MEDIA RELEASE
3 September 2012
Greystone Accolades at Romeo Bragato
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - Greystone Wines, an export wine producer based at Waipara in north Canterbury, has been awarded one of the leading
prizes at the 2012 Romeo Bragato Wine Awards.
The Romeo Bragato Conference is the largest and one of the most important conferences of grape growers and wine makers
on the New Zealand calendar.
The 18th annual conference held in Blenheim during August saw Greystone add to its impressive list of awards and
accolades when Greystone Pinot Gris 2011 was awarded the Brother Cyprian Trophy and Champion Pinot Gris.
The award was accepted by Nick Gill, Viticulturist at Greystone Wines.
Attracting 534 entries, the awards resulted in 15 trophies being awarded for different categories. The Brother Cyprian
Trophy is awarded to the champion Pinot Gris.
Greystone’s winemaker Dominic Maxwell described the winning entry as having “an inviting and glowing light golden colour
to lure us into a powerful yet perfectly restrained nose of pear, nutmeg, cloves, nougat and white summer flowers.
“A fresh and finely poised pallet overflowing with lush fruits is supported by sleek natural acidity. Textural
complexity from lees stirring gives the perfect support to the wonderful fruit characters of another classic Greystone
Pinot Gris.”
The trophy award continues Greystone’s success this year during which Maxwell was named New Zealand Winemaker of the
Year by Winestate magazine.
The Greystone Pinot Gris 2011 received a silver medal at the 2012 Canterbury Wine Awards earlier this year when the
winery won three awards including overall trophy winner.
Greystone Wines also won a Regional Trophy and Gold medal for their Greystone Waipara Riesling 2011 at the prestigious
Decanter UK awards in England.
Maxwell says such awards are the results of a total team effort by the Greystone team, from vineyard to winery.
Greystone has taken significant steps forward over the last eighteen months, expanding in size through the 2010 purchase
of neighbours Muddy Water, in the Waipara Valley, with a combined winery for both vineyards, and has been building out
its export marketing.
The director of the boutique wine producer, Bruce Thomas, says “Greystone has often been described as ‘an up and coming
winery’ and ‘Waipara’s most exciting new producer’.
“These awards reflect positively on the quality of our brand. A strong sense of strategic direction also supports our
growth.”
”The objective of all of our team is to make the best wine possible from a phenomenal piece of land on the sunny
north-west facing slopes of the Teviotdales in the Waipara Valley with its underlying limestone formation,” said Thomas.
“We are all passionate about producing wines which are an expression of this special site.”
Maxwell added, “We carefully manage our three estate blocks of Pinot Gris to ensure we can pick the perfectly balanced
fruit we need for this wine. The slightly cloudier than ‘normal’ 2011 season gave us flavour intensity at lower sugar
levels and fruit with subtle power.
“Our Pinot Gris comes from gentle northwest facing slopes, on wind-blown loess (silt) ove clay.”
Thomas said, “I believe we are showing we have a brand that can survive economic cycles and we are attracting attention
with the awards we have earned this year.”
To find out more about Greystone Wines visit www.greystonewines.co.nz
Click for big version.
CAPTION: The Greystone and Muddy Water vineyards in the Waipara Valley, an hour from Christchurch.
ENDS