Hawke’s Bay locals ‘united’ over wine

NOT ONLY is Hawke’s Bay one of New Zealand’s oldest wine regions, it also has a “great wine community”, says one local winemaker. Rod McDonald came to the region in 1993, and worked at Vidal Estate where he was awarded 2006 New Zealand Winemaker of the year before he left and started Rod McDonald Wines. He is the chairman at Hawke’s Bay A&P Wine Awards and had been chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Association for six years.