NZ wines star at IWC

 Fourteen New Zealand wines won Gold medals from the first tasting session of the 2014 International Wine Challenge.

Eight 2013 Marlborough sauvignon blancs were awarded the high accolade by the Challenge judges, indicating that this region of  the South Island has the “perfect conditions to create elegant and intense sauvignons”.

Wine producer Pernod Ricard New Zealand won three Golds for its Stoneleigh Latitude and Rapaura Series Sauvignon Blanc, as well as its Brancott Estate Letter Series B Sauvignon Blanc.

Villa Maria received two Gold medals for its Private Bin and Reserve Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Lawson’s Dry Hills Gewurztraminer 2011 was another wine from the region to strike gold.

Charles Metcalfe, the co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge said the quality of the New Zealand white wines had been absolutely outstanding, and showed the Marlborough wine region can make some of the world’s greatest sauvignons.
“And this from a standing start 40 years ago. We have added the November tasting to the IWC schedule to allow Southern Hemisphere wines to perform at their best.

“These 2013 vintage Gold medal winners prove that this new tasting schedule is a great way to discover excellent young wines from the New World. We’re very happy we have added this round of tasting to this and to future IWCs.”

New Zealand red wines also received five Gold medals, including three pinot noirs, a merlot and a syrah.

Coal Pit Tiwha and Ostler Caroline were the two gold-winning 2011 pinot noirs, from the South Island’s Central Otago region, and Vidal Reserve Series Pinot Noir 2012 was the third gold medal-winning New Zealand pinot noir, from Hawke’s Bay.

The Gold medal-winning Crossroads Winemakers Collection Syrah 2012 and Church Road Grand Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 are also from Hawke’s Bay.