Huge interest in inaugural Kelland Wine Challenge

Media release – September 15, 2005

Huge interest in inaugural annual Kelland’s Wine Challenge at Goldwater on Waiheke

Many of New Zealand’s top wine celebrities will be auctioned off at Goldwater Estate for the inaugural annual Kellands Wine Challenge on Waiheke Island next week.

Winemakers and wine celebrities will go under the hammer and the highest bidder will ‘win’ a celebrity to join their team in a blind wine tasting competition.

Goldwater spokeswoman Gretchen Goldwater said she did not believe an auction of celebrity wine expertise at a blind wine tasting event had been held in New Zealand before.

``This is another of our charity events as part of our philosophy at Goldwater,’’ she said.

``For the last four years we have hosted an ‘Evening in the Vineyard – a charity art and wine auction’. The last three years we have sponsored the Goldwater National Art Award, which we have been nominated for the NBR sponsorship of the Arts Award.’’

The September 23 challenge event is expected to raise up to $25,000 for the Te Huruhi Primary School’s performing arts stage lighting and sound.

Wine experts up for auction are Neill Culley (Cable Bay), Mike Hutcheson (advertising specialist), Kim Goldwater (Waiheke pioneer), John Hawkesby (ex-Tv3 and local winemaker), Martin Pickering (Mudbrick), Herb Friedli (Te Whau, Kennedy Point), Keith Stewart (wine writer), Joelle Thomson (wine writer), Lauraine Jacobs (food writer).

The winning team will receive the inaugural Goldwater Trophy. The charity event will be hosted by Bob Campbell MW and sponsored by Kellands Real Estate.Campbell was New Zealand’s first Master of wine and he was this country’s pioneer wine expert. He has his own wine academy and now produced his own wine label.

Goldwater set a New Zealand record this year with the highest price ever paid for a NZ bottle of wine.

Their New Dog Marlborough sauvignon blanc 2003 was sold at auction in Houston Texas earlier this year for $US10,000.

During the evening, Goldwater will release their new 2005 Rosie Rosé of pinot noir from Marlborough. This is only the second vintage from their new pinot noir vineyard in Marlborough. It celebrates the life of Rosie Goldwater, mother of pioneer winemaker Kim Goldwater.

The company celebrated its record 20th vintage release in February. Ms Goldwater said they aimed to become a New Zealand household name in wine. They already export to more than 25 countries.

ENDS

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