Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Four awards in Asia won by Nelson winery

Updated at 11:00 am on 15 May 2011

An organic winery has scored a coup in Asia by winning four medals in an international wine challenge event.

Richmond Plains of Nelson won two golds and two silver medals in the Hong Kong competition's new organic and biodynamic wine section, including for a blanc de noir, which is a rare white wine style made from pinot noir grapes.

Richmond Plains, which exports to 10 countries, was the first vineyard in New Zealand to gain both organic and biodynamic certification in 2008.

Owner Lars Jensen says Asia is an important new market for the winery. Sales have suffer recently because of a global oversupply of grapes and wine, he says, and it's a case of ''export'' or die''.

Mr Jensen says they need to target a growing market rather than a mature one like Britain.

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