Held in the Gibbston Reserve, the Gibbston Community Association-organised gathering saluted the pioneers who’d planted those first vines against all advice.
And who in so doing paved the way for Gibbston/Central Otago to become regarded as arguably one of the world’s three foremost pinot noir regions.
Among those at the gathering were Annie Pinckney, who planted some pinot noir grapes at her former Taramea vineyard off Queenstown’s Speargrass Flat Rd.
Also present was Gibbston Valley Wines founder Alan Brady, who planted some 2000 pinot noir vines in 1984.
He and his late wife Denise planted their first vines — about 12 different varieties — in 1981.
"Nobody gave those vines much chance of surviving, further from their native Europe than they’d ever been planted before," he says.
"It wasn’t long before pinot noir put its hand up and said, ‘I like it here’," he’s quoted saying in the 2018 book, The Vineyards of Central Otago.
He later told Mountain Scene: "It wasn’t anything to do with my wisdom or judgement or vision, it was pure luck.
"It immediately grew well, and when we got fruit in a couple of years it ripened more consistently than anything else we were growing."
After producing Central Otago’s first commercial release in ’87, Gibbston pinots started winning national and even, eventually, international awards.
Guests at the recent 40-year celebration were also asked to bring along a special Gibbston wine to share.
Vintages opened, going back to 1998, included Gibbston Valley Wines, Mt Edward Wines, Wild Irishman, Valli, High Garden Wines, Le Bella Rosa, Kinross, Chard Farm, Quartz Reef and more.
