New Zealand wine for Royal occasion

Press, 13 March 1982, Page 19

New Zealand wine for Royal occasion

Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be drinking New Zealand wines when they toast the New Zealand Meat Producers Board in London later this year. The Meat Board has approached Cooks New Zealand Wine Company. Ltd, to supply two of their leading wines for their centenary celebrations both in New Zealand and England. The function in London on May 20 will be held at New Zealand House and will be attended by Meat Board officials headed by the chairman (Mr A. M. Begg), senior British Government and trade officials, and leaders from the New Zealand meat processing and export industries. As one of the few wholly New Zealand-owned wine companies, Cooks were asked by the Meat' Board to offer a selection of their wines for the occasion and, on the recommendation of Cooks’ winemaker (Mr K. Hitchcock) have chosen their Muller Thurgau and Caber-

net Sauvignon. Both wines won silver medals in the 1981 New Zealand wine competitions. The wine has been specially bottled for the Meat Board and carried the official centenary logo on the label. “We initially approached Cooks Wines because of their reputation in the New Zealand winemaking industry," said Mr B. W. Mills, manager of trade promotion and public relations for the Meat Board. “Their wholly New Zealand makeup is an additional bonus.” The wines have also been served at two centenary celebrations in New Zealand. On February 15 the Gover-nor-General and Lady Beattie attended a marquee luncheon at Totara, near Oamaru, where the first sheep destined for refrigerated export to Britain were prepared a century ago. The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) was host to a second function in the Beehive on February 18.