Yealands Wine Group are located in Marlborough, a very long way from the hustle and bustle of London. But when comparing the two locations, there was one obvious connection; fine wine.
Held in London in late March, the sixth annual London Wine Competition saw entrants from all over the world compete to win the prestigious gold medals up for grabs.
Yealands scored highly in the judging criteria of quality, value, and packaging, which was evident in the five gold medals and three silver medals won by the vineyard.
Chief Yealands Winemaker, Natalie Christensen said that the recognition shown was a reflection of the hard work put in to produce the highest quality and diversity of styles from the Seaview Vineyard in Marlborough.
“It's amazing to achieve a golden trifecta for our premium Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blancs. The Awatere Valley is such a special place, and the timing of the awards announcement was perfect as we were picking the last of our Seaview fruit for 2023,” said Christensen.
After a long five-week harvest, Christensen said that this was the morale boost the vineyard needed. She also believes that an experimental winemaking technique may have given the 2021 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir an edge in the competition.
“This Pinot was part of a trial where we played a mantra on repeat while it aged in the barrel, and I’d like to think the mantra brought a special quality to the wine,” added Christensen.
“It has beautifully delicate and aromatic layers with a weighty elegance. There are ripe jammy notes and some of our Seaview herbal characteristics coming through as well.”
The London Wine Competition has been crafted to acknowledge and award various wines that drinkers would enjoy choosing from a wine list at a restaurant. To be able to achieve this standard, the criteria assess’ the wines as a whole, and are adjudicated on quality, expertise, and the potential they are made with. It also includes two other factors in the areas of value and packaging.
Yealands Wines was launched in 2008, and was ambitious in its goal to be a world leader in sustainable wine production. Yearlands is committed to helping the environment as well, having pledged to become carbon positive before 2050.
Native vegetation is important in its environmental stance, having restored native vegetation within its vineyards to promote biodiversity and provide habitat for native birds and insects, as well as the installation of renewable energy initiatives as well.
Yealands is one of New Zealand’s prominent wine producers, and exports to over 65 countries around the world.
