An Evening of Celebration as Church Road Unveils its Prestige Collection

On Thursday 14^th September 60 very lucky guests gathered to celebrate the launch of the Church Road 2023 Prestige Collection and to hear the announcement of the Church Road Art Prize.

And what a glamorous evening it was, ably co-hosted by brand ambassador Antonia Prebble, and Church Road’s Chief Winemaker, Chris Scott. Guests donned their best black tie as they sipped stunning wine and dined on four delicious courses carefully matched to the Church Bay line-up. Antonia flawlessly guided diners through the evening’s events, while Chris proved to be almost as accomplished a speaker as he is winemaker. Although to be fair, it would be pretty hard to match his skills as a winemaker, given he is one of New Zealand's most highly acclaimed, with a slew of awards to his name.

During the evening it was revealed that the Church Road Art initiative will see an annual award given to an emerging or mid-career New Zealand artist giving them the opportunity to have their artwork displayed at art gallery MTG Hawke’s Bay, as part of its permanent collection, as well as join the talent line-up of Semi-Permanent Aotearoa, as part of the Wellington-based creativity and design festival this November.

Chris says: “We are incredibly proud to be supporting the career of a young artist to further enable their own original expressions of artistry through the Church Road Art Initiative. We approach winemaking as equal parts science and art, requiring a detailed knowledge of the process and ingredients in addition to a creative approach that allows us to deliver something special.”

The selection process for the Church Road Art Initiative involved an exhaustive list of artists who were evaluated against specific criteria. Ultimately, the decision will be made through a collaborative judging process, featuring the expertise of Chris Scott, Toni MacKinnon, MTG Hawke’s Bay Curator, and Becky Hemus, the Editor-in-Chief of New Zealand art magazine The Art Paper, in a round-table jury process.

Toni MacKinnon expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership between MTG Hawkes Bay and Church Road in launching this exciting initiative. She recognizes it as a valuable opportunity to support the career of a young New Zealand artist and contribute to the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust collection for the region.

Just as an artist's creative process draws from various elements such as expression, instinct, science, and materials, Church Road's winemaking similarly integrates these aspects. In the 2023 Church Road vintage release, they present two outstanding wines from the prestigious TOM range, originating from remarkable vintages: Church Road TOM Syrah 2021 and TOM Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2020. Additionally, Church Road offers the Church Road 1 Single Vineyard collection, which showcases the unique terroir of their finest sites, including the Single Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 and the Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2022. 

Chris Scott added, "These wines are the culmination of vintage, environment, and the collective skill and knowledge of 126 years of winemaking at Church Road. We are particularly excited to release our TOM range, which originates from two of the most exceptional red vintages I have ever worked on. Coupled with our continuous refinement of winegrowing and winemaking, I believe these are the finest wines we have ever crafted. To mark this achievement, the TOM Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot will be offered in both 750ml and Magnum formats, providing a unique opportunity for collectors."

The 2023 collection holds special significance for Hawke’s Bay, as the region was recently recognized as the 12th Great Wine Capital of the World, alongside prestigious regions like Bordeaux and Rioja. This recognition is attributed to the region's unparalleled diversity of soils and microclimates, yielding a wide array of exceptional wine styles.

All wines from the TOM and Church Road 1 ranges are available at select retail stores, on-premise-locations and can be purchased online at www.church-road.com