Boutique Winery’s Medal Tally Continues to Grow

International accolades are continuing to pour in for boutique New Zealand winery Waipara Hills.

The Marlborough winery’s 2009 Waipara Hills Equinox Waipara Pinot Noir has picked up a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011, while three of its other wines – the 2010 Waipara Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the 2009 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir and the 2009 Waipara Hills Waipara Pinot Noir – were commended by the competition’s judges.

Launched in 2004, the Decanter World Wine Awards are run by Decanter, one of the world’s most influential wine magazines. This year’s awards attracted more than 12,000 entries from around the world, with winners announced at the prestigious London International Wine Fair.

Also announced at the London International Wine Fair were the results of the International Wine Challenge 2011, which saw Waipara Hills picking up yet more accolades.

The 2010 Waipara Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the 2009 Waipara Hills Waipara Pinot Noir and 2010 Waipara Hills Waipara Riesling were awarded bronze medals while the 2009 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir and 2010 Waipara Hills Waipara Pinot Gris were commended.

Waipara Hills Marketing Manager Cathy Wansink says being awarded a gold medal along with bronze medals and commendations at the two competitions is a huge honour for the winery, which has more than 200 awards to its name after just 10 years in production.

“Our viticulturalists and winemaker Simon McGeorge work tirelessly to produce high quality wines that are accessible to everyone. These recent awards signify how much the team focuses on living up to the high standards it sets itself day after day, year after year,” she says.

The Waipara Hills range is distributed by Hancocks (free phone 0800 699 463) and is available from specialty wine outlets and leading supermarkets nationwide.

For more information on Waipara Hills and its selection of award-winning wines, visit www.waiparahills.co.nz.