Hawkshead Vineyard owners Denis Marshall and Ulrike Kurenbach are celebrating medal winning performances at recent wine shows.

The first vintage of their Gibbston Single Estate Hawkshead Pinot Gris 2009 won double Blue/Gold and Top 100 medals at the 2010 Sydney International Wine Competition.

Then, the just-announced Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2010 produced three medals for the vineyard including another Gold Medal for the exceptional Pinot Gris, a Silver for the Hawkshead Riesling 2009, and a Silver for the Hawkshead Pinot Noir Bannockburn 2008.

“While Central Otago is well known for its exceptional pinot noir, it is very pleasing to have such success with our aromatic white wine varietals,” say Denis Marshall.

“We really had to nurse the young pinot gris vines through their early development in a difficult climate, and they have given us due reward,”

Ulrike says: “Our 2008 Riesling was also well received and last year’s vintage was selected in the annual summary of the ‘Best of the Best’ in the Australian WineState magazine as well as being awarded four stars by wine critics. While the 2009 riesling is still a young wine we think it will develop further to surpass the 2008 vintage.”