James Sutcliffe Wins North Island Regional Young Viticulturist Of The Year
The competition took place under the rainbows at Batch Winery on Waiheke, where the contestants rotated around various challenges including nutrition, pest and disease, budgeting, machinery, irrigation, pruning, and undertaking an interview.
Congratulations to James Sutcliffe from Craggy Range, Wairarapa, who was crowned the 2025 North Island Regional Young Viticulturist of the Year on 12 June. This competition was open to contestants from Auckland, Northland, Gisborne, and Wairarapa. James represented Wairarapa in the 2024 national final and was delighted to take out the win for his region.
Congratulations also to Braxton Benseman from Man O' War Vineyards on Waiheke Island, who came second, and Gagandeep Singh from Babich in Auckland, who came third, demonstrating their wide range of skills and viticultural knowledge.
Erin Clark from Mudbrick on Waiheke and Daniell Hare from Indevin Gisborne also fared highly in some of the sections.
'We were impressed with the calibre and really positive attitude of all the contestants, who tackled each challenge with determination and a smile' says Adam Yukich, the Chair for this regional competition.
Braxton also took out the Ormond Professional Reputation Award, impressing the organisers and judges with his willingness to help others and strong communication skills. James took out the Ecotrellis trellising prize, as well as the BioStart Hortisports, and Gagandeep won the best speech.
The competition took place under the rainbows at Batch Winery on Waiheke, where the contestants rotated around various challenges including nutrition, pest and disease, budgeting, machinery, irrigation, pruning, and undertaking an interview.
The contestants went head to head in the BioStart Hortisports, which was followed by a sausage sizzle provided by Fruitfed Supplies.
The contestants finally delivered their speeches at the Awards Dinner, also held at Batch Winery, where guests enjoyed a range of local wines and a delicious meal in the restaurant by the fire.
This makes two wins for Craggy Range, two weeks in a row, as Nick Putt from their Gimblett Gravels site won the Hawke's Bay competition last week.
The 2025 National Final will be held at Greystone in Waipara on Wednesday, 27 August, and the 2025 New Zealand Young Viticulturist of the Year will be announced at the New Zealand Wine 2025 Celebration Dinner at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre on 28 August.
The national finalists will have the opportunity to compete for some great prizes, including a $6000 Ecotrellis Travel Grant, a Leadership Week, and tickets to the Cool Climate Symposium. A BioStart Hortisports winner will also be announced, along with other cash prizes.
The competition is made possible thanks to the following generous sponsors: BioStart, Ecotrellis, Ford, Fruitfed Supplies, Agritrade, Clemens, Constellation Brands, Delegat, Empak, Fendt, Indevin, Klima, Ormond Nurseries, Roots, Shoots & Fruits, Waterforce, NZSVO, New Zealand Winegrowers, and Winejobsonline.
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