6 November 2024
Specialist sparkling producer Vilaura, takes out Champion Wine of the Show at the National Wine Awards Aotearoa for the first time in the show’s history.
The Vilaura winemaking partnership of Jascha Oldham-Selak and Sanne Witteveen specialises exclusively in traditional-method sparkling wine from single vineyard sites. The winning wine, a 2020 vintage Marlborough Blanc de Blanc, was one of two Vilaura entries, the pair scooping two of the four gold medals awarded to the Sparkling class this year.
The judges were full of praise for this wine, Chair of Judges, Jane Cooper, calling it “an outstanding example of classically made Méthode Traditionnelle; a clear and deserved winner.”
It was a big day for The Coterie team too, heading to the stage twice for their Zephyr Gewürztraminer 2024, the first time to collect the Everyday Wine Organic trophy and the second to lift the varietal trophy sponsored by Laffort NZ.
The coveted Heritage Rosebowl, which rewards wines that have shown a capacity to develop grace and complexity over at least an eight-vintage period, was won by a trio of vintages of Isabel Estate Chardonnay, a fitting win for the winery that is celebrating a whopping 30 years of Chardonnay production this year.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc producer OTU wines picked up the Mainfreight Trophy for Champion Export wine for the second year running, this time for the Music Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024.
The Luncheon was held at the Hilton Auckland and under MC Jesse Mulligan’s expert watch, awarding 16 Trophies over four courses, serving 13 trophy-winning wines and many bottles of Antipodes water. A Sunday well-spent.
The Trophy Winners
Champion Wine of the Show
VILAURA 2020 MARLBOROUGH BLANC DE BLANC
Awards of Excellence Winners 2024 MCC Label Trophy for Champion Sparkling
VILAURA 2020 MARLBOROUGH BLANC DE BLANC
Laffort Trophy for Champion Gewürztraminer
ZEPHYR GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2024
Antipodes Trophy for Champion Riesling
SUGAR LOAF RIESLING 2024
Dish Magazine Trophy for Champion Pinot Gris
LEFTFIELD PINOT GRIS 2024
Guala Closures NZ Trophy for Champion Sauvignon Blanc
SELAKS TASTE COLLECTION MARLBOROUGH TROPICAL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024
NZ Winegrowers Trophy for Champion Other White Varieties
FORREST CHENIN BLANC 2023
Mainfreight Trophy for Champion Export Wine
MUSIC BAY MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2024
Everyday Wine Trophy for Champion Organic Wine
ZEPHYR GEWÜRZTRAMINER 2024
New World Trophy for Champion Chardonnay
SAINT CLAIR PIONEER BLOCK 10 TWIN HILLS CHARDONNAY 2022
Wineworks Trophy for Champion Rosé
SPENCER HILL ROSÉ 2024
Classic Oak Products NZ Trophy for Champion Pinot Noir
DAISY ROCK CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2022
New Zealand Couriers Trophy for Champion Cabernet
CHURCH ROAD 1 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021
Fruitfed Trophy for Champion Syrah
CHURCH ROAD SYRAH 2021
winejobsonline.com Trophy for Champion Sweet Wine
WAIRAU RIVER RESERVE BOTRYTISED RIESLING 2024
Auckland A&P Association Heritage Rosebowl
ISABEL ESTATE SINGLE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2023 / 2020 / 2015
We are thrilled to announce our Trophy Winners from this year’s National Wine Awards.Congratulations to the talented teams that craft these winning wines.