Hawke’s Bay wine awarded Champion Wine of Show
Chardonnay has taken top honour at this year’s Romeo Bragato Wine Awards, winning the prestigious Bragato Trophy for
Champion Wine of Show.
Michael and Deb Hewitt of Hawke’s Bay produced the winning Doc’s Block Chardonnay 2006 was awarded the Bill Irwin Trophy
for Chardonnay before going on to win the Bragato Trophy for Champion Wine of Show.
The winning Doc’s Block Chardonnay 2006 was produced in the Hawke’s Bay, which Chairman of judges, Larry McKenna,
believes is a powerhouse of North Island wine.
“The Hawke’s Bay region is a driving force in North Island wine production and it’s fitting that the champion wine comes
from this region,” he said.
With a strong presence at this year’s awards, the Nelson region was awarded four trophies including Champion Dessert
Wine, Champion Gewurztraminer, Champion Pinot Gris, and Champion Sauvignon Blanc.
The 12 champion awards and nine trophies were spread across the wine growing regions of Nelson, Hawkes’s Bay, Auckland,
Marlborough and Martinborough.
New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan was impressed with the calibre of this year’s competition.
“The Bragato Awards are a unique opportunity to recognise the grapegrowers who work hard to produce high quality New
Zealand wine,” he said.
The annual Romeo Bragato Wine Awards were announced in Auckland tonight [eds: 25 August] at the Bragato dinner, to an
audience of grape growers, viticulturalists, winemakers and industry representatives.
The unique Awards recgonise the importance of the grapegrowing process and celebrates viticultrual excellence and come
at the end of the three-day, 13th annual Romeo Bragato conference, which discusses the role science, technology and
innovation plays in grape growing and wine making.
Reserve Champion Wine went to Saranne James and the Tirohana Estate Pinot Noir 2006, which was also awarded the Mike
Wolter Memorial Trophy for Champion Pinot Noir.
AWARDS
CHAMPION WINE OF SHOW AND BRAGATO TROPHY WINNER
Kim Crawford, Doc’s Block Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2006
Doc’s Block – Hawke’s Bay
Michael and Deb Hewitt
RICHARD SMART TROPHY AND RESERVE CHAMPION WINE
Tirohana Estate Pinot Noir 2006
Tirohana Estate - Martinborough
Saranne James
CHAMPION DESSERT WINE PLAQUE
Waimea Bolitho SV Noble Riesling 2004
TH & RM Bolitho Vineyard - Nelson
Trevor Bolitho
FRIEDRICH WOHNSIEDLER TROPHY AND CHAMPION RIESLING
Charles Wiffen Marlborough Riesling 2006
Charles Wiffen Vineyard – Marlborough
Charles Wiffen
CHAMPION GEWURZTRAMINER
Winemakers Collection Gewurztraminer 2007
Seifried Estate - Nelson
Hermann Seifried
BROTHER CYPRIAN TROPHY AND CHAMPION PINOT GRIS
Stafford Lane Pinot Gris 2007
Stafford Lane Estate – Nelson
Mike and Carol McGrath
CARDMEMBER WINES SPENCE BROTHERS TROPHY AND CHAMPION SAUVIGNON BLANC
Blackenbrook Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Blackenbrook Vineyard - Nelson
Daniel Schwarzenbach
BILL IRWIN TROPHY AND CHAMPION CHARDONNAY
Kim Crawford, Doc’s Block Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2006
Doc’s Block – Hawke’s Bay
Michael and Deb Hewitt
MIKE WOLTER MEMORIAL TROPHY AND CHAMPION PINOT NOIR
Tirohana Estate Pinot Noir 2006
Tirohana Estate - Martinborough
Saranne James
TOM McDONALD MEMORIAL TROPHY AND CHAMPION CLASSICAL RED WINE
Mills Reef Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2006
Mere Road Vineyard – Hawke’s Bay
Clive Kerrison
ALAN LIMMER TROPHY AND CHAMPION SYRAH
Passage Rock Reserve Syrah 2006
Passage Rock Vineyard – Auckland
David Evans
CHAMPION OTHER RED WINE PLAQUE
Weeping Sands Montepulciano 2006
Obsidian Vineyard - Auckland
Mike Wood
- ENDS -