Wanaka “black label” Pinot Noir wins top award in London

One of Wanaka’s pinot noir secrets – Akitu A1 2014 – is out of the bottle. Hawkesbury Estates’ Akitu A1 2014 won four awards at the acclaimed International Wine Challenge in London on July 7, including the New Zealand Pinot Noir Trophy and the IWC Sustainable Trophy. For Hawkesbury’s vineyard manager, Steve Blackmore, the wins are just reward for more than 10 years of patient management. “There are a lot of awards out there and this is one of the best,” he said.