Winemaker says winning entries herald a boom

Press, 4 March 1989, Page 5

Winemaker says winning entries herald a boom

By

JANE ENGLAND

A stream of successes in a national wine competition are proof of a Canterbury wine boom, says the maker of some winning wines. Mr Mark Rattray, winemaker for St Helena Estate, said there was a strong possibility that his wine would be exported.

St Helena had four winning entries at the 1989 Royal Easter Show competition which was held in Auckland. The wines, a Pinot Blanc 1988, St Helena Rulander 1987, St Helena Riesling Sekt, and St Helena Rose 1988.

The estate was placed third for a 1988 St Helena Muller Thurgau 1988 and second for its Pinot Gris 1988.

Other winning wineries in the Canterbury region were the Glenmark Estate, which took first places for its Glenmark Weka and Rhine Riesling 1988, and the Giesen Wine Estate which came first with the Cabernet Franc Shiraz 1986, and took second place with the Glenmark Estate Wairarapa Red 1988.

The judges were: Messrs Bob Campbell (chief judge), Geoff Kelly, Bruce Collard, Joe Babich, Ivan Donaldson, John Hancock, Michael Brajkovich, Brian Farmer, Larry; McKenna, and Kym Milne. Mr Rattray said a Brit-ish-based wine importer, Ms Margaret Harvey, had been stunned by the quality of the wines. Ms Harvey, who is a New Zealander, had expressed an interest in importing about 200 cases of Pinot Noir from the estate. Mr Rattray studied wine-making in Germany from 1970 to 1973. He spent five years working for the Montana Estate after returning to New Zealand and another six years with the Penfold’s Estate, then moved to St Helena, which is owned by Messrs Robin and Norman Mundy.

“We like to think we are the premier producer. We are the original producer of wines in Canterbury. We have paved the way for others and I think they can take heart from that,” Mr Rattray said.