Walk this Way
Hawke's Bay's wine industry is taking pandemic restrictions in its stride, with plans for a second series of Wine Walks in the regions.
The Good: In starring role, Clint Eastwood was replaced by the stellar 2025 growing season and vintage. Rain when we wanted it (and when we did not want it) manageable frosts, and a long, long settled harvest period have seen some wise old heads talk about this being a vintage to rival the 2013 benchmark, across all varietals. Already we are seeing some early release white wines living up to predictions and the longer-term reds are looking full of promise. Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay goes from strength to strength. We recently completed the selection of the Hawke’s Bay annual vintage case (2024 vintage wines) from a record number of submissions, so excitement is high to see the 2025 Chardonnays. We take this collection to domestic and international media and commentators to evidence Hawke’s Bay provenance with Chardonnay. As a region that can grow the A-Z (Albariño to Zinfandel) of varietals, diversity is a key strength for our producers. Recent Hawke’s Bay Wine regional technical workshops have been exploring this diversity and opportunities in alternative reds and sparkling wine.
The Bad: This has got to be the headache the wine industry is currently experiencing with an imbalance of supply and demand, and who ends up wearing the rebalancing costs. The independent contract grower is becoming an endangered species and this is of real concern. These people are the risk takers that experiment with new varieties, the early adopters of alternative production practices, and in essence the DNA of our reputation as an innovative and adventurous wine region.
The Awesome: Three legends of the Hawke’s Bay Wine scene were recognised this year for their service. John Hancock (see below) received the Hall of Fame Award at the recent Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards for his contribution to the Hawke’s Bay wine story. Peter Robertson of Brookfields Winery received life membership of Hawke’s Bay Wine for his contribution at the helm of the region’s oldest boutique winery. And photographer Richard Brimer was also recognised with a life membership, for opening the Hawke’s Bay wine story to the world through his images.
