ wine competition

NEW LOOK AWARDS: Plans for the refreshed national wine awards have been unveiled, and the judging panel will be chaired by well-known winemaker Warren Gibson from Hawke’s Bay (pictured). He formerly chaired the Air New Zealand wine awards. Picture supplied

THE national wine awards have been refreshed and the country’s top wines will be showcased and judged in a new-look competition later this year, set up by New Zealand Winegrowers.

Winegrowers chairman John Clarke from Gisborne said the new-look event will combine the very best of the previous competitions.

It will be called The New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards, and it replaces the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the Bragato Wine Awards, two of the industry’s major wine competitions.

“This is a fresh approach to celebrating excellence in New Zealand Wine,” Mr Clarke said.

“The focus will be on rewarding the grape grower and their single vineyard wines, which was a core component of the Bragato Wine Awards, as well as championing New Zealand wine excellence on a larger scale, which was a key objective of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards.”

Mr Clarke said the opportunity to recognise the achievements of grape growers and winemakers in one competition was exciting.

“The New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards will help us to continue building on New Zealand wine’s excellent global reputation.”

Judging of the wines will take place in the first week of October in Auckland.

Highly regarded Hawke’s Bay winemaker and chair of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, Warren Gibson, will lead as Chair of Judges, with Marlborough winemaker and chair of the Bragato Wine Awards, Ben Glover, alongside him as deputy chair.

Mr Gibson said the new competition was an exciting opportunity to completely refresh the New Zealand wine awards scene. “The New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards 2018 is more than an amalgamation of the previous two.

“It is the development of a new, fresh and exciting format. The focus is strongly towards celebrating the entire New Zealand wine industry, with a particular focus on vineyard excellence and regionality.”

Award entries open on August 1, with the winners celebrated at the New Zealand Wine Awards on Saturday November 3 in Wellington.

More information on the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards can be found at http://www.nzwine.com/events