Ask Andy about this wine

New Zealand / Hawkes Bay

Hugh Crichton became Vidal winemaker in 2006, having worked with the Vidal winemaking team in various capacities since 2004. Prior to joining Vidal, Hugh had established a solid winemaking career both in New Zealand and overseas, working vintages at Chateau Soutard Grande Cru Classe in Saint Emilion France, Chard Farm in Central Otago, Donnafugata in Italy and several at Millton Vineyards in Gisborne where his inspiration for environmentally conscious and organic winemaking and viticulture was fostered.

Hugh’s winemaking philosophy focuses on minimal intervention from vineyard site to bottle. The result is a collection of award winning and highly acclaimed wines which are true to their roots and exhibit the perfect combination of balance, concentration and complexity. The Vidal winery is situated on the original site in Hastings, Hawkes Bay, which was purchased by its founder Anthony Joseph Vidal back in 1905.

The winery itself is a combination of old and new. Modern state-of-the-art technology is used in conjunction with traditional winemaking techniques and some original elements of the building are used for Chardonnay fermentation and maturation. Vidal is dedicated to environmentally friendly winemaking and sustainable winegrowing practices. This mindset allows Vidal to contribute to New Zealand’s “clean, green” image and increase quality assurance from vineyard through to the finished wine. Vidal was a founding member of the Living Wine group, a small group of wineries who gained ISO 14001 certification in 1998, having achieved a globally recognised standard in environmental management systems. The winery is a member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) and BioGro certified, meaning it is accredited to process grapes grown using organic principles.