Wither Hills winery’s ‘virtual cellar door’ concept with its wooden floors and lush interiors has impressed guests at the 2010 Marlborough Wine Festival.

The event, which attracts over 8,000 visitors annually, showcases 67 local wineries to the Marlborough NZ region.

Wither Hills site at the annual Marlborough Wine Festival held in New Zealand

This year, Wither Hills winery was awarded Best Site by the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce for their stand, which was designed to entice visitors to linger a little longer.

The site, with its wooden floors, soft couches and luxury ottomans, offered a new level of luxury for wine enthusiasts with a virtual version of their own cellar door and a relaxed environment for tastings.

According to Wine Marlborough, marketing manager, Marcus Pickens, the popular local deserved the accolade for their novel approach in creating the stand. It was very interactive; people felt part of the place, almost as if they were at the actual winery.

The virtual cellar door provided a relaxing atmosphere for event attendees to unwind and enjoy the wines

The attention to detail in creating the site included hanging Vicky Woolford artworks from the winery on the walls of the stand.

“When visitors come to Wither Hills, they find a really welcoming environment,” says winemaker Ben Glover, “People with a glass of wine, relaxed in bean bags out on the winery lawns. We wanted to bring that to the Marlborough Festival.”