Wit of wine worlds to clash at great grape debate

TOASTING TALK: Clearview Estate's Tim Turvey is ready for a verbal spar with his Marlborough counterparts in July. PHOTO/Supplied

For the region's winegrowers, winemakers and wine lovers it will be the war of the wine worlds.

It will be the battle of the barrels brigade, where not a verbal vine will be left standing.
Hawke's Bay versus Marlborough - although the real winner at the end of the night will be the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Trust.

The Colliers Rural Grape Debate is set to be staged by Planit Events for the second year running on July 22, and in the wake of last year's 180 debate tickets selling out fast a new, larger venue has been lined up along with 250 tickets.

Last year saw $10,000 raised for the trust.

This year's event will take place at the Napier Boys' High School hall, and the moot for the debate is set to get the participants well and truly loudly uncorked.

After a series of online postings asking for ideas, it was decided the moot topic would be, "Hawke's Bay ... Riding on Marlborough's Coattails?"

Clearview Estate's Tim Turvey will join forces with Rod Easthope from Easthope Family Winegrowers and Rod MacDonald from Rod MacDonald Wines, while the visitors from the south will comprise Allan Scott from Allan Scott Winery, Simon Waghorne from Astrolab Wines and Ant McKenzie from Ant MacKenzie Wines.

As he did last year, television personality Jeremy Corbett has agreed to act as debate chairman and is relishing the challenge of keeping the two acclaimed wine regions "in line".

Mr Turvey had no doubts whatsoever that the Bay boys would be up to it - especially in front of a "home crowd".

"There's no way they are going to verbally throttle us - not when we have a crowd of Hawke's Bay people behind us," he said.

"And we will be ready, we will have lots of strategy meetings over a bottle of wine of course."

Mr Turvey said a slightly controversial subject to get the hackles up a little was always plenty of fun, and he was happy to get an early shot in.

"They are a bulk winemaking region - it's just sauvignon blanc and I don't know who buys that."

While it was a busy time of the year and he would be travelling a bit, he was happy to step in as the fundraising cause was a good one.

"Always very supportive of anything local," he said.

The $150 tickets for the event have now gone on sale through Eventfinda and Planit Events and include a three-course meal, pre-dinner drinks and fine selection of wines.