Art & Culture

Local wines on menu for Lionel Richie's vineyard visit

Fine Hawke's Bay wines will definitely be on the menu for musical legend Lionel Richie when he headlines at next year's Mission Estate Winery Concert (February 28, 2009).

Richie has confirmed that while he’ll be singing for his supper at the iconic New Zealand vineyard event, he’ll also be checking out some of the surrounding region's best wines, with the intention of taking some bottles back to Los Angeles for his cellar.

It will be the top-selling singer's first visit to Hawke's Bay but he already knows about the region's No 1 export: "I'm planning on studying when I get there - not only drinking it."

"I'm trying to increase my wine cellar back here in America. As I say goodbye to the fans you will see a truck right behind my car that will be carrying the wine away from the winery, thank you very much," he said.

New Zealand wine
Richie said his cellar was mainly stocked from France and Italy and, though he played in Auckland and Christchurch last year, he had not previously sampled much New Zealand wine.

The bonus of the Mission Concert was that he could finally see more of the country. "I'm really looking forward to it because you don't get the size of New Zealand until you start travelling around," he said.

The Commodores
Richie, 59, was a household name in the 1970s with The Commodores, before launching a solo career in the 80s.

The singer's 30-year success story includes - 100 million albums, countless awards including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, five Grammies, and the Crystal Award for Humanitarianism, writing and performing many well loved pop standards.

Lionel Richie's Mission show will include music from his lengthy back catalogue of mega hits, such as Three times a lady, and solo classics.

While he's in New Zealand, Richie also hopes to catch up with fellow Commodores bass player Ronald LaPread who now lives in Auckland.

Mission Estate Winery
New Zealand’s only 19th century winery, the Mission vineyard is still using winemaking techniques brought to New Zealand by French Catholic missionaries more than 150 years ago.

Mission Estate, nestled in the foothills outside Napier, is Hawke's Bay's largest independent winery.

First staged in 1993 the Mission Concert has featured Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Julio Iglesias, the Beach Boys, The B52’s, Rod Stewart, Chris de Burgh, Olivia Newton John and Eric Clapton.

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