Nick Putt from Craggy Range wins Hawke’s Bay Young Viticulturist of the Year 2023.
The competition took place in the beautiful winter sunshine at Paritua Estate in Hastings on Thursday, 15th June. Eight contestants rotated around various viticultural questions and challenges, including pruning, irrigation, trellising, nutrition and an interview.
Douw Grobler from Trinity Hill and Daniel Brewster from AONZ are congratulated for coming in second and third place, respectively. The judges were impressed with the knowledge and drive of all the contestants, who gave it their all. The other contestants were Joseph Stenberg, Shuang Wu, Maddie Griffith, Thalia Osborne and Jaspel Singh.
At lunchtime, they all went head to head in the BioStart Hortisports, followed by a BBQ feast laid on by Fruitfed Supplies.
The Awards Dinner was held at Mission Estate, where the contestants had a quick-fire quiz and delivered their speeches, covering a wide range of wine industry topics.
Head Coach and Mentor at Hastings Giants Boxing Academy, Craig McDougall, was the guest speaker on the night, captivating the audience with his inspiring words. McDougall highlighted the power of how a sense of belonging brings self-belief, which leads to being the person you want to be and following your dreams. A sense of community and a supportive environment are key to people reaching their potential and enjoying happy, healthy lives.
National Co-Ordinator of the Young Viticulturist Award, Nicky Grandorge, said that was a very important aspect of the programme.
“There is a real sense of sponsors, contestants and wine industry members really wanting to help each other grow. It’s very special,” said Grandorge.
Ollie Powrie, one of the country’s leading viticulturists and now producing his own wines in Hawke’s Bay – Chateau Garage Wines – kept the evening running smoothly as the master of ceremonies.
Nick Putt, 27, will represent Hawke’s Bay in the National Final at the end of August. This is being held in Hawke’s Bay this year, so it is expected that he will have a big home crowd behind him. He will compete against five other contestants from Auckland, Wairarapa, Marlborough, North Canterbury and Central Otago.
Some great prizes were won across the board, including a Fruitfed Supplies Educational Trip and AEG power tools for Nick, who also scooped up the BioStart Hortisports and Ecotrellis section prizes. Douw won $750 cash, an NZSVO Educational Experience, and Daniel Brewster won $500. Other section prizes included vouchers for Crab Farm and Linden Estate, which are working hard to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle.
Nick will now be in with the chance of winning even greater prizes at the National Final. These include a Hyundai Kona for a year, an Ecotrellis travel grant, a Leadership Week, Electrocoup electronic secateurs, AEG power tools, and a cash prize.