WELLINGTON, New Zealand, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Marlborough winemaker
Alistair Soper has been awarded three gold medals, for his Highfield
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Chardonnay 2007 and Riesling 2008 at the New
Zealand Royal Easter Show wine awards held in Auckland on Saturday 21st March.
Highfield Sauvignon Blanc also took out the Export Trophy for the third time
in ten years.
The gold for the Highfield Sauvignon Blanc 2008 at this weekend's show
stretches the un-broken run of gold medals to 10 years for the same wine.
Soper said "We've earned gold medals with every vintage of the Sauvignon Blanc
for the last decade, I doubt that any other winery could better that,
especially as we only enter our wines into a handful of shows each year".
It has been a full decade now since Soper first took over the wine making
reins at Highfield Estate in Marlborough. Since that first vintage in 1999
he's had a remarkable run of success.
The performance at the Royal Easter Show is particularly significant for Soper
who said "We entered 5 wines this year, so to win three golds, is a wonderful
result. For Highfield wines we only use 'free run juice' which is the juice
which comes from the weight of the grapes and not from pressing them. This
gives us the very finest quality juice to work with"
At the Awards Dinner held in Auckland the Trophy for the best Export Wine in
Show was accepted by winemakers, Michael Mullany and Jeremy Brown. This is the
third time the Sauvignon Blanc has won that particular Trophy, which each year
is awarded by the guest overseas judge who this year was Australian wine
judge Mike DeGaris who said of the wine "it's great to see Highfield
recognised yet again for its excellence in the export Awards. Three times in
10 years shows how consistent and quality driven their wines are."
Soper's talent as a wine maker and style of winemaking is endorsed by Master
of Wine Bob Campbell who considers Highfield as "clearly one of Marlborough's
first division wine producers. When you buy a Highfield wine you are literally
buying the cream of the crop" commented Campbell.
For further information contact Pete Coldwell, Sales and Marketing Manager,
Highfield Winery on +64 (3) 572 9244 ext 4, fax +64 (3) 572 9257, mobile: +64
(21) 524 990, email: pete@highfield.co.nz
Related Website links
Highfield Winery: www.highfield.co.nz
Royal Easter Show Wine Awards: www.wineshow.co.nz
Marlborough Tourism: www.destinationmarlborough.com
SOURCE Highfield Estate Winery
Pete Coldwell, Sales and Marketing Manager, Highfield Winery, +64 (3) 572 9244
ext 4, fax +64 (3) 572 9257, mobile: +64 (21) 524 990, pete@highfield.co.nz
