PRESS RELEASE 18 MAY 2009

The first commercial release from The Hay Paddock Syrah vineyard established on Waiheke Island by Chris Canning and Bryan Mogridge has been awarded a Gold Medal at the 2009 International Wine Challenge in London – billed as the world’s largest wine competition.

The Hay Paddock’s Harvest Man Syrah 2007 was produced from 4-yr old vines and is the first release to the on-license trade. Aged for 12 months in 1- and 2-yr old French oak, then cellared for a further 12 months, the wine is bottled under screw cap and will be launched in New Zealand at the Waiheke Winegrowers Media and Trade Expo at Prime Bistro, Downtown Auckland on 9 June 2009.

The Hay Paddock also won Silver for its Hay Paddock 2007, a Syrah blend with 12% Petit Verdot for longer cellaring by members of the Hay Paddock Syrah Society and due for release in May 2010. The inaugural (2006) vintage of this wine won Silver – Best in Class at the 2008 International Wine and Spirit Competition and Silver at the 2008 Decanter World Wine Awards.

After 30 years in the industry, Bryan Mogridge and Chris Canning chose Waiheke Island as the location for a 15,000 vine specialist vineyard in 2002, planting mass selections from Hermitage and St.Joseph, including from the vineyards of Jean-Louis Chave and Jean-Louis Grippat, as well as certified clones from the Cotes du Rhone on low vigour rootstocks.

The story behind the development of this vineyard and its dedication to Syrah can be viewed at www.thehaypaddock.co.nz