Felton Road’s Nina Downer took out the top honour as Central Otago’s young viticulturist of the year and will represent our region at the national final next month.

The competition was held at Otago Polytechnic’s Central Campus in Bannockburn, where eight ambitious young viticulturalists from around the region battled it out in the chilly vineyard on July 21.

Nina said she was “super happy” and that her win still had not really sunken in.

“I did a lot of study leading up to it so it’s great that it has paid off.”

Nina grew up in the North Island in Taranaki and the Wairarapa with a dairy farming background.

“I loved working outside and growing plants [and] a high school teacher recommended a career in viticulture to me.”

She said it was cool to have the support from colleagues at Felton Road with the competition.

Her favourite aspect of working in viticulture is irrigation, but she said: “I love the diversity of everything really.”

Nina said she took the contest more seriously than some but that it was a rewarding fun experience taking part.

“There were heaps of opportunities to have fun with it… and at the end we swapped answers and stories and had lots of laughs.”

Congratulations also goes to Maia Wylie (Two Paddocks) for coming second and Dylan Crawford (Two Paddocks) for placing third. 

The other contestants were Charlotte Ross (Burn Cottage), Hannah Chamberlain (Carrick Winery), Leah Purchase (Hawkesbury Estate), Olivia Williams (Prophet’s Rock) and Callum Scarborough (Felton Road).

They all impressed the judges throughout the day, especially their speeches delivered at the dinner at Carrick Estate.

The topic was to describe their future vineyard in Central Otago and there were some very creative and thought-provoking ideas including robotics, undervine plantings of thyme, remote managing via a game consul and spas and saunas for staff wellbeing.

The horti-sports attracted a large crowd who also enjoyed a barbecue.

Nina won $1,000 cash, an educational trip and a chainsaw. She will head to Marlborough for the final, where there is an even bigger prize package to win (including a Hyundai Kona for a year, a travel grant, an educational visit to Australia, electronic and golden secateurs, power tools and cash).

Maia Wylie will join the other runners up from around the country at the national final as part of an educational trip provided by NZSVO.

The Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition is in its seventeenth year. The competition is based on six regional events, culminating in a national final.  

The entrants face practical and theoretical questions on pruning, netting, machinery, pests and diseases, budgeting, nutrition, wine knowledge, trellising and an interview. They go head to head in a hortisports race, a quickfire buzzer round and also give a speech at the awards dinner.  

Stay tuned to The Central App as we’ll bring you news of the final on August 31.