Mud House Wines Chosen for Top Airline

Media Release 14 February 2008

Master Sommelier Chooses Mud House Wines for Top International Airline

A New Zealand winery is heading skyward after being handpicked by a master sommelier to join the prestigious list of wines served aboard one of the world’s leading airlines.

The 2007 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc vintage of Hay Maker by Mud House, one of Mud House Wines’ award-winning ranges, is one of two white wines to be poured to BusinessElite passengers onboard Delta Airlines. Delta serves more destinations than any other airline, and is the world’s second-largest carrier by passenger numbers.

The choice of Hay Maker by Mud House was driven by its flavour and personality, said the elite sommelier who made the selection. Master sommelier Andrea Robinson is one of only 15 women in the world to be appointed to the level of Master by the Court of Master Sommeliers, and the first woman to be chosen as best sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America.

Ms Robinson said her final selection was “a wonderful opportunity to treat wine connoisseurs, and those who are beginning to develop their own wine tastes, with as unique and exciting a wine experience as the destination itself.

“Since wines can taste different in flight, I’ve painstakingly chosen wines with enough flavour intensity to shine – even at 30,000 feet.”

Mud House CEO Baden Ngan Kee said the selection of Hay Maker by Mud House was a tremendous compliment not only to his winery but to the New Zealand industry.

“It’s a big deal to have a New Zealand wine chosen by one of the best sommeliers in the world – she had her choice of everything on the market and she went for a New Zealand producer who sources grapes from vineyards all over the country. It shows that our wines are among the world’s best.”

The Hay Maker by Mud House Sauvignon Blanc is joined on the exclusive wine menu by a 2006 Chardonnay from Central Coast, California – one of the world’s premium wine regions.

ENDS

About Mud House Wines

The award-winning Mud House range of wines is produced from a variety of New Zealand vineyards. Fruit is sourced from many of the country’s premium wine-growing regions resulting in wines of optimal varietal character and flavour. The new, three-tiered range from Mud House Wines is comprised of the flagship, high-end Mud House Swan; the premium Mud House, at a competitive price point; and the highly affordable Haymaker by Mud House, designed as the perfect food partner. The Mud House Swan Sauvignon Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir won Gold, and the Mud House Waipara Riesling an Elite Gold Medal, at the 2007 Air New Zealand Wine Awards.

The Mud House is a winery and café situated in Waipara Valley where several of the Mud House wines are crafted. Visitors to the café can sample sumptuous food and wine matches from resident chef Tony Clarke and his team.

Mud House wines are distributed by Vintners New Zealand.

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