Media Release 19 August 2008

Mud House Wines Wins Against World's Best

MUD HOUSE WINES WINS AGAINST WORLD’S BEST AT
2008 INDY INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION

The leading New Zealand wine brand Mud House Wines has struck gold at the 17th annual Indy International Wine Competition, one of the largest wine competitions in the United States.

Held in Indiana, the 2008 Indy International brought in more than 3,200 wines from 15 countries. Just 381 of those wines were awarded gold medals, and Mud House Wines snapped up two of them, for its 2007 Mud House Waipara Riesling and 2007 Mud House SWAN Central Otago Pinot Noir.

Mud House Wines also won two silver medals (2007 Mud House SWAN Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and 2007 Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) and two bronze medals (2007 Mud House Central Otago Pinot Noir and 2006 Mud House SWAN Marlborough Chardonnay).
The Indy is the second largest competition in the United States. Seventy-five judges from around North America travelled to Indianapolis for the three-day competition, and reviewed wines based on appearance, aroma, taste and aftertaste.
The Mud House Wine Group CEO Baden Ngan Kee said, “These medals prove that New Zealand wines stack up against the best in the world in terms of quality, and they also help raise the profile and credibility of wines from this country among some of the best wine producers and judges. It’s a tremendous success for us, because it demonstrates that Mud House Wines is leading the way into the US market, which is difficult for a small wine-producing nation like New Zealand to penetrate.”

This latest recognition builds further on a stellar year which saw Mud House Wines pick up a number of local and international wine awards, including for its reserve Mud House SWAN and premium Mud House ranges. Mud House Wines sources grapes from several premium wine-growing regions throughout New Zealand.
The Indy International Wine Competition is sponsored by the Indiana State Fair and coordinated by the Indiana Wine Grape Council at Purdue University.

For more information:

Sasha d’Entremont
Marketing Manager
Mud House Group
+64 (0)3 314 6900 extn 23
+64 (0)21 933 215
Sasha.dentremont@mudhouse.co.nz Frederika Walls
Alexander Communications
+64 (0)9 522 5540
+64 (0)27 5411 397
frederika@alexandercomms.co.nz

About The MH Wine Group

The award-winning MH Wine Group incorporates four wine brands: Mud House Wines, Waipara Hills, Dusky Sounds and Canterbury House. The company owns vineyards in Marlborough, Waipara and Central Otago, as well as contracting vineyards in a variety of premium New Zealand wine growing regions.

About Mud House Wines
The three-tiered Mud House range is made up of the reserve Mud House SWAN; the premium Mud House, at a competitive price point; and the highly affordable HAY MAKeR by Mud House, designed as the perfect food partner.

Wines produced by Mud House Wines have received more than 50 awards for the 2005-2007 vintages, in national competitions including the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the Royal Easter Show Awards, and international competitions including the Pacific Rim Wine Competition and the Sydney International Wine Competition.

Wines have been selected for service onboard Delta, and for the wine list of Rick Stein’s group of restaurants in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

The Mud House is a winery, cellar door and café located centrally between the company’s Marlborough and Central Otago vineyards in Waipara Valley, where several of the Mud House wines are crafted. Visitors to the café can sample sumptuous food and wine matches from resident chef Tony Clarke and his team.

Mud House Wines are distributed by Vintners New Zealand.