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The “next chapter” in Craggy Range hospitality is The Loft, where guests gather around a shared banquet table.
Craggy Range Restaurant’s Casey McDonald has been named Cuisine Chef of the Year 2025, in recognition of an “unwavering dedication to quality and sustainability”.
Meanwhile, the Hawke’s Bay restaurant he runs – which sources fresh produce from its own garden and local suppliers – won Cuisine’s Winery Restaurant of the Year 2025, with its two hats lifted to three.
Casey says the awards recognise every member of the wider Craggy Range family, “from the kitchen and floor, to the winery and vineyard teams”.
Amisfield in Lake Hayes took out the American Express Restaurant of the Year award, returning to the title it held from 2021-2023, and adding to a swathe of accolades this year, including being ranked 99th in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 51-100 list for 2025.
Cuisine’s Villa Maria Sommeliers and Wine Experience of the Year 2025 went to Katie Woodhead and Victoria Birsen from Cellar 495 in Hastings.
Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2027, to be held in Wairau Marlborough from 2-4 February 2027, is "an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate just how diverse our styles can be", says committee member and Craggy Range winemaker Ben Tombs. "More than the established reputation suggests."
Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2027 committee member Richard Ellis hopes international visitors to the event, to be held at Wairau, Marlborough from 2-4 February 2027, will leave with a deeper appreciation of New Zealand wine.
Craggy Range topped the New Zealand results at the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards winning a Best in Show award for the 2024 Craggy Range Martinborough Pinot Noir.
There’s no one single recipe for careful winegrowing, said Craggy Range viticulturist Jonathan Hamlet. “But it is actually ok to cherry pick all the things that work.”
A team of seasonal vineyard workers in Wairarapa are proving a fast, cohesive and dedicated bunch - and that's not just on the football field.
One of Australia's most decorated winemakers will speak at the Aotearoa New Zealand Chardonnay Symposium in Hawke's Bay this September.
The third Aotearoa New Zealand Chardonnay Symposium will be underway in Hastings, Hawke's Bay, on 17-18 September.
Vintage 2026 yielded excellent fruit for most New Zealand wine regions.
