Local vineyard Aitken’s Folly has come out of the New Zealand International Wine Show (NZIWS) with a substantial medal haul.

It received two gold medals (for Aitken’s Riverbank Rd Chardonnay 2019 and Aitken’s Riverbank Pinot Noir 2017), a silver medal (for Aitken’s Riverbank Rd Pinot Noir 2021) and a bronze (for the Aitken’s Riverbank Rd Riesling 2021) at the prestigious competition.

Aitken’s Folly owners Ian Percy and Fiona Aiken say they were thrilled to receive a full complement of medals for their wines.  

“We’re really pleased with all these medals, especially the two gold medals,” Ian said. 

“We have always had confidence in our wines and now that has been reaffirmed by the judges who seem to have been equally impressed.”

The Aitken’s Folly vineyard is a very small, three-hectare vineyard on Riverbank Road. 

“We feel we are really punching above our weight,” Ian said. “The quality of what we can produce from our small family-owned Wānaka vineyard probably surprises some of the bigger producers.”

Ian and Fiona dreamed of running a vineyard for 20 years before it became a reality.

They made career shifts from geology to viticulture after a move from the UK to New Zealand in 2008.

The pair are not afraid to take risks: the vines for the Chardonnay (which has now provided them with gold for two years running) were some of the first to be planted in New Zealand.

“To have two golds for Chardonnay in consecutive years shows consistent high quality,” Ian said. “Maybe we are onto a winning formula.”

There were more than 1,700 entries for the New Zealand International Wine Show (which was actually the 2021 awards, delayed due to Covid-19), with entries from New Zealand, Australia, USA, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Germany and Georgia.

Two other Wānaka vineyards also proved the quality of their wines at the NZIWS, with Maude and Nanny Goat each earning four awards. Find more here.

The award-winning wines will be showcased at public wine-tastings around New Zealand in the coming days before the Champion Wine of the Show announcement on February 28.

PHOTO: Supplied