Organic award to Martinborogh vineyard
Vynfields of Martinborough has been named organic producer of the year, at the 2008 Organic Awards of Organics Aotearoa New Zealand
The vineyards' wine producers, John Bell and Kaye McAulay, have been recognized for the personal touch, OANZ chairman Derek Broadmore said at the annual meeting yesterday.
"Approaching organics from a corporate background, doctors Bell and McAulay have demonstrated their commitment to quality with a string of award-winning wines, including the first organic wine to win a gold at Romeo Bragato."
Vynfields wine is sold in New Zealand including at the winery in Martinborough and internationally, at top hotels and restaurants, including Tetsuya's in Australia and the Hilton in Hong Kong.
The OANZ winners "demonstrate the increasing range of organic products which are made in New Zealand, and some of the incredible people involved in our organic sector", Mr Broadmore said.
"I think the main thing was the producing," Dr McAulay said of the vineyard's win "actually making a good organic wine, taking grapes and turning it into a product that survives and does well and has a good brand".
The vineyard also has a deli where they serve the wine with food, and is growing in the wine tourism market.
"Tasting wine with food, you get to know it better and have a more pleasant experience," Dr McAulay said.
"In the latest Air New Zealand magazine Bob Campbell named us one of the top vineyards in New Zealand to visit, which was nice of him. It's the branding of it and the quality, niche market."
Dr McAulay said organic wine has gone up in prestige from the days when "some people recommended we take 'organic' off the label".
She said overseas markets, including the hotels, were seeking organic produce in the name of sustainability.
"They've all got these sustainable targets."
The couple took over the vineyard 12 years ago, tearing out the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to make way for pinot noir, and going fully organic a few years later when they took up the winemaking fulltime.
"We'd always had organic leanings, and grown organic vegetables for our children," Dr McAulay said.
"My mother had been organic a bit before her time."
In other OANZ awards, a Gisborne vineyard was recognised for its exports, a baby food manufacturer took out the enterprise award, and two individuals recognised for organic advocacy.