Raise your glasses

The weather gods showed mercy for the First Light Wine and Food Festival Gisborne 2023 on Sunday, meaning these likely lads could go Hawaiian for the event attended by around 1500 people across two venues. Enjoying a tipple at TW Wines’ Golden Slope off Back Ormond Road are (from left) Shannon Crane, Jonny Hardie, Mike Hardie, Marrit Kirkenier, Nina Walker, Teresa Phillips and Sam Mogford. Picture by Paul Rickard

Good wine, good food and good mates added up to good times for the 1500 people who took part in the First Light Wine & Food Festival on Sunday.

Souvenir globelet glasses were filled with white, red and rose from Matawhero Vineyard and TW Wines over the event which ran from midday to early evening. Paul Tietjen, of TW Wines, said it was “a great day” that “went very well”.

He said by the end of the afternoon 1200 to 1300 people were enjoying themselves at TW Wines’ Golden Slope venue. Organisers, wineries and patrons were delighted and relieved that the weather gods played ball and the atmosphere throughout the day was harmoniously happy.