Patrick Newton from Mudbrick Winery was crowned as the first ever Riedel New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year during a ceremony at the Canterbury A&P Show in November 2014.
Thirty-two year old Patrick entered the competition with a 2013 Chardonnay, 2013 Syrah and 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon and was judged the top young winemaker in New Zealand by a panel of experienced international wine judges. Young Winemaker entrants had to be under 35 years of age and all entrants entered three wines that they felt best demonstrated the scope and breadth of their winemaking ability.
Patrick took over as winemaker at Mudbrick Winery in 2011 after completing a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University and spending six years honing his craft in both New Zealand and overseas.
After being presented with a Riedel decanter trophy, Patrick thanked Mudbrick owners Robyn and Nicholas Jones for allowing him to put his own mark on their wines.