Head down to the Hastings isite and Visitor Information Centre over Easter and you can taste premium wine from Radburnd Cellars and Hancock & Sons – two Hawke’s Bay wineries badly affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Award winning winemaker Kate Radburnd’s winery went underwater at Bayview and winemaker John Hancock lost his winemaking facilities at Puketapu’s Shed 530 and Cellar Door where he had been making wine for the last five years.
Neither winemaker will be producing any wine this year, but they leapt at this initiative by Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers and Hastings District Council to jointly operate a pop-up tasting table in the new Hastings isite location within the Municipal Building on Heretaunga Street East.
John Hancock who is out of job post the Cyclone is running free tastings and selling the wine from both vineyards – a Merlot/Cabernet blend, Syrah and Chardonnay from Radburnd Cellars and Rose from Hancock & Sons.
“We hope people will pop in to say hello and consider tasting or buying wines,” says John.
The Pop-Up Cellar Door will operate Wednesday -Saturday 10am-4pm throughout April and is open Saturday, Sunday and Monday over Easter.
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John
I feared the worst for you at Puketapu… Wish to help and buy some Rose… I retired to Kuratau after missing out on a place next door to Sacred Hill. God must be with me..
I will phone your old cell number .
Gerry Grenier