A good friend of Social Vignerons, Church Road Winery’s winemaker Chris Scott has been named New Zealand Winemaker of the Year 2016 by Australian wine magazine Winestate for the second time in four years, having also taken out this title in 2013.
Chris has been crafting award-winning wines for 16 years at Church Road Winery in the Hawke’s Bay region with the support of his viticulture and winemaking team. He has a particular passion for Chardonnay and red blend winemaking that one has to admit come particularly successful out of this area.
At receiving the NZ winemaker of the year tittle, Chris Scott declared:
“We have a fantastic tight-knit team in Hawke’s Bay in both our vineyards and the winery, all of whom contribute greatly to the success of Church Road. This award is very much a reflection of our collective skills, passion, knowledge and experience, and I very happily accept this on behalf of them all.”
To learn more about Chris Scott, read our interview with the winemaker at Church Road Winery:
Chris began working during his summer holidays in the vineyards and cellar door, before joining Church Road Winery as a cellar hand in 1998 and working his way to Senior Winemaker in 2005.
Since then, he has been the driving force behind Church Road’s top-of-the-range wines: TOM Chardonnay and Church Road TOM Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. His most recent addition being the inaugural TOM Syrah 2013 that was added to the TOM range of ultra-premium wines.
In addition to the NZ winemaker of the year, a trophy duo was awarded to Church Road McDonald Series Syrah 2014 with the Syrah/Shiraz of the Year Trophy and New Zealand Wine of the Year Trophy for this wine.
Social Vignerons hopes to bring a complete review of these wines soon.
Michael Cooper, Winestate Editor for New Zealand said: “Church Road Winery has for decades produced some of Hawke’s Bay’s – and New Zealand’s – greatest value wines. It also shines at the top end of the market, crafting some exceptional Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blancs, Syrahs and Cabernet/Merlot blends.”
The Winestate New Zealand Winemaker of the Year award is given to the individual who achieves the highest score from the top 10 different wines judged throughout the year.
Find out more about Chris Scott’s winery and wines at Church Road Winery producer profile:
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