Newcomer scoops cider award

Paul Paynter was adding an additional piece of "bling" to his labels this weekend - acknowledging the cider has been voted the best in the land. Photo / Paul Taylor

In August Hastings cider maker Paul Paynter was chuffed to pick up a silver medal at the Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards, which he figured was "not bad" given it was the first time he had entered a competition.

But in the wake of the recently-staged New Zealand Fruit Wine and Cider Makers Awards held in Auckland "not bad" became "very good" as he scooped up the 2014 Cider Trophy.

The win was significant in that Paynters Cider is a relative newcomer to the industry - the first bottles were filled only six years ago and his winning red label 2013 drop did not appear on the shelves until three months ago.

While at work doing a spot of labelling he reflected on the award but preferred to look at what he called the wider picture.

"This is a good thing for Hawke's Bay because the past winners have been coming out of Gisborne and Nelson," he said.

"We (the Bay) being the big dog apple growers in New Zealand we should be up there in producing top cider - there are opportunities out there and we should be taking them."

Mr Paynter said latest consumer figures told a promising story in that recent cider sales and consumption in New Zealand had risen by 34 per cent. He believed Hawke's Bay had the potential to become the cider capital of New Zealand, and New Zealand to follow in the footsteps of the wine industry and make some of the best, if not the best, ciders in the world.

And his aim is high.

"The challenge is to make something that delivers the complexity and elegance that you get from New Zealand wine, which is a big ask because our vintners are doing such an exceptional job."

Buoyed by being judged the maker of the best Kiwi cider of 2014 Mr Paynter said he was "not there yet" but was going to be working hard to catch up.

He said the next 10,000 litres of the red label, the 2014 vintage, was set to be bottled next week and early indications were it would surpass the 2013 vintage which picked up the Cider Trophy. Apples were in his blood, he said.

"I'm a fifth-generation apple grower in the biggest family-owned apple growing company in New Zealand - I can't help but make cider," he said.

Mr Paynter also steers the Yummy Fruit Company in Hastings.

Since 2006 he has planted four small blocks of apple specifically for cider production.

He said he looked forward to the day when restaurants would roll out a wine list, a beer list and an equally comprehensive cider list.