Matawhero takes gold at Bragato Wine Awards

A WINNING TEAM: Kim Crawford, winemaker, Kirsten Searle, who is owner of Matawhero Wines and and Paul Tietjen, who grew the prize-winning grapes, celebrate their success. Picture supplied

A NUMBER of Gisborne wines were awarded medals in the annual Bragato Wine Awards, with a gold for Matawhero Rose 2017 made from fruit grown by Paul Tietjen.

The objective of the Bragato wine awards is to give recognition to viticultural excellence, and to recognise the influence of grape growers and their vineyards in creating the unique qualities of New Zealand wines.

Matawhero’s Kirsten Searle said the gold in the 23rd wine awards was great news for the team at Matawhero.

“Our Matawhero winemaker Kim Crawford has been producing award-winning wines off the Tietjen vineyard for more than 30 years. Kim has also always been passionate about Gisborne and the fruit you can grow here.”

This carries on last year’s success for a 2016 Pinot Rose, which was awarded a Gold and Trophy at the NZ Aromatics Competition.

“We are passionate about producing distinctive single-vineyard wines that reflect our unique Gisborne terroir,” says Mrs Searle.

“Working with such passionate growers like Paul and Jenny is such a pleasure and they do such a great job in giving us the best fruit we can get from each vintage.”

Mr Tietjen said it was fantastic to receive the accolade and see the Golden Slopes vineyard still consistently producing top quality fruit after all these years.

Several Coopers Creek wines, made from fruit grown on the Gisborne Bell Vineyard, owned by Doug and Delwyn Bell, also won medals at Bragato.

Coopers Creek Limited Release Gisborne Malbec 2016, Coopers Creek SV Bell Albarino 2016 and Coopers Creek Gisborne Malbec 2015, all grown at the Bell Vineyard, took silver medals.

The other Gisborne wine to take silver was Toi Toi Gisborne Chardonnay 2016, with fruit grown by Hamish Jackson at the Brunton Road Vineyard.

Bronze medals went to Coopers Creek SV “Big and Buttery” Gisborne Chardonnay 2016, Coopers Creek SV “Little Rascal” Gisborne Arneis 2015, Coopers Creek SV Gisborne Marsanne “Allison” 2014 and Coopers Creek SV “Cook County” Gisborne Viognier 2016 — all grown in the Bell Vineyard.

Bronze medals also went to Wrights Vineyard and Winery Reserve Chardonnay 2016, grown by Geoff Wright.

Two other Gisborne wines that were entered did not get an award.

There were a 506 entries, with 49 gold, 110 silver and 226 bronze medals awarded.

A Cabernet Franc from Canterbury has come out on top at this year’s wine awards.

Grown by Lindsay Hill, in the Waipara West vineyard located in Canterbury, The Boneline Cabernet Franc 2016 won the Bragato Trophy for Champion Wine of the Show.

The wine also picked up the New Zealand Trophy for Champion Emerging Red Wine.

Fourteen trophies were awarded and the geographical spread was diverse, with four going to Marlborough, three each going to Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Otago, and one going to Nelson. No trophies were awarded to Gisborne.

For the first time in the competition’s 23-year history, all wines entered in 2017 had to be single-vineyard wines.