Top Hawke's Bay wine judge Warren Gibson heads revamped awards

Trinity Hill winemaker Warren Gibson will lead the judging team at the revamped wine awards. Photo / File

Leading Hawke's Bay winemaker Warren Gibson is looking forward to steering the 27-strong judging crew who will take part in the revamped New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards later this year.

Gibson, chief winemaker at Trinity, said he was excited at being part of what he called a positive "refresh" of the New Zealand wine awards scene.

The new awards effectively take the place of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the Bragato Wine Awards — two of the industry's major wine competitions.

A New Zealand Winegrowers spokesperson said the new concept would combine the "very best" components of the previous competitions.

It will focus on rewarding the grape grower and their single vineyard wines ( a core component of the Bragato Wine Awards) as well as championing New Zealand wine excellence on a larger scale, which was the key objective of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards.

"It is more than an amalgamation of the previous two," Gibson said.

"It is the development of a new, fresh and exciting format."

He said the focus was strongly towards celebrating the entire New Zealand wine industry,
"with a particular focus on vineyard excellence and regionality".

New Zealand Winegrowers chairman John Clarke described the new awards as fresh approach to celebrating excellence in New Zealand wine.

"The opportunity to recognise the achievements of our grape growers and winemakers in one competition is exciting," he said, adding the new concept would help to continue building on the country's "excellent global reputation".

In terms of judging there would be no change in approach, Gibson said.

He has been involved in judging at the leading wine shows since 1998 and has also been on the prize-winning side of the competition front — taking the Winestate Magazine New Zealand Winemaker of the Year in 2005, and the Winemaker of the Year award at the Mercedes Benz Hawkes Bay Wine Show in 2006.

"I've been involved for quite a while," he said, adding he was keen to mentor new and younger judging blood coming through.

The new awards would continue to award individual varieties, as well as having a strong focus on all the country's wine regions.

Entries for the new awards will open on August 1 and judging will take place in the first week of October in Auckland.

Joining Gibson at the judging team helm will be the chairman of the former Bragato Wine Awards and Marlborough winemaker Ben Glover.

The winners will be celebrated at the awards night in Wellington on November 3.