Big medal haul for boutique Takapau winery

Anthony Sabiston, managing partner Somerset Smith Partners, with award winners Leith and John Ashworth of Junction Wines.

Takapau's Junction Wines has taken out the Somerset Smith Partners Pinot Gris award at the Hawke's Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards.

Junction won the award for their Junction Pastime Pinot Gris 2018, and also took home a gold medal for their 2017 Corner Post Chardonnay, which was up against chardonnay giants Villa Maria and Church Road.

Junction also gained silver for their 2018 Corner Post Chardonnay, and bronze medals for their Front Row Reserve Pinot Noir - a one-off for the Rugby World Cup - their 2018 Possession Pinto Noir and their 2019 Free Run Sauvignon Blanc, as well as a bronze for their 2018 Sideline - a hybrid wine they produce as "novelty 'guess what it is' wine".

General manager for the Hawke's Bay A&P Society, Sally Jackson, said she was "thrilled" the wine industry packed out the recently renovated Exhibition Hall at the Showgrounds to celebrate the winning wines being announced for 2019.

She said the longest running regional wine competition in New Zealand honoured the talent in the winemaking sector, and to showcase it to the world.

"Winemaking is key to the success of our region's primary sector and it's important to stop, take stock, reflect and recognise excellence within this industry each year."

Jo Ashworth of Junction Wines paid tribute to their winery's red metals, altitude and the amount of work that goes into the winery.

"We also have an amazing winemaker," she said.

Jo and John Ashworth's son Leith is that winemaker, and has been collecting gold and silver awards consistently for the wineries he works for, for the last 10 years.

"Leith lab tests, but we also go a lot on flavour," Jo says. "A lot of things add up to make our wines so good ... we keep things small, concentrating on quality rather than quantity, we have our red metal soils which are softer than the popular limestone soils, we have a windy spot, less humid so less disease and less need to spray, and we have passion ... and a very, very good winemaker."