Gold Medal For New Label

Sea Level Wines has won a gold medal at the prestigious New Zealand International Wine Show with its first wine produced; a 2009 Awatere Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.

The New Zealand International Wine Show is the largest wine competition in New Zealand and was conducted under the chairmanship of the country’s most experienced senior wine judge, Bob Campbell MW. The judging panel included leading winemakers, writers and market personnel.

Sea Level is the own label of Sam Smail, the senior winemaker at Whitehaven Wines in Marlborough and his father Mike. It aims to produce sub-regional wines that exhibit the distinctive characteristics of site.

“Sub regionality is about deepening the New Zealand wine story. Marlborough comprises of many sub regions that lead to vast differences in the wine and the Awatere Valley is prime example of where these differences can be seen. Typically the Sauvignon Blancs have more ‘minerality’, crushed herb and white currant notes. ”

Sea Level is named after our own vineyard. Situated at the water’s edge, it gently rises to overlook the speculator waterways of Nelson’s Moutere Inlet and Tasman Bay. Recently planted with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer, it will be producing its first fruit in 2011.

“We wanted to launch the brand with New Zealand’s most famous wine style: Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and this gold medal is a huge boost to our profile. However we are very excited about making other varieties in Nelson and this particular sub region which has enjoyed notable success at recent New Zealand wine shows.”

Currently, Sea Level wine is only available in New Zealand but is looking for distribution in the Australia and the UK.