NZ wines equal Australian in awards

New Zealand winemakers have proven an equal match for their Australian counterparts at a major wine awards across the ditch.

New Zealand wineries won a record six out of 12 categories in blind tastings at the Winestate magazine's Wine of the Year Awards, described as ``the Bledisloe of wine awards'' by the magazine's publisher, Peter Simic.

``New Zealand may have been catapulted to world attention with its outstanding sauvignon blancs, but this competition demonstrates its winemakers are capable of producing world-class wines across a range of varietals,'' he said.

New Zealanders took out the major trophies for the best sparkling, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, merlot and, for the first time, the best sweet white. In many categories, New Zealand wineries filled all top five positions.

Marlborough's Saint Clair Family Estate won the prize for Wine Company of the Year for best overall performance in the tastings and its chief winemaker, Matt Thomson, was named Winemaker of the Year for the second time in three years.

The overall Wine of The Year award went to the 2007 Lake Breeze Cabernet Sauvignon from Langhorne Creek in South Australia.