At the Otago Wine Growers annual Feraud dinner in 2001 the Central Otago Winegrowers Association honoured a pioneer of the industry, Alan Brady, for his "outstanding contribution to the Central Otago wine industry.". Alan has been a key person in the development of the Otago wine industry and was the driving force behind the setting up and establishment of Gibbston Valley wines. More recently he has taken on his own personal wine project - Mt Edward. The concept of the award is to honour those members who have made a real difference to the Central Otago wine industry 'An outstanding contribution to the Central Otago wine industry' and was approved by the Executive of the Central Otago Winegrowers Assn late last year.

Alan's contribution to the region has been large and sustained. The award is formal recognition though for the following

• Establishing Gibbston Valley Wines - one of Central Otago's prime wineries.
• Being a founding member of the CO Winegrowers Assn
• His presidency of COWA during 1991 and 1992
• Being an Executive Member of COWA from its establishment in 1987 until 1999
• Being an Executive Member of the Wine Institute of New ZealandHis advocacy for Central Otago wines
• His involvement with a number of other wineries particularly in the start-up phase.

At the beginning of 1998 Alan retired as general manager of Gibbston Valley and built a small new winery on his private vineyard at Coalpit Road. Appropriately his new project overlooks many of the big new grape growing developments which have taken place since his pioneering efforts in the early 1980's. The building, designed by award winning Queenstown architect Michael Wyatt, takes its inspiration from Tuscany. Mount Edward will remain a small and intensely personal project where Alan Brady intends to indulge some of the winemaking philosophy he has developed over the years. Part of this "lifestyle" approach is to be able to present his wines personally. Tastings are conducted in a spacious and comfortable mezzanine area overlooking the winemaking facilities. Pinot Noir will continue to be Alan Brady's main preoccupation. He happily concedes the quest for the perfect pinot is a terminal disease from which he is not seeking relief. The first Mount Edward Pinot Noir - from the 1998 vintage - was released in 1999 and this and subsequent vintages have been very much sought after wines..

        

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