Talk of great Hawke's Bay wine sub-regions always seems to centre on the Gimblett Gravels.
The medal hauls and slick international marketing campaigns have made the Gravels an aristocrat among Southern Hemisphere appellations, leaving its no-less-classy cousin around the corner to languish amid an identity crisis for the past 15
years. But thankfully that's about to change with the official launch of The Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District.
Home to a large number of internationally acclaimed wineries and vineyards, the new Hawke's Bay sub-region is the brainchild of a small group of local winegrowers: Paul Ham (Alpha Domus), Stephen Daysh (Bridge Pa Vineyard), Grant Edmonds (Sileni Estate), Steve Nathan (Salvare Estate) and Peter Cowley (Te Mata Estate). It includes 10 wineries and seven grape growers in an area which extends over more than 2000ha on the west side of the Heretaunga plains and includes the largest concentration of vineyards in Hawke's Bay.
"That this area is ideally suited to the production of quality wines, is proven by the awards won," says Paul Ham. "We excel at full-flavoured syrah, merlot, red blends, chardonnay and viognier. These wines are characterised by excellent varietal expression, depth of flavour, generosity, and ample fruit sweetness."
Peter Cowley, who has researched the area, says: "The Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District is located on old terraces of the Ngaruroro River, which up until 10,000 years ago flowed out to sea between Maraekakaho and Roys Hill. The river deposited vast amounts of greywacke gravel known locally as red metal, which is covered in different areas by alluvium derived from loess, volcanic ash and greywacke."
