29 Mar 2000 -
Mt Difficulty Strikes Gold in First Vintage
Mt Difficulty Wines struck gold with its first vintage in the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. Its 1998 Pinot Noir won a Gold Medal, with the 1998 Chardonnay scoring a Silver Medal. Company spokesman Steve Green advised that the group was delighted with the result. " To do so well with the first wines we have released was a great effort, and to be part of the astounding success of winemaker Grant Taylor was a double bonus." ( Grant picked up another 3 Golds with his Gibbston Valley wines.)
The 1998 vintage was relatively small at 1000 cases but future prospects see a major growth for this label. The 1999 vintage will produce 4000 cases of these varieties and this will more than double again for the 2000 vintage.
The success of the wine can be attributed to a dedication to professional viticultural practices, and great Bannockburn vineyards, exploiting the potential of the hot dry Central Otago climate with its wide diurnal range.
The wines were made in the new Central Otago winery owned and operated by wine personality Alan Brady, under Grant Taylor''''s expert guidance.
These wines sold rapidly to specialist wine retailers and restaurants from all over New Zealand. The 1999 vintage, to be released at the end of June 2000, is eagerly awaited and already in demand.
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