KEY POINTS:
A syrah wine collected the top award at last night's Hawkes Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards.
Villa Maria clinched the champion wine for its Cellar Selection Syrah 2006, as well as a trophy for its Cellar Selection Viognier 2007.
Villa Maria also won winery of the year.
The 400 entered wines were judged by a panel of international, New Zealand and Hawkes Bay judges.
The reserve champion wine was Pernod Ricard's Cottage Block chardonnay.
