In New Zealand's beautiful Hawke's Bay region, you'll find Craggy Range Vineyard, a family-owned winery that started back in 1998. Nestled beneath the towering Te Mata Peak, it's a special place for wine lovers. Before our Evening with Craggy Range event, we caught up with their Chief Winemaker, Ben Tombs. He shared insights about the unique land of Hawke's Bay, other great wine regions, and his insights on the future of wine.

“It's hard not to love Martinborough and have that as the top. Wines are incredible at showing a sense of place, but it's the incredibly welcoming community of winemakers that surrounds you that really makes it!” 

“Love the versatility of these two wines! Kidnappers Chardonnay goes great with fresh oysters or later on with a bit of Comté cheese. Our rosé goes great with a watermelon & prosciutto skewer or a pizza from Vinci's in Napier!”

“There's some great examples of single expression Cabernet Franc that have been really exciting with some vine age. There's also been a great trend towards fresher, more elegant wines that have an earlier drinkability.”

“We're seeing a lot more consumers constantly wanting to know more about provenance. People want to know where the fruits are grown, what the season was like, do their philosophies align. Wines with less polish and makeup reflect that the best.”

"Kidnappers Vineyard is right next to the Pacific so there a big coastal influence. It's more saline and fresh which compliments seafood so well. Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay is from a lot warmer site and has smaller berries with a great concentration of savoury, umami flavours and suits some bolder foods."