Hamish Clark, Senior Winemaker at Saint Clair Family Estate has been awarded the esteemed trophy for New Zealand Winemaker of the Year. This is the second year in a row that Hamish has been nominated for this prestigious award.
Hamish Clark, Senior Winemaker at Saint Clair Family Estate has been awarded the esteemed trophy for New Zealand Winemaker of the Year. This is the second year in a row that Hamish has been nominated for this prestigious award.
The trophies were announced at an exclusive awards ceremony in Auckland yesterday (14th November). Hamish was there with his partner Sanna Stander to share the thrill and excitement of receiving the award.
Hamish comments “I feel honoured to be considered, let alone ultimately recognised by Winestate magazine for the award of New Zealand Winemaker of the year. While honoured to be the recipient, I emphasise that I regard it as equally shared and in recognition of the fantastic team we have at Saint Clair. Neal and Judy Ibbotson, the owners of Saint Clair hoisted the sails of the company back in 1994, having spent 16 years prior to that as growers. They set out with a vision to make the best wines they possibly could and this ethos has been instilled in all the team at Saint Clair. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of not only their team, but also their dream. Saint Clair is on an amazing journey.”
Saint Clair Family Estate has two wines judged as a top 5 finalist in its award category. Saint Clair Pioneer Block 16 Awatere Pinot Noir 2010 and Saint Clair Pioneer Block 9 Big John Riesling 2011. These wine awards combined with the highly regarded winemaker of the year trophy further cement the reputation Saint Clair has of being a leading New Zealand wine producer.
Hamish Clark taking stage on this occasion as Winemaker of the Year, recognises exceptional skill, dedication and expertise.
