New Zealand’s largest player in the wine industry headed the trophy
winners list at the awards ceremony for the 2010 New Zealand International Wine
Show held on Saturday 18 September. Of
the 195 golds awarded in this country’s second largest ever wine judging
competition, Pernod-Ricard picked up 16, plus three trophies, including
Champion Wine of the Show for the Church Road Reserve Chardonnay 2008 and
Trophy for Champion Wine Company of the Show.
This is a marvellous turn-around for the company under the Montana banner that for
quite a long period refused to enter their wines into domestic shows for
judging. This result speaks volumes for
the quality of the vineyards and the experienced team of production people who
have steadily raised the quality of their wines across the board in the last
decade. Big can certainly be beautiful!
Following are the trophy award winners:
Nissan NZ Ltd. Champion Wine of the Show
Church Road Reserve Chardonnay 2008
First Glass Champion Wine Company of the Show
Pernod Ricard NZ Ltd
Treasury Wine Estates Champion Chardonnay
Church
Road Reserve Chardonnay 2008
EuroVintage Champion Sauvignon Blanc
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 21 Bell Block Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Southern Wind Champion Pinot Gris
Vavasour Awatere
Valley Pinot
Gris 2009
Hemisphere Freight Champion Viognier
Church Road Reserve Viognier 2009
Hemisphere Freight Champion Riesling
Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Riesling 2008
Rapid Labels Champion
Gewurztraminer
Lucien Albrecht
Gewurztraminer Reserve 2009
WineoftheWeek.com Champion Other White Varieties
Tyrrells Belford
Hunter Valley
Semillon 2004
Federal Geo Champion Sweet Wine
Trinity Hill Gimblett
Gravels Noble Viognier 2009
EuroVintage Champion Sparkling Wine
Champagne Bollinger Rose
EuroVintage Champion Cabernet Sauvignon Predominant
Pillar Box Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Federal Geo Champion Merlot Predominant
Villa Maria Reserve
Merlot 2008
Vino Fino Champion Shiraz
Wolf Blass Gold Label
Barossa Shiraz 2008
Negociants New Zealand
Champion Pinot Noir
Lowburn Ferry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009
Riedel Champion International Wine
Farnese Sangiovese Terre
de Chieti 2009
bizambrands Champion Fortified Wine
McWilliams Show Reserve
Liqueur Muscat
EuroVintage Champion Commercial White Wine
Waimea Nelson Viognier
2009
Federal Geo Champion Commercial Red Wine
Wolf Blass Gold Label
Barossa Shiraz 2008
A Legend of New
Zealand Wine
Each year the NZIWS honours a person for their
outstanding contribution to New
Zealand wine. The recipient of the Sir George Fistonich
medal is dubbed a "Legend of New Zealand Wine’ and must be alive and living in New Zealand.
For 2010, Kate Radburnd of CJ
Pask winery received the award. Kate has
had a profound influence on the New Zealand and Hawke’s Bay wine scene with her
27 years in the industry, from the early days as winemaker at Vidal Estate,
then winemaker and a director of CJ Pask winery, where she was an instrumental
influence promoting the Gimblett Gravels as a unique terroir. Kate has worked tirelessly on behalf of all
of the New Zealand
industry, being on the board of New Zealand Winegrowers since 1999 and has done
considerable work on sustainability. Kate
is highly regarded as an internationally experienced wine judge and she has
consulted for Air New Zealand for many
years. Her expertise and fantastic
palate was rewarded with her appointment as Chairperson of Judges at the 2010
Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, the first woman to hold such a position at a
significant wine judging competition in Australasia. Our congratulations go to Kate Radburnd, a truly deserving recipient of this
prestigious award.
Previous recipients of the Sir George Fistonich
medal are:
2009 – Michael Cooper
2008 –
Larry McKenna
2007 – Terry Dunleavy MBE FWINZ
2006 – Kevin Judd
2005 –
Bob Campbell MW