Pioneering Nelson wine family celebrate another accolade

A Nelson family who pioneered modern winegrowing in the South Island have received another accolade.

The Seifried family established the first commercial winery in the Nelson area in 1973 and their wines are now marketed in 25 countries around the world.

At the New Zealand Wine of the Year 2019 Awards, the Seifried Estate won Champion Sauvignon Blanc.

Sauvignon Blanc is the key grape variety for Seifried Estate being 60 percent of what they grow and export

It also won the Best Wine - Nelson region.

The Seifried family. L to R: Hermann, Agnes, Anna, Chris, Heidi
The Seifried family. L to R: Hermann, Agnes, Anna, Chris, Heidi Photo credit: Supplied

The latest awards added to the medal tally for Seifried Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2019.

It was also awarded Gold at the Austrian Wine Challenge in Vienna (the largest officially recognised wine competition in the world), Gold at MUNDUS VINI in Germany and Gold at the New Zealand International Wine Show, all earlier this year.

Seifried Estate was established by Austrian born Hermann Seifried and his Kiwi wife Agnes when they planted their first vineyard in the Moutere Valley in 1973.  

Now with over 320 hectares of estate-grown vineyards over 10 properties in the Nelson region, Hermann and Agnes still oversee the business. 

However, both son Chris and daughter Heidi are also hands-on as qualified winemakers, while daughter Anna oversees the sales and marketing.

Anna Seifried said everyone was very proud of the wins.

"This wine is a reflection of a tonne of hard work, an amazing season in Nelson, and a great team who nurse the grapes through their time in the vineyard, then hand over pristine fruit to the winemaking crew to work their magic," she said.

"These trophies from the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards top off an incredible season for us. They represent top honours for wine in this country, and to be recognised for both our region and our Sauvignon Blanc is a huge acknowledgment for all of us".

Newshub.