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BOWT winner profile: Church Road

In the Best of Wine Tourism Awards announced in September 2024, Church Road Winery scooped the award for Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices. 

Sustainable practices are something Hawke’s Bay can be proud to say are at the heart of so many of its wineries. It’s common enough to learn a bit about a winery’s commitment to bettering the planet and its people when browsing the blurb on a bottle, yet a good deal more foresight, dedication and hard graft are required to ensure sustainability is built into visitor experiences. The judges felt Church Road demonstrated with excellence the way in which a winery in this Great Wine Capital of the World can live and breathe sustainability.

One of the oldest wineries in Hawke’s Bay and in the entire country, Church Road was founded in 1897 on the site it stands on today, in Taradale. It’s part of one of the largest wine portfolios operating in the region, and the judges were impressed to see a global company putting sustainability at the core of its visitor experiences in this little corner of the world.

Church Road has a reputation for crafting excellent wines – winemaker Chris Scott has been awarded Winestate ‘Winemaker of the Year’ an unprecedented five times – and its prowess in winemaking is matched by its reputation as a winery that welcomes visitors with open arms. Its verdant lawn hosts sell-out concerts by top artists from around the country and around the globe as well as more boutique summer events designed to bring the local community together.

Whether during a concert or just a casual visit, visitors are encouraged to take a self-guided wander around the grounds to admire regenerative native planting and learn more about the winery’s Tiaki Promise – to care for people, place, and culture – courtesy of signage boards along the way.

Indoors, visitors to the roomy cellar door and restaurant benefit from technology being harnessed. In a paperless approach, the comprehensive menu of wine tastings are guided with the professional host using an iPad as a clever tool to walk guests through what can be complex information in an engaging and innovative way. The set up means members of a group may opt for different types of tasting and still feel they’re sharing an educational and inspiring wine journey in unison.

Below ground, founder Tom McDonald’s concrete wine tanks have been fashioned into a wine museum hosting further opportunities for visitors to become immersed in the history of the winery, of local winemaking and of international winemaking stretching back thousands of years. The flagship TOM experience takes place here, one of the region’s most premium tasting experiences for visitors.

Church Road is gold-level Qualmark award certified under its Sustainable Tourism Business criteria – and it has held that gold badge for 15 years. A clear testament, the judges felt, to its ongoing commitment to weaving sustainability into the visitor experience in a meaningful way.

A comment from Precinct Manager at Church Road, Brent Pilcher:
“With only four Hawke's Bay businesses recognised as winners at the inaugural Best of Wine Tourism Awards, we're truly honoured to have won for our Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices. Sustainability is an important pillar and value at Church Road. It is at the forefront of everything we do and we ensure our guests learn about our sustainability measures, including our Tiaki promise and Responsible Hosting certification.

After being named one of the great wine capitals of the world last year, these awards only solidify further that Hawke's Bay is a leading destination in global wine tourism, and our team is dedicated to continuing to strive to be sustainable and responsible at every step, from grain to glass.”