A sauvignon blanc from Nelson winery Seifried Estate has won gold at an international event in Germany.
Heidi Seifried-Houghton and her brother, Chris Seifried, toast a major award for their sauvignon blanc. Photo: Supplied / Chocolate Dog Ltd
The 2020 sauvignon won a gold medal and the title "Best in Show - New Zealand" at the Mundus Vini Summer tasting awards.
European wine importers, distributors and sommeliers use the summer tasting event as a basis for recommending wines to their customers.
The event was judged by 120 wine experts who evaluated almost 4500 wines from all over the world.
Winemaker Chris Seifried said the win was especially notable for the family business which had faced one of its toughest vintages due to Covid-19.
"The 2020 vintage is the result of fantastic summer and autumn weather and a lot of attention to detail in the vineyard, however, the challenges relating to Covid make this award even more special for our team."
Seifried said Covid restrictions brought in during the 2020 harvest created added pressures with social distancing requirements in the workplace, and changes in procedures throughout the business to ensure safety.
"We are grateful our crew were willing to work through, remaining in their bubbles and following all the strict protocols we had in place.
"This award is fantastic recognition of everyone's hard work."
The winemaking teams from left: Heidi Seifried-Houghton, Chris Seifried, Stefan Heinrich, Greer Williams, David Edwards Photo: Supplied
Seifried said the Mundus Vini award illustrated how outstanding Nelson sauvignon blanc had become. Seifried Estate won champion sauvignon blanc last year at the New Zealand Wine of the Year awards.
"We have been working hard to achieve fruit ripeness in the vineyard, with depth and complexity in our winemaking. The wine shows beautiful minerality while retaining a zingy, vibrant twist on the finish.
"I believe this is what to look for in a great sauvignon blanc."
Seifried wine is currently being exported to 28 markets.
