The Good Bunch hosted its inaugural wine tasting and short film festival last week, which aimed to connect Central Otago communities to local wineries.

The sold out Wānaka event on Friday evening (November 19) concluded the new festival, which had previewed in Arrowtown and Bannockburn earlier in the week.

Created and hosted by Zoe Kane of Alpine Wine Co, the event showcased the creative flare and technical nous of winemaking from five Central Otago Wineries.

New kids on the block Alpine Wine Co opened the evening with their 2021 ‘head over heels’ sparkling rosé, served straight from the can, and winemaker Ben Leen shared the evolution of the business and his intention to normalise canning as a legitimate vessel for wines.

Wānaka’s Rippon and Bannockburn’s Felton Road shared stories of connecting people to the land, with a focus on environmental sustainability and prioritising restoring the land around them.

Guests sipped on the popular 2018 Pinot Noir, while Rippon general manager and winemaker Nick Mills shared the process of biodynamic farming.

An array of Central Otago delights.

Nick and the Rippon team highlighted giving back to the land from which they borrow, and their counterparts at Felton Road talked about restoring the land around them.

Brothers Matt and James Dicey explained the rebranding of Ceres Winery to the more personal Dicey Wines. Guests sipped the Bannockburn brothers’ 2019 Pinot Noir, while hearing about the creation of Dicey Wines after Matt stepped away from his two-decade tenure as chief winemaker for Mt. Difficulty.

The evening finished with Tannacrieff Wines 2019 Port, made by 2017 Rural Woman of the Year, Debra Cruickshank.

Referring to herself as “the Port lady of New Zealand”, Debra prides herself on being a one-woman band. Attendees enjoyed the richness of the barrel aged Ruby Port from Central Otago, while listening to the many roles Debra plays in the production of her wines.

The evening was a chance to celebrate some of the local heroes in winemaking while enjoying an array of Central Otago delights.

Those who missed out on tickets can keep an eye out for the future events Zoe and the Good Bunch are looking into following the success of the 2021 festival.

PHOTOS: Wānaka App