Wine festival one for the calendar

(L-R) Lucy Molony from Napier and Rose Frendin from Havelock North celebrated wine and fine times at Ash Ridge winery during Saturday's Bridge Pa Wine Festival. Photo / Paul Taylor

After three years the annual Bridge Pa Wine Festival has enjoyed continuous success; becoming a much-loved event on the Hawke's Bay calendar since it started in 2015.

Saturday's festival, which involved eight wineries in the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District, went off without a hitch despite poor weather forecasts.

Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District Association spokesman Paul Ham said the crowd numbers reached more than 1800 and included festival-goers from Palmerston North, Wellington and even Auckland.

"We had great attendance numbers and got them to where we wanted them to be," he said.

Despite a poor weather forecast Mr Ham said the skies held up well for the day event.

"In some ways we had divine weather. Friday was cold and we had showers but Saturday was a great day," he said.

Mr Ham reported many festival patrons had commented that this weekend's festival was their third time attending the event.

"We wanted to make this event an annual event on the Hawke's Bay calendar and we feel we've pretty much achieved this," he said.

"People really got into the festival spirit. They were well dressed in the festival spirit of a fun day out."

Mr Ham said the festival was enjoyed by "well-behaved" patrons and there was plenty of good feedback received by those who attended.

"A lot of good food options which balanced the day out well with alcohol consumption and keeping everything at an even keel," he said.

Mr Ham said free water, low alcoholic drinks and great food options were all on offer to festival-goers, including live music at each venue.

Despite having just hosted this year's festival Mr Ham said plans were already being made towards next year's event; one of these being to increase festival advertising in Wellington.

"Out here the Bridge Pa Triangle is getting a lot of attention. We're going from strength to strength and people are really enjoying the wine," he said.

"I think that every single winery is out to improve the offering every year. As a whole every year it will just incrementally get better."