Horowhenua StarElemental Cider has been crowned New Zealand’s Champion Producer at the 36th Annual NZ Fruit Wine & Cider Awards, held in Nelson on October 31.
The win cements Elemental’s founder and cidermaker Carmen Gray – New Zealand’s only female cidermaker – as one of the country’s leading innovators in traditional craft cider.
Elemental Cider’s Carmen Gray at the NZ Fruit, Wine & Cider Awards. Photo supplied
The cidery claimed the top producer title after earning two best in class trophies, two golds, five silvers and a bronze, including trophies for its Pohutukawa Flower (cider with botanicals, spices & hops) and Dry As (bottle-fermented cider).
“Crafting cider is about patience, curiosity, and respect for the fruit,” Carmen says. “To be recognised among the best in the country is incredibly humbling. This award reflects years of hard work.”
Based between Ōhau and Ōtaki, Elemental grows its own specialty cider apples, pressing, fermenting and bottling every drop by hand. Judges praised the cidery’s lineup for “balancing tradition, structure and fresh thinking,” describing its delicate florals, refined dryness and use of native botanicals as “a benchmark for contemporary cider craft”.
The award caps a standout year for Elemental, known for its authenticity and innovation. Its Pohutukawa Flower cider, made from the red stamens of the native pōhutukawa, has now taken gold and best in class for three consecutive years.
Two new releases are continuing that creative momentum: Wild Ginger, infused with ginger root, native kawakawa and a hint of honey; and Apple Blossom, the first cider made from a new New Zealand-bred apple variety, Pure Blossom.
“Pohutukawa Flower has become our signature – Aotearoa’s summer in a glass,” Carmen says. “Wild Ginger and Apple Blossom build on that story. Each reflects place, patience, and the incredible diversity of New Zealand-grown fruit.”
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