The festival celebrates its 10th year on Saturday, and those involved in organising the event say every year it has continued to gain momentum.
What started as an idea from “a friend in marketing” paired with a lack of activity after the Harvest Festival has since become a glorious celebration highlighting the great wine and winemakers of the Bridge Pa Triangle located just outside Hastings.
“It’s run by the [Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District] members. Everyone has a job, and everyone pitches in, and that’s why it works really well,” Alpha Domus co-founder and managing director Paul Ham said.
“Everyone’s got their finger on the pulse, and everyone wants to create a really good event for the people that come along.”
Alpha Domus winery co-founder and managing director Paul Ham (left) with Alpha Domus winemaker Barry Riwai. Alpha Domus has been part of the Bridge Pa Wine Festival since its inception. Photo / Paul Taylor
The event is pretty simple, really. Those over 18-years old buy a ticket for busses that pick them up from various locations around Hawke’s Bay and take them to one of the participating wineries.
All wineries are connected by Hop On/Hop Off Buses throughout the day, allowing people to visit multiple wineries and enjoy a multitude of wine experiences.
Wine and food for purchase, as well as live music, will be different at each winery, showcasing a variety of culinary and artistic talent from across the region. Those under 18 can rock up with a guardian to the eight wineries, but just can’t take the bus.
This year, the participating wineries include Abbey Estate, Alpha Domus, Ash Ridge Winery, Oak Estate, Paritua Winery, Red Metal Vineyard, Sileni Wines, and newcomer boutique winery - Zaria Wines.
“The festival has grown organically, which is great,” Jason Stent of Paritua Winery said.
“It’s a great vehicle for Bridge Pa to promote itself. There’s also a bit of something for everyone and a good range of wine prices and wine styles that would suit a lot of palates.”
He said teamwork between the wineries had definitely contributed to the success of the event.
“Most of us are family-owned and quite small, so it’s good to band together and have such a successful festival over this many years.”
The main benefit of all the wineries being close by is that it allows people to be no more than five minutes from the next venue.
“The festival has continued to gain momentum, and people have really enjoyed the concept of busses going around the triangle. There’s just the right number of wineries so you can get around in a day,” Ham said.
He said that in the first year, about 1200 people came to the festival. Ticket sales are over 2000 now, which he thought was a good number.
“We don’t want to let it get too big, so it becomes overcrowded. We want it to feel busy and fun and enjoyable for people.”
Variety and the excitement of trying something new is a big part of the experience, Ham said.
“The ambience and charm of every location is also an interesting thing for people to be a part of. You get on the bus, and you’re excited to be surprised at what the next winery is offering.
“It’s an event that encapsulates a lot of different things in a positive way.”
Ham said it was a mix of both locals and tourists who travelled to the region for the event.
“The Bridge Pa Wine Festival is a fantastic way to discover Hawke’s Bay and get a taster of why this region has been named a Great Wine Capital of the World,” a Hawke’s Bay Tourism spokeswoman said.
“We have a range of different soils and growing conditions, which means that even if you’ve sampled wine from one corner of Hawke’s Bay, it won’t mirror wine from elsewhere in the region. The Bridge Pa Wine Festival is the perfect way to discover one delicious corner of New Zealand’s Great Wine Capital.”
While the event will go ahead rain or shine, it looks like Saturday will be a pearler of a day for punters to sample some of the best summer wines on offer.
A general admission ticket gets you access to all of the festival sites, hop on/hop off buses that travel between each festival site, a festival brochure, and festival glass.
Bus Transport and General Admission is $80 per person plus fees. Tickets can be purchased via EventBrite
Buses will pick up from the following places:
• Napier – buses depart from Napier Aquarium
• Taradale – buses depart from the Lee Road Bus stop opposite McDonald’s car park.
• Hastings – buses depart from the Cenotaph, Russell St South.
• Havelock North – buses depart from the Havelock North i-Site, Te Aute Road.
• Waipukurau - buses depart from the Bogle Brother’s Esplanade bus stop.
• Waipawa - buses depart from the car park of the Central Hawke’s Bay Museum.
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
