The Central Hawke’s Bay Winemakers and Brewers Club has been going in Waipukurau since 1985.
In the early days, some rather rough wines were made, with members experimenting with ingredients like crayfish and potato or peapods.
Now most club nights see medal-winning wines, anything from fruit wines such as boysenberry, black Doris plum and feijoa to grape wines of chardonnay and pinot noir, to name just a few.
Frequently the beers - stout, lager and pilsner - are also of award-winning standard. Improving quality comes from the sharing of ingredients, equipment, knowledge, and advice, the invaluable part of being in the club.
The club meetings are held on the fourth Thursday evening of each month. There are set competitions for the month, with tasting and judging following guidelines from regional and national levels.
