Trio vie for cellar door title

Representatives from the six Hawke's Bay winery cellar doors taking part in the tasting challenges which were part of yesterday's competition. Photo / Glenn Taylor

Sileni Estate staff were honing their front-of-house skills yesterday in pursuit of a third successive Hawke's Bay Cellar Door of the Year title.

And as the results of yesterday's competition show, that could well be on the cards.

The Jenny Nilsson House of Travel sponsored event has become an annual part of the Hawke's Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards with the successful cellar door crew set to be acknowledged at the awards evening, to be staged at the Waikoko Gardens on October 21.

Six of the Bay's cellar doors had been identified as making the final cut after "mystery shopper" visits and yesterday they competed against each other in the Cellar Door Challenge which was staged at the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market at the showgrounds.

The six finalists were Sileni Estate, Ngatarawa Wines, Junction Wines, Church Road Winery, Black Barn Winery and Ash Ridge Wines.

And at the end of the day the three finalists for the title were declared - and it came down to Sileni Estate, Black Barn and Junction Wines.

Sileni Estate picked up the title in 2012 and 2013 and are eyeing up making it a hat-trick. Black Barn was among the finalists last year and will be looking to step up a place.

Teams comprising two staff from each winery - including a cellar door representative - competed in three quickfire challenges designed to test their wine skills, knowledge and service experience to the public.

The third of the challenges, the "outdoor cellar door", required the teams to establish their own mini cellar door and provide wine tastings, with the public voting on the winery that provides the best experience.

At the end of the Cellar Door Challenge the top three winery teams were chosen and are now in the running for the title to be announced at the awards evening.