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Silver San Fransisco
Thursday, July 30, 2009
KAITAIA WINES STRIKE SILVER LODE IN SAN FRANCISCO
Wines produced from Kaitaia’s Okahu Estate, have won an impressive four silver medals at the recently judged San Francisco International Wine Competition held at the Hotel Nico last month.
Okahu Estate entered seven wines in the competition and won silver medals for its Shipwreck Bay Sauvignon Blanc 08, Shipwreck Bay Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Malbec 07 and its Okahu Chambourcin 07 and three bronze medals for Shipwreck Bay Syrah 08, Okahu Merlot Cabernet 06, Okahu Pinotage 07 and Okahu Pinotage 08.
Jennifer Bound, formerly Okahu’s winemaker and now their consultant, also won a silver medal for her Manaia “George” Chambourcin 08.
“This is a truly magnificent result for a small winery and vineyard, in the Far North,” said proprietor of Okahu, Monty Knight. “The San Francisco Competition is a large show, internationally known and attracts entries from all over the world. To win seven medals from one winery in little old Kaitaia is a tribute to the skills our (then) winemaker Jennifer Bound and her (then) assistant Alan Collinson. Alan has since taken over the reins as senior winemaker at Okahu and he has big shoes to fill”.
Of the seven medal winning wines, six were produced from fruit grown on the Okahu Vineyard blocks. All six were red wines and represent the spicy style of reds that Okahu soils produce.
Jennifer Bound of Manaia Wines is thrilled on many levels with the results for Manaia and Okahu. Not only was this her first silver medal for her own brand Manaia, it was the first time she had entered her “George” Chambourcin into a competition. Topping off the success, it occurred almost to the day of the birth of her first child, Edie.
“Chambourcin is certainly helping to put the Far North on the world wine map” said Jennifer. “This variety is widely grown in the USA, and the San Francisco show is one of the few in the world to have a section for it in competition. So naturally there are a larger number of entries and our wines are judged against their peers from all over the world”. When viewed from that perspective, this is an outstanding result, two silvers for Chambourcin from the Far North.
Rod MacIver, President of the Northland Winegrowers Association and owner/winemaker of Marsden Estate added his congratulations to the team at Okahu and Manaia.
“They continue to show real consistency in their viticulture and wine making, especially their trade mark Far North reds,” said Rod. “Northlanders should be extremely proud of their international success and fellow Northland wine growers will be encouraged by it”.
pic: Left to right, Monty Knight, Alan Collinson, Jennifer Bound.
Next entry: Bragato 2009
Previous entry: Wine State Competition
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