Hawke’s Bay To Host 25th Air New Zealand Wine Awards
New Zealand Winegrowers and Air New Zealand tonight announced that the 2006 Air New Zealand Wine Awards will celebrate
its Silver Anniversary in the Hawke’s Bay, with Air New Zealand renewing its naming right sponsorship for another three
years.
Speaking at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House Kate Radburnd, New Zealand Winegrowers board member, Senior Wine Judge and Air
New Zealand’s newest wine consultant said the 25th anniversary of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards was testament to the
success of the prestigious event which has national and international recognition.
“The Air New Zealand Wine Awards are the country’s premier wine competition, recognising the very best in New Zealand
wines and winemaking excellence. It’s with great delight that on the Silver Anniversary we’re able to announce our
ongoing partnership with Air New Zealand and reveal that Hawke’s Bay, one of the country’s most celebrated wine regions,
will host the Awards,” said Ms Radburnd.
Run by New Zealand Winegrowers for 25 years, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards continues to grow and last year attracted
more than 1,500 wines - the biggest year in the competition’s history.
“The rigorous judging process and combination of renowned local and international judges are positioning this event on
the world stage,” said Ms Radburnd.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Air New Zealand’s support for the country’s most prestigious wine awards.
“Over the years we’ve proudly watched the New Zealand wine industry gain international recognition for producing premium
red and white wines. As the largest single server of wine in the country - each year passengers consume about 820,000
bottles of wine on our flights – we’re proud that we can do our bit to help drive the growth of the industry,” said Air
New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe.
The 2006 Air New Zealand Wine Awards dinner will be held at the Pettigrew.Green Arena, Taradale on Saturday, November
11, 2006.
ENDS