37 Kiwi Olympic athletes to be rewarded by wine sponsors   22 Aug 2016

Central Otago gold awaits our medal winning athletes

Kiwi medal winners to be rewarded with gift from official wine sponsor

New Zealand’s medal winning athletes are to receive a warm Central Otago welcome after they return home.

Mt Difficulty Wines is gifting every Kiwi medallist a presentation of its limited edition Inspiration Cuvée Pinot Noir produced especially in celebration of the global sports event.

“Rio has been New Zealand’s most successful Olympic Games to date, so we are thrilled to have been able to support our Kiwi athletes on their exciting quest for gold,” says Mt Difficulty winemaker and general manager Matt Dicey.

“We are proud supporters of the New Zealand Olympic Team and are looking forward to honouring them once they have had time to settle back in to their home environments. I was fortunate enough to be there in person to watch Lisa Carrington and Mahe Drysdale take gold, so we’re delighted to help New Zealand celebrate those awesome achievements,” says Dicey.

With 18 medals won at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, 36 New Zealand medallists will receive this special gift. Nikki Hamblin will also receive a gift to reflect the good sportsmanship and Kiwi spirit she showed while running in the 5000m heats.

“Like the rest of New Zealand, we have been inspired by our athletes’ determination and hard work. We created the Inspiration Cuvée Pinot Noir to celebrate their success and the hard yards they put in to get there.”

The gift comprises four bottles of the Mt Difficulty Inspiration Cuvée Pinot Noir 2013, as well as two Riedel ‘Central Otago’ Pinot Noir glasses.

The Inspiration Cuvée Pinot Noir 2013 is available for a limited time at the Mt Difficulty cellar door and online, as well as by the glass alongside a very special dish.

As a nod to New Zealand’s medal winners, Mt Difficulty executive chef Werner Hecht-Wendt joined forces with O’Connell Street Bistro head chef Mark Southon to create a dish that highlights the best ingredients of the Otago region and a touch of gold.

The dish features locally sourced venison, honey made from hives on Mt Difficulty’s vineyards, and wild Bannockburn thyme – rich, earthy flavours that complement the Inspiration Cuvée’s sweet brown spice and cherry notes.

About the wine

Mt Difficulty Inspiration Cuvée Pinot Noir 2013 is a selection from four vineyards, some of the oldest in the region, with the aim of allowing the characteristics of Bannockburn to shine in an exceptional vintage. It’s a low volume and distinctive wine that’s an inaugural release. The layered dark Stella cherry and black cherry notes with sweet brown spice reflect the uniqueness of the Bannockburn terroir.

About Mt Difficulty Wines

Established in 1992, Mt Difficulty Wines is home to some of Central Otago’s oldest and most revered vineyards in the famous sub-region of Bannockburn. The Mt Difficulty philosophy combines ethical viticulture with minimal intervention enabling the wine to express its personality and reflect its home. The unique microclimate of the Bannockburn area is partially created by the presence of Mount Difficulty which overlooks the southern Cromwell basin and is the namesake of the company. These factors, along with a mix of clay and gravel soils, make the area ideal for viticulture. Mt Difficulty produces a range of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling styles under the Mt Difficulty and Roaring Meg brands with the former also producing Chenin Blanc andGewurztraminer styles. The company’s winery has been designed as a low energy input winery housed in insulated buildings with a barrel hall sunk below ground level to enable even more stable and lower energy inputs. Winemaker and general manager is Matt Dicey, a fourth generation vigneron. Mt Difficulty Wines is an accredited member of the Sustainable Winegrowing NZ initiative (SWNZ) and is a sponsor of the 2016 New Zealand Olympic team to Rio. Visit www.mtdifficulty.co.nzfor more.

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