Celebrating significant winery development

A significant event in the development of wine tourism was celebrated recently - the opening of the country's oldest winery restaurant at Vidal in Hawkes Bay more than 30 years ago.

These days when we visit a wine region such as Central Otago, Marlborough or Hawkes Bay, we expect to visit vineyards, taste wine, and have a meal in a winery restaurant, but things were different in the draconian licensing days of the 1970s.

Sir George Fistonich, founder of Villa Maria, bought Vidal in 1976 and battled with the licensing authority, the local council and neighbours for years before the restaurant could open in 1979.

Over a lunch for wine writers and wine-makers, he related some of the stories.

Among the battles were requirements to carpet the floor and to put ceilings over the beams of the 100-year-old stables, then on the outskirts of Hastings where A. J. Vidal had established his winery in 1905.

Photographs of winery restaurants from Europe persuaded the council to relent about the ceiling, Sir George said.

Sir Robert Muldoon, prime minister at the time, finally opened Vidal Winery Restaurant on May 29, 1979.

They started serving platters of cheese, salami and pickles, but as the restaurant got busier, they moved on to selling steaks and full meals.

The local authority tried to close them down because they were over-delivering and they had to go to court to get the decision reversed, Sir George reminisced.

Vidal's became a popular meeting place and on Saturday afternoons, they would sell more than 1000 bottles of muller thurgau and sparkling wine, he said.

The restaurant went through a low ebb in the 1990s, but under manager Shane Pugh and chef Ken O'Connell it has been refurbished and the menu brought into the 21st century with a focus on local produce and innovative combinations, such as shallot ice cream with roast black pudding and smoked potato whip, or leek tart with truffled scrambled egg, preserved fig, oyster mushroom, cherry tomato and garlic foam.

It was a finalist in Cuisine Restaurant of the Year in 2009 and 2010.

Contributing to the success of Sir George's Villa Maria group, which includes Vidal, Esk Valley and Thornbury, is his ability to hire people with a passion or potential for passion.

Many of them have been young and many met their partners while working at Vidal.

Among them were winemakers Kate Radburnd, who now manages C. J. Pask, Elise Montgomery and Rod McDonald.

Sir George is also known for supporting wine competitions, and wines from his companies win numerous medals.

Unlike some producers who eschew competitions, he says they have done a huge amount for New Zealand wine, both in improving the quality of the wines and raising the profile of our wine overseas, especially the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, which includes influential overseas judges every year.

However, the present economic downturn and heavy discounting of wine in supermarkets is hurting the industry, and is not sustainable, he said.

Villa Maria wines have been seen at around half-price for months now, making them excellent buying for consumers but if Sir George has his way, the prices will go back to normal for the new vintage.