Air New Zealand Wine Awards

A short video advertising last years wine awards, sort of. Full results for this years awards and other NZ wine competitions can be found here.

Just for the record...

As much as I dont like them (or quite often, agree with the judges!) Wine Competitions appear to be a neccessary evil in the ongoing battle, especially for smaller producers such as us, to sell wine. It seems that the wine buying public need the reassurance of a sticker on the bottle in order to make a purchase. And this rule applies the world over. Even our agents and distributors in other countries seem to like stickers or competition results as it gives them a degree of comfort in the product they are trying to sell.

In an ideal world people would trust their own judgement and palate ! Competitions have too many variables in play. The country factor - how would one foreign Sauvignon Blanc fare against a sea of NZ Sauvignons? The judging factor - do they have a nationalised cellar palate - will a wine that is a bit left field do as well? Does Gold Medal in one country mean Gold in another - most unlikely. What about wine age - does a Gold medal now mean it will still taste 'gold' 2-3 years later? All competitions dont use the same judging criteria or scoring systems. Big wine companies who make 'show reserve' wines just in an attempt to win medals - just part of the advertising budget or a sideline to keep the winemakers interested ? I could go on. However, theres no getting away from it so I had better get used to it.

So after all that heres the Sandihurst list to guide you when you are next out..

2004 Riesling Medium Canterbury - Winestate - 5 STARS, Wine NZ - Shortlist Best Buy

2004 Riesling Dry Canterbury - Winestate - 4 STARS
2004 Gewurztraminer Canterbury - Winestate- 5 STARS
2004 Pinot Gris Canterbury - Winestate- 5 STARS

2006 Pinot Noir Canterbury - Liquorland Top100 GOLD, Decanter - 4 STARS, Cuisine - 4 STARS, International Wine & Spirit London - SILVER Best in Class
2006 Riesling Canterbury - Air New Zealand Wine Awards - SILVER, Selections Mondiale des Vins Canada - SILVER, Canberra International Riesling Challenge - BRONZE, International Wine & Spirit London - SILVER Best in Class
2006 Pinot Gris Canterbury - Bragato Wine Awards - BRONZE

2007 Pinot Noir Waipara - Air New Zealand Wine Awards- BRONZE
2007 Riesling Nelson - International Aromatics Competition - BRONZE, Air New Zealand Wine Awards - BRONZE

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough - Bragato Wine Awards - BRONZE

Modest success then. The one interesting theme for me from this is that we tend to score better for wines that are entered after at least a years maturation in the bottle. Confirmation to me of our wines ability to improve as they age.

The envelope please...

The results are in from the International Wine and Spirit Competition. We entered 3 of our wines and the good news for us is that they all received an award.

The 2006 Canterbury Riesling was awarded Silver-Best in Class. Here what the judges had to say about it.
Greenish straw colour, showing minerality on the nose with slate and grapefruit pungency. Good fruit concentration, yet much delicacy. The palate is round, crisp, softened by residual sugar which is well balanced by delicate, mouthwatering acidity and gentle flavours. Very refined.

The 2006 Canterbury Pinot Noir was awarded Silver-Best in Class.
Light glossy garnet red. Gentle soft red berried fruits ,light floral notes. Clean soft and ripe in the mouth, delicate pinot character with some weight, fresh and just a bit warm on the finish.

The 2007 Nelson Riesling was awarded Bronze.

It is interesting to chart the recent competition results and tasting feedback. As a rough rule it appears that Sandihurst tends to do better in competitons outside NZ than we do in this country. Why is this? One reason may be partly due to my winemaking style which has been largely influenced by my time living in Germany and in conversation with other European winemakers.

Another noticeable trend is that our wines dont tend to show very well in the first year after bottling. They take a while to settle and develop. Im comfortable with that, they arent built to be fruit bombs, but hopefully to offer added complexity and interest as they develop. I think our wines have great ageing potential. Which, especially for Riesling, is just how it should be. Is there anything better than drinking aged Riesling ?