32 | Amisfield Restaurant & Vineyard T T Richard Loader Award highlights organics programme Sam Davies: “We were absolutely delighted to be acknowledged with the award again.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Multi-award winning Amisfield has once again proven its place as a premium producer of organic Central Otago wines by taking home a bounty of prestigious awards at the 2024 NZ Organic Wine Awards, including the highly coveted Riedel Vineyard of the Year. Amisfield won the Riedel Vineyard of the Year in 2020 and 2022, and last year was awarded Sustainable Vineyard of the Year. Included in this year’s awards were four Silver Medals and six Gold Medals, including Champion awards for RKV Reserve Pinot Noir 2018 and Pinot Noir Rosé 2023. Amisfield’s Chief Winemaker Sam Davies says receiving the awards was an honour, particularly being crowned Riedel Vineyard of the year. “We were absolutely delighted to be acknowledged with the award again. We deeply appreciate and recognise the contributions of each team member at Amisfield in our quest to craft exceptional wines. “The award highlights that our organics program is central to our mission, with the Amisfield team continuously striving to showcase the unique flavours of our remarkable site. “We’re all committed to environmental responsibility at every step of our wine making process, and constantly searching for better ways of doing things. Being organic is about caring for the land for the many generations to come.” Sam says recognition at the awards is something the wider Central Otago community can also be proud of, with many locals who help with harvest returning year on year to be part of the team. “It’s rewarding to know that their hard work at Amisfield helps care for the land, which in turn preserves it for the following generations to come.” Family owned and operated, Amisfield’s vineyard is bordered by Lake Dunstan on the southern side. The vineyard is watched over by the Pisa mountain range to its rear and is the perfect location for growing premium quality grapes, the first of which were planted in 1998. Following a five year transition, Amisfield received its BioGro NZ organic certification just in time for the 2021 vintage with all 92 hectares of its vineyard now organic. “To us, being certified organic means we are putting as much care as we can into the environment. We listen to the land and respect its natural rhythms. Because we are fully organic and don’t use herbicides or synthetic chemicals, our yield reflects what the soils are naturally capable of producing, allowing a true expression of our site, which is reflected in our wines.” Pinot Noir makes up about 60% of what Amisfield produces, with the balance made up of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris. “Our Pinot Noir is used to make our RKV Reserve— our premium red, Breakneck Reserve Pinot Noir and our Amisfield Pinot Noir. The fruit also goes into a sparkling Méthode Traditionnelle Brut and a Pinot Noir Rosé.” Complementing Amisfield’s award winning wines, is its award winning restaurant and cellar door which is housed in its iconic schist and copper roofed building on the shore of Lake Hayes, Queenstown. Led by Executive Chef Vaughan Mabee, Amisfield offers a signature tasting menu designed around Amisfield’s own wines, with both the food and the wines crafted to capture the flavours of the location. “Vaughan is very passionate about capturing the flavours that are specific to Central Otago” says Sam. “His focus is on creating dishes that represent the work of a small group of fisherman, hunters, gatherers and farmers. Collectively, we bring both food and wine together to epitomise the tastes of the region.” Amisfield has been a Three Hats awarded restaurant since 2019 and last year for the second year in a row won Restaurant Of The Year in the Cuisine Good Food Awards in Auckland. Sam also acknowledges the crucial role that the Cellar Door has in providing a place where the trained and passionate team bring to life the Amisfield brand story, the story of the wines and where they are grown. “It’s where people can taste our wines, often for the first time, and appreciate the range of varietals and craft on offer.” DUNEDIN 18 Stack St, Allanton 03 489 8886 WANAKA 156 Ballantyne Rd 03 443 6781 Chat to the Otago team today for pricing and deal information. claasharvestcentre.com DOMORE WITHTHE CLAAS NEXOS 4 Chardonnay St, Cromwell | 027 245 6472 | 03 445 1139 Specialising in ... • Electric motor controls installation & repairs • Electronic Innovations • Electrical design & installations • Industrial Process & control 12 McBride St, Frankton info@europeanbakery.co.nz www.europeanbakery.co.nz TIME, PASSION, QUALITY it's all in the bread European Bakery has been owned and operated by locals for the past 20 years. 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