Millions of Americans cast their vote and Medsafe celebrated by the govt.
When Cyclone Gabrielle struck Hawke’s Bay, Paul Paynter’s plum orchards were amongst many that fell victim to a “watery grave and died”.
Not one to rest on his laurels, his company clawed its way back with a creative pivot. Now Paynter’s Mon Cherry cider has beengiven the Champion Cider Trophy at the 2024 NZ Cider Awards in Nelson on November 1.
“It probably is the most impossibly delicious thing we have ever produced,” Paynter said.
“When you open a bottle you look around and the bottle is almost instantly empty.”
He said the award was hard to get and typically given to a more conservative or traditional cider flavour.
Trophy sponsor Neil West (left) from Premier Print in Nelson with Paul Paynter (right) accepting the Champion Cider Trophy at the 2024 NZ Cider Awards.
“The remarkable thing is this is a cider with fruit - cider legally has to be made with apples and infused with fruits.”
“The blend is 100% apple juice, there is a blend of quite a few apples and infused with cherry puree which we agitate or pump over for several weeks to extract flavour and colour.”
He said the cider industry had liberal rules which meant they could tweak and craft to get the desired taste.
Paynter said it was Frupack who suggested the use of cherry puree and juice from Central Otago.
Mon Cherry is described as having an intense cherry flavour.
“This product is an act of desperation trying to produce something when our normal plans were subverted.”
He said the deviation from plums to cherries resulted in a cider that came out “unbelievably well”, with intense cherry and slight fruit cake flavours.
“It’s quite a convivial Christmas tipple and definitely a summer fare - it is full of summer fruits and is a great drop.”
He described the winning bottle as a drink that would be a “rock star” and said the win was great for the region, as Nelson dominated the cider industry.
“Hawke’s Bay struggles to fight off the raft of quality producers in Nelson, and it’s nice to have got one over them for once.”
Paynter said consumer reaction to the newly released product would determine if they would make Mon Cherry again.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
