怀得天堂酒庄勇夺多项大奖．资深酿酒师荣获殊荣
資料來源提供：紐西蘭懷得天堂酒莊 WHITEHAVEN
怀得天堂酒庄（Whitehaven）资深酿酒师Diana Katardzhieva在享誉盛名的2025年日本樱花女子国际葡萄酒大赛（Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards）中，被评选为静态白酒类别「最佳女性酿酒师（Best Woman Winemaker）」。此外，怀得天堂白苏翁2024白葡萄酒与霞多内2023白葡萄酒更荣获最高荣誉「钻石奖（Diamond Trophy）」。
这项备受瞩目的国际比赛旨在表彰品质卓越的葡萄酒，而怀得天堂酒庄今年在评选中大放异彩。该赛事至今已迈入第12届，今年共吸引来自36个国家，共计3,969件作品参赛，并由430位女性评审进行评选（东京280人，大阪150人）。
怀得天堂自2015年起便开始参赛，但酒庄团队最引以为傲的，莫过于资深酿酒师Diana Katardzhieva获选为静态白酒类别「最佳女性酿酒师」，其获奖作品为怀得天堂霞多内2023白葡萄酒。 Diana是全球仅九位获此殊荣的女性酿酒师之一，同时也是唯一入选的两位纽西兰女性酿酒师之一。
Diana在怀得天堂已深耕20余年，对于这次的肯定，她感到惊喜，并表示：「这证明了多年来不断地品鉴、调整，以及偶尔与橡木桶「对话」，终究是有所回报的！ 」她特别感谢广大的女性及整个团队的努力，并说：「这个奖项是对女性在葡萄酒产业中卓越成就的美好认可。伟大葡萄酒的诞生需要整个团队的合作，因此这项荣誉不仅是属于我个人，更要归功我们葡萄园及种植者的优质果实，还有怀得天堂团队的努力不懈。更特别的是，这项评选是由一群才华横溢的女性评审进行，更显意义非凡……尤其值得一提的是，我们都知道，通常选择葡萄酒的都是女性！」
怀得天堂共同创办人Sue White也对这项殊荣感到无比自豪，并赞扬Diana在酿酒技艺上的卓越表现与稳定性。她表示：「这般成功完全归功于Diana和她的团队，他们始终致力于打造品质优异的葡萄酒。」
所有获奖酒款现已在怀得天堂官方网站www.whitehaven.co.nz上发售。
来自保加利亚的Diana原本在医学领域发展，但后来决定转攻酿酒。她投入六年时间完成学业，随后在保加利亚的酿酒产业工作15年，之后便带着年幼的儿子移居纽西兰展开新的生活。由于她对旧世界葡萄藤拥有丰富经验，2004年她在马尔堡迎来首个酿酒季时，不论在酿酒规模或酿造方式上，都与她过去习惯的一切截然不同，这对她而言是一次巨大的转变。
Diana拥有普罗夫迪夫食品科技大学（University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv）微生物与发酵产品技术专业的硕士学位。她对细节的高度关注在她主导生产的葡萄酒所获得的众多奖项中显而易见。她笑说：「即便过了这么多年，我仍然觉得我的葡萄酒比我的英语更能表达自己！」
Diana于2004年加入怀得天堂酒庄，最初担任实验室经理兼酿酒师。
在2025年樱花女子国际葡萄酒大赛（Sakura Women's Wine Awards）中，怀得天堂酒庄荣获两座钻石奖（Diamond Trophy）、两面双金牌（Double Gold Medal）及一面金牌（Gold Medal）。怀得天堂自2015年首次参赛以来，便持续获得高度评价。
此外，怀得天堂所有葡萄酒均通过马尔堡法定葡萄酒产区认证（Appellation Marlborough Wine）和SWNZ（Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand）认证，展现品牌对品质与永续发展的承诺。
完整获奖名单将于2月27日公布，详见：SAKURA AWARDS。
Diana Katardzhieva拥有与生俱来的酿酒天赋，对葡萄的直觉来自她的家族传承。身为一位来自保加利亚、现居纽西兰的酿酒师，她的家族世世代代在故乡从事葡萄种植与酿酒，而保加利亚也被部分历史学家认为是葡萄酒的发源地之一。
除了家族传承，Diana同时拥有普罗夫迪夫食品科技大学（University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv）微生物与发酵产品技术专业的硕士学位。 在1980年代末期，保加利亚共产政权瓦解后，家族葡萄园得以复兴之际，Diana选择离开原本的医学领域，转而投身酿酒学习。花了六年时间，系统性地习得科学酿酒知识，而非仅仅沿袭传统乡间技法，这些奠定了她日后的专业基础。
在保加利亚的葡萄酒产业深耕15年后，Diana移居纽西兰。她拥有旧世界葡萄藤的丰富经验，但2004年在马尔堡的第一个酿酒季，无论是酿酒规模、产量，甚至酿造方式，都与她过去的经验大相径庭。然而，凭借深厚的专业背景与对葡萄的直觉掌握，她逐步适应，并年复一年酿造出品质卓越、屡获殊荣的佳酿。
Diana笑说：「即便过了这么多年，我仍然觉得我的葡萄酒比我的英语更能表达自己！」 2025年，她凭借怀得天堂霞多内2023白葡萄酒，在2025年日本樱花女子国际葡萄酒大赛（Sakura Japan Women‘s Wine Awards）中荣获静态白酒类别「最佳酿酒师殊荣」，进一步巩固她在国际葡萄酒界的地位。
www.whitehaven.co.nz
WHITEHAVEN WINES TRIUMPH WITH MULTIPLE AWARDS AND TOP FEMALE WINEMAKER ACCOLADE.
WHITEHAVEN WINES TRIUMPH WITH MULTIPLE AWARDS AND TOP FEMALE WINEMAKER ACCOLADE. Whitehaven Senior Winemaker Diana Katardzhieva has been named ‘Best Woman Winemaker’ for still white wines at the prestigious 2025 Sakura Women's Wine Awards. Both the 2024 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc and 2023 Chardonnay were awarded the top accolade of Diamond Trophy.
This prestigious competition celebrates wines that exemplify quality, and Whitehaven wines have shined brightly at this year’s tasting. Now in its 12th year, the event attracted 3,969 entries from 36 countries, judged by 430 female wine judges (280 in Tokyo and 150 in Osaka).
Whitehaven has submitted wines to this competition since 2015.
However, the Whitehaven team's greatest pride comes from seeing winemaker, Diana Katardzhieva, recognised as the Best Winemaker in the still white wines category for Whitehaven’s 2023 Chardonnay. Diana is one of just nine female winemakers to receive this honour, and one of only two New Zealand female winemakers to make this prestigious list.
Diana, who has been at Whitehaven for over 20 years, says the recognition is a shock, but “proof that years of tasting, tweaking, and the occasional barrel pep talk can pay off.” Diana goes on to credit women in general and her wider team saying the award is a “wonderful reminder of the amazing things women are accomplishing in the wine industry. Great wine is a team effort, and I see the award as recognition not only of myself, but of the fruit quality from our vineyards and growers, and the effort of the Whitehaven team. The fact this wine is judged by a talented group of women, makes this even more special…especially since we all know women are usually the ones choosing the wine anyway!”
Sue White, co-founder of Whitehaven, expresses her pride in the accolade, crediting Diana for her winemaking skill and consistency in winemaking, “This level of success is a credit to Diana and her team who work hard to create wines of exceptional quality.”
Each award-winning wine is now available on Whitehaven’s website at www.whitehaven.co.nz
Notes:
Originally from Bulgaria, Diana started studying winemaking after leaving a career in medicine. Then, having successfully completed six years of study, Diana spent 15 years working in Bulgaria’s winemaking industry before departing for New Zealand with her young son. Experienced with old world vines, Diana’s first vintage in Marlborough in 2004 was a huge shift away from all she’d been accustomed to, in terms of size and scale and the approach to wine making.
Diana holds a Master qualification specialising in technology for microbiological and fermentation products from the University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv. Her attention to detail is apparent in the many accolades awarded to the wines she takes a leading hand in producing “even after all these years I can express myself better in my wines than I can with my English language,” she laughs.
Diana joined Whitehaven Wine Company initially as Lab Manager and Winemaker in 2004.
View the full list here: SAKURA AWARDS (available 27 February).
Whitehaven received two Diamond Trophies, two Double Gold Medals, and a Gold Medal at the 2025 Sakura Womens’ Wine Awards this year.
All Whitehaven wines are AMW and SWNZ accredited.
Whitehaven first entered the Sakura Awards in 2015.
Diana Katardzhieva is a winemaker whose instinctive touch with the grape comes from her family heritage. A Bulgarian winemaker in New Zealand, she has generations of grape growers and winemakers before her in her homeland, said by some historians to be the birthplace of wine.
But Diana also holds a Master qualification specialising in technology for microbiological and fermentation products from the University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv.
When family vineyards were restored at the end of the Communist regime in Bulgaria in the late 1980s, Diana left her medical career to study winemaking, choosing to spend the six years required for these formal science qualifications rather than simply follow the traditional methods employed in the Bulgarian countryside.
After 15 years working in Bulgaria’s wine industry Diana arrived in New Zealand. Experienced with old world vines, her first vintage in Marlborough in 2004 was a huge shift away from all she’d been accustomed to, in size and scale and the approach to wine making.
But with her background, Diana is able to rely on her instinct and expertise to make exceptional and award-winning wines vintage to vintage.
“Even after all these years I can express myself better in my wines than I can with my English language,” she laughs.
In 2025 Diana was recognised as the Best Winemaker in the still white wines category for Whitehaven’s 2023 Chardonnay at the 2025 Sakura Japan Women’s Wine Awards in Japan.
www.whitehaven.co.nz
