The first round of wine options for the Marlborough winemakers kicked off with a high-spirited evening at Drylands Restaurant in Hammerichs’ Road in Rapaura. 2011 marks the fifth year of this extremely popular event, and participants eagerly anticipated this first competition coinciding with the first real icy blast of winter.
Marlborough has borne the brunt of the woes of the New Zealand wine industry, being blamed for oversupply and the so-called ‘savalanche’, the problems from which have been exacerbated by the GFC. While the difficult times are not yet over, the region has shown resilience and a positive feeling of optimism is building. The new 2011 vintage has yielded some excellent quality, accessible wine, and along with the wines from the outstanding 2010 harvest, there is plenty of material to go forth boldly and succeed in all channels and markets. The region however, requires a more unified representation in marketing and promotion, one that respects celebrates the winegrowing and winemaking diversity of the region.
