Another corker for winery

Chris Scott said the winning syrah was a product of Church Road's Redstone vineyard.

The trophy cabinet at Church Road Winery in Taradale, Hawke's Bay may have to be extended in the wake of picking up a major award at the Japan Wine Challenge.

Just days after emerging with a trophy and three gold medals at the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards, staged as part of the annual winegrowers conference in Napier last week, winemaker Chris Scott was delighted to get the news that the Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013 had won the trophy for Best New World Red Wine at the prestigious Japanese event.

It was one of just 12 trophies awarded from the 1400 wines entered from 28 countries.

Mr Scott said the winning syrah was a product of Church Road's Redstone vineyard in the Bridge Pa Triangle sub-region, and he praised the work of viticulturist Neil Watson and his team.

"They know how to grow great cool climate syrah and the level of attention to detail in the vineyard is second to none, right down to hand positioning each and every bunch of grapes"

He said the vineyard was able to produce syrah with aromatic qualities not experienced from other sites and the combination of the experience the winemaking team had built up with syrah in the last 10 years and the outstanding 2013 harvest conditions meant it had "all just come together perfectly".

The reserve wines are only produced in what Mr Scott described as great vintages.

The Japan Wine Challenge, which is in its 18th year, is recognised as Asia's oldest and most prestigious competition.

Church Road Winery was one of two New Zealand wineries to take home a trophy, with Marlborough's Saint Clair Winery winning for Best New World White Wine.