83 gold medals awarded at 2011 Air New Zealand Wine Awards
Pinot Noir scoops 20% of all gold medals awarded, topping the varietal classes
77% of gold medals awarded to sustainable wines
83 gold medals have been awarded at this year’s Air New Zealand Wine Awards – 77% of which were awarded to sustainable wines. Today’s announcement follows last week’s three days of judging and precedes a gala dinner on Saturday 12 November in Auckland, where the sought-after trophies, and elite gold medal winners will be announced.
Pinot Noir received the most gold medals for the fourth year in a row (17), followed by Sauvignon Blanc (14) and Chardonnay (10). Of the gold medals awarded this year, 77% (64) are pure gold medals. Pure medals were introduced in 2007 to acknowledge medal-winning wines that are 100 per cent sustainably grown and produced.