Third time lucky for Hawke’s Bay viticulture competition winner

It was definitely a case of third time lucky for Johnny La Trobe who won the Hawke’s Bay regional Markhams Young Viticulturist of the Year competition on Friday night (22 June).

Mr La Trobe, who currently manages Sacred Hill’s Deerstalker vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels, took out the award against six other local wine industry hopefuls, and another representing Wairarapa.  He had been runner up in his first attempt at the title in 2010.

To gain the honours this year, Mr La Trobe won the Harvest Hawke’s Bay yield and Bahco pruning section; the Ecotrellis trellising section; the Agtech machinery section and also ‘out-ate’ his rivals in the ‘weetbix in a minute’ competition.  For his win, he walked away with a trophy, cash prizes, a travel fund and Spiegelau glassware.

Mr La Trobe will now represent the region at the national Markhams Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition to be held in Blenheim on 22 August as part of the 2012 Romeo Bragato conference.

Two of Craggy Range’s young viticulturists were placed second and third.  Tyler McCoomb came second winning the Markhams budgeting section, the Biostart Hortisports and the Vineyard Plants wine options.

Third place honours went to Caleb Dennis who took out the Pernod Ricard interview and the Waterforce HB irrigation section, deemed to be the most challenging from theoretical and practical aspects.

In the other sections of the competition, Villa Maria’s Mike Saunders won the Skeltons chemical shed and spray programme challenge and Delegat’s Nick Otto took out the EIT speech section with a presentation debating whether the wine industry should show responsibility to consumers by reducing the size of wine bottles.  Nick also won the Fruitfed pest and diseases section.

Crowd favourite, Clearview Estate Winery’s Luke Cornwall, entertained guests with his speech based on Martin Luther’s quote “He who loves women, wine and music remains full his whole life long.”

MC for the evening was Sacred Hill winemaker Tony Bish, who was justifiably proud of Mr La Trobe’s win.

“We export our Hawke’s Bay story through our wines, our climate, geography, beauty and people.  Events such as this are important for the region; this group of people reflect the future of the industry and it’s in good hands,” Mr Bish told the audience of 120 guests who had gathered to support the competitors and the viticulture industry.

ENDS

For more information please contact Caine Thompson at Mission Estate, caine@missionestate.co.nz , phone 027 222 2047.

Or

Sarah Thornton, Kite Communications, phone 875 0393.

Powered By DT Author Box

Written by Jayson Bryant

Jayson’s roots in wine began when his father literally dragged him round France and injected his passion into him. From the age of 8 his family took month long holidays in France travelling through all regions and sampling their wine.
UnScrewed has reinvented the concept of wine tasting in New Zealand and along the way found a new and willing audience. In addition to encouraging straightforward wine tasting, Jayson educates viewers about the effects of regional factors (soil, sun, wind) on wine flavours, and how to buy wine.

Author’s Website

Follow this author on Twitter