KATE RADBURND
WINEMAKER, LEADER, LEGEND

Within the stunning surrounds of the iconic Church Road winery, the F.A.W.C! Hawke’s Bay Legend Award for 2024 was presented to Kate Radburnd, winemaker and owner of Radburnd Cellars. The award was made in collaboration with the inaugural Hawke’s Bay Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism Awards. This year’s legend is – once again – a most worthy recipient and an inspirational person. So many nominations were received for our winner, all of them highlighting someone with not only outstanding talent but also a beautiful and creative soul.

It was a moving speech from Kim Thorp, our out-going legend, as he introduced the award and grappled with the concept of no longer being a legend. However, looking back to our inaugural winner, Sir Graeme Avery, it is clear that these titans are all of such calibre that they will continue to shine and inspire us and remain forever heroes in our hearts.

“While still adjusting to the trauma of being an ‘ex-legend’, I genuinely couldn’t think of a better person in Hawke’s Bay to pass the baton to than Kate Radburnd,” said Kim.

“We are fortunate in this region to have a growing number of hugely talented people working in the realms of wine and food. However, Kate’s influence is both long-held and continuing to evolve. A talented winemaker is a complex beast: part nurturer, part scientist, part meteorologist, part storyteller, part magician. And those parts are just some of the attributes that contribute to Kate’s long-held reputation. Her influence on education, training, advocacy, sustainability and passionate support for women in the industry, is admirable and, yes, legendary.”

Words from those nominating Kate highlighted more than 40 years of food-and-wine innovation along with being a role model for women in the wine industry. She was one of the instigators behind the Hawke’s Bay Charity Wine Auction, which she chaired, raising close to $4m for Cranford Hospice since its inception. In 2010, Kate was awarded the Sir George Fistonich Medal and in 2015 she was the first female winemaker inducted as a Fellow of the New Zealand Winegrowers.

Congratulations also to our four incredible finalists, each having demonstrated great leadership and dedication to the development of the Hawke’s Bay food-and-drink story. Here are some very good reasons from their nomination forms as to why they were celebrated alongside this year’s F.A.W.C! Hawke’s Bay Legend.

TONY BISH
FINALIST

“From his first vintage in 1981 at Corbans in Gisborne, to Vidals in Hawke’s Bay and then on to forming Sacred Hill wines with Mark and David Mason, Tony Bish has been at the forefront of New Zealand chardonnay for years. In 2017 he opened The Urban Winery in Aruhiri to showcase not only his own range but a unique selection of outstanding local wines in a working-winery setting. He’s a dynamic person with an open mind, always getting involved and giving new things a go. He sits on many boards and committees, giving his time and energy for the good of the region. An amazing man with a heart of gold and a passion for excellence.”

JOHN BOSTOCK
FINALIST

“When John Bostock formed a group of independent-minded growers it became a huge success for Hawke’s Bay, fostering innovation, development of new markets and rapid growth of the pipfruit industry. As a firm believer in educating people about healthy eating and nutritious food, a key philosophy of his company is environmental, financial and social sustainability. After Cyclone Gabrielle, John provided a massive amount of food and relief to affected communities despite the fact that the Bostock company had been devastated itself by the cyclone. He remained positive and an inspiration for people to pick themselves up and recover from the devastation.”

KATE GALLOWAY
FINALIST

“Kate Galloway is one of the powerhouses behind Hastings Distillers, one of the foundation businesses to begin the reinvigoration of Hastings with its elegant Parisian-salon-inspired tasting room. Hastings Distillers has won a host of awards since its 2019 inception including a gold medal for its Albertine gin at the 2020 International Wine and Spirits Competition, and double gold for the East Block 200 and a trophy for L’Opera aperitif at the New Zealand Spirits Awards in 2021. Its offering is world class and certainly putting Hawke’s Bay on the map.”

STEVE SMITH
FINALIST

“As the first viticulturalist in New Zealand to become a Master of Wine, Steve Smith went on to start the wine programme at Craggy Range, elevating that winery to one of the top 50 wineries in the world. Now at Smith and Sheth, Steve excels at classic winemaking, while also pioneering interesting new varietals. A talented winemaker and viticulturalist with a worldwide reputation and great vision, Steve is always looking to improve and enhance New Zealand’s standing on the international wine scene, demonstrating huge values (both for people and the land) and is an inspiration to all who work beside him.”