Fine wines and movies make for an enjoyable night in the vineyard

The Black Barn is hosting its 15th outdoor cinema event. Photo / File

What better way to enjoy the beautiful Hawke's Bay summer than lying back with a glass of wine, watching a classic among the grapevines.

About 800 Mamma Mia fans would tend to agree as they sat on the grassy banks of Black Barn winery's amphitheatre singing along as open cinema season got under way.

The season began in late December and will continue until January 6.

Director of Edelweiss Productions, Urs Blum, said it would be their 15th season hosting the outdoor cinema and said seasonal event was "well-established" in people's minds.

"We regularly get approached during the year by people asking when the movies will be announced and what the line-up will be.

"This season we offered our patrons the chance to choose the movie for the last night. We got a lot of people voting and they selected The Wife," he said.

Blum said the past 14 seasons had proven extremely popular with locals and visitors alike.

"Patrons love the experience of watching movies on a big screen nestled in the picturesque vineyard setting of the Black Barn amphitheatre.

"The amphitheatre is purpose built for performances and has quickly gained a reputation as one of New Zealand's finest out-door venues, welcoming international performers such as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Dame Malvina Major, and big acts such as Fat Freddy's Drop, Shapeshifter and the More FM Summer Vineyard Tour."

Bruns said patrons loved the entire experience of watching a movie under the stars at one of New Zealand's best outdoor venues.

"The combination of location, vista, best technology, ambiance, and food & beverage options is hard to beat. We welcome a high number of out-of-town visitors on their own – some of them have already come twice – but also out of towners visiting family and friends in Hawke's Bay."

The outdoor cinema is just one of the Black Barn's many line-ups for the summer season.

The Black Seeds and L.A.B will play on January 19 followed by a surprise appearance from The Proclaimers in May this year.

To find out more about the Black Barn events go to https://www.blackbarn.com/events.