Third EIT grad nabs title

CLASS: Paul Robinson is over the moon at winning, having beaten off 45 other competitors.

The winner of the New Zealand Young Viticulturist of the Year title, Paul Robinson, is an "outstanding success story" for the Hawke's Bay winegrowing industry, EIT says.

After leaving school a decade ago, Mr Robinson moved from Taranaki in pursuit of a career in horticulture.

Studying at EIT and working part-time in a friend's vineyard combined theory and practice, he says, which made him want to finish the Bachelor of Viticulture and Bachelor of Wine Science concurrent degree.

The 27-year-old is now the assistant vineyard manager of Villa Maria's Joseph Soler and Te Awa blocks, west of Hastings.

Having won the national title on his fourth attempt, he is feeling "over the moon". He outperformed more than 45 budding viticulturists who entered from wine regions nationwide and is the third EIT graduate to have claimed the national title.

He was one of five to make it through to the finals and said he worked hard for his win.

"It's been a while coming," he laughs. "The extra work I put into the event paid off. I refreshed in my mind the things I do on the vineyard with trellising, wire work and tractor maintenance as well as viticulture work. That definitely helped."

A huge benefit of taking part in previous competitions was the confidence and knowledge he had gained in delivering a speech and preparing for the judges interview.

His prize package is a $5000 travel voucher, a week-long trip to visit established New Zealand industry leaders, $2000 in cash, wine glasses and a year-long lease of an SUV.

Representing the viticulture industry in November's New Zealand Young Horticulturist of the Year competition, he appreciates the enormity of the challenge ahead. For the multi-faceted event, finalists have to come up with a market innovation and shape a presentation around that.

"It keeps your brain ticking over," says Mr Robinson, who is delaying any decisions around travel until he knows the outcome of the competition.

"There are a lot of European wine regions I haven't seen yet, in particular Bordeaux. I've never been to Australia's wine regions either and that is somewhere I'd like to go. They are, after all, our next door neighbours."