Bridge Pa festival promises variety

Jason Stent (left) of Paritua Vineyards, Grant Edmonds of Sileni Estates, Damian Sweetapple of Ngatarawa, Paul Ham of Alpha Domus Winery and Steve Nathan, Salvare Estate, at Sileni Estate Winery, Bridge Pa.

The first of what organisers hope will become an annual festival of wine in a special part of the Hawke's Bay wine-making region will be anything but a square affair - and you can't put a circle around it.

It will be a journey around a triangle.

"It has been a lot of work but it has all pretty well come together," one of the driving forces behind this Saturday's Bridge Pa Wine Festival, Ange Mill, of Sileni Estates, said.

She said eight of the wineries situated within what had become the Bridge Pa Triangle had all worked together to create the festival and the bottom line was wine, food and entertainment diversity as well as a series of special seminars and food and wine-matching classes.

"We've been meeting every week for the past four or five months and it's gone well and we are looking to make it an annual thing."

The festival was being launched to celebrate what had become recognised as one of the country's leading wine-producing regions and is set to run from 10am to 5pm.

Since announcing the festival two months ago, Ms Mill said sales had been steady, although there had been a "flurry" of sales during the past week.

Shuttle buses travelling at regular intervals will transport people from winery to winery, with those taking part able to travel to the event on special buses from Napier, Hastings and Havelock North.

Each winery will be putting on food, with variety the spice of life, and the festival, Ms Mill said.

There would be everything from paella to spit roasts, pizzas, cheese plates, ice cream and nachos, while entertainment would range from guitar sessions, light rock, some DJ rhythms and vocalists.

Triangle Cellars would be staging a gumboot throwing competition, while Sileni would have golf-chipping contests and Ash Ridge a "barrel roll" through the olive grove.

"There has been a lot or preparation for this - we want to make it something really unique and enjoyable for people to take part in."

Tickets were being limited to 1000 and were still available, along with details of the festival, through Eventfinda or the individual wineries.

Those taking part are Sileni Estates, Paritua, Alpha Domus, Abbey Cellars, Triangle Cellars, Ngatarawa, Salvare and Ash Ridge.