Vineyard on track to taste sweet success

Six years after setting up, one of Hawke's Bay's newest and increasingly acclaimed wineries is on the trophy-winning map.

Osawa Wines' Noble Gewurztraminer 2011 hit the mark with the judges at the 2012 International Sweet Wine Challenge staged in Australia - an accolade which has underlined the winning style achieved by consultant winemaker Rod McDonald.

The Noble had also picked up a gold at the A&P; Mercedes Benz Wine Awards and the recent 2012 Spiegelau International Wine Competition staged in Marlborough.

Osawa Wines' Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer 2011 had also attracted championship attention, but as Mark Lim from Osawa said - "our star performer is the Noble Gewurztraminer."

Good reason for Taizo Osawa, who had the vision and desire to be part of the Bay's world-class wine industry back in 2006, to raise a glass in toast of the emerging success.

Originally a civil engineer, Mr Osawa searched the world for the perfect spot to create a vineyard capable of producing a fine variety of top-quality wines.

He came upon 33 hectares of Maraekakaho farmland and set to work.

He teamed with leading consultant winemaker Rod McDonald, who said he recognised Mr Osawa was a man on a mission.

"It was very obvious he was driven to make wines that were of the highest quality," he said.

The first vintage was produced in 2008 and it made as much of a splash with the critics and wine writers as it did in the glass.

"In making wine for Osawa, our aim is to capture the essence of the soils, climate and care which feed the vines each season, and distil this into each and every bottle," Mr McDonald said.

"Our winemaking techniques and philosophies were developed to protect the natural balance of flavours and aroma which makes these wines unique."

Of the star performing Noble Gewurztraminer 2011, he said it was a wine which effectively was never meant to be.

"But when mother nature presented the perfect weather conditions that allowed us to produce botrytized grapes, the result promised to be rewarding. It was a gamble that our grapes would not survive through to harvest, but they did."

One of those highly impressed by the wine which was "never meant to be" was Hawke's Bay Today wine columnist Yvonne Lorking, who gave it five stars.

"Seductively perfumed with candied papaya, lychee and honey-drizzled stonefruit. In the mouth it is sweet and toffee-ish yet is zesty and refreshing at the same time.

"Silky, sophisticated and an absolute dream to drink," she wrote.

Osawa's head of sales, Nick Skyrme, said he hoped the awards would continue.

"Sometimes it pays to follow your passion - knowing that you can create a great wine."