River Wine eyes business award

A Turangi business has high hopes of doing the southern end of the lake proud in the upcoming Great Lake Taupo Business Awards.
Local restaurant and vineyard, River Wine is the only business from outside Taupo that has made it into the finals of the awards.
The Grace Rd business, operated by Bob and Julie Neville, who split their time between Turangi and their home base of Hong Kong, includes the River Restaurant, run by restaurateurs Troy and Rachel Toms and a vineyard operation which produces around 4000 bottles annually of pinot gris, rose and pinot noir.
From 18 original entries, the finalists were whittled down to four: River Wine, tourism business Experience Taupo, web development company Fred and not-for-profit childcare centre Taupo Kids Community.
The awards will be judged by business growth centre The Icehouse, with the winners announced at a black tie dinner in Taupo on Friday, July 29.
Bob and Julie sent in their entry in book form, producing a bound, hard-cover, 80-page creation that detailed the business's mission, vision and financial data, as well as a general overview of the River Wine vineyards and restaurant operations, an introduction to Bob and Julie themselves, and photos of the vineyard activities, restaurant and the Vine Aid fundraising event last April which raised $40,000 for Christchurch earthquake relief.
Bob says they were trying to present River Wine as professionally as possible but also capture the business's growth, the enjoyment they get from it, the way they aim to reach out to different people and the value it adds to the Turangi experience.
"We've had a lot of fun here with people from different places," says Bob.
"Yes we want to have a successful business but it's more than that for us. It's trying, on the one hand, to give something back and secondly to create something that's a nice place to be, something that's different."
The couple hope that River Wine will win, not just for the kudos but also because a win would boost River Wine's profile as well as draw attention to the vineyards and viticulture at the southern end of the lake.
That profile is something that's steadily increasing, with River Wine's website attracting regular hits from countries around the world. Bob says the website data he and Julie collect shows there is a lot of international interest in what happens in the Lake Taupo and Turangi area.
"The visitors we've had come from all over the place and if we're able to win [the award] then it's a great way of saying to people 'come and see why'."
The restaurant operation is open Wednesday to Sundays, while work around the vineyard varies depending on the season.
Bob and Julie have a long connection with Turangi after falling in love with the area a decade ago. They originally bought a house in Herekiekie St, but two years ago when Tongariro River Estate was for sale, the couple decided it was time to go further; and despite knowing nothing about running a vineyard or restaurant, they took the plunge.
They quickly got stuck in, refurbishing the restaurant, which was being used mostly as a tasting room and employing viticulturists Alistair Craig and Stephanie Hagen. The grapes are sent to Martinborough, where the wine is made by winemaker Chris Buring at Oak House.
The vineyard's wines are sold solely through River Restaurant, which emphasises the vineyard connection.
Bob and Julie say they want to position River Restaurant as a destination restaurant offering quality service, quality food and quality wine. "People come for a whole dining experience so they like to taste the wines, sit amongst the vines."
Keeping the vineyard operation small, although it restricts supply, also protects the integrity of the River Wine brand.
"The whole point is that you come here, eat some pretty fantastic food and drink wine that has come from vines that are right in front of you."
The couple say even if River Wine doesn't win the top Great Lake Taupo small business award, the awards evening will still be fun. "It'll just be a really big celebration for us for a fantastic year," Julie says.