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Kiwi complexity New Zealand wineries are looking to the China market, writes George W. Russell As every wine marketer knows, Chinese drinkers love high-end Bordeaux and Burgundy. So would Mainland and Hong Kong consumers respond positively to premium reds in similar styles without the French hype and high prices? That hypothesis has spurred the New Zealand wine industry to target wine drinkers in the region. Last month, the Family of Twelve, an industry group supported by a dozen leading winemakers, staged a showcase in Hong Kong tied into the Hong Kong International Wines and Spirits Fair. That followed a roadshow to Beijing and Shanghai in May by New Zealand Winegrowers, an industry association. Experts say the strategy could be paying off. “New Zealand wine’s position in its key export markets has remained strong, and with impressive growth in China,” says Richard Longman, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Wellington who monitors the wine industry. Many of New Zealand’s signature reds often involve the use of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes, while the whites feature Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. However, the flagship red varietal in New Zealand –and the most familiar to Hong Kong connoisseurs is Pinot Noir. From the Martinborough district in the Wellington wine growing region comes the full-bodied Palliser Great Marco Pinot Noir 2009 (HK$468, Watson’s Wine Cellar, Central), a fine if pricey example. Hawke’s Bay, a major winegrowing region in the North Island, is better known for other types of reds, such as the Mission Estate Merlot 2009 (HK$138, Watson’s Wine Cellar, Central). From the South Island’s Marlborough region comes the Saint Clair Family Estate Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Noir 2009 (HK$168, Watson’s Wine Cellar, Central), a well-rounded wine with overtones of strong dark fruit. It is ideal for drinking immediately, 58 December 2012 After hours View of the vineyards in the Marlborough district of New Zealand’s South Island although will continue to develop for another three or four years. Central Otago produces some fine premium wines, including Misha’s Vineyard The High Note 2008 Pinot Noir (HK$368, Rare & Fine Wines, Sheung Wan). Deep and complex, with heavy berry accents, this wine has been recommended as an ideal accompaniment for Chinese duck dishes as well as western cuisine. Further south is Nelson, from which comes the lighter-bodied Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noir 2009 (HK$270, Watson’s Wine Cellar, Central). While berry notes also dominate, they are offset with a few dainty floral and mineral touches. This wine perfectly suits dishes involving New Zealand’s signature lamb racks. One recent addition to the Nelson region is the Richmond Plains winery, which offers organic products aimed at vegetarians. Fining, the process that removes unwanted soluble material from wine, often involves the use of isinglass, a fish product, or egg. The Richmond Plains Nelson Pinot Noir 2011 (NZ$22.99, equivalent to HK$146, www.richmondplains. co.nz) is fined only with vegetables. It’s on the fruitier side but with some nutmeg-spicy counterbalance. The Kiwis’ other grape specialty is Sauvignon Blanc. Who in Hong Kong didn’t arrive at a barbecue or beach party last summer clutching a bottle or two of wine such as the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (HK$238, Wah Cheung, Yung Shue Wan)? One of New Zealand’s most internationally successful wineries, located in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, Cloudy Bay is primarily noted for its Sauvignon Blanc but also produces Chardonnay and Riesling. It also features a Sauvignon Blanc made with an indigenous wild yeast, the lychee-scented Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2009 (HK$398, Watson’s Wine Cellar, Central). The valley is home to an abundance of wineries producing excellent whites. The Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (HK$95, Watson’s Wine Cellar, Central) comes from a winery close to Blenheim. This well-priced vintage is fruity in a citrus way yet balanced by creamy and smoky hints. Central Otago, the southernmost winegrowing region on earth, has a selection of fine Riesling wines ranging from ones with a supercharged sweetness to bone-dry character. The Felton Road Bannockburn Riesling 2011 (HK$198, Watson’s Wine Cellar, Central) is an excellent middle-ground example from there, with melodic notes of mandarin. Don’t ignore North Island whites, especially those from Hawke’s Bay. Try the Alpha Domus The Pilot Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (HK$129, Limestone Wines, Ap Lei Chau).
Moonwatching Timepieces are enhanced by a lunar phase display, as Alisha Haridasani discovers Rome, before Julius Caesar’s calendar reforms, had a very loose concept of time. According to Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer prize-winning author of Cleopatra: A Life, a Roman year consisted of 355 days, “to which the authorities added an extra month irregularly, when doing so suited their purposes.” Time was so subjective and fluid that the Roman philosopher Seneca once lamented that it was “easier for two philosophers to agree than two clocks.” Contrastingly, in Alexandria, timekeeping had been mastered to an art. They had been “studying astronomy when Rome was little more than a village,” Schiff writes, and consequently they were able to invent the yearly calendar with 30-day months that is used to this day and the concept of having 12 hours between dawn and dusk. Thus, the relationship between astronomy and timekeeping came to be forged. It wasn’t until the Renaissance era, however, that this intimate relationship between celestial bodies and the passage of time manifested itself on watches. According to a spokesperson for watchmaker Raymond Weil, astronomical complications, such as displays of the various stages of the moon, first appeared in “big clocks then in pocket watches with skillfully miniaturized mechanisms” in the 17th century. The reason this complication was introduced in the first place is because the moon provides time with an orientation. The average time between two full moons is 29 Blancpain Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar 00888-3431-55B days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.9 seconds, demonstrating just how precise this complication is. Today, watch brands continue to roll out moon phase watches because “this complication still fascinates, demonstrating the watchmaker’s technical mastery and know-how,” says the Raymond Weil spokesperson. This year, the watchmaker released the Maestro Phase de Lune Semainier, which displays not just hours and minutes but also the month, the week, the day, the date and the phases of the moon. The diameter of the watch face measures 41.5 mm with a 10.85 mm thickness. It also features a calf leather strap, automatic winding and mechanical movement. Another elegant moon phase classic is the IWC Portofino Hand-Wound, which was first introduced in 1984. The timepiece consists of a simple dial measuring 46 mm across with narrow Roman numerals and the moon phase display at 12 o’clock. The piece comes in four styles: a silverplated dial with platinum casing and black alligator leather straps; an ardoise (slate) dial with white gold casing and dark brown alligator leather straps; a silver-plated dial with rose gold casing and brown alligator leather straps; and a black dial with a silver casing and black alligator leather straps. Chopard, meanwhile, has four watches with moon phases within its L.U.C collection: the L.U.C Lunar One, Lunar Twin, Lunar Big Date and 150 All-in- One. Though all four models display the moon phases with a midnight blue background, the most noteworthy model is the 150 All-in-One. Deviating slightly from convention, this model’s moon phase is on the reverse dial instead of the front alongside the sunrise and sunset times. On the front face, there is a leap year indicator as well as date, day and month displays. The 150 All-in-One has a 33 mm dial and comes with either 18-karat rose gold or white gold casing and alligator leather straps. It features a hand wound movement and water resistance for up to 30 metres. Blancpain’s Villeret collection also has moon phase watches that not only display the best of horology but also unique designs that are either quirky or cater to Asian markets. Some of its new models for both men and women, such as models 6057-3642-53B and 3653-1954L-58B, consist of a man’s face on the moon depicting the poetic image of the Man in the Moon. For the Asian customer, Blancpain has unveiled models such as the 00888-3431-55B that consist of a traditional Chinese calendar, indicating the five elements, date and month according to the Chinese calendar and signs of the Chinese zodiac alongside the moon phase display. The moon has always held people’s fascination – literally since the dawn of time – and, when displayed on timepieces, that sense of awe and wonder is only heightened. Chopard L.U.C 150 All-in-One December 2012 59
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