Hawke’s Bay Wine impresses international wine
VIPs
International wine celebrities and
trade visitors have spent the weekend testing their
knowledge of Hawke’s Bay wine as they’ve competed in The
Hawke’s Bay Wine Amazing Race during the 2nd annual
Hawke’s Bay Wine Celebration.
Teams traveled
around Hawke’s Bay sub-regions making specific pit stops,
where they deciphered clues and puzzles as well as competed
in a variety of fun and challenging activities. Through
games such as the Mini Wine Olympics and Blind Tasting they
gathered clues along the way that helped them move forward
in the game.
James Medina, CEO of Hawke’s Bay
Wine says, “It’s such an entertaining way to showcase
Hawke’s Bay wine. Amongst all the fun we educate trade
visitors and international wine media about what makes
Hawke’s Bay one of the greatest wine regions of the
world.”
For the twenty-four local wineries
involved it gives them the opportunity to form relationships
with these VIPs, which is a foot in the door to
international markets. Representatives of the wineries show
the best of the region and the wine writers get to ask their
questions to the wineries first hand. They get a real
feeling for the wine – it’s a win-win for all
involved.
Patrick Schmitt, Managing Editor in the UK
for Drinks Business has been delighted to be part of the
event. He says, “As a Chardonnay lover Hawke’s Bay
Chardonnay really appeals to me, the Syrah is exceptional, I
think it’s distinctive, very identifiable and memorable.
I’ve been impressed by all the wines across the board, the
quality is exceptionally high and the winemakers are
extremely talented, the packaging of wines is also very
good.”
With dinners at Black Barn, Ngatarawa
Wines, and a tasting of Hawke’s Bay reds at Trinity Hill,
there is something for everyone in the industry. The
one-on-one time with the winery principals particularly for
the internationals coming from the Netherlands, Germany,
Canada, USA and Australia, is significant.
For
Hawke’s Bay Wine, the organisers of the event, they’re
all about getting Hawke’s Bay wine planted firmly on the
international map. “The consistency in the quality of our
wines, the climate and the beauty of our environment are of
an international standing. When you’re surrounded by it
every day it’s easy to think of it as nothing special –
but what we have here is very special. The more we can get
the internationals to experience our wine region first hand,
the more results our wineries will see,” says James.
ENDS