Environmental sustainability took the lead at this year’s Air New Zealand Wine Awards, with 99.7 per cent of all wines entered in the awards being produced under the NZW Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand certification programme, or another recognised biodynamic or organic certification.
“It’s great to see that so many of our members are committed to delivering world-class wine to consumers in a way that enables our natural environment, the business and local communities to thrive,” said Philip Manson, general manager Sustainability for New Zealand Winegrowers.
The 1,424 entries will be judged across 16 categories, and the competition could be particularly fierce within the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc categories, which account for 304 and 258 entries respectively. Most of wines vying for the coveted trophies come from the Marlborough region (588), followed by Hawke’s Bay (320) and Otago (184). All the gold medal winners will be announced on 10 November and revealed at a black-tie dinner in Nelson on 28 November.
