Finest red tipples offered up

The first of a three-event winter treat for red wine lovers is set to be poured at Church Road Winery in Greenmeadows tonight.

The now annual "Hot Red" events, put together by Hawke's Bay Winegrowers, are set to be staged in Wellington and Auckland later in the winter, but local red wine aficionados will get the first opportunity to taste the region's finest drops.

Winegrowers executive officer Lynn Bevin said close to 200 wines formed the Hawke's Bay package, with more than 20 wineries represented - rolling out a wide variety of wines priced from $18 through to $250.

Rare and complex blends were a feature of several limited edition wines.

"There is something for everyone to try," she said.

The Hot Red Hawke's Bay events created an interactive atmosphere among winegrowers who could showcase their varieties together. It was also an event which people keen on wine, and wanting to know more about it, could enjoy, Ms Bevin said.

The event was a fitting "entree" to tomorrow's Hawke's Bay Winegrowers Charity Wine Auction at Orton@Sileni Estates, she said.