A piece of Waikato's winery history went up in flames this morning when a huge blaze destroyed a large portion of Vilagrad Winery.
Flames and smoke from the fiery blaze could be seen on the horizon from kilometres away.
Boxes of smashed and charred wine bottles could be seen strewn inside one of the storage sheds, when the Herald was walked through the scene just after 5am today.
While, inside the restaurant the canvas roofing was left melted and hanging from the remains of the ceiling, giving a view into the sky.
Firefighters will remain at the scene dampening down hotspots for the remainder of the day.
There are about 70 firefighters at the scene.
About 90 per cent of the building is estimated by firefighters as being damaged.
A neighbour, one of the first to the scene, said flames were bursting out the front of the property in the kitchen and office block area.
"It was ablaze when I got here. The neighbour up the road rang me and said Vilagrads was on fire, and I said 'it can't be'."
The man, who had lived nearby for more than 40 years, said the fire was devastating as the winery was a piece of Waikato's history.
"This generation built it and developed it into what it is. About 30 years into developing the restaurant business."
The businesses website states that it was set up in 1922 by Ivan Milicich Snr, and is now in its fifth generation with Nooyen brothers, Jacob, Kristian and Adam, taking the helm of the family owned and operated winery, which specialises in fine wine, food and entertainment.
Some devastated family and friends were at the scene, but could only console each other as firefighters brought the fire under control.
The neighbour said the fire was first noticed by another neighbour who had got up to check on her baby.
"She saw a flickering light and then saw the flames and called 111."
Waikato fire area commander Roy Breeze confirmed the fire began in the kitchen and office area on the property and was well-involved when firefighters arrived.
"It was spreading in a number of directions, particularly towards the wine making and storage area but we managed to cut it off."
Mr Breeze said fighting the fire was hampered by a lack of a water supply on site so the priority became saving what they could with water that was being delivered to the site by their tankers.
Mr Breeze, who described the winery as iconic, said firefighters efforts were carefully managed due to the approximate 40, 20kg LPG cylinders on the scene.
"Crews were struggling for a water supply, so we had a third alarm attendance, with about a dozen fire appliances and four tankers but we can't rotate them fast enough and we had to prioritise what we have to save," Mr Breeze said.
However despite the large scale damage, firefighters had managed to limit the damage in the restaurant area.
The office block, kitchen, portable cooling sheds and surrounding equipment were all destroyed.
The area of the fire that was well ablaze had to be left to burn, with water being focussed on areas that could be saved including the winemaking section filled with several vats of wine.
"What we couldn't save we've moved."
Hamilton Senior Station Officer Daryl Trim was in the first of two appliances at the scene.
Knowing the blaze was at a winery, he immediately called for back-up and water tankers.
"We knew it was a winery and that it had a kitchen and that it would have some gas throughout the place, so these were some hazards we had to deal with. And we had a limited water supply.
"It was well involved when we got here. (Flames) were also being driven by the wind which were pushing it fairly hard as well."
Mr Trim said the fire could prove a wake-up call for rural businesses.
"It's maybe a timely reminder that buildings of a great scale out in the country, that it's good to have an accessible water supply for fire services should a fire happen."
Mr Trim said one of the firefighters hurt his knee, but it was only minor and he was fine.
Water tankers, from surrounding towns including Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Ngaruawahia, have been ferrying water to the scene all morning.
Nobody was inside the building or injured by the fire.
Volunteers were also on hand supplying refreshments and a rest area for firefighters. Fire safety investigators were also at the scene.
