Hawke's Bay's reputation as a red wine creating stronghold has strengthened after a Bounty of the Bay masterclass held last Monday left a Melbourne media and trade group impressed and asking for more information about what they sampled.
"Many have since requested tasting notes and more follow up information, sothat's exciting for us," Hawke's Bay Winegrowers' executive officer Lyn Bevin, said.
The group were so glowing in their praise for what they sampled that members wanting to be part of a second masterclass, being staged in Brisbane today had been left clamouring for spots.
Grant Edmonds, of Sileni Estates, and Stephen Daysh, owner of Bridge Pa Vineyard, guided the masterclass last week through a specially selected range of wines from Hawke's Bay producers that aimed to show what made the region one of the most special in the world.
The Melbourne masterclass, held in conjunction with NZWinegrowers' "NZ in a Glass" exhibition, was limited to 40 attendees and had sold out within three days.
Present were a mix of trade from independent and large retailers including Coles and Dan Murphy's, plus restaurateurs.
Each Hawke's Bay winery exhibiting put forward one full bodied red wine that they felt told the Hawke's Bay's story the best, and another wine they felt would show the full potential and diversity of Hawke's Bay.
"Feedback from Melbourne indicated the trade were impressed with the overall standard and the diversity of varietals from Hawke's Bay," Ms Bevin said. "They noted that there wasn't any sauvignon blanc amongst the line-up and that excited them."
