NZ’s latest wine shows were pure gold
Spring is not only the time of year when we see the beginnings of the new vintage, it’s also a time when winemakers see the fruits of their labours from previous vintages as the nation’s leading wine shows reveal their top wines. With the results of the New Zealand International Wine Show, Marlborough Wine Show and New World Wine Awards announced recently, wine lovers will be better informed than ever when making their selections from the shelves of New Zealand wines.
In late September, New World published its medal winners gleaned from more than 1,000 offerings from the country’s wineries. The New World Wine Awards prides itself on being New Zealand’s most ‘consumer friendly’ competition handing out accolades to wines under $25. Lawson’s Dry Hills received two gold medals – the perennial favourite, Gewurztraminer (2017 vintage) and the stunning Reserve Chardonnay 2019.
Meanwhile, the results of the NZ International Wine Show – NZ ‘s largest wine competition – have just been announced. The judging panels were headed by Chief Judge Bob Campbell MW and included many of the country’s most experienced wine judges and several Masters of Wine (MWs) all of whom sniffed swirled, sipped (and spat!) their way through over two thousand wines. With the majority of entries from the excellent 2019 and 2020 vintages, judges reported the wines to be the best varietal line-up they had ever encountered in the history of the event, resulting in a record number of 1423 medals – 304 gold, 387 silver and 732 bronze.
Amid such esteemed company, the quality of Lawson’s Dry Hills’ wines shone, winning 17 medals making them the second most awarded of the 150 wineries based in Marlborough. Even more appealing is the fact that eleven of these medal winners are priced at $20 or less, allowing many wine shoppers to enjoy medal-winning quality every day. Lawson’s Dry Hills collected four gold medals: three for Sauvignon Blanc and one for the delicious PINK pinot.
Gold Medals:
– Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2020
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2020
– Inviniti Sauvignon Blanc 2020
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Pink 2020
Silver Medals
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2019
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Gewürztraminer 2018
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Riesling 2018
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Pink 2019
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2017
-The Sisters Pinot Rose 2020
-The Sisters Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Hot off the press, the country’s largest regional competition, the Marlborough Wine Show has just announced its winners. From a total of 549 entries, which chief judge Ben Glover stated were, “Of outstanding quality”, the panel of 17 judges awarded 49 gold and 130 silver medals. Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2020 receiving one of the nine gold medal awarded to the 2020 vintage of this varietal, while wines from all three Lawson’s Dry Hills brands featured amongst the silver medals:
Gold: – Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Silver – Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2020
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Gewürztraminer 2018
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Reserve Chardonnay 2019
– Lawson’s Dry Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2017
-The Sisters Pinot Rose 2020
Yet for chief winemaker, Marcus Wright and the team, what truly matters is enjoyment of the wines. “There are no medals that quite compare with the enthusiasm when friends meet up around a bottle of our wine and the conversation flows. Moments like these are pure gold.”
