Havelock North man wins national title

Caleb Dennis, of Havelock North, after winning the national Young Horticulturist of the Year title last week. Photo / Supplied

Hawke's Bay viticulturist Caleb Dennis is almost an anomaly in the industry - he comes from a line of "accountants and teachers" and grew up in Wellington.

But any notion that that might be a barrier for becoming a champion away from the big smoke and in the clean air and green grass of Hawke's Bay was swept aside when he won the New Zealand Young Horticulturist of the Year title in Auckland last week.

The 28-year-old Craggy Range Vineyard group technical manager is the first Hawke's Bay winner of the cross-sectors award since fellow viticulturist Caine Thompson won the title in 2009. They are among six Young Viticulturists of the Year who have gone on to win the Horticulturist of the Year title since it was established 11 years ago.

A former pupil of Scots College and a graduate in Viticulture and Oenology from Massey University, he lives in Havelock North and is based across the plains at Craggy Range's Gimblett Gravels vineyards in Mere Rd, Roy's Hill.

He said yesterday it was a tough competition.
"Identifying different species of bees was challenging. I got the honey bee right.

The path to the big finals last Wednesday and Thursday started when he entered the Hawke's Bay Young Viticulturist of the Year contest in 2012. He re-entered the fray last year, leading to the ultimate triumphs this year, winning the Hawke's Bay event and then the national Young Viticulturist of the Year finals in Hawke's Bay in Hawke's Bay, capped by the final night at the Romeo Bragato New Zealand Winegrowers conference in Napier.

It pitched him into last week's Young Horticulturist showdown against five other sector winners, from fruit and vegetable growing, landscaping, floristry, nursery and garden, and amenities horticulture.

Finalists submitted a business plan for a new product - Mr Dennis angling on a wine cellaring app. The first day also included an interview and a budgeting exam.

Thursday was a day of exercises at Auckland Botanic Gardens, with the contest wrapped by competition speeches at the Grand Final and Horticulture New Zealand conference dinner.

Mr Dennis won over $14,500 worth of prizes, and having also won travel sponsorship and other prizes in the viticulture competition three months ago plans visits to California and Bordeaux next year to learn about the various viticultural practices and challenges in those regions.

He said yesterday it was a "tough" competition, especially questions and tasks which weren't viticulture-specific, but he had sounded out Caine Thompson and other winners and finalists on what to expect.

"I had to draw on some pretty dusty memories," he said. "Identifying different species of bees was challenging. I got the honey bee right."