Best Of Wine Tourism Award Winners Announced

The winners of the inaugural Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism awards were unveiled last night, recognising four Hawke's Bay businesses for their outstanding contributions to the wine tourism industry across seven categories. These awards celebrated the exceptional quality and innovation present within the region, further solidifying Hawke's Bay's reputation as a leading destination in global wine tourism and as a Great Wine Capital of the world.

Judge Anna King Shahab, a renowned food, wine, and travel writer, praised the impressive calibre of entries for their high quality, noting that there were "multiple strong contenders" in each category. She was joined by fellow judges Jesse Mulligan, a radio broadcaster, TV presenter, and restaurant critic, and Anna Nielson, General Manager of Destination Wairarapa and Classic New Zealand Wine Trail partner.

The Best Of Wine Tourism Awards aim to celebrate businesses that excel in creating memorable and responsible wine tourism experiences. The winners for each category are as follows:

• Accommodation: Black Barn Vineyards
• Architecture and Landscape: Craggy Range Giants Winery
• Art and Culture: Black Barn Vineyards
• Culinary Experiences: Craggy Range Restaurant
• Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences: Smith & Sheth Heretaunga Wine Studio
• Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices: Church Rd
• Wine Tourism Services: Smith & Sheth Oenothèque

These category winners will now represent Hawke's Bay at the Best Of Wine Tourism international awards, where one outstanding entry will be recognised as a global winner by an international panel of judges, including representatives from each Great Wine Capital, at the AGM gala dinner in Verona, Italy, this October.

Reflecting on the judging process, Anna King Shahab noted, "There are some exceptional wine tourism operators in Hawke’s Bay, providing remarkable visitor experiences, which made our job very challenging. The standards were particularly high in the dining and accommodation categories, where what is offered truly speaks to the region and the unique locality, setting high standards for others to follow."

She continued, "The warm welcome extended by those involved in wine tourism operations in Hawke's Bay is something that we, as judges, and undoubtedly guests, will remember. The laid-back yet attentive hospitality is an Antipodean special, done with aplomb by so many in the region.”

Hamish Saxton, Chief Executive of Hawke’s Bay Tourism and Local President of the Great Wine Capitals, said: "Hearing the judges commend the incredible quality of the submissions for the inaugural Best Of Wine Tourism Awards further reinforces that our region excels in wine-based tourism and further cements the region as a Great Wine Capital of the World.

“Of late, it’s been an extraordinary period for Hawke’s Bay, with many local businesses achieving national accolades, particularly in the wine and hospitality sectors. The region's trophy cabinet is looking impressive!"

"We now have the exciting opportunity to showcase these Best Of Wine Tourism award winners on a global stage, and I am eager to see which of our strong contenders will take home the International Award," Saxton added.

Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s oldest wine growing region, and in 2023 joined global heavyweights such as Bordeaux (France), Bilbao-Rioja (Spain) and San Francisco - Napa Valley (USA), as the newest Great Wine Capital of the world.

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