One Vineyard, Three Chardonnays, One Charity Auction
When Kate Lattey and Koldo Santamaria planted their dream vineyard in 2020, they knew they wanted to work with winemakers who shared their passion for wine “and expressing what the land can say”.
The 2026 Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction raised $454,182 for Cranford Hospice, beating last year’s previous record by more than $84,000.
“This result came from an extraordinary combination of generosity,” says Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction General Manager Sam Kershaw.
“Our winemakers put forward an exceptional line-up of wines, many created specifically for the auction, and our bidders responded in an incredible way.”
Among the results was $21,000 bid for 288 bottles of de la terre’s 2026 Chablis-style Chardonnay, created as part of the auction’s Chardonnay Collaboration, which began with No.287 Vineyard donating more than three tonnes of premium Chardonnay fruit.
More than 180 hours of volunteer hand-picking were coordinated by Greatvine Services before the fruit was shared between de la terre, Radburnd Cellars and Chris Scott Wines, raising almost $50,000 for Cranford Hospice.
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.