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The Hawke's Bay wine industry is on a roll - driven by fast-growing exports and a continuing run of top international competition results.

Hawke's Bay Winegrowers chairman Nicholas Buck was delighted to deliver another dose of good news at last Monday's annual meeting.

"The time and effort and hard work that has been going in is being seen in sales," he said.

Since the 2007-08 season export sales of Hawke's Bay wines had increased by 48 per cent.

"That is a substantial number in just five years," Mr Buck said, adding a prediction to where the region was heading in the global wine stakes. "In 10 years' time Hawke's Bay will be known internationally as one of the great wine-producing areas of the world."

That had already begun, through an ongoing series of competition awards, but Mr Buck tempered it by describing the industry as "a long game".

"There is still a long way for Hawke's Bay to go to realise its full potential. But it is a momentum that is building and it is achievable ... people are continuing to develop expertise and experience - and they are seeing that in their sales."

Hawke's Bay was continuing to attract international recognition especially for its cabernet merlot blends, syrahs and chardonnays, Mr Buck said.

The recent 2011 Winestate Awards, Australasia's biggest wine competition, was dominated by Hawke's Bay wines in the reds category - with the ultimate "Wine of the Year" award going to Craggy Range for its 2009 "Le Sol" syrah.

The trophy was presented at the official New Zealand award ceremony at Cotter House in Auckland this week, delighting chief winemaker Rod Easthope.

"Since the inaugural 2001 'Le Sol', every vintage has been attention-grabbing - yet for different reasons," he said. "The 'Le Sol' wine style has naturally evolved over the years and 2009 is at the zenith of this evolution. A great vintage, fabulous site and exacting viticulture made it all happen."

Crossroads picked up the award for Merlot of the Year with its Vineyard Selection Kereru Road Merlot Cabernet 2009, while Villa Maria also triumphed with a top award for its Reserve Malbec 2009.

Hawke's Bay Winegrowers executive officer Lyn Bevin said: "The real story is revealed when we look at all the Winestate Award categories and see that Hawke's Bay took the top prize for the red wine categories - Merlot & Blends, Shiraz/Syrah and Other Reds.

"For a competition of over 11,000 Australian and New Zealand wines, this is substantially significant. Not only are we selling coals to Newcastle, we're winning in terms of recognition and quality too."

Mr Buck said such accolades "absolutely" had an impact on the international markets.