Bottling motivation and passion

Celebrating the 2014 Champion Wine of the Show were Villa Maria company viticulturist Ollie Powrie (left), Bayleys Realty Group manager Greg Hornblow, Villa Maria Hawke's Bay vineyards manager John van der Linden and Keltern vineyard manager Phil Holden.

Tonight, at the Waikoko Gardens at the A&P Showgrounds, there will be glasses raised to a very special wine. It will be the wine adjudged to be the Champion Wine of Show for 2015. The best of the Bay - the top drop as declared by the judges of the 15th Hawke's Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards.

The event is now an established part of the region's world-class wine industry and the nod as the bay's best wine is eagerly sought after by the winemakers, viticulturists, winery management - everyone on deck, so to speak. Leading up to the big night where wines will be tasted and toasted and awards poured out, Hawke's Bay Today is profiling the 14 previous Champion Wine of Show winners. Today we feature Villa Maria's winning drop.

Champion Wine of Show for 2014: Villa Maria Keltern Chardonnay 2013

Three years earlier the Villa Maria winemaking crew had raised their glasses in celebration of their Keltern vineyard chardonnay taking the big prize of Champion Wine of Show.

And on this night, a year ago, they were again toasting the free-draining gravel qualities of the Keltern terrain, just east of Maraekakaho.

The Villa Maria Keltern Chardonnay 2013 did what the 2010 vintage had done.

The 2013 vintage had been an exceptional one and that year's event saw the judges work through a range of outstanding wines.

Villa Maria's Ollie Powrie said the region had clearly made a name for itself among chardonnay drinkers and more of the grapes were being planted due to increased demand.

"Hawke's Bay's got a history of making fantastic chardonnay," he said.

The variety accordingly makes up about 20 per cent of Hawke's Bay's total wine production.

"The climate and the soils are ideally suited for growing chardonnay, particularly in some of the cooler areas."

Chief winemaker Nick Picone said there was no shortage of motivation and passion at Villa Maria when it came to the winemaking process. "Especially when chardonnay is involved."

As was the case with pretty well every previous Champion Wine of Show winner, the sales were very good.

The 2013 Keltern was also exported in small volumes to the UK and across the Pacific.

Over the first 14 years of the Hawke's Bay A&P Bayleys Awards, syrah had risen to the top as Champion Wine of Show eight times, followed by chardonnays with four and merlots with two.