The season for awards - yawn!!
OPINION: It seems every bugger in this country can get an award these days.
Esk Valley Estate scooped the top prize – Champion Wine of Show - for the second time this year with its Winemakers Reserve Chardonnay 2014.
The Hawkes Bay A&P Wine Awards judged Esk Valley Estate with the Top Chardonnay trophy against the 46 other chardonnay contenders and Best of Show overall just months after the same awards were received for the wine at the Spiegelau International Wine Show.
In addition, the Esk Valley Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris won the Pinot Gris trophy out of the 15 other wines in that category.
Winemaker Gordon Russell reflected on what he believes makes this wine so good, "From adversity has come a thing of beauty; we're talking about a vineyard in Bay View that was under water just 80 years ago. When the 1931 earthquake struck it changed the landscape of the area and now home to this special Chardonnay."
Esk Valley Estate is a regular winner in the top billing at this show having picked up the champion title again in 2012 winning the overall prize with a Syrah and in 2011 winning Winery of the Year.
The Hawkes Bay A&P Wine Awards are the oldest, regional wine competition in the country and celebrates Hawkes Bay as a premium wine growing region.
