WNZSpring2020 WEB

WineNZ

Spring 2020 $9.90

New Zealand's favourite wine magazine

Tasting the

Gravels

Tasting team

top

choices

NZD $9.90

WINE TASTING OPTIONS AND THE BEST WINE REGIONS TO VISIT

Publisher's note

WineNZ

CONTRIBUTORS

Martin Gillion, Daniel Honan,

Anne-Marie Nansett, Louis Pierard,

John Saker, Charmian Smith,

Vic Williams.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Richard Brimer

DESIGN

Spinc Media

PUBLISHERS

Colin Gestro

027 256 8014

colin@affinityads.com

Joan Gestro

joanlucy47@gmail.com

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Jax Hancock

06 839 1705

jax.affinityads@gmail.com

WEBSITE

www.winenzmagazine.co.nz

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COVER PHOTO:

The Gravels grape growing region

in Hawkes Bay.

Photo: Richard Brimer

From Lockdown to tasting

the gravels wines

Well, what a roller coaster these

last few months have been,

with many NZ market segments

stripped of their revenue. Take for

example, the travel sector; inward

and outbound gone!

As publishers we deal with

many who are dealing with

unbelievable issues. The Wine

market in Australia, was hit not

once but three times; drought,

fire, smoke and then Coronavirus.

Here in NZ, readers tell us they

are doing their level best to

uphold New Zealand Wine

consumption, in an acceptable

way of course!

We, as publishers, are here

to assist; by promoting New

Zealand Wine to New Zealanders,

our Master of Wine and team run

tastings blind to ensure accurate

results for wine consumers. New

Zealand’s top-level tastings,

over 84 points and above for

Chardonnay, Syrah and Red

Blends show the high quality of

New Zealand wines.

In this issue, you will see some

great products for you to try.

Gimblett Gravels, is New

Zealand’s advanced wine

growing region, and believe

me, a must to visit. We enjoyed

every tasting from the Hawkes

Bay Gimblett Gravels. We highly

recommend this is a place you

must visit!

OUR NEXT ISSUE:

We visit Marlborough, come

with us on this journey!

This journey is a must; 77% of

New Zealand wine is produced

in Marlborough, therefore we

will be looking further than

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to

other great varietals.

Colin Gestro

Editor & Publisher

4 WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2020

Weekend with the

Winemakers

A weekend of indulgence awaits at The Landing. Over three days and two nights, discover the craft

of winemaking in our vineyard and winery, while staying in the luxurious comfort of our Residences.

Friday 20 — Sunday 22 November 2020

The Landing winemaker Ben Byrne and

renowned consultant winemaker Warren

Gibson will take you on a journey of

discovery, from a tour of the hillside vineyard

to guided tastings of our range accompanied

by exquisite local cuisine. They will lead

a tasting masterclass in our winery barrel

room, accompanied by barrel-tastings and

the chance to try your hand at blending your

own wine.

$2,500 per person. Terms and conditions apply.

PLEASE CONTACT US

info@thelandingwine.co.nz

09 300 3685

www.thelandingwine.co.nz

Contents

WineNZ

Spring 2020

8

8 COVER STORY

Tasting the Gravels where

Martin Gillion and Joan

Gestro taste the wine.

22 NEW WINE RELEASES

Jacobs Creek,Wither Hills,

Brancott, Damson Liqueur.

26 WINE & TIME

News and views from around

New Zealand including

Michael Cooper vintage

comments.

38 EIT STUDENTS

Trip to Marlborough wineries.

41 TASTERS TOP CHOICES

Chardonnay, Syrah, Red

Blends.

26


Contents

56

56 ALEX BASIN

A look at smaller friendly

wineries.

66

66 FOOD IDEAS

And all matched to wines.

69 FOOD AND WINE EVENTS

Plenty to enjoy.

70 WAITAKI WINES

Unique Cellar Door ideas.

75 OVERSEAS

Tempting for when

Covid is over.

70

22

75


7

Cover story | Gimblett Gravels

Tasting The

Gravels By

Martin Gillion

There’s nothing like sipping a wine

or two of your choice while looking

out over the vines that have

produced them.

In the case of the Gimblett Gravels there are just four wineries

located within the area and each provides a different tasting

option: from small, boutique affairs such as Stonecroft or Unison

to the somewhat grander options at Villa Maria’s Te Awa or Trinity

Hill’s barrel hall venue. Pask Winery, at the perimeter of the area,

offers individualised tastings of their heritage wines.

Stonecroft

Mere Road (off SH 50)

www.stonecroft.co.nz

This smaller producer

introduces visitors to the heritage

of the region. Previous owner Alan

Limmer was responsible for much

of the area’s development as well

as the championing of Syrah,

Zinfandel and Gewürztraminer.

Tastings are a casual affair,

usually with owner/winemaker

Dermot McCollum and offerings

8

WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2020

Gimblett Gravels | Cover story

range from Chardonnay, Viognier

and even Sauvignon Blanc in the

whites to Cabernet and Zinfandel

in the reds as well as four

expressions of Syrah for which the

winery is renowned.

Unison Vineyards

2163 SH 50

www.unisonvineyard.co.nz

Unison’s 8ha site produces

a range of wines, from Syrah

and Chardonnay in their Icon

range, to easier drinking varieties

of Syrah and Merlot as well as

Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling and

even a Portuguese style fortified

wine.

Visitors to the cellar door

and café are likely to meet

with owners Philip and Terry

Horn as they taste the wines in

conjunction with the food with

which they are matched.

Philip and Terry now also offer

vineyard accommodation in

three different combinations

Trinity Hill

2396 SH 50

www.trinityhill.com

The Trinity Hill winery, built

in the concrete slab, tilt style

reminiscent of farm buildings

holds tastings in the old barrel

hall with views overlooking day to

day winery operations.

The winery offers tastings of up

to 8 premium Trinity Hill wines as

well as tasting trays that not only

feature the Syrahs and Bordeaux


9


blends for which they are

renowned,but also lesser known

varieties such as Tempranillo and

Montepulciano for which they

are also applauded.

Expansive lawns provide an

ideal picnic spot to enjopy one

of their ‘local’ platters.

Te Awa

2375 SH 50

www.teawacollection.com

Shady gardens lead to the Te

Awa cellar door and restaurant

where visitors can taste a wide

range of wines from Villa Maria’s

Hawke’s Bay portfolio of Esk Valley,

Villa Maria, Vidal and Te Awa.

At $10 the tasting room offers

the ‘Discovery’ range of lesser

known ’Gravels’ varieties such as

Tempranillo and Verdelho, while

the ‘Hawke’s Bay Classic’ range

allows choices from more familiar

varieties such as Chardonnay,

Syrah and Pinot Gris. Tastings of

prestige wines such as Kidnapper

Cliffs are also available.

At the vineyard restaurant,

food designed to be shared if

wished is matched to the wines

in what the company describes

as a “relaxed and memorable

Hawke’s Bay dining experience.”

Pask Winery

1133 Omahu Rd - Hastings

www.pask.co.nz

Pask Winery, not far out of

Hastings, lies on the outskirts of

the Gimblett Gravels area but

was pivotal to the gestation of

the area in general and the

wines reflect this heritage.

The company steers away

from the ubiquitous marketing

aspects of winery venues – no

branded hats and T-shirts and no

restaurant or wine-tours.

Instead, the individual interests

of visitors, be they organised

groups or individual travellers, will

guide the choice of wines tasted.

Prestige wines as well as wines

not generally available to the

public may well be included.

Other Hawke’s Bay

Wineries with branded

Gimblett Gravels wines

at their cellar door are:

Mission Estate

198 Church Road Napier

www.missionestate.co.nz

Craggy Range

253 Waimarama Rd Havelock

North

www.craggyrange.com

Squawking Magpie

215 Queen St – Hastings

www.squawkingmagpie.co.nz

Church Road

150 Church Road – Napier

www.church-road.com

Syrah

- an overview

Syrah is of course the

French variety that

travelled to Australia

in the 19thC through

the auspices of James

Busby (the future

British Resident in New Zealand)

who is recognised as the ‘father’

of Australian viticulture. While

having been born in Scotland in

1802 he and his family emigrated

to Australia in 1824 where he

taught viticulture in Sydney.

He travelled back to England

in 1831, toured France and Spain

and returned again to Australia

in 1832 with vine cuttings from

these countries. Some were of

Syrah from the Rhone Valley.

By a process that has never

been fully explained, the grape

that emerged as Australia’s

primary red variety, became

known as Shiraz. It’s a name that

has stuck and now distinguishes

wines from the ‘lucky country’

from those of their European

ancestors.

Or those from New Zealand

versions for that matter!

For New Zealand’s take on

the variety has produced wines

more akin to those of France and

Hermitage fame than Australia’s

bold styles. Although in truth, the

New Zealand Syrahs fall between

the two and have forged a new

dimension for the variety.

The transfer of the grape to

New Zealand has been dated

to Busby’s appointment to New

Zealand as British Resident in

1833 and the Australian sourced

vines he planted there at

Waitangi.

Whether these vines were

direct ancestors of the vines

Stonecroft’s Alan Limmer rescued

from the Te Kauwhata research

station in 1984 is debatable.

Cuttings brought from Australia

by the government viticulturist

Romeo Bragato, at the end of the

19thC (possibly the same clones

as Busby planted) seem more

likely.

Whatever the case, the vines

rescued by Alan from the

research station laid the grounds

for the first real plantings of Syrah

in New Zealand; subsequent

plantings of Syrah hark back to

them.

But there has not been the

rapid growth and appreciation

10



for the variety that many

winemakers predicted.

Wine writer Michael Cooper

writing in his 2008 Wine

Atlas commented that the

establishment of Syrah in

Hawke’s Bay was “exceptionally

promising,” and remarked that

the wines that had emerged in

the previous 15 years “have been

unexpectedly classy.”

But in the 10 years to 2020

Syrah has been established

in just 441ha throughout the

country; a third of the quantity

occupied by Merlot although

twice that taken with Cabernet

Sauvignon, both of which are

usually blended, while Syrah

tends to stand alone.

But in both Hawke’s Bay and

Waiheke the variety seems to

have found not only the right

type of free draining soils with

accompanying heat, but also

a range of enthusiastic support

from winemakers. Around 20%

of the Gimblett Gravels area

is planted in Syrah and it is the

grape for which Waiheke is

becoming identified.

But many of the winemakers

and marketers I spoke to lament

the failure of the grape to light

up the palates of New Zealand

consumers despite the national

and international acclaim

accorded them. “It’s a really

hard sell,” one said. “Syrah is a

regular source of gold and trophy

results in local and international

competitions. It’s one of the best

wines the country makes!”

“Red wines for export are

difficult at any time,” said another.

“But New Zealanders just do not

seem to identify with the variety.”

And perhaps that’s at the nub

of the problem?

New Zealand Syrah is neither

French nor Australian and has

not yet established a unique

character for itself. Many of the

wines are a little more expensive

than the Merlot-Cabernet

counterparts that have been an

integral part of the New Zealand

wine scene for more than 40

years.

Time for a catch up?

Grapes ready for harvest in The Gravels.

Stonecroft’s

Respected

Heritage

Michael

Cooper’s

2008 Wine

Atlas of New

Zealand not

only includes

a survey of all the wineries

current that year, but also carries

sections in which he recounts the

influence of people who have

made significant contributions to

the New Zealand wine industry.

One of these is Alan Limmer of

Hawke’s Bay’s Stonecroft.

Alan was a pioneer in many

ways. He was one of the first to

recognise the potential of what

is now known as the Gimblett

Gravels Wine Growing Area and

was instrumental in saving some

of the most valuable viticultural

land in the country from the grips

of stone quarrying interests.

His Syrah vines at Stonecroft,

rescued from the Te Kauwhata

Research Station and planted on

Mere Road in 1984, were the first

in New Zealand and the resulting

vintages confirmed their promise.

The cuttings from these vines

have provided the base for most

New Zealand versions of the wine

ever since.


11


Also at variance with the

customs of the times, Alan

was equally entranced by

Gewürztraminer and even won

the trophy for ‘Gewürz’ at the

International Wine Challenge in

1996; a trophy usually reserved

for Alsace entries.

In another very individual

stance, Alan joined forces

with John Kemble, an expat

Californian with vineyards

at Mangatahi, to champion

Zinfandel, another variety little

recognised in New Zealand and

one which is still grows on the

estate today.

There can be no doubt that

Alan’s place in Cooper’s Atlas as

a ‘Winemaker of Distinction’ is well

deserved!

In 2010 Alan sold Stonecroft

to Dermot McCollum and his

partner Andria, a New Zealander.

After a redundancy payout,

WSET courses and Dermot’s

viticultural courses at Gisborne’s

Tairawhiti Polytech they looked

for a situation where they could

be ‘hands on’ in terms of making

their own wine and running a

cellar door business. “We looked

all over the country including

Waiheke and the South Island,”

says Dermot. “But Stonecroft

suited our ‘hands on’ ambitions.”

The fortunate thing is that

Dermot and Andria have

followed Alan’s individualistic

approach to a vineyard that

carries so much of New Zealand’s

wine heritage.

Syrah remains their primary

focus with three different styles

in the $25 – 30 range including

one that is free from all sulphites

and is vegan friendly. The Reserve

Syrah ($60) is taken from the

original vines Alan rescued

all those years ago while the

Stonecroft Original Syrah ($150) is

from the best single barrel taken

from those early plantings.

Alan’s love of Gewuürztraminer

is still evident in their portfolio

with two versions harking back to

vines planted in 1992. They also

make a late harvest style.

Zinfandel is still well supported

and Dermot says that despite

it being a curiosity in many

respects it sells well at cellar door.

He has even grafted over some

Cabernet to bolster their output.

As can be expected Stonecroft

also make Chardonnay, Merlot

and Cabernet Sauvignon and

planted Viognier in 2010.

to complete a wide range of

choices for those at cellar door.

With a philosophy of which

Alan would approve, Dermot has

moved to organics throughout

the estates, something that he

comments is more work but

has rewards in other ways. He

bought further vineyard land

in the Gimblett Gravels in 2013

but comments that while they

are within the boundaries of the

area, they differ from the home

vineyards that Alan established

all those years ago.

“Our biggest challenge is

to grow the markets we have

developed in China, the UK and

Australia,” comments Dermot. “In

the past, we’ve exported around

70% of our 3000 cases but

recently we’ve settled closer to

40%. So our local sales and cellar

door are important.

Stonecroft remains an

important symbol in the

development of the New Zealand

wine industry and it is reassuring

that Dermot and Andria have

held true to ideals of one of

New Zealand’s most important

winemaking pioneers. “We do

not really want to get too much

bigger as we wish to retain our

involved approach.”

Wine profile

Stonecroft Reserve Syrah

2016

This is the wine that probably

most represents those that Alan

Limmer sought to achieve when

he founded the vineyard.

The fruit has been drawn solely

from Stonecroft’s Gimblett Gravels

estate and includes significant

inclusions from those wines

planted to much acclaim in 1984.

It has been aged for 18 months

in oak and as Dermot says, “When

you taste this wine you are tasting

wine from the oldest Syrah vines in

the country.”

It’s a wine that Michael Cooper’s

2020 Buyer Guide rates as five

star and remarks on its fragrance,

concentration and suppleness.

The wine won trophy at the 2019

NZ Organic Wine Awards, was

also awarded five stars by Master

Sommellier Cameron Douglas,

94/100 points by Bob Campbell

MW and 19/20 by wine critic

Raymond Chan.

12


“...Highly refined, it is mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, with deep, notably youthful plum

and spice flavours, and a long, very smooth-flowing finish.”

MIchael Cooper - Buyers Guide 2020

RRRRR

MIchael Cooper

Buyers Guide 2020

RRRRR

Bob Campbell MW

The Real Review

www.millsreef.co.nz

RRRRR

Raymond Chan

Wine Review


Trinity Hill

Gimblett Gravels Dedication

In 1996 when I visited what is

now known as the Gimblett

Gravels Wine Growing District

there were distinct signs of

the region’s extraordinary

potential in terms of the

wines it produced.

But the battle to gain

recognition for the unique value

of the area was still in balance.

Lawyers had been engaged as

winegrowing interests conflicted

with both the council and

quarrying companies that aimed

to mine the stony river flats for

shingle rather than see it used for

viticulture.

The wineries won - eventually!

In the interim, as the reputation

of the wines from the area

gained traction, a few notable

winemakers opted to commit

to the area and ‘screw their

courage to the sticking place’

as Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth

recommended - but with better

outcomes than hers.

Trinity Hill was one of those

when winemaker John Hancock,

with experience in Australia

and New Zealand and with the

moniker of ‘Mr Chardonnay

for the wines he made at

Morton Estate, joined a three

way partnership with a British

restaurateur and a New Zealand

merchant banker, hence the

nomenclature Trinity Hill.

1993 saw 16ha of vines planted

on SH50, not only in Chardonnay

but also the Hawke’s Bay

‘standards’ of Cabernets and

Merlot for Bordeaux blends but

also Syrah .

It was this last variety, although

little known to New Zealand at

the time, that was to provide

Trinity Hill with its unique New

Zealand identity.

John had long been

fascinated with the variety; an

interest shared by Alan Limmer

of nearby Stonecroft. Alan had

been making small quantities

since 1987 with cuttings rescued

from the Te Kauwhata research

station; vines probably linked to

an Australian heritage as well as

vines brought to New Zealand

by British Resident James Busby

around 1830.

Limmer’s vines proved the basis

of Trinity Hill’s first Syrah plantings

and their first vintage in 1997 but

were later partnered by vines that

Gerard Jaboulet of the famed La

Chapelle in the Rhone Valley had

gifted to his New Zealand friend,

John Hancock.

They form the basis of Trinity

Hill’s championing of the variety

today.

Since those times Trinity Hill has

formed an enviable reputation

for Syrah and has established

two further vineyards adjacent to

their original plantings.

And while Syrah remains a

focus, Chardonnay continues as

a major part of their portfolio as

do their Bordeaux blends.

14


“Not just grown from a very special

parcel, but from a sacred site”

James Halliday

GIMBLETT GRAVELS, HAWKE’S BAY.

TRINITY HILL LTD, 2396 STATE HIGHWAY 50,

HASTINGS, NEW ZEALAND. WWW.TRINITYHILL.COM


Indeed, while their ‘The

Gimblett’ (Cabernet Sauvignon,

Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec,

$40) has featured in six of ten

years in MW Andrew Caillard’s

prestigious Gimblett Gravels

Annual Vintage Selection

the company’s endeavours

also include such wines as

Touriga Nacional, Tempranillo,

Montepulciano and Arneis.

But the company’s four

expressions of Syrah, the variety

that captured John’s attention all

those years ago, remain at the

heart of their portfolio.

“Syrah should be the King

of the Gimblett Gravels,” says

winemaker Damian Fischer. “The

sub-region’s soils and climate

suit it so well and we have found

that parts of our estate vineyards

excel with the variety.”

And indeed it was the quality of

the fruit from these vineyards that

has cemented the company’s

reputation for the variety; a

reputation that relies not only on

the highly respected Gimblett

Gravels Syrah ($40) and the

Hawke's Bay Syrah ($20) but,

since 2002, a reputation for

making one of the finest wines

the country can produce.

For 2002 saw the launch of

‘Homage’ their Syrah superstar.

It joined a small number of New

Zealand wines that are made

without compromise in only

the best of vintages and are

not afraid to ask a price ($150)

that their international standing

deserves.

Trinity Hill’s early commitment

to the area was indeed a case

of ‘screwing their courage to the

sticking place ‘ but innovation in

terms of both the area and the

promotion of a ‘new’ variety, have

ensured that they have fared

more than a little better than the

Macbeths.

Wine

profile

Trinity Hill L’Eritage

Syrah 2018

This new wine joins the recently

launched Estate Collection

expressly made to reflect the

distinctive characters of individual

sites or blocks in their estate

vineyards. They are only made in

the best vintages.

The Gimblett 125 Chardonnay

2018 ($80) and the Prison Block

Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($120 )

are both single vineyard wines as

but the L’Eritage Syrah may take

in grapes from the neighbouring

Hillside vineyard when it is of high

enough quality.

Winemaker Damian Fischer

explains that while Homage is all

about purity, sophistication and

refinement, L’Eritage is a bolder

expression of Syrah with a higher

percentage whole bunches

included during fermentation, as

well co-fermentation with a little

Viognier. “ L’Eritage is a wine of

perfume, density and power as

opposed to Homage’s beauty,

poise and finesse,” says Damian.

Martin travelled independantly

for this feature.

Hawke's

Pask- Small Batch

Gimblett Gravels

We learnt that Pask produces

four ranges of wines, crafted to

offer distinctive character and

style. With the exception of the

Instinct line, all Pask wines are

16



A visitor’s guide to the Gimblett Gravels Wine Growing District

BAY

Tripping Around the Vines in Hawke's Bay

We visit Pask Winery, Tony Bish, Elephant Hill Winery.

Words by Joan Gestro

estate grown and bottled. We

tried a tasting of Declaration

and a tasting of Small Batch; this

wine is only made in exceptional

vintages. Pask provides a

Cellaring Guide, for consumers

information.

The guiding philosophy at Pask

has always been to produce the

finest wines from Gimblett Gravels

of Hawke's Bay. The worldwide

recognition Pask wines have

received is statement to the

vision. Pask wines have earned

gold medals and trophy success

in London, Australia, Asia, the

United States and New Zealand

across a range of varieties and

styles. We not only enjoyed

tasting but also loaded the car

with the take home wines galore.


17


TONY BISH WINES

Along with a group of friends

we visited The Urban Winery, run

by Tony Bish. The winery offers

Tasting Platters as well as an

extensive menu. Our Platter

presented generous amounts

of cheeses, olives, delicious

pates, salami, crisp home-made

crackers and olive oil for dipping

that crusty bread accompanied

with a bottle of 2018 ‘Fat & Sassy’

Chardonnay which was all

curves and lusciousness.

Decanter world Wine Awards in

2018.Tony Bish offers members of

the Tony Bish Wine Club, The Sassy

Bunch benefits; 10% discounts,

complimentary wine tours and

tastings etc.

Must to try….not all at once.

Visit numerous times.

2018 ‘Fat & Sassy’ Chardonnay.

All curves and lusciousness

$22 per bottle Magnum $50

2018 ‘Skin in the Game’

Chardonnay. Skin fermented,

fresh, mineral, zingy and textural.

$30 per bottle

2018 ‘Heartwood’ Chardonnay.

The barrel fermented Hawke's Bay

classic $35 per bottle

2018 ‘Golden Egg’

Chardonnay. Fermented in

concrete egg. Rich, very textural.

$40 per bottle

2017 ‘Skeetfield’ Chardonnay.

Dry farmed old vine Mendoza.

Elephant Hill winery relaxed atmosphere.

Concentration and power.

$60 per bottle

2017 ‘Zen’ Chardonnay. The

first Chardonnay in the world

to be made in an oak egg.

$140 per bottle

ELEPHANT HILL

“Our wines reflect our

dedication to produce classical,

aromatic white wines and world

class reds”

Elephant Hill winemaker, Steve

Skinner, commented; “Our ethos

is to produce the best possible

wines that express their vineyard,

variety and vintage. Over our

ten-year history, we have carefully

watched how our vineyards

perform and mapped out the

various blocks and varieties. Te

Awanga is an excellent subregion

for growing Chardonnay.

Clay soils and a reliable seabreeze

from the near-by Pacific

Ocean further enhance the

expression of our coastal

vineyard. 2015 was a very strong

vintage; a warm season with

below average rainfall, which

allowed us to take multiple handpicks

of Chardonnay from our

four Te Awanga sub-blocks.

The Best in Show is the ultimate

accolade at the Decanter World

Wine Awards. In a separate

tasting, the four Co-Chairs

select The Best in Show from the

Platinum winners. 2015 Elephant

Hill Reserve Chardonnay was one

of the three New Zealand wines

awarded Best in Show.

See WineNZ summer issue for

more Hawke's Bay wineries.

Elephant Hill winery Hawkes Bay.

18


On a Mission

The birthplace of

New Zealand wine

since 1851

Words by Joan Gestro

Recently, we visited

Mission Estate Winery,

besides learning

about the Mission’s

most interesting

history we enjoyed a

delightful four course dinner with

friends.

In 1838 a group of French

Marist Missionaries, with the

blessing of the Pope, arrived

in New Zealand, and in 1851

established a mission at

Pakowhai, vines were planted

and the first commercial wine

sale was recorded in 1870.

In 1909, Father Smythe decided

to move the Mission community

and “Une Grande Maison” or the

“Big House” away from the flood

prone area to its present site.

Work started in 1910, when this

amazing building was cut into

eleven sections, rolled on logs

and pulled by traction engines to

its new location.

Mission Estate Winery, nestled

in the Taradale Hills, offers its

MISSION ESTATE WINERY

RESTAURANT

visitors sweeping views of the

extensive vineyards and the

coast beyond, a Cellar Door, a

Restaurant, Historical Tours, that

proudly showcase the elegance

of Mission Estate. The 57 English

Plane trees flanking the long

driveway, were planted in 1919.

The Estate had suffered huge

damage in the earthquake of

1931 which struck at 10.47am, an

earthquake measuring 7.9 on the

Richter scale.

The old Chapel is currently

under renovation as a Wedding

Venue… Oooh lala! Tres

magnifique!

THE CELLAR DOOR

While Mission wines are crafted

using the latest in technology,

they still use traditional

winemaking techniques, handed

down by their founding fathers,

proudly holding on to their French

heritage, namely Father Cyprian

Hutchet, a winemaker and son of

a vigneron from the Loire, France.

Their pinnacle wine “Hutchet” is a

tribute to Brother Cyprian Hutchet.

Visit the Mission Estate wines

at the cellar door where visitors

are offered an opportunity to

taste from the extensive range

of wines to suit every palate

and occasion. Open Monday

– Saturday 9am - 5pm. Sunday -

10am - 4.30pm.

The values and craft of our pioneering French winemakers is alive and

well in our wines today. Carefully nurtured, pure and distinctive wines,

we honour our past and our land with each new vintage we craft.


19

On a Mission

OUR DINNER AT THE MISSION RESTAURANT

Starched white tablecloths,

exquisite New Zealand cuisine, set

the scene for fine dining. Colin,

our publisher, chose a starter

of home-made garlic breads.

Sharing plate of Firecracker

prawns. Duck Liver Pate etc.

Colin’s main of perfectly cooked

Fillet steak, I chose the Groper

main, visual feast and delight to

the palate. We enjoyed a bottle

of Jewelstone Syrah, Gimblett

Gravels, over main course and

a bottle of ‘Fete’ hand harvested

Cuvee, to complement our

deserts.

Our thanks to our very

knowledgeable French waitress,

who spoke with passion about the

Estate, its history, and food, most

impressive service indeed from all

the staff. We are looking forward

to our next visit to the Hawke's

Bay and the memorable Mission

Estate.

The Restaurant is open 7 days

from 10am until late. I do advise

you to book ahead as it is a very

popular destination.

Mission hold annual Concerts

on the terraced area.

Mission Estate Winery:

198 Church Road, Taradale.

Hawke's Bay.

Ph: + 64 6 845 9350.

Fax: + 64 6 844 6023

Email: info@missionestate.co.nz

Award-Winning

D E C L A R A T I O N

HANDCRAFTED, POWERFUL,

ELEGANT & ENDURING STYLES.

OUR DECLARATION RANGE

REPRESENTS THE VERY BEST OF

OUR GIMBLETT GRAVELS VINEYARD.

W W W . P A S K . C O . N Z

About

Tankersley

Advertorial

Estate

Bearing the family

name and

representing the

Tankersley crest, The

Tankersley Estate

Vineyard is nestled

between the rocky outcrops of

the Pisa mountain range and the

shores of Lake Dunstan in Central

Otago, New Zealand. The soils

are some of the oldest in New

Zealand, and they give our Pinot

Noir its great density.

The vineyard was established

at the turn of this century and

exclusively planted with Pinot

Noir, to capture what Central

Otago has become world

famous for.

These long-established vines

have resulted in every vintage

of Tankersley Estate Pinot Noir

from 2013 receiving wonderful

high ratings from several

independent reviewers including

Bob Campbell, Michael Cooper,

Sam Kim and Raymond Chan

between 93/100 – 95/100.

Tankersley Estate has been

intentionally ageing all of the

vintages to enhance them, to

produce world-class Pinot Noir

wines from every Vintage.

Only the limited balance of

the 2014 Vintage is currently

available, and only upon selling

out of our 2014, will we release

our 2015 and subsequent

Vintages to the market.

However, we launched a

Limited-Edition Collection (2013

to 2016) back on August 18th

to celebrate World Pinot Noir

Day. Due to the success of this

collection, future special releases

may be in the horizon.

For collaboration and sales

enquires, kindly contact

Peter Cho

027 269 9691

orders@tankersleyestate.co.nz

www.tankersleyestate.co.nz

@tankersley.estate.nz


21

New Product Releases


HAWKE’S BAY

DAMSON GIN

LIQUEUR NAMED

BEST FRUIT LIQUEUR

IN THE WORLD

A

Hawke’s

Bay damson gin liqueur has

been named the best fruit liqueur in

the world at a prestigious international

competition.

The Damson Collection’s Damson Plum Liqueur

won not only the Best New Zealand Fruit Liqueur

gold award, it took the top honour of World’s Best

Fruit Liqueur, at the World Liqueur Awards 2020.

Each of the 150-plus entries was categorised

into 18 genres, including fruit, honey, spice, coffee

and cream and this year was tasted in isolation at

home by each of the 14 industry experts.

The judges praised the Damson Plum Liqueur for

its “aromas of tropical candy initially, before being

presented with acidic notes on the palate” saying

it was “vibrant in flavour” and had lingering notes of

tropical fruit.

The perfect mix of Hawkes Bay plums and a

citrus-dominant gin are crafted at Distillerie Deinlein

in the Bay of Plenty.

“It is a wonderful honour to be recognised by

experts from around the world, especially as we

were in the finals with some incredible entries from

Canada, France, Italy, Guernsey and the US,” says

The Damson Collection owner Fiona Tomlinson.

Damson Plum Liqueur is part of a range of

premium jams, cheese accompaniments, sauce

and vinaigrette that started life at the Hastings

Farmers Market.

“Our damson are grown using sustainable

practices on an orchard located on the

Heretaunga Plains, and the plums’ tartness makes

this such a unique marriage of flavours. Damson

Plum Liqueur is a really versatile spirit – great on ice,

with bubbles, or in a cocktail.”

Product

information:

The Damson

Collection – Damson

Plum Liqueur

Volume: 375ml

Alcohol: 15% ABV

$35

Stockists: www.

thedamsoncollection.

co.nz



Wither Hills

launches their first

ever red wines

Wither Hills has released its first-ever

Syrah and Merlot varietals,

expanding its range and marking

an exciting

new chapter for the award-winning New Zealand

brand.

The new Merlot 2018 and Syrah 2018 are

from Hawke’s Bay rather than Marlborough, the

brand’s spiritual home, explains Matt Large, Head

Winemaker at Wither Hills.

“While we’ve experimented with a few different

wines in small batches over the years, it’s clear that

the Hawke’s Bay is the best region for creating

Merlots and Syrahs of depth and richness. This is

thanks to the warmer climate which allows the

fruit to ripen more fully, really bringing out the

flavours in the wine”

“We’ve created a warmly textured Merlot,

matured under different oak regimes over

18 months to bring out vibrant dark plum

flavours, with nuances of cigar box and

chocolate. To create our Syrah, we gently

de-stem and ferment the fruit before an

extended maceration period to soften the

tannins, resulting in a varietal packed with

notes of dark fruit, pepper and spice,”

says Matt.


23


Jacob’s Creek

release new alcohol-free range

Jacob’s Creek has

announces the launch of

Unvined, a new range of

alcohol- free wines, with

no more than 0.5% alcohol by

volume, in New Zealand; crafted

for wine lovers looking for an

alcohol-free wine to enjoy in

social moments.

Available in Rose, Shiraz and

Sparkling, the same range

also has 50% fewer calories

than regular wine of the same

varietal, catering to the growing

number of consumers looking

for more options to suit their

preferences.

Featuring a distinctive new

pack illustrating Australia’s

stunning flora and fauna, this

elegant range showcases

modern wine making

techniques where the alcohol

has been gently removed, yet

still retains true wine character.

Dan Swincer, Jacob’s Creek

chief wine maker, explained:

We know wine consumers are

wanting more options when

it comes to wine and alcohol

content, and we take great

pride in creating wines for every

consumer and social occasion.



Taste life on the

flip side

Brancott Estate

unveils a playful

new look

W

hen you’re from a

land that’s on the

other side of the

world, you can’t help

but see things differently which

can lead to wonderful things.

Brancott Estate has revealed a

distinctively fun and fresh new

positioning and packaging

design inspiring wine lovers to

‘taste life on the flipside’.

As the originators of the

Marlborough style of Sauvignon

Blanc, Kiwi ingenuity has

always been at the heart of

Brancott Estate. At a time when

convention said Marlborough

was only good for sheep farming,

the brand flipped that thinking

in 1973 and started Brancott

Estate, the first vineyard in what is

now one of New Zealand’s most

celebrated wine regions.

It’s this notion of thinking

differently that leads to the

brand’s new aesthetic, paying

homage to the sheep, who

to this day play an integral

role on the Brancott Estate

vineyards, whilst also portraying

a spirit of originality by literally

flipping the beloved national

icon upside down. Quirky

and novel in design, the

lighthearted approach to the

branding portrays the

unconventional way

of thinking embraced

by the Brancott Estate

brand.

Unmissable on the

shelves in a modern

shade of blue, the

packaging is both eye

catching and creates

intrigue.

Eric Thomson, Global

Marketing Director

for Pernod Ricard

Winemakers, said,

“this new look and

positioning is a real

milestone for Brancott

Estate who, despite taking

winemaking very seriously,

has always been nonconventional

in spirit. And

it’s not stopping there. Over

the next 12 months consumers

can look forward to many more

playful moments from Brancott

Estate including a new media

campaign starting in July.”

Brancott Estate’s new packaging

can be found across their entire

range of Sauvignon Blanc,

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling,

Pinot Noir and Merlot, and is

available now from leading

liquor outlets at an RRP of $11.99.


25

Wine & Time

Wine & Time The

2020 Vintage

Report

From the start, the

prospects for superb

wine from the 2020

vintage looked strong.

“We know parts of the

country have been in

drought and the pastoral farmers

don’t like that,” observed Philip

Gregan, CEO of New Zealand

Winegrowers, on 23 May, “but

for us in the wine industry, these

conditions are absolutely tailormade

for producing great wine.”

“For overall fruit quality, this is

one of the best vintages I’ve

experienced,” enthused industry

veteran Ivan Sutherland, of Dog

Point Vineyard in Marlborough. In

Hawke’s Bay, Nicholas Buck, of Te

Mata Estate, declared 2020 was

“probably the greatest vintage” in

his career, “even better than 2019.”

It was a bumper crop – 11 per

cent bigger than 2019 and nearly

3 per cent above the previous

record, set in 2014. Sauvignon

blanc dominated the harvest (74

per cent), followed by pinot noir,

pinot gris, chardonnay, merlot

and riesling. Almost 65 per cent

of the country’s entire grape crop

was of a single grape variety from

a single region – Marlborough

sauvignon blanc.

In late spring, temperatures

soared. November proved to

be the country’s hottest-ever,

The reds this

year have been

mind-blowing!

Fruit was in perfect

condition, with

concentration not

seen on Waiheke

since 2013.

By Michael Cooper

coupled with below-average rain

in east coast wine regions.

February was a mixed bag

– although wet in the south,

extremely dry, warm weather in

the upper South Island and North

Island intensified the summer

drought. In April – the key harvest

month – conditions stayed

favourable for winegrowing, with

mild temperatures, low rainfall

and dry soils in most regions in

the North Island and upper South

Island.

Expect some fine wines from

the north this year. Mudbrick

Vineyard enthused: “The reds this

year have been mind-blowing!

Fruit was in perfect condition,

with concentration not seen on

Waiheke since 2013.” In Gisborne,

after a warm, dry summer,

James Millton reported the “2020

vintage is amazing, such good

conditions…”

Lovers of reds and chardonnay

can expect some striking Hawke’s

Bay wines. “The growing season

was slightly cooler than the last

four seasons… but still above the

long-term average,” noted Nick

Picone, group chief winemaker

for Villa Maria. Bilancia harvested

syrah from its la collina vineyard

“in beautiful condition - perfect

flavour and ripeness.”

In Martinborough, Roger

Parkinson, of Nga Waka, said “the

real story of the growing season

is the extended dry period from

late December until mid-March...

Quality is outstanding, with

bright, concentrated flavours in

the white varieties and rosé, and

remarkable colour, texture and

depth of flavour in the pinot noir.”

After a cool, dry season in Nelson,

Seifried Estate reported “another

early and very condensed

latest from New Zealand wine world

New Zealand’s most acclaimed wine writer.

Secure a copy of his annual wine buyers guide due out soon.

vintage,” with “beautiful, clean

fruit.” Blackenbrook enthused that

“the quality of the fruit we have

harvested is right up with the very

best we have ever had…”

Marlborough accounted for a

whopping 77.7 per cent of the

national harvest. Rob Agnew,

of Plant & Food Research

(Marlborough), noted that

temperatures over the growing

season were cooler than in

2019 and 2018, but still well

above the long-term average.

Dryness was a crucial factor -

from late December to mid April,

Marlborough recorded less than

a quarter of its normal rainfall.

Hans Herzog was highly

enthusiastic. “All the late-ripening

varieties loved the dry, beautiful

Indian Summer and performed

extremely well… The dryness

made for small berries with less

- but extremely concentrated -

juice.”

In North Canterbury, 2020 was

“an exceptional year,” declared

Pegasus Bay, after the earliestever

vintage at Waipara. “The

wines have a real vibrancy and

true concentration,” reported The

Bone Line.

“You certainly won’t hear

anyone in Central Otago

pronouncing this as the ‘vintage

of the century’,” declared Misha’s

Vineyard on 22 April. “Overall it

has been a cool and wet season.”

However, in terms of quality,

Misha’s Vineyard reported that

“achieving sugar ripeness with

lower yields was relatively easy

and the cooler temperatures saw

higher acidity retained.” Chard

Farm was upbeat, declaring 2020

to be “an excellent vintage.”


Cellar door sales took a hit during lockdown.

Covid-19 hits

cellar-door

sales

By Gillian Vine

Although alcohol doesn’t cure Covid-19, Australian

and New Zealand wine sales jumped during

lockdown, with both countries seeing an increase

in sales of about 70% on the same period last year.

It was not all good news for Australian wineries,

some of which had already been hard hit by

drought and bushfires.

“No one was coming to see us,” Tyrrell’s Wines’

CEO Bruce Tyrrell said of the period when smoke

blanketed the Hunter Valley.

That meant cellar-door sales plummeted,

a situation made worse by having to close

completely during lockdown.

Mr Tyrrell, a fourth-generation head of the familyowned

company, said he started “looking at the

way we run the cellar door … and the whole way

we do things”.

He concluded that video presentations to promote

Tyrrell’s Wines CEO Bruce Tyrrell.

the business made more sense than timeconsuming

and expensive visits to cities to talk to

“about 25” people.

“I don’t need to travel but can do this from the

office,” he said.

Cellar-door sales will continue to be part of Tyrrell’s –

and for a good reason.

“We opened up the first weekend in June and sales

are up,” he said.


27

Wine & Time

Domaine Thomson’s new tasting rooms and offices are inspired by buildings from John Turnbull Thomson’s time.

Profile:

Domaine Thomson

The library: a Gallic touch.

Tasting wines from Central Otago and Burgundy

from the same producer is a unique experience,

now available at Domaine Thomson’s new tasting

room above Lake Dunstan. Named after John

Turnbull Thomson, chief surveyor of Otago in the

1850s, Domaine Thomson’s vineyards in both

hemispheres are owned by David Hall-Jones, a

descendant of Thomson, and his francophile wife

PM.

Their new corrugated iron tasting room is

reminiscent of huts from Thomson’s time, but

with a Gallic touch in the interior. Thomson’s

remarkable paintings of his local explorations

such as fording a river on horseback, or struggling

up the rocky Skippers Canyon, make fascinating

viewing beside the panoramic views over today’s

vineyards and lake.

Here you can taste not only three local pinots,

the edgy Explorer, the elegant Surveyor Thomson

and the spicy “Rows 1-37” and a deliciously

textural rosé, but also from three chardonnays

from France, a sparkling blanc de blanc Cremant

de Bourgogne, Saint-Aubin and “La Rochepot”

Bourgogne Blanc, as well as pinots from Mercurey

and the flagship, Gevrey-Chambertin “Les

Evocelles”.

John Turnbull Thomson.

Fording a river in the 1850s. One of

Thomson’s paintings.


Wine & Time

Wine manager

digs into wine

science at EIT

Thirteen years ago, German born Kathrin

Jankowiec landed in New Zealand during a

round-the world-trip and never left. Coming

from a very different career background, the EIT

graduate diploma student has climbed the ladder

in the wine industry, and is now the production

winemaker at Villa Maria in Marlborough.

Her debut in the wine industry was pretty much a

coincidence and born of financial necessity. “I had

no money left so I knocked at the cellar door of

Saint Clair in Blenheim and asked for a job,” Kathrin

remembers. “That’s how I slid into the wine industry.

I did my first harvest and it was awesome fun. Every

day, I felt excited to go to work.” Kathrin also fell in

love with the region. “Marlborough is the land of

milk and honey, one big adventure park,” she says.

She soon decided that the wine industry would

be the avenue she wanted to pursue. She said

good bye to her career as a teacher and hasn’t

looked back since. Kathrin learned everything

from the ground up. In 2009, Kathrin completed

a wine certificate at EIT which gave her a better

understanding of the science behind her everyday

tasks in the vineyard and winery.

Last year, Kathrin enrolled in EIT’s Graduate

Diploma in Oenology. Kathrin opted for the parttime

distance programme with annual residential

classes at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay campus. Building on

her industry experience, Kathrin is delving into

subject areas such as sensory science, wine

microbiology and wine chemistry. She says that the

qualification digs down to the “nitty-gritty” stuff and

provides her with science skills that help her solve

problems.

With a sense of bewilderment she looks back

at this year’s vintage which was overshadowed

by the COVID-19 pandemic. Like so many other

businesses, Villa Maria didn’t have the time to

Originally from Germany, Kathrin Jankowiec has

discovered her passion for wine in New Zealand.

prepare for the emergency scenario. Within a

couple of days, they had to reorganise their whole

business.

“We had 60 winemakers from all over the world

coming for the harvest when all of a sudden we

found ourselves at level 4. All these people weren’t

allowed to stay where they had planned to stay.

We had to build bubbles so we organised 70

campervans and moved everyone on site, even

some of the managers and engineers. We set up

a commercial kitchen in a container and flew

the chefs from our Auckland cellar door down

to Marlborough. The place turned into a proper

campsite, with a toilet and shower block, laundry

and Wi-Fi. It was super challenging and mentally

draining but the team spirit was on an all-time

high. Everyone just knew what was at stake and

hung in there.”

“Despite these crazy challenges, the 2020 vintage

is one of the best in a very long time,” smiles

Kathrin. While working 12-hour-shifts, studying had

to take a back seat, Kathrin says. “In the evening

I simply didn’t have the energy to bury myself in

books and binge-watched Tiger King instead,”

she quips. Luckily it’s all back to normal now and

Kathrin can crack on with completing her diploma.


29

Wine & Time

US BILLIONAIRE BACKS NZ TOURISM

REBOUND WITH HEFTY WINE INVESTMENT

A US billionaire is pouring “many

millions” into developing a winery

and gin distillery in Wairarapa,

insisting New Zealand will bounce

back in the wake of Coronavirus.

Foley Family Wines has

announced it will upgrade

Te Kairanga vineyard in

Martinborough, including a new

complex housing a restaurant,

an underground barrel facility,

tasting rooms and a gin distillery.

Another Billionaire, Anthony Pratt

Annabel Angland from Peregrine

Wines has been awarded a

Corteva Central Otago Young

Viticulturist of the Year 2020

following the competition at

Otago Polytechnic Central

and his sister Heloise Waislitz

and Fiona Geminder, owners of

Vysi, have delivered on their late

father, Richard Pratt’s ambition

to become a major glass bottle

manufacturer after sealing a

near one billion deal with US

heavyweight O-I Glass. Vysi, a

recycling and cardboard box

manufacturing giant, will become

Australia’s biggest glass bottle

maker after it acquires O-I Glass’s

(Owens Illinoi Glass) Australian

and New Zealand division.

2020 Central Otago Young

Viticulturist of the Year

announced

Campus in Bannockburn.

Congratulations also goes to

Liam Burgess from Viticultura

who came second and Jordan

Moores from Felton Road who

came third.

Family of Twelve

announces a series

of Family Feasts for

winter and spring 2020

-Celebrate the magic of New

Zealand with a memorable

dinner alongside some of the

country’s best wines-

It’s the Family of twelve’s

Family Feasts. Over winter

and spring, we are offering

series of feasts in Auckland,

Gisborne, Wellington, Nelson

and Christchurch. Starting

as biennial events in 2017

their terrific popularity sees us

repeating the feasts for a third

season in 2020.

Family Chair, Paul Donaldson

of Pegasus Bay, says

The dinners celebrate

the diversity and

passion of kiwi excellence

and you are invited to join.

One special wine from each

family winery will be served at

each dinner. Each restaurant

will serve 12 wines matched

with hero dishes. Restaurants

from five regions include

Arbour, Atlas, Hopgood’s & Co,

O’Connell St. Bistro, Cibo and

Crawford Road Kitchen.”

Annabel Angland.


Wine & Time

The Landing Wines partners

with Vintners New Zealand

The Landing Wines is

pleased to announce

that Vintners New

Zealand, with a roster

of exceptional New

Zealand and international

wine estates, has been

appointed to represent

the Northland label.

‘Vintners fits very well with

the philosophies and

aspirations of The Landing

Wines,’ says Peter Jones

general manager of The

Landing Wines. ‘We share

the same approach of

doing business in a highly

professional yet down-toearth

way, while being

committed to the highest

standards of quality.’

Founded in 2001, Vintners

New Zealand represents

family owned fine wine

estates from New Zealand

and the world, including

Craggy Range, Bilancia,

Kumeu River, Australia’s

Leeuwin Estate and

France’s Champagne

Taittinger. The Landing

is a 1000 acre-bushclad

coastal estate on

the Purerua Peninsula

in the Bay of Islands

with a 23-acre vineyard

and modern luxury villa

accommodation. All its

wines are estate-grown,

hand harvested and

made on the property in

their new state-of-the art

winery.

'New to New Zealand'

entries set trend

The New World Wine Awards, one of New

Zealand’s largest and most anticipated

annual wine competitions, hit the road to

host a series of regional judging events for

the first time in its 18-year history.

More than 1200 wines were judged over

10 days of non-stop tasting at events in

and around the country’s key wine regions

– a big change from the usual one-off

Wellington event held each year.

Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central

Otago were the judging hub for wines

grown and made in the surrounding areas,

while Auckland held the judging for local

as well as international, sparkling and

emerging wines.

Discover Kinross, a stunning boutique

vineyard hotel, bistro and wine cellar

set deep in the heart of Gibbston,

New Zealand’s spectacular

‘Valley of the Vines.

Only 10 minutes from Arrowtown,

Kinross is the ideal base for wine

lovers to explore Central Otago, ski, or

simply relax in our guest hot tub,

drinking in the view of the stunning

Pisa range. With 14 delightful

cottages, cellar door, wine garden,

bistro and cycle hire on site, we offer

couples, families and good friends a

truly idyllic summer holiday.

HALF PAGE AD

Kinross have launched an impressive

wine club offering wine collections

and special vintages from the area’s

leading wine makers including Coal

Pit, Domaine Thomson, Hawkshead,

Valli and Wild Irishman along with our

new wine label, Kinross.

Visit kinross.nz to explore

our world of wine.

FINALIST, NZ CELLAR DOOR OF THE YEAR 2019


31

Wine & Time

a Celebration

like no other

T

he Hawke’s Bay Wine

Auction has firmly

secured the position of

New Zealand’s premier

wine auction for quality

and uniqueness of

the wine offerings. The 29th

annual event is set to be another

spectacular celebration with an

extremely impressive line-up of

unique and premium auction

lots, on September 19.

This event provides the

opportunity to showcase the

quality and diversity of our worldclass

wine region Hawke’s Bay, as

well as shine a spotlight on our

renowned wine producers, all

while raising much needed funds

for Cranford Hospice.

Guests enjoy an afternoon of

delicious canapes, speaking with

winemakers, tasting the superb

wines on auction. This is followed

by the fun, lively auction - raise

your paddles to walk away with

some of Hawke’s Bay’s finest

wines, one travel package or

the feature art piece by Anna

Jepson.

This year, look out for unique

packages and barrel lots from:

Radburnd Cellars, The Farm

at Cape Kidnappers, Askerne,

Alpha Domus, Black Barn,

Bilancia, Bostock Wines, Bridge Pa

Triangle Wine District, Brookfields,

Church Road, Clearview Estate,

Collaboration Wines, Crab Farm

Winery, Craggy Range, Decibel

Wines, de la terre, Elephant

Hill, Esk Valley Estate, Gimblett

Gravels Association, Hancock &

Sons, Junction Wines, Lime Rock,

Mission Estate Winery, Monowai

Estate, Ngatarawa Wine, Paritua,

Radburnd Cellars, Pask Winery,

Sacred Hill, Sileni Estates, Smith

& Sheth, Squawking Magpie

Wines, Te Awa, Te Awanga Estate,

Te Mata Estate, Tony Bish Wines,

Trinity Hill Wines, Vidal, House of

Travel Hastings & The Reef House,

Tironui, Lawn Road Retreat &

Easthope Family Winegrowers

and Artist - Anna Jepson.

Syndicates are extremely popular,

workmates, friends and family

get groups together to form a

‘syndicate’ and bid together for

these specially crafted auction

lots. The Auction is a lot of

excitement for everyone in the

room, and also phone bidders

get to join in the fun.

Since 1991 when the first Hawke’s

Bay Wine Auction was held,

the generosity of participating

wineries, local businesses,

corporate partners, supporting

bidders, and volunteers, has

raised funds which have been

solely gifted to Cranford Hospice,

these funds help Cranford care

for patients and their families

living in the Hawke’s Bay, each

and every day. Supporting

Cranford Hospice is the core

charitable mission of the Hawke’s

Bay Wine Auction, whose

cumulative giving surpassed $3.6

million in 2019.

For more information or

to purchase tickets visit

hawkesbaywineauction.co.nz, or

‘like’ Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction,

Facebook and Instagram pages.


HAWKE’S BAY’S LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Wine & Time

THE 29TH ANNUAL HAWKE’S BAY

WINE

AUCTION

19 September 2020 • Toi Toi HB Arts & Events Centre

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LIVING

Hawke’s Bay


33

Wine & Time

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Tastings | EIT Editorial

The EIT team

takes a

break from

learning the

secrets of the

Marlborough

wine industry.

EIT Excursion

Marlborough 2019

Words by Tim Creagh [EIT Viticulture Lecturer]


EIT Editorial | Tastings

It's Thursday and we’re

tasting wine in a 27 million

(soon to be 43 million-litre)

winery. It is the third tasting

today and 50 viticulture

and wine students from the

Eastern Institute of Technology

(EIT) have experienced both

ends of the production spectrum

in one day. From the small but

exquisite Framingham to the

goliath of the New Zealand wine

industry, Indevin. It's the annual

EIT excursion to Marlborough

and we are into day five.

It seems so long ago but

it was only Monday that we

were in a Sauvignon blanc

master class with Stephen

Dempster, viticultural consultant,

and Hamish Clarke, Senior

Winemaker at Saint Clair Family

Estate. Different sub regions

and styles, old and new savs

and even barrel fermented

Sauvignon. Included in the

line-up was Loveblock, Astrolabe,

Tohu, Starborough and St Clair.

We were guided through the

differences that the rivers and

valleys create in the wines. There

was a 2006 Kim Crawford that

still showed the tropical richness

but with canned asparagus.

Another interesting wine was

a 2012 Dog Point Section

94 handpicked and barrel

fermented sauvignon. I wanted

to take the rest of the bottle with

me for professional development

later on but instead, wine

lecturer and organiser of the

excursion, Elise Montgomery

and I are guiding the students to

the next visit. This time it’s a talk

from senior scientist in wine and

viticulture, Dr Damian Martin who

explains the projects undertaken

by Plant and Food Research.

This is followed by talks from

William Kerner, Len Ibbotson

and Michelle Barry from the

newly created Bragato Research

Institute in Blenheim.

The afternoon was dedicated

to Brancott Estate, the pioneers

of the Marlborough wine. It

started with a genuinely unique

experience, a falcon flying

display. Diana Dobson from the

Marlborough Falcon Trust, based

high on the hill at the Brancott

Estate cellar door, gave the

students a close up encounter

with Fern, a native New Zealand

Karearea. Some of the students

got involved and were able to

handle this incredible bird. We

then wandered down to the

vineyard and heard from head

viticulturist for Brancott, Andrew

Naylor. Andrew challenged the

students. “Ask me questions,

what do want to know?”

And they did. “Why are you

cultivating, why are you using

herbicide, what would you do

differently.” This is all good stuff,

just the questions a tutor wants

to hear the students ask. We

then wandered back up the

hill to the cellar door and long

serving winemaker Andy Frost

gave the students an honest

insight into the industry. It wasn’t

the expected low down on how

Brancott make wine but instead,

how students need to look after

themselves, stay the healthy,

plan their careers and look to

innovation.


39

Central Otago 1750 Tarras-Cromwell Road, Cromwell

Zebra Vineyards produce grapes that appear in several awarding winning wines, from a world-class block of Pinot

Noir vines. Located in the most southern wine region of the world - Central Otago, Bendigo is home to some of the

best vineyards in the region. The property comprises of 55.52 hectares at Bendigo on the Tarras-Cromwell Road.

With soils ideal for viticulture this site consistently produces premium wine. First planted in 2003, the Bendigo

Flat vineyard with northwest facing rows has the slightest undulation across 23.37 hectares planted in Pinot Noir.

An additional 7 hectares has just been planted (2019). This spectacular vineyard has all of the infrastructure in

place to support additional plantings. An elevated terrace also provides scope for the development of a gravity-fed

winery, capable of processing 400 tonnes at full production, opportunities for a cellar door, restaurant and retail

store complex.

Land: 55.52 ha

Price: Price by Negotiation

nzsothebysrealty.com/NZW10553

Craig Myles +64 21 467 585

craig.myles@sothebysrealty.com

Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated. Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.

Tasting Results | Tastings

OUR BLIND

WINE TASTING

RESULTS

The WineNZ guarantee

Our buying guide

provides you

with trusted,

independent,

expert

recommendation

on what to buy, drink and cellar.

Each panel tasting is judged by

three experienced tasters chosen

for their authority in the category

of wine being rated. All wines are

tasted blind, and are pre-poured

for judges, in flights of 8 to 10

wines. Our tasters test and score

wines individually but then discuss

their scores together at the end

of each flight. Any wines on which

scores are markedly different are

retasted; however, judges are

under no obligation to amend

their scores.

The tastings are held in the

controlled environment of EIT

tasting suite: A plain white room,

with natural light and no noise. We

limit the number of wines tasted to

a manageable level- a maximum

of 70 per day. Allowing judges to

taste more thoroughly and avoid

palate fatigue.

Scoring system

95-100: Classic

A great wine.

90-94: Outstanding

A wine of superior character

and style.

85-89: Very good

A wine of special qualities.

80-84: A good wine

Solid and well made.


41

Tastings | Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Why is Chardonnay so popular?

This white grape has a long, noble history,

which starts with its Old-World roots in

Burgundy. Some of the most coveted, and

therefore expensive, Chardonnays in the

world come from this region in France.

Warm climate Chardonnay: Most warm climate

Chardonnays regions fall within the new world.

Warm-climate Chardonnay typically has less

acidity, with opulent, ripe fruit flavours from

yellow peach to papaya and pineapple. Wines

are usually full bodied with higher alcohol.

What’s the difference between unoaked

and oaked Chardonnay?

You’ve probably seen winemakers or brands

promote their Chardonnay as oaked or

unoaked. A winemaker who wants their

Chardonnay to taste crisp and bright, often

uses stainless steel to ferment and store the

wine before bottling. This limits the influence

of oxygen and retains the wine’s fresh

character. When a winemaker seeks to create

a fuller-bodied wine with secondary flavours

of vanilla and spice, they can ferment and

age the wine in oak, or ferment in stainless

steel and age in oak afterwards. Oaked

Chardonnay often undergoes partial or full

MLF while in barrel, as well as sees contact

with the lees (dead yeast) The vanilla and

spice flavours, plus round creamy texture

from micro-oxygenation, lees contact and

MLF produce a wine that is the stylistic

opposite of unoaked Chardonnay.

Where is Chardonnay produced?

There is no such thing as the “best

Chardonnay” The best question is what

type of Chardonnay do you like to drink?

The differences between wines of regions

are largely due to climate and winemaking

traditions. Thus, we can break down

Chardonnay between cool versus warm

regions and old-world versus new world,

within that context.

Cool climate Chardonnay: Cool regions can

be found both in the old world and the new

world. Cooler climate Chardonnay typically

has more acidity, citrus flavours and mineral

character and is lighter bodied and lighter in

alcohol and elegant.

$24.99

TASTING

TEAM

TOP

CHOICE

2018 Sacred Hill

Single Vineyard

H.B. Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Intense

yellow necterine,

matched with good

oak to lift fruit, touch of

creamy texture more

delicate than expected

well balanced.

Simon Nash: Toasty charr,

lemon and nectarine,

long palate with svelt

acidity, wonderful

balance with longevity

coupled with a great

back palate.

Lauren Swift: Full gold,

bright, quite weighty

fleshy, ripe, rich but well

balanced full bodied

style with a sound dry

almost flinty finish.

Points: 96


Chardonnay | Tastings

Chardonnay

Zephyr Chardonnay

Marlborough 2019

Barry Riwai: Charr and toast, peach and tropical notes,

toffied finish.

Simon Nash: More colour, ripe quite fleshy, full flavoured,

ripe stone fruit, well handled oak, quite tight in a fuller

style, good acidity.

Lauren Swift: Mealy, yellow fruits, ripe necterine, great

texture and handling of oak. Broad style yet with class,

juicy.

Points: 89

$31.99

$24.90

Hunters Chardonnay

Marlborough 2019

Barry Riwai: Fine, lemon citrus aromas, some reduction too.

Reduction comes through onto the palate stewed fruits.

Needs some time to settle.

Simon Nash: Nice mid yellow, a bit fresher than 1st bottle,

quite nice lemon driven fruit, good development and well

balanced with nice oak too.

Lauren Swift: Flabby flat nose. Perhaps bot in the vineyard.

Reductive. Good texture on the mid palate. Grubby.

Points: 86

Tony Bish Heartwood Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Lime and white fleshed peach, caramel

peachy palate, some vinilla and cedary oak.

Simon Nash: Full colour, ripe, powerful pineapple notes,

solid style, quite pine like oak inf, may flesh out, a little 2

dimensional and flat right now.

Lauren Swift: Bold ripe yellow fruits, touch of sulphide,

good hit of oak. Yet lacking of layers and complexity.

Simple yet well made.

Points: 86

Tony Bish Golden Egg Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

$34.99

Barry Riwai: Lime zest, green melon, cooler expression. Faily

tight palate with good weight.

Simon Nash: Very full colour, a bit cardboardy initially, solid

mid palate fruit, quite light in style, lacks real fruit intensity,

a little short.

Lauren Swift: Broad on the nose - lacks personalirty and

definition. And similar on the palate. Commerical.

Points: 85

$39.99

$39

Clearview Three Rows Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Big full on charry chardonnay, no holds barred,

rich and dense palate with line or dark roasted toffee to

hold everything together including the gunsmoke.

Simon Nash: Full gold, ripe, quite warm fruit driven

bouquet, heavy. Ripe, quite varnishy character, slightly hot

finish,

Lauren Swift: Toasty and bold on the nose, good punch

of sulphide, generous fruit and power, great oak support?

Just oak?? Lack of class and elegance.

Points: 91

$19.99

Spinyback Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Tropical fruits, honeysuckle, meal and spice.

Palate is soft and round, has easy drinkability but would

benefit from more line and length.

Simon Nash: Unusual papery nose, not altogether clean,

juicy fruit on palate, soft, lacks huge grip, mid weight, juicy

finish, a bit short.

Lauren Swift: Caramel pineapple, malo and rich. Broad

style. Lacks drive.

Points: 84


43


Waipara Hills Waipara Valley

Chardonnay

Waipara Valley 2019

Barry Riwai: Green melon and kiwifruit, tropical

characteristics, smooth palate, lighter and agile

Simon Nash: Full yellow/gold, bready nose, hint of vanilla,

wafer, nicely fleshed out, soft fruit, balanced style though

lacks real intensity on the finish. Sound.

Lauren Swift: Feety, lovely undertones of yellow fruit, salty,

great texture andgood fruit conc on the palate lacks

drive on back palate.

Points: 87

$16.99

$29

Mission Reserve Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Vinillin, sweet spice and baked, caramelised

pear, just fades a little on the fiish

Simon Nash: Full, gold, citrus scented, lifted, juicy ripe

bouquet, nicely bound, quite well balanced on the palate,

good stone fruit and acid balance, nice, restrained

Lauren Swift: VA. Lifted, bruised fruit, too oxidised in style.

Points: 86

Matahiwi Estate Hawkes Bay Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Nectarine with lime perhaps a hint of mango,

soft acidity.

Simon Nash: Bright, yellow/gold, ripe, nicely restrained

style, has very nice balance, well handled oak, nice vanilla

wafer balance good length. Long, refined

Lauren Swift: Rubber sulphide, mineral focus great texture

and drive. Lacks some fruit concentration fine boned style.

Points: 89

$22.99

$46

Thomas Chardonnay

Waiheke Island 2019

Barry Riwai: Pale colour, some reduction, but citrus zest

comes through. Palate initially powerful, linear and refined

but finishes with a hard suphidic note.

Simon Nash: Mid yellow, bready but a bit sweaty too, the

fruit is solid but there’s a hard edge and the wine stops a

little short. Touch of wood tannin/acid hardness.

Lauren Swift: Bold ripe yellow fruits, touch of sulphide,

good hit of oak. Yet lacking of layers and complexity.

Simple yet well made citrus curd, mineral drive and salty.

Great texture and focus on the palate, juicy.

Points: 91

Sileni Cellar Selection Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Lemon and lime, good line of acidity that

carries the sweet vanilla and spice oakyness. Good pick

up of flavour on the finish, charr, spice and flint.

Simon Nash: Gold/yellow, lifted, juicy, pineapple, plump

fruit on the nose, soft, ripe, quite fleshy, almost sweet juicy

fruit, not complex, but nicely soft and forward.

Lauren Swift: Bold intense yellow fruits, nice play with

sulphide. Adding drive and a seam to the palate, juicy

good fruit conc.

Points: 89

$19.99

$17.99

Hãhã 2019 Hawkes Bay Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Sweet cinnamon spice, vinillin. Big round

palate with a soft, sweet vanilla caramel finish

Simon Nash: Quite full yellow/gold, some lifted ice cream

soda notes, nice juicy mid palate fruit, finishes a little soft

and directionless.

Lauren Swift: Fresh wet stone, juicy citrus, delicate and well

proportioned, lighter style with great texture, lacks fruit to

drive the wine.

Points: 86



2019 Sacred Hill Origin Hawkes Bay

Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Linseed, lemon and grains, quite subtle on

the palate a first but there are layers of flavour and good

focus on the back palate and understated wine.

Simon Nash: Bright nice yellow/gold, nice lifted citrus

driven fruit style, very well crafted, mouth filling fruit with all

elements in harmony, quite refined, long, super.

Lauren Swift: Crème caramel, sweet and sweaty good hit

of oak adding lovely texture and concentration.

Points: 88

$16.99

$39.99

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels

Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Beautiful pale green hue, warm sweet spice,

lemon curd, elegantly poised.

Simon Nash: yellow/gold, dry, restrained, mineral and wet

stone, elegant fruit on the palate, restrained, grippy, good

intensity across the palate and long finish.

Lauren Swift: greem apple, mineral, good intensity, lean

style, lacks focus and drive.

Points: 90

Mission Estate Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Lime with green melon almost methoxy edge

to the palate. toffied oak on the finish with sweet spice.

Simon Nash: Nice bright yellow/gold, lifted vanilla wafer,

fragrant bouquet, nicely crafted, elegant restrained,

superb refined style, rolls royce smooth. Long

Lauren Swift: Mineral, citrus flowers and curd, lovely texture,

juicy with great acid drive and very focused palate.

Points: 92

$16

$25

Mills Reef Reserve Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Barley sugar, hint of flint, subtle yet layered with

flavour, toast and charr, lemon and florals. Great finish.

Simon Nash: Full gold, bright, quite lifted prefumed nose,

on the palate, quite edgy with some hard acids, with a

sound dry almost flinty finish.

Lauren Swift: Power nose of yellow fruits and florals, great

concentartion of fruit and texture.

Points: 90

Wild Earth Chardonnay

Central Otago 2019

Barry Riwai: Pale colour, lemon and lime, pure pristine

palate, a little closed at the momment but good line and

length with complexity and balance.

Simon Nash: Pale, shy nose. Some bready characters.

Nicely balanced citrus fruit, crisp acidity, mid weight, will

age v well, quality restrained style.

Lauren Swift: Light in colour, delicate nose, green apple,

white flowers, lack of conc on palate, very up front. Ok

texture. Caramel sweat.

Points: 88

$35

$31.99

Zephyr Chardonnay

Marlborough 2018

Barry Riwai: Lemon and lifted nectarine, good toffee and

charr notes, fine palate.

Simon Nash: Bright, gold, bready almost a bit cooked

or reduced on the nose, lemon scented, solid fruit, and

balanced on the finish with clear citrus fruit.

Lauren Swift: Grubby, good conc of fruit. Lovely sulphide

seam keeping the wine tight and driven on the palate.

Points: 95


45


Testify by Daniel Brennan Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Wonderfully pale, green hues, struck match on

the nose, sulphides tighten the palate and give an almost

saline finish with citrus zest embelishments.

Simon Nash: Full gold, bright, clear matchstick but also

crisp lemon citrus on the nose, well handled oxidatively

managed, a bit edgy with some hard acids, a dry grippy

finish.

Lauren Swift: Creamy, MLF wrapped in sulphide, good use

of oak.

Points: 90

$44

$45

Clearview Reserve Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Toffee, toasted coconut with roasted grains,

good textural structure an impressive wine.

Simon Nash: Gold, ripe looking, ripe quite weighty chunky

pineapple notes, ripe on the palate, a little chunky and

heavy even alcoholic, hot finish, solid acids.

Lauren Swift: Citrus and white florals touch of grub. With

good complexity, toasty oak, juicy and good delivery.

Points: 90

Tony Bish Skeetfield Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Orange blossom, hints of medow honey, toasty

oak to finish. Soft and easy.

Simon Nash: Gold, nicely lifted, elegant lemon scented,

clean and fresh bouquet, ripe on the palate, good clean

and crisply expressed fruit, nice acids, elegant finish.

Lauren Swift: Mealy, yellow fruits, ripe necterine, great

texture and use of DCO2 to maintain freshness. Broad

style, little bot on the palate.

Points: 88

$59.99

$27.99

Saving Grace Chardonnay

Waipara 2018

Barry Riwai: Marzipan, orange blossom, with sweet toffee

and vinilla. Bigger, riper style.

Simon Nash: Full gold, lifted vanilla wafer, sound fruit,

ripe but balanced, wafer character comes thru on the

palate. Solid, lacks intensity

Lauren Swift: Pineapple, golden queen peach, bright and

light no real direction.

Points: 85

Hunters Offshoot Chardonnay

Marlborough 2018

Barry Riwai: Apricot and orange zest, round and soft, with

cream and caramel.

Simon Nash: Bright gold, nicely dry fume nose, notes of

straw, mid weight, soild juicy fruit mid palate, a little heavy

there, the finish is not so elegant.

Lauren Swift: Fresh green melon, and citrus great texture

and drive, leaner style yet very well handled and

managed.

Points: 90

$34.90

$29

Johanneshof Cellars 2018 Marlborough

Chardonnay

Marlborough 2018

Barry Riwai: Lychee, candied orange zest, gently fading on

the back palate.

Simon Nash: Bright gold, lifted slightly grapefruit in

character, ripe soft, quite citrus with fresh acid edge.

Finishes clean and well.

Lauren Swift: Caramenlised peach, sweet. Lacks layers

and interest. Very forward.

Points: 84



2018 Sacred Hill Reserve Hawkes Bay

Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Barry Riwai:: Stonefruits, sweet vanillary oak, still with

loads of drive and power, maybe the fruit is a little inwards

but plenty of sweet spice and structure.

Simon Nash: bright gold, quite waxy, maybe older barrels,

some lanolin characters, nice dry well balanced fruit,

tightly bound, quite european in style, savoury finish.

Lauren Swift: good intensity of grilled necterine, wet stone

and mealy chartacters, great conc delivering power and

drive.

Points: 95

$21.99

$21.99

Mud House Sub Region Series Omaka

Chardonnay

Marlborough 2017

Barry Riwai: Lemon curd with touches of blood orange

marmelade, dry palate with a good focus and a fine

finish.

Simon Nash: ygold bright, quite chunky pineapple cubes,

soft, quite sweet on the palate with acids, not balanced,

quite old style and a tad coarse.

Lauren Swift: tutti fruiti, creamy, lots of making and lack of

fruit.

Points: 84

Allan Scott Black Label Chardonnay

Marlborough 2018

Barry Riwai: A bit closed, some charr but flat on the palate

and falls early.

Simon Nash: full gold, bright, lifted, quite malic apple

notes, nicely soft and restrained, gentle style, with good

harmony through it. Well balanced, not heavy, quite styly

Lauren Swift: pineaplpe lumps. Dank fruit… nice front

palate.

Points: 84

Awatere River Chardonnay

Marlborough 2017

$26

Barry Riwai: toasty, caramel, brichoe, roasted necterine

lovely power and intesity. Juicy, stuctural and interesting.

Simon Nash: Barley sugar, hint of flint too. Toast and charr,

lemon and florals. Still very tight, with some grip, would be

a great food wine ready now

Lauren Swift: bright almost heavy gold, ditto nose quite

heavy almost cooked in style, ditto palate which finishes

coarsely,

Points: 95

$29.99

$29.99

Waimea Chardonnay

Nelson 2017

Barry Riwai: Baked peaches and spice, warmth with a

chunky phenolic texture that gives length and structure

Simon Nash: yellow/gold, papery nose, with some lemon

characters, mid weight and body, sound balane in a dry

fume style. Quite integrated to the finish. Lacks real depth

Lauren Swift: dank, wet botty fruit? Ok texture and overall

made well.

Points: 86

$27

Pukeora Ruahine Range Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2017

Barry Riwai: Maderised nutty almond aldehyde

Simon Nash: almost heavy gold, somewhat raisined,

palate is all dried fruits, sherried, seems older than it is.

Not in balance, if it ever was.

Lauren Swift: stewed fruit, oxidised. Broard and lack of

precision, very crème caramel on the palate.

Points: 82


47


Beachhead Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Hint of charr with popcorn reduction, lovely

toastyness on the palate, textural and flavoursome without

being too obvious.

Simon Nash: Mid gold, powerful, refined, with some

intensity. Very nice palate development, oxidatively

managed with juicy citrus, good length, well balanced,

very good length.

Lauren Swift: Feety, lovely undertones of yellow fruit, salty,

great texture andgood fruit conc on the palate lacks drive

on back palate.

Points: 93

$27

$39

Black Barn Vineyards Barrel Fermented

Chardonnay

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Spice, baked rice pudding, toasty oak to the

fore.

Simon Nash: Full colour, a little closed up, leesy, somewhat

liquorous on the palate, with slightly hot fruit, lacking

depth, concentration.

Lauren Swift: Restrained nose, citrus, mineral seam coming

through on the palate, great texture and balanced

acidity, lean style just lacks the fruit to carry it.

Points: 86


Bordeaux-Style Blends | Tastings

ABOUT

BORDEAUX-

STYLE

BLENDS

The phrase “Bordeaux-style red

blend” may be used informally

to describe red wines produced

from a combination of Cabernet

Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet

Franc, Petit Verdot and to a lesser

extent Malbec.

Appelation d’Origine

Protegee (AOP) laws and

other protections of origin

mean that only wine made

in the Bordeaux area

can, according to strict

regulations, be officially

labelled as Bordeaux.

WINES USED IN A RED

BORDEAUX-STYLE BLEND

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon produces

deeply coloured, highly

structured and full-bodied

wines with ample acidity. The

Cabernet Sauvignon grape is

naturally high in tannin and

is thus capable of aging for

decades, sometimes requiring

to be approachable and

enjoyable. In youth, Cabernet

Sauvignon shows black fruit

aromas and flavours, particularly

of black currant, that over time

give way to subtle, nuanced

tertiary aromas.

Merlot

Merlot is a softer and rounder

grape variety, with more obvious

fruit than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Though capable of producing

superb wines by itself, its job

as a counterbalance to the

austerity and astringency of the

Cabernet Sauvignon should not

be overlooked. The grape variety

is widely grown and produces

vines from entry level to some of

the world’s finest.

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is a parent of

Cabernet Sauvignon, though its

considerably lighter in colour,

body and tannin. It offers a

Bordeaux-style red blend more

obvious fruit than Cabernet

Sauvignon, as well as a pleasant

herbaceous note. Its lighter body

can be welcome when blended

with its more robust progeny,

offering crispness to the wines.

Petit Verdot

Petit Verdot remains a small

but a very important part of

many quality Bordeaux-style

blends. Single varietal wines

are powerful, deeply coloured

and tannic. In blends, it boosts

tannins and deepens the

colour, and offers a distinctive

spicy note.

Malbec

Malbec also plays a smaller

supportive roll in Bordeaux.

At its best it is deep-coloured

and fruit forward.


49

Tastings | Bordeaux-Style Blends

BORDEAUX-STYLE BLENDS

TASTING

TEAM

TOP

CHOICE

TASTING

TEAM

TOP

CHOICE

$18.99

$39.99

Ti Point Hawkes

Bay Merlot

Cabernet

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Beautiful

colour, plum, prune

and berry on the nose,

sweet fruits and spice on

palate. Round generosity

to the palate, a touch of

warmth on the finish.

Simon Nash: Nice dark,

blackcurrant jam, soft

nose, good intensity of

fruit, and supporting

acids, well integrated,

juicy, lively, good finish,

nice lift at the end.

Lauren Swift: Ripe blue

fruits, spice seam, supple

tannin, approachable

and soft.

Points: 95

Trinity Hill The

Gimblett

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Inky black

colour, red plum and

lashings of spicy oak.

Vanillin flavours from the oak

complement the super ripe

fruit porfile. Big plush velvity

palate.

Simon Nash: Dense, dark

purple rim, chunky, farmyard

nose, soft on entry, nice

ripe fruit and mouthfeel,

silky tannins,sweet oak, nice

sweet finish.

Lauren Swift: Blueberry

yoghurt, spice backbone,

big tannin stucture

supported by fruit dark

berries supported by good

oak.

Points: 95

Mission Estate Merlot

Hawkes Bay 2019

Simon Nash: Very dark, savoury, olive, solid mid palate fruit,

savoury style, supporting tannins, sound finish.

Lauren Swift: Leafy, herbal edge, lean red fruit, angular

tannin. Lacks density and drive

Barry Riwai: Plum, thyme and cigarbox, cooler complex

style berryfruits and red plum on the palate.

Points: 86

$16

$29

Mission Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Red with garnet hues. Cooler brambly fruits

with a fresh herbal edge. Chalky tannin and a fine

medium weight finish.

Simon Nash: Dark rouge, savoury, olive, solid sweet fruit

mid palate and finishes well.

Lauren Swift: Herbaceous, red fruit, spicey,tobacco notes,

firm tannin.

Points: 85


Bordeaux-Style Blends | Tastings

$16.99

$35

Sacred Hill Origin Hawkes Bay

Merlot Cabernet

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Bright plum and cherry, good use of oak,

toasted spice flavours support the fruit. Medium weight,

seamless palate structure.

Simon Nash: Dark rouge, marmite, mineral, ashes,

wetstone, solid quite juicy sweet fruit mid palate, nice

correct finish, quite long.

Lauren Swift: Lifted red fruitty candy, lighter style well made,

dusty tannin.

Points: 87

Pukeora Ruahine Range The Benches

Hawkes Bay 2017

$28

Barry Riwai: Plum, licorice and red leather aromas, chewy

tannins and sundried tomato flavours on the palate.

Simon Nash: Dark rouge, savoury tomato/bouillon, soft

entry, ripe fruit, a little broad, warm ferment, ripe finish.

Lauren Swift: Leather and tobacco, developed fruit, firm

tannin good acid stucture .

Points: 86

Tironui Malbec/Merlot/ Cabernet

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Lifted red fruits, raspberry and mocha oak,

complex dark roasted meats finish.

Simon Nash: Dark, purple to rim, dense inky nose, rich,

sweet fruit, supporting acidity, structure, smoky, redcurrant

fruit laced with lively acidity.

Lauren Swift: Horsey, floral, good core fruit undertones,

grippy tannin, bitter….

Points: 84

Mission Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Dark brooding wine, heavy toast, mocha and

plum jam. Firm tannins frame the broad full bodied palate

and ripe fruit flavours.

Simon Nash: Dark red/purple, ashes, mineral wetstone, tad

hard, solid cherry, dark fruits character, solid grip!, quite

correct, sound finish, bit hard?

Lauren Swift: Barnyard, spice, blueberry fruits, chalky

tannin, lighter style well balanced.

Points: 88

$16


51

Tastings | Syrah

Syrah

versus

Shiraz

Syrah also known as Shiraz is a

popular red wine. Though the

spiritual home of this wine is

France, Syrah has been planted

throughout the world to great

success. It expresses itself

differently depending on the

climate, soil and region style,

though certain characteristics

remain the same.

What’s the difference

between Syrah and Shiraz?

Where does Syrah/Shiraz

come from?

Technically Syrah and Shiraz are

the same grape. The difference

between the two comes from

different expressions and

climate-driven styles. Winemakers

who work in cooler-climate

growing regions, both in the Old

World and the new world tend to

call their wines Syrah. The most

famous examples come from the

Rhone Valley of France, notably

Hermitage and Cote-Rotie. In

the New World, in regions like

Sanoma Coast, California; Yarra

Valley Australia, New Zealand

and parts of Chile, the wines

are called Syrah because they

emulate the leaner, acid-driven,

savoury styles of the Old-World

French classics.

Shiraz tends to come from

warmer growing climates,

namely South Australian of

Barossa, McLaren Vale and

Adelaide Hills. Stylistically, these

wines are lush fruit-forward

examples that embody the

warmer, sunnier climate.

What does Syrah taste like?

Syrah is a dry full-bodied,

opaque wine, with brisk acidity,

moderate-to-high alcohol level

(13-14.5%) and firm tannins. How

does the best Syrah taste? It has

a range of flavours, from smoke,

bacon, herbs, red and black

fruits, white and black pepper,

to floral violet notes. When aged

in oak, Syrah takes on flavours

of vanilla and baking spices.

In general, Syrah will be more

elegant, lean and savoury than

its powerful, fruit-driven cousin

Shiraz.

Please see our tasting notes

for more!


Syrah | Tastings

Syrah

TASTING

TEAM

TOP

CHOICE

$29.99

$120

Trinity Hill

L'eritage Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Violets and

mulberry, boysenberry

conserve. Charry oak

gives structure but

does not dominate.

Classy looking wine with

perfectly balaced acidity

you can really feel the

quality of the grapes,

still tightly structured but

drinks well and will keep

for a long time.

Simon Nash: Black,

purple, nice, scented,

violets, cream, aromatic

perfume, nice sleek fruit

good grip, quite chewy,

too much so. Otherwise

v good.

Lauren Swift: Dark berries

and cream, great

concentration and

power, large front palate

tannin. Very forward and

chewy.

Points: 96

retasted

Matahiwi Estate Hawkes Bay Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Lighter red with tawny hues, leather,bayleaf

and spice with raspberry fruit flavours, light bodied.

Simon Nash: Pale, quite soupy nose, may be loose knit. Up

front style, tomato, bouillon, toasty oak, solid mid palate

but lacks depth and richness.

Lauren Swift: Light style, early developed, lacks conc and

intensity. Holey finish.

Points: 84

$16

Stables Reserve Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Sweet spice, berry fruits with black olive. Some

heat on the palate, light bodied but full flavoured and

chalky tannic structure.

Simon Nash: Dark, rich, quite restrained, good depth, good

mid palate, crisp, peppery lively acids. Lighter weight,

cherry style.

Lauren Swift: Berry compote with spice fresh and vibrant,

light on its feet and juicy.

Points: 89

Sileni Cellar Selection Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2019

Simon Nash: Black, purple, nice, scented, violets, cream,

aromatic perfume, nice sleek fruit good grip, quite chewy,

too much so. Otherwise v good.

Lauren Swift: Dark berries and cream, great concentration

and power, large front palate tannin. Very forward and

chewy.

Barry Riwai: Violets and mulberry, boysenberry conserve.

Charry oak gives structure but does not dominate. Classy

looking wine with perfectly balaced acidity you can really

feel the quality of the grapes, still tightly structured but

drinks well and will keep for a long time.

Points: 90

$19.99

$25

Mills Reef Reserve Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Violets, blackberry with a hint of reduction,

chalky tannins give way to a long sweet vanillin finish.

Good body with pleasing, gernerous mid palate weight.

Simon Nash: Dark, bright, sweaty, slightly bretty nose?, but

juicy savoury/sweet fruited on the palate, chewy tannins.

Lauren Swift: Light and bright, balanced extraction and

proportion.well balanced and made .

Points: 92 retasted


53

Tastings | Syrah

Cape Kidnappers Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2019

Barry Riwai: Dark toasted oak aromas, plack pepper

complexity, molassis, cranberry and carroway.

Superb colour.

Simon Nash: Nice deep colour, spice, blackcurrant,zesty

nose, saddle leather, good broad, juicy dry red wine, hint

of green edge, round and satisfying, well balanced. Nice

ripe finish.

Lauren Swift: Vibrant, leafy, fresh spice, musky, red fruit.

Good fruit core, well proportioned.

Points: 86

$27

$39.99

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Violet, black pepper and bayleaf. Oakier on

the palate, a strong savoury charr on the finish. Plenty of

assertive tannins from the oak that will soften, very linear.

Simon Nash: Dark, purple, ink, violets, some perfume, crisp/

fresh on the nose, rounded juicy dark fruits on the palate,

smooth, nice restrained elegant finish.

Lauren Swift: Berry compote with spice fresh and vibrant,

light on its feet and juicy with a strong fruit core with drive.

Points: 95 retasted

Sileni Grand Reserve Peak Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Cherry and blackberry with touches of black

tea. Complex style, leaner palate but with plenty of flavour

in a more refreshing rather than big style.

Simon Nash: Saddle leather, cherries, rounded around the

edges, sweet juicy fruit mid palate, mid weight style, solid

acids.

Lauren Swift: Red candy characters on the nose, juicy and

lifted spice, lovely tannin balance, supple.

Points: 89

$35.99

$49.95

Mills Reef Elspeth Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2016

Barry Riwai: Dark umami, shitake with carnberry fruit. Like

the complexity that comes from age, the wine is opening

in the glass showing more fruit, firm finish.

Simon Nash: Dark, deep red, lifted, chunky nose, polished

leather, smooth, ditto palate, dry style with solid grip, but

fruit is balanced, acids too, sound and correct to the

finish.

Lauren Swift: Dark blackberries, showing some aged

leather characters, velvet tannin on the mid palate.

Finishes dry.

Points: 90

2018 Sacred Hill Reserve

Hawkes Bay Syrah

Hawkes Bay 2018

Barry Riwai: Mealy oak, warm sweet spice and berry fruits.

Medium weight and good concentration.

Simon Nash: Full red, developed aromas of cherries, sound

fruit, mid weight, some nice pepper/spice on the palate,

good balancing grip and soft finish.

Lauren Swift: Red candy characters on the nose, juicy and

lifted spice, lovely tannin balance, supple.

Points: 88

$24.99


New Zealand

Certified 150

Feature | Alex Basin

The Central Otago wine

region spreads over

several valleys. Probably

the most overlooked

but also the oldest and

most southern of them is

the Alexandra Basin.

Below the big dam that now

holds back Lake Dunstan near

the historic village of Clyde,

French gold miner and later

mayor, Jean Desire Feraud, ran

an orchard and the region’s first

commercial vineyard back in

the 1860s and ‘70s. His little stone

winery still exists and grapes

are being planted around it so

hopefully it will welcome visitors

in the future. At the other end of

the basin, south of the Clutha

river, also in the 1860s, Italian

winemaker Luigi Valli was making

wine at Como Villa.

International tourists dropping

into Queenstown have to be

pretty determined to venture

this far although Otago and

Southland locals flock here

over summer and independent

travellers in cars or campervans

on their way to or from the Catlins

or Dunedin discover its charms.

History pervades the area not

only in the little stone cottages,

some stylishly renovated,

scattered round the area, but

also in the gold mining relics

and romantic names such as

Perseverance Estate named

after a gold dredge, or Last

Chance Vineyard after a mining

company.

Several grape growing trials

took place near Alexandra in the

1960s and ‘70s and two of the

earliest of the modern growers

were experimenting here in the

1980s, Bill Grant of William Hill and

Verdun Burgess and Sue Edwards

of Black Ridge.

For wine lovers today the

Alexandra Basin offers a plethora

of small, mostly family-owned

wineries to discover - be sure to

check their hours and whether

you need to phone ahead as

some owners have day jobs or

may be working in the vineyard.

The local growers have

produced a wine map with

all the details which you can

pick up at wineries or the local

information centre. It lists more

local wineries than the general

Central Otago wine map.

Several are beside the Otago

Central Rail Trail popular with

cyclists, and many supplement

their incomes by providing

vineyard accommodation

varying from modest cottages to

luxurious lodges. It’s worth staying

in the area an extra day or two

to explore the local wines and

some of the history - for a good

overview of the area visit Central

Stories museum in Alexandra.

Because the wineries are small,

the owner or grower themselves

will probably show you their

wines and vineyard and tell you

their story. Each one has a point

of difference, perhaps some

unusual wines, a fascinating

ALEX

basin

Central Otago wines from the

Alexandra Basin may not be

as well-known as those from

Bannockburn or Bendigo but

visiting the small family-owned

vineyards means you get to

talk to the owners, learn their

stories and taste and buy wines

that are rarely available but

often good value. Charmian

Smith visits the cellar doors of

Alexandra.

56


history, an extensive view - a

couple of days visiting will

reveal many stories and

different flavours, and many

good value wines.

Although some wines may be

found in local outlets and cafes,

most are only available a

t cellar doors or on line. However,

one Alexandra wine you may

find in supermarkets around the

country is Pick and Shovel - a

simple but fragrant and very

quaffable pinot noir and a fresh

pinot gris. Annie Winmill also

produces Dry Gully and Rock

& Pillar wines from the Moffit

family vineyards and is open by

appointment southernwines.

co.nz.

Wines from the Alexandra Basin

are subtly different from those

grown in Bannockburn, Bendigo

and other subregions to the

north. They tend to be more floral

with a fresh, crunchy acidity and

go well with food. Most are made

by contract winemakers including

Antony Worch of Alexandra

Vintners and Vinpro in Cromwell

and this professional production

has lifted the quality of wines

remarkably from the early days

when some growers made wine

themselves in garages and sheds.

The vineyards are spread over

different soil types and exposures

- some along the alluvial floor of

the basin on both sides of the

Clutha river, others are on hillsides

and some on the plateau above.

Some are big - the 800ha

McArthur Ridge started as a $500

million recreation and lifestyle

development but a large chunk

of it was offered for mortgagee

sale some years later. Much of its

fruit is sold to larger companies

outside the region to produce

Central Otago pinot noir.

Actor Sam Neill’s Two Paddocks

has two vineyards in the basin,

the sloping, north-facing 2ha Last

Chance in Earnscleugh Rd in

the south and a 5.5ha vineyard

at Redbank on the 60ha farm/

orchard/headquarters at the

northwest end of the basin, as

well as others in Gibbston and

Bannockburn. Tastings are only

Alex Basin | Feature

available to members of its

wine club by appointment

- for more information

visit twopaddocks.com.

As elsewhere in Central, pinot

noir dominates, but there is

also pinot gris, a little riesling,

chardonnay and a tiny amount

of gewürztraminer but this is well

worth tasting if you come across

it. Back in the late 1980s when

pinot noir hadn’t yet made its

mark on the few pioneering wine

growers, some people thought

gewürztraminer would become

the region’s predominant grape.

Wine lovers will discover

some unusual wines - look for

white pinot noir, pinot gris rosé,

barrel fermented pinot blanc,

port, as well as the more usual

styles of fresh pinot gris and lively

pinot noir.

At Labour Weekend the

Alexandra wine producers hold a

new release tasting in the garden

of the historic Oliver’s Lodge and

restaurant in Clyde, and at Easter

there’s an annual wine and food

festival also in Clyde.

For more

information

visit alexandrabasinwines.co.nz

If you don’t have your own

transport, a few companies

offer wine tours in the area:

Alexandra wine

tours. vine2wine.co.nz/

wine-tours

Roaring wine

tours roaringtours.co.nz

Otago tours

otagotours.co.nz

Wine Solutions Bespoke tours

on Facebook

It’s also easy to reach many

vineyards by bicycle along the

rail trail.

wines Key: Pinot Noir Riesling Pinot Gris Chardonnay Gewürztraminer Rosé Other Whites Other Reds

wineries: To help plan your trip use this guide to see

what wines our wineries have to offer. Wineries are

categorised as Open By Appointment, Not Open to the

Public, or Open for Sales and Tastings. Be sure to check

10. Grasshopper Rock

244 Earnscleugh Road, Alexandra

021 853 908 | www.grasshopperrock.co.nz

sales@grasshopperrock.co.nz

18. omeo

Bruce Shaw

36 Hawley Road, Alexandra

03 449 2438 | 027 646 5970


57


WEAVER

ESTATE

Mark Weaver and the Weaver Estate tasting

room - an unexpected variety of wine styles.

Winemaker Jess Weaver and

her German husband Kilian like

experimenting with a range of

styles, some only single barrel

batches, so you’ll find some

unexpected wines at Weaver

Estate. Look for barrel fermented

pinot gris, a rosé made from

pinot gris instead of the usual

pinot noir, an orange/amber

wine, port and muscat as well as

more usual styles - the selection

varies from year to year. They work

half the year in Europe and often

bring home new ideas to try.

As you drive in the gate, Jess’s

brother Mark Weaver emerges

from between the vines to

greet you and take you to the

small corrugated tasting room.

Everything is made and bottled

on site in their own winery, which

makes them unique in the district,

he says.

The 3.5ha vineyard on the

main road between Clyde and

Alexandra was established by

their parents. Now run by Mark

and his wife Hayley and Liz

Weaver, they also offer vineyard

accommodation in a couple

of cottages.

Try the Autumn Gris 2019 ($20)

a textural rosé make from pinot

gris by leaving it on its skins for

five days.

Enthusiasts will want to try Skin

on Skin 2014 ($54), an orange or

amber wine made by fermenting

pinot gris and pinot blanc on

their skins like a red wine and

ageing it for two years in French

oak. It’s complex and nutty with a

creamy aroma, supporting oak, a

hint of almonds and a long finish.

There’s also a textural barrelfermented

pinot gris, a minerally

wild-fermented pinot blanc and

a light, steely sauvignon blanc

(all $25) with fruit lingering on the

aftertaste, quite different from the

lusher Marlborough style.

Rosa 2016, a flavoursome,

textural, barrel-aged pinot noir

rosé ($39), was inspired by Jess

working a vintage in Bulgaria,

Mark said.

There are several pinot noirs,

including the reserve Vintage

Select Row 13 2016 ($45), a spicy

complex, dense, textured wine

with a mineral backbone.

And to finish there’s Johnny’s

port, a ruby style first made

in 2013, but Johnny, their

grandfather, had been nagging

them to make another, Mark said

with a laugh.

weaverwines.co.nz

381 Clyde-Alexandra

Rd, Alexandra

03 448 6335

58



JUDGE

ROCK

Drive through the vineyard,

park in the old farmyard and

walk through a clematis-covered

pergola to Angela and Paul

Jacobson’s veranda for a tasting

of Judge Rock’s award-winning

wines. The name comes from a

prominent rock above the road

at Millers Flat down river.

The couple grow pinot noir

and St Laurent on a west-facing

organic vineyard they tend

themselves with the help of

Wwoofers (willing workers on

organic farms) and viticulture

students from Lincoln. Paul, a civil

engineer, still has a day job - not

uncommon among couples

who operate small vineyards in

the area. They also have a threebedroom

vineyard cottage a

couple of hundred metres from

the rail trial.

From the 2019 vintage they

have given their wines names

with legal overtones - it was

difficult to find ones without

unpleasant connotations, Angela

said with a laugh.

From pinot noir they produce

three wines: a fragrant dry rosé

A pergola at the entrance to Judge Rock’s tasting room - on the veranda or

in the dining room of Angela and Paul Jacobson’s house.

called Innocent ($25);

a charming, peachy, off-dry

white, the Alibi ($19); and a

classic, aromatic 2016 pinot noir

($45) with the characteristic

tension and crunchy acidity of

this region.

The Jacobsons imported

and planted St Laurent, an

uncommon grape variety in

New Zealand although it’s widely

grown in Austria and other parts

of Central Europe. Related to

pinot noir, it produces a silky wine

with dark fruit flavours. Judge

Rock St Laurent 2013 ($30) oozes

dark berries, cherries, raspberries

and strawberries with a savoury

hint of forest floor, silky tannins

and a dry finish.

They also make The Verdict

($50), a smartly packaged port

that Angela says is good with

chocolate, blue cheese, and

berry desserts.

Their wines are made at

contract winemaker Vinpro

in Cromwell.

judgerock.co.nz

36 Hillview Rd,

Alexandra

03 448 5059

Angela Jacobson and the

range of Judge Rock wines

- all made from pinot noir or

the uncommon St Laurent


59


PERSERVERANCE

Down a long drive, past several

other houses, and through

vineyards brings you to Murray

and Jennie Hughes’ little bit of

paradise in the old location of

Muttontown. They offer tastings by

appointment in their large house

surrounded by the 4ha vineyard.

Perseverance Estate is named

after one of the gold dredges

that worked the river and its

banks in the 1880s.

The Hughes were among the

group of winegrowers to help

Antony Worch set up Alexandra

Vintners a decade ago and he

makes their wine - a fresh, offdry

rosé, ($20.50), a deliciously

fragrant, intense pinot gris oozing

tropical fruit but beautifully

balanced ($20.50), and a

textural, red-fruited pinot noir

with a lively tension characteristic

of Alexandra pinot (good value

at $25).

perseverance.co.nz

192 Airport Rd,

Alexandra

03 449 2434

Marc Hatfield in his small vineyard

- he says he produces wine the

vineyard makes.

Jen Hughes

and her

Perseverance

wine.

DUNSTAN

ROAD

Marc Hatfield is one of the few

local producers to make his own

wine as well as tend his own 2ha

vineyard, although he’s fairly laid

back about it.

He makes what the vineyard

makes and doesn’t do anything

significant to the wine. Sheep

do the leaf-plucking to expose

the grape bunches to sun, and

eat the weeds. He rarely irrigates

which means the vines have their

roots deep in the alluvial gravels,

he explains.

He has been living on the 10ha

block of family land since 2000

although he only planted the

vineyard in 2005.

Like most small Alexandra wine

growers he and his wife Sue, who

markets the wine, have day jobs

as well.

“I could make a living if we sold

all the wine but we’d never be

rich. You wouldn’t buy this and do

it now - the price of land’s gone

up - it would be crazy,” he says.

Call into their lifestyle block on

a summer weekend or during

the week by appointment and

he’ll show you his little winery

and tasting room across the

courtyard from the house where

he and his family live. Nearby is

Dunstan Road’s small vineyard,

winery, house and tasting room

with the cycle trail right behind.

60



their vegetable garden, orchard

and a pigsty with a couple of

small, snuffling occupants.

Marc makes a fresh rosé ($25),

a fat riesling ($25), a delicious

gewürztraminer ($25) - the 2018

is fragrant, lush with with a fresh,

clean finish characteristic of the

region’s cool climate.

Also fragrant with delicious fruit

is the textural, crunchy pinot gris

2018 ($25) made from his 200

pinot gris vines.

He had a couple of vintages

of pinot noir ($30) to taste, with

expressive fruit, plums, cherries,

spicy intensity and the lovely

crunchy tension of the subregion.

He keeps them in barrel for a

couple of years but they retain

their freshness.

He’s making his first sparkling

wine and carefully opens a bottle

- it was only put down for the

second fermentation a couple

of months ago but it’s already

bubbly, fresh and crisp. It’s going

to be delicious in a few years

when it’s released.

And for something quite

different, he joined forces with

a honey producer and made a

small batch of mead from the

local thyme honey. Mountain

Meadery ($25 350ml) is fresh and

redolent with the aroma of thyme

which blankets the waste ground

in this part of Central Otago.

IMMIGRANT’S

VINEYARD (RURU)

Roland and Lucienne van der Wal

are building an impressive tasting

room with their living space

above on the top terrace of

their vineyard. It will be open in

summer 2020-21 and will serve

platters as well as wine - a good

stop for cyclists on the rail trail

that runs straight past the door.

Until then, visitors come by

appointment and taste wine

in the converted garage

they live in at the bottom

of their vineyard - that will

become accommodation

for backpackers and workers,

Lucienne says.

They bought their 16ha

vineyard in 2013 as part of a

mortgagee sale. It took a while

to rebuild the neglected vineyard

and get rid of the weeds, but that

is mostly done now.

The van der Wals grow grapes

for other wine producers but they

also have their own label Ruru,

named after the native owl that

sometimes visits the vineyard.

Antony Worch of Alexandra

Vintners makes their wine.

There’s a fragrant lime

and citrus riesling ($22), a

complex, textural pinot gris

($22), a charming, fragrant

gewürztraminer ($27), and a

lively, red-fruited pinot noir with a

hint of herbs ($24).

immigrantsvineyard.

co.nz

10 Airport Rd,

Alexandra

027 240 2529

dunstanroadwines.

co.nz

473 Dunstan Rd,

Alexandra

03 449 2648

Lucienne van der Wal, owner and viticulturist at Immigrant’s Vineyard.


61


HAWKDUN

RISE

HINTON

Keeping up with the times - 5 th generation orchardists Howie and Sarah

(pictured) Hinton have added a vineyard and wine to their produce.

Howie Hinton, a 5 th generation

Central Otago fruit grower, and

his wife Sarah planted a vineyard

on the steep, schisty, north-facing

slopes above the family orchards

in Earnscleugh and made their

first pinot noir in 2002. Since then

they have planted pinot gris,

riesling, gewürztraminer and,

unusually for Central, viognier.

Howie has now handed the

winemaking over to Matt Connell,

formerly of Akarua, who uses the

Hinton winery for making contract

wines as well as his own label.

The family also has a dairy farm,

and a function centre on the

outskirts of Christchurch. Much

of their wine is exported through

their Asian fruit contacts, but it’s

also available around the country

and in some supermarkets.

Sarah is keen to promote a

local cycling wine trail, passing

not only the tasting rooms

alongside the rail trail itself, but

also others with in easy reach. The

area attracts many cyclists with

the easy rail trail and the more

challenging Roxburgh Gorge and

the Otago Gold trails, and more

trails are planned.

Hinton’s tasting room - and fruit

sales in season - is in a former

rabbit processing factory in

Alexandra, right on the trail. It’s a

cool place to stop for a tasting,

drink or platter after the ride from

Clyde or Omakau.

Hinton has a bright 2017

riesling oozing pears and stone

fruit ($23); an intense pinot gris

2016 ($24); a very drinkable Hill

Country pinot noir 2016 ($24),

fragrant, fresh with red fruits; and

an Estate pinot noir 2017 ($39)

with darker fruit and flavours,

but still the lovely freshness

characteristic of the Alexandra

Basin. There’s also an unusual late

harvest 2017 viognier ($24 350ml)

a sweeter, crunchy, textural wine

with overtones of stone fruit and

marmalade.

hinton.co.nz

18 Chicago St,

Alexandra

03 448 8231

North of the main Alexandra

Basin is Lett’s Gully which looks

across to the Hawdun range

that separates Central from

North Otago.

Here John Grant & Suzanne

Bali-Grant run a luxurious bed

and breakfast in a tranquil setting

above their small vineyard, but

they are also open daily for wine

tasting in summer.

There’s a delicious Benji’s

summer wine 2019 ($25),

a fragrant, fresh, gingery

gewürztraminer named after their

grandson; Irie’s Blush 2018 ($25)

a fresh, off-dry rosé named after

their granddaughter; and their

pinot noirs - several vintages to

taste if you are lucky. The 2012

($45) was drinking deliciously,

fragrant, mellowed but still fresh

with hints of cherry plums; and

a dark, spicy but elegant 2016

named after Suzanne’s late

mother Eunice.

hawkdunrise.co.nz

241 Letts Gully Rd,

Alexandra

03 448 7782

Suzanne Bali and John Grant of

Hawkdun Rise produce wine from

their vineyard and run a luxurious

B&B.

62



GREY

RIDGE

Across Lett’s Gully Rd and up

a long drive to the top of the

ridge is Grey Ridge Vineyard.

Unexpectedly, there’s a wonderful

view across a plateau stretching

away into the Dunstan mountains

in the far distance.

“The view is one of the reasons

we are still here and still smiling. It

energises us every day when we

wake up a bit tired,” said

Sue Keast.

She and husband Paul bought

the 4ha vineyard in 2015, after

working overseas in the oil

industry for many years.

“I was made redundant from

my previous job and we were

much too young to retire and

much too poor to retire early,

and nowhere near eligible for

the superannuation.” Paul said.

He grew up in Milton and always

wanted to return to Otago.

Now they are working harder

than they did before but they are

their own bosses and the only

thing about corporate life they

The view keeps Paul and Sue Keast of Grey Ridge smiling.

miss is the salary, he said with a

laugh - he’d just come in from the

vineyard where he’d been hard

at work.

They tend the vineyard

themselves with casual help from

locals when needed. Anthony

Worch of Alexandra Vintners

makes their wines.

They also offer accommodation

and invite guests to join them for

dinner if they wish - all part of a

vineyard experience.

Although they grow only pinot

noir, they produce three different

styles: a white wine, Alchemy

2018 ($25), barrel fermented a bit

like a chardonnay, textural and

creamy with hints of marmalade;

Horizon rosé 2018 ($25) a lively

floral dry wine. There are two

pinot noirs, Gravity ($30) which is

intended for drinking a couple of

years after vintage; and a barrel

selection reserve ($45) designed

to be cellared for a few years - the

2015 is rich and fragrant, lush and

stylish with suggestions of ripe

cherries, firmly structured and still

youthful. Delicious.

greyridge.co.nz

236 Letts Gully Rd,

Alexandra

03 488 7660

THREE

MINERS

Gold mining history pops

up everywhere - Three

Miners’ tasting room.

Three Miners is on the western,

Earnscleugh side of the Clutha

River, just beyond the tailings -

the huge piles of gravel spewed

out by the gold mining dredges

in late 19 th and early 20 th

centuries.

The eponymous three miners,

Thomas Oliver, Joseph Knowles

and James Simmonds, where

among thousands of men who

came to Central Otago in the


63


COMO VILLA

Three Miner’s rustic tasting room

evokes the pioneering, gold mining

ambience of the region.

1860s in search of gold. They

formed the Earnscleugh Grand

Junction Mining Company and

cut water races bringing water for

sluicing and later for irrigation to

the dry but fertile valley.

In 2014 Paul and Kirstin Wright

bought the 17 ha vineyard

established in 2000 by Jeff Price

and Julie Mitchell.

Their main cellar door outlet

is now near Queenstown at the

Hilton at Kawarau Falls, but the

original tasting room on the

vineyard, reachable from either

Earnscleugh Rd or the millennium

walking and cycle trail along the

west bank of the Clutha, is still

open, though it’s wise to phone

ahead if you plan to visit.

They grow pinot noir of course,

as well as pinot gris, riesling and

gewürztraminer and are about

to plant chardonnay according

to Ngarita Warden, the sales and

marketing manager.

The wines have mining related

names: Rocket Box for the fresh,

crunchy 2019 rosé ($26); Miner’s

Right for the intense, textural 2019

pinot gris $26); The Herringbone

for the fresh, tingling riesling -

herringbone refers to the pattern

in which miners stacked rocks to

channel sluicing water through.

Unfortunately the Chinaman

Stone gewürztraminer was sold

out but the Warden’s Court pinot

noir 2017 ($38) was vibrant and

savoury with red fruits and a hint

of mineral.

A visit to Como Villa (established 1865) is as much about the history of the

place as about wine.

A visit to Como Villa is as much

about the history of the place as

about the wine. Johnny and Pam

Chapman bought the property in

1982, ran deer and operated an

orchard, then planted a tiny halfhectare

vineyard and produced

their first wine in 2006.

Johnny’s relentless delving

into the history of the site has

discovered that Thomas Oliver -

the same entrepreneurial

Thomas Oliver as in the Three

Miners - was growing grapes and

making wine there around 150

years ago. Johnny stumbled on

the old cellar when his tractor

wheel went through the roof!

An Italian winemaker, Luigi

Valli (a forbear of Grant Taylor of

Valli Wines elsewhere in Central

Otago) made the wine and

perhaps accounts for the Italian

name of the place, he said.

The Chapmans have renovated

Oliver’s original stone house and

turned it into a tasting room and

function centre crowded with

memorabilia, photos and other

bric a brac. Pride of place in

an adjoining shed is taken by a

restored 1920s Dodge truck with

Como Villa’s logo on the side.

Johnny enthusiastically takes

his visitors around the site, down

into the restored cellar behind

the house and up the hill to visit

his next restoration project, a

blacksmith shop and stables.

There’s a range of wines, from

a sauvignon blanc-riesling blend

to a cabernet merlot malbec. Try

the Como Villa Riesling 2017 with

hints of mineral and citrus and

fine acidity, and the silky-textured

2016 Pinot Noir ($45) which oozes

red berries.

comovilla.co.nz

266 Earnscleugh Rd,

Alexandra

03 449 2265

threeminers.com

89 McPherson Rd,

Earnscleugh

03 449 3373

A restored 1920s Dodge truck takes pride of place at Como Villa.

64



LEGACY

VINEYARD

Across the road and down a

drive is Brian and Rosie Turnbull’s

2 ha vineyard perched on a 5ha

island of original fertile, silty soil

surrounded by tailings spewed

out by gold dredges a century

ago as they munched away the

surrounding land. The trouble was

the owner at that time, William

Noble, appeared to have no

legal title to the land. Eventually,

after 20 years he was awarded

compensation from the Golden

Beach mining company in 1915

but died three months later.

Over the years the pocket of

land was planted as an orchard

which Bill and Sybilla Moffit

bought in the late 1970s. However,

their sons became viticulturists,

saw the potential of the land and

persuaded their parents to plant

pinot noir. Their first vintage, Dry

Gully pinot noir 1997, won a gold

medal.

Since then the Moffit family

have moved on to larger

vineyards and taken the Dry Gully

brand with them, but the Turnbulls

brought their own legacies when

they bought the small vineyard

and the vineyard cottage

accommodation about five

years ago.

Both their families had been

in Central for six or seven

generations so they named their

wines after particular ancestors

and told their stories on the back.

William Wong Gye of Clyde

Rosé 2019 ($20), a fragrant,

textural wine is named after

Rosie’s great grandfather William

Wong Gye, a horticulturist and

specialist grafter. Her great great

grandfather, Wong Gye from

Guanzhou, was an interpreter

and special constable for the

Chinese miners.

Brian’s family were pastoralists

from nearby Middlemarch and

Poolburn and the pinot noirs are

named after his side of the family.

The current vintage, Robertson of

the Surat Pinot Noir 2018 ($25), a

soft, charming wine with hints of

spice and redcurrant, is named

after an ancestor who survived

the wreck of the Surat off the

Otago coast in 1874.

Chinese furniture and other

objects the Turnbulls bought

when teaching in Shanghai

decorate the140 year old stone

tasting room, once a stable,

adding another layer to

the Legacy.

legacyvineyard.co.nz

113 Earnscleugh Rd,

Alexandra

03 449 3252

Brian Turnbull adds his own legacy

to that of the land and vineyard,

naming his wines after ancestors.

The historic stone stable has been converted into a tasting room at Legacy.

River stones used to tension wire at Legacy’s vineyard.


65

Food | Vic's Food N Wine...

Vic Williams

Vic Williams is a seasoned wine and food writer who

has spent the last 25 years communicating about

their combinations in print and on radio.

HOMEWARD

BOUND

One of the results of the

strange times we have been

living through in the past

few months has been an

increase in home cooking.

For a while, staying home

was compulsory, but even when restaurants and

cafés were able to reopen their doors, Covid19

nervousness kept many customers away. For

the sake of the hospitality industry we hope this

doesn’t become the new normal, but we are

pleased that people are trying new recipes and,

of course, discovering how much their enjoyment

can be enhanced by finding the perfect vinous

accompaniment. On these pages are a few

ideas to keep you going.

Cacio e pepe (pasta with pepper)

Wine match: Oaked Sauvignon Blanc

This is one if the simplest dishes in the Italian

pasta repertoire, yet it has a surprising number of

interpretations. The basics are al dente pasta, black

pepper and grated cheese, but the cheese can be

Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino, the pepper can

be heated through in butter or extra-virgin olive

oil and the emulsion can be encouraged with a

spoonful of the salty pasta water or simply an extra

splash of oil. I like to toss whole black peppercorns

in a hot cast-iron pan, crush them in a mortar

and pestle and warm them through with a little

butter, melted but not at all coloured. When the

pasta has a minute or so to go, I add a generous

spoonful of the cooking water to the pan, followed

by the now-cooked pasta. Stirred through quickly

and transferred to warmed serving bowls, the

dish is topped with a generous amount of freshly

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano which diners toss for

themselves. Salt is not usually necessary thanks

to the cooking water and cheese. The peppery

edge is nicely complemented by any Sauvignon

Blanc, but choosing one that has seen the inside

of an oak barrel (Te Mata Cape Crest; Sacred Hill

Sauvage; Cloudy Bay Te Koko; Hunter’s Kaha Roa et

al adds an extra dimension.


Vic's Food N Wine... | Food

Capsicum stuffed with swede and butternut

Wine match: Dry Riesling

This delicious dish was inspired by a recipe in

Yotam Ottolenghi’s excellent Plenty More, but it has

gone through a few transitions in our kitchen. The

capsicums, including the stalks, are split asunder

and de-seeded, drizzled with oil and baked cut

side up until their edges begin to blacken. The

swede and butternut are cubed, braised in oil

with a splash of mirin and a handful of dried

oregano, then mixed with a few capers, rinsed

and roughly chopped, finely chopped garlic and

ginger and a spoonful of chopped and lightly

pan-fried shallot. This mixture is spooned into the

capsicum halves, topped with shaved Parmigiano-

Reggiano and grilled. Chardonnay works well in

the glass alongside, but we have had even better

success with Riesling labelled dry, but carrying just

enough sweetness (6-7g/L residual sugar) to lift the

character of the butternut.

Mussels with Cream sauce

Wine match: Chardonnay

Mussels are the bargain champions of the

shellfish world. Purchased live in the shell, as they

can be nowadays even in supermarkets, they are

quickly prepared and will easily feed a family for

a couple of dollars per person. Recipes abound,

but we believe simple is best. Steam them open

in a splash of Chinese cooking wine spiked with a

few herbs. Squeeze the shells together to enable

you to pull out the seaweedy ‘beard’, remove

the top shells and drizzle the exposed mussels

with a little cream that has been stirred into the

pan, incorporating any remaining liquid. Scatter

chopped parsley over the top and your entrée is

served! Chardonnay has the muscle to match the

molluscs’ assertive flavour, but ask for one that has

had acid-softening malolactic encouraged during

its fermentation. The resulting texture ties in nicely

with the creamy flesh and drizzled sauce.


67

Food | Vic's Food N Wine...

Lamb rump with

red wine sauce on

braised lentils

Wine match: Merlot or

Merlot/Cabernet blend

Merlot, either flying solo or

paired with Cabernet Sauvignon,

is a great match for lamb, and

its spicy, earthy flavours also sit

nicely with the similar rusticity

of braised lentils. We cook them

using a method we were shown

by Thierry Breton, a Paris chef

who runs a trio of adjoining

restaurants in a side street near

the Gare du Nord. Red onion,

garlic, celery and carrot, all

finely chopped, are braised in

oil and butter. While they soften,

the lentils are placed in a pot of

cold water and brought to the

boil, then drained. The process

is repeated, but this time the

drained lentils are added to the

vegetables and cooked over a

very low heat until they are soft,

but still offer a little resistance

to the bite. A judicious splash

of stock can be added as they

cook if they are in danger of

sticking. Seasoning is left until

they are cooked, as it can

otherwise toughen their skins.

We spiked the lamb with slivers

of garlic and anchovy, pushed

into nicks in the meat with minisprigs

of rosemary, seared it skinside

down then roasted it pink.

A Merlot and stock reduction

sauce completed the dish.

Beef cheeks with gingered kumara mash

Wine match: Shiraz or Primitivo

You might have to order beef

cheeks from your local butcher,

but they are worth the wait and

make a splendid partner for the

robust characters of Barossa

Shiraz or Italian Primitivo. We’ve

had success with both, and also

enjoyed them with a rare Nero

d’Avola grown and produced

in South Australia’s McLaren

Vale. Cooked long and slow, the

cheeks offer delicious flavour and

fall-apart texture unrivalled by

any other part of the beast. The

flavours in this dish were inspired

by a plate of braised duck we

enjoyed some years ago at

Jacques Reymond restaurant

in Melbourne, but here we’ve

swapped the bird for beef. It

works. We cut the cheeks into

3cm chunks, then browned them

in oil in an ovenproof casserole

and put them aside. Into the

casserole went chopped red

onion, smaller onions peeled but

left whole, celery, carrot, garlic,

ginger, chilli and a few sliced

mushrooms, all stirred just to

coat them with the meaty juices.

Chicken stock and a tin of Italian

tomatoes, roughly chopped,

were added, plus a splash

each of light soy sauce, mirin,

pomegranate molasses and

Worcestershire sauce. A single

star anise, a small cinnamon

stick, a few cardamon pods

and a teaspoon of whole black

peppercorns were wrapped

in muslin secured with twine,

making these undissolvable

ingredients easy to remove later.

Cooked in a 160degC oven for

three hours, the cheeks gained

green accents from a handful

of thawed edamame beans

added for the last few minutes of

cooking, and were served on a

bed of buttery mashed kumara

spiked with grated ginger. Yum!


Events

Food & Wine Events

Marlborough wine group

region major events

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

Wine and Food Festival

(February)

Young winemaker of the year

(September)

Cellarbration

(October)

Cellar door of the year

(October)

Wine Show

(October)

EVENTS FOR THE REST OF NEW ZEALAND

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

➽

Central Otago Pinot Noir

Celebration

(January- February)

North Canterbury Wine and Food

Festival

(Waipara Valley) (March)

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival

(March)

Bluff Oysters Food Festival

(May)

Hawkes Bay Wine and Food

(June)

Wellington on a Plate

(August)

Whitianga Scallop Festival

(September)

Toast Martinborough

(November)

Waiheke Wine and Food Festival

(Date unknown)

Craggy Range

(November)

Taste of Auckland

(November)

Pinot Noir New Zealand

Christchurch

(February 2022)

These are mostly annual events with dates

being as accurate as possible. Please

Google for updates as they are posted by

organizers of events.

new zealand wine guide

“The evolution of New Zealand as a vinegrowing,

wine producing country is also a

story of the New Zealand Dream; of inspired

entrepreneurs, captivated by the aromas,

flavours and sociability of wine”, says Celia Hay,

author of the New Zealand Wine Guide (2nd Ed).

Celia Hay, Director of the New Zealand School

of Food and Wine and well-respected wine

educator, explains in detail about New Zealand’s

wine regions, significant grape varieties, and

wines produced. A selection of local maps,

explanations of vine growing and Kevin Judd’s

breathtaking photographs dramatically illustrate

vineyard life in these beautiful regions of New

Zealand.

“More than just a

wine guide” – Highly

Recommended by Bob

Campbell MW.

Book Link - https://www.

celiahay.com/product/

newzealand-wine-guide

Certificate in

New Zealand

Wine

Join Celia Hay for a

comprehensive introduction to

the wine regions, grape varieties

and wine styles that have made

New Zealand wines famous

around the world.

On site at NZSFW:

13, 20, 27 October, 3 November

Tuesday Evenings: 6pm - 9pm

Online:

17, 19, 24, 26 November,

Tuesday & Thursday Evenings:

5pm - 8pm

View our website for more course

information and enrolment.

foodandwine.co.nz

admin@foodandwine.co.nz | 09 377 7961

104 Customs Street West, Viaduct, Auckland


69

Feature | Waitaki Valley

MUCH MORE THAN

HYDRO ELECTRICITY

Enjoy the rustic ambience of River

T’s vineyard behind the cafe.

70


Waitaki Valley | Feature

The Waitaki Valley in

North Otago is not

just about fishing

and hydro electricity.

The great river valley

also produces wine,

particularly aromatics

and pinot noir.

Charmian Smith visits

the valley.

The Waitaki Valley

launched itself into

the wine world with

a barrage of hype

nearly two decades

ago. Unlike other

wine regions which grew

more organically from smaller

beginnings, many of the early

vineyards in this North Otago

region were the result of a land

developer, Waitaki Valley Estates,

promoting the limestone soils in

Grants Road, Otiake. At the time

the nearby Central Otago wine

region was building

its own international

reputation and no

doubt the glitter of

that new gold rush

rubbed off on the

investors in North

Otago.

Only a couple

of the earliest

developments,

Jim Jerram’s Ostler

vineyard near

Duntroon and

Antonio Pasquale’s

vineyard in the

Hakataramea

valley (a tributary

of the Waitaki)

were developed

independently of Waitaki Valley

Estates. (A small vineyard much

further up the valley at Omarama

had been planted in the 1980s).

Things have changed

greatly since. Two of the brands

launched with great aplomb,

Waitaki Braids in 2006 and

Pasquale in 2009, have both

folded, and several others

have changed hands, been

abandoned or vineyards

uprooted. However, other small

vineyards have been planted.

Three of the earliest

winemakers are stayers, John

Forrest of Forrest in Marlborough

with his Tatty Bolger label,

Grant Taylor of Valli Wines in

Central Otago who makes

single vineyard wines, and Jim

Jerram and Jeff Sinnott of Ostler.

A handful of other producers,

including a few of the early ones,

are now scattered around from

Duntroon up to Lake Waitaki.

As the vines have aged and

viticultural practices evolved for

the peculiarities of the region

- the hot dry summers, long

autumns, cold winters and cool

easterlies that blow up the valley,

the wines have become more

assured and developed their

own sense of place.

However, the region is tiny, with

58ha of vineyard producing

less than 1% of New Zealand

wine. Some producers sell their

wine to a few select restaurants

and other outlets but as the

average vineyard size is 4ha, it’s

no wonder few have cellar doors

- or even websites. On a visit last

summer I found only two open,

but both well worth visiting.

Ostler’s office and tasting

room is at the Vintner’s Drop on

Kurow’s main street. They have

several vineyards spread from

Lake Waitaki in the west to near

Duntroon in the east, giving them

a range of terroir.

Jim, a former doctor, and his

brother in law Jeff, a notable

winemaker now based in

Waipara, first visited the region

on a fishing trip and were

intrigued by the limestone soils

much valued for wine growing in

parts of Europe. They thoroughly

researched the soils and climate

and were surprised to find that

others were doing the same thing

a few kilometres further up the

valley along Grants Rd. Jim and

his wife Anne’s first vineyard was

at Racecourse Rd near Duntroon,

but they have slowly expanded

with vineyards at Lake Waitaki

and near Kurow. All their wine

comes from the valley.

Making up for the lack of cellar

doors, most of the Waitaki wines

can be found at Murray Turner

and Karen Tweed’s River T Estate

cafe and tasting room. About

5k east of Kurow on the Alps to

Ocean cycle trail and opening


71

Feature | Waitaki Valley

Jim Jerram shows the fossils found in the limestone vineyard soils, also on the

wine labels.

and a selection, including all the

River T wines, are available for

tasting. As a salutary reminder

of the boom and bust early

development of the region, a row

of bottles of now defunct Waitaki

brands lines her “cemetery” on

the top shelf.

A map on the wall shows

the locations of the the valley’s

vineyards. Some of the original

ones in Grants Rd have been

pulled out or abandoned but

many remain. Others have been

planted on the slopes above

Lake Waitaki, on the Waitaki River

flats and in other nooks and

crannies around the area as

far as the limestone slopes of

Duntroon.

Ostler’s tasting room, a quiet haven in Kurow’s main street, serves simple

platters and wine by the glass as well as tastings.

onto the vineyard behind, it’s

a welcome stop for anyone

wanting a taste of the Waitaki,

both its wine and its food, or just

a coffee or a meal.

Murray and his brother Geoff,

fourth generation horticulturists in

the valley - the Waitaki Valley like

Central Otago was noted for its

fruit - turned contract viticulturists.

They established many of the

original vineyards, working for

mostly for absentee owners.

Murray and Karen launched

their own River T wine (named

after their former orchard) about

4 years ago with the philosophy

of producing wines locals could

afford to buy. Grant Taylor makes

their wine and they look after his

Waitaki vineyards.

In summer 2018 they opened

the rustic cafe and tasting room.

Karen stocks wine from almost all

the region’s producers, including

some older vintages. Any of them

can be ordered by the glass

Karen Tweed of River T stocks the

world’s largest selection of Waitaki

wines.

From the early days it was

clear that aromatic varieties,

particularly pinot gris, produced

fine wine here. Perhaps dazzled

by the growing acclaim for

Central Otago pinot noir, this

variety was also planted and its

potential much touted, but it’s

only in the past decade as the

vines have matured, that it is

really showing how good it

can be.

Ostler Caroline’s 2016 Pinot Noir

($65) is a superbly intense but

elegant, textural wine, and the

2018, to be released in March

2020, was already showing great

harmony several months earlier.

River T 2018 Pinot Noir ($29)

is more typical of the region’s

pinots, fragrant with hints of

cherry plum, light but with

underlying darker, savoury notes

and a lingering, textural finish.

River T Three Barrels Reserve

Pinot Noir 2018 ($49) is a more

complex wine, darker in both

colour and flavour, intense,

harmonious and with great

length.

Waitaki pinot gris is certainly

not to be missed even if you are

not usually a pinot gris fan.

Ostler Waitaki Pinot Gris 2018

($25) is floral, oozing stone fruit

72


and has a glorious velvety texture

and a lingering finish.

Ostler Audrey’s Pinot Gris 2016

($35) a barrel fermented wine

named after Jim’s mother, is

powerful and complex with

nutty undertones and a long,

lively finish.

River T Pinot Gris 2019 ($23) is

also deliciously floral and intense,

suggesting of ripe stone fruit and

has a lively finish.

Q Wines Pinot Gris 2015 ($30)

is crisp and textural, hinting of

peaches with an intensity on

the aftertaste and a crunchy

acidity, drinking well at nearly five

years old.

Ostler Lakeside Riesling

2016 ($30) is a wonderfully

floral example with delicious

undertones of lime marmalade

and a crisp, tingling finish.

One of the joys of visiting cellar

doors is that there are sometimes

older wines available to taste.

Waitaki Valley | Feature

Dragon Bones Pinot Gris

2013 ($25) at 7 years old

demonstrated the ageability

of this region’s wines, full in the

mouth with hints of nuts and

caramel on the crisp, lingering

aftertaste.

Ostler Waitaki Riesling 2013

showed the lovely development

of mature riesling, intensity, power,

hints of liveliness, a suggestion of

lime marmalade and a freshness

that dances on the tongue.

River T, a welcome stop right on the main highway and the Alps to Ocean

cycle trail.

Ostler - easy to find in Kurow.

For more information:

Ostler

45 Bledisloe St, Kurow

03 436 0545

www.ostlerwine.co.nz

River T Estate

5292a Kurow-Duntroon Rd, Kurow

021 190 8875

rivertestate.co.nz

nzwinedirectory.co.nz/

wine-regions/south-island/

waitaki-valley/

www.nzwine.com/en/

our-regions/waitaki/

The map of the Waitaki vineyards on the wall at River T.


73

Tastings | Tastings Results

2020 Young Viticulturist

of the Year

National Finalists

Annabel Angland, CO; George Bunnett, Wairarapa; Sam Bain, HB; Rhys Hall, Marlborough; Tahryn Mason, AKL; Lacey Agate, N. Canterbury

All set for

the 2020

Corteva Young

Viticulturist

of the Year

National Final

Despite having to push out dates

due to Covid-19 and run two of

the six regional competitions safely

behind closed gates during Alert

Level 2, the 2020 National Finalists

have now been found. Six talented

Young Vits from around the country will compete

in the Corteva NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year

Competition 2020 being held in October.

The Finalists are Tahyrn Mason from Villa Maria,

Auckland; Sam Bain from Constellation Brands,

Hawke’s Bay; George Bunnett from Irrigation

Services, Wairarapa; Rhys Hall from Indevin,

Marlborough; Lacey Agate from Bellbird Spring,

North Canterbury and Annabel Angland from

Peregrine Wines, Central Otago.

This important programme supports and helps

Young Vits grow and widen their network within

the wine industry, supporting them to achieve their

goals and ensure the wine industry has strong

leaders for the future.

The National Final will take place at Ata Rangi

in Martinborough on 7th October 2020 and the

winner will be announced at the Young Vit 15 Years

Celebration dinner the following evening.

The national winner will not only become the

Corteva NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year 2020, but

will win an amazing prize package of a Hyundai

Kona for a year, an Ecotrellis Travel Grant, a Corteva

educational trip to Australia, Bahco golden

secateurs, a leadership week and cash. There are

also cash prizes from AGMARDT for the top three

national finalists research projects.

wine

cellars

• RedRak wine

racking

• Cellar design

Baywick’s premium

California redwood

racking for your

wine cellar

Wine Guardian

cellar coolers

Phone: 027 454 5823 • Email: baywicks@winestorage.co.nz

www.winestorage.co.nz


Croatia | Travel

A LAND OF OLIVES, VINES AND WHERE CASH IS KING

Our Cruise in the

Croatian Islands

By Joan Gestro

On route from the airport to Split, we

passed row after row of austere

looking buildings built by the State,

Social Federation for communal

housing. When we got to the

port, different story there, we felt

the holiday spirit kicking in, many cruise ships in

port, people in cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops

all geared for the tourist, happy people in no hurry.

Split has a population of 178,000 and is the second

largest city on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, a city of

UNESCO.

In the 4th century the Roman Emperor Diocletian

chose Split to build his retirement palace therefore

put Split on the map. Our hotel, Peristil, is situated

amongst the ruins of this palace, amazing to be

enjoying a lovely dinner, al fresco, amongst ruins of

thousands of years past.

The next morning, we boarded our Premium

Class ship, Vapor, with 30 passengers. Our cabin

consisted of two bunk beds on either side of the

cabin, a very small bathroom and a wardrobe.

Katarina Line ships cater for small groups and have

a fleet of six. The Deluxe ships offer a hosted option

and is worth considering. Our seven-day cruise was

an enlightening experience with sights, tastes and

sounds, also swims in the Adriatic and mingling with

fellow passengers including Canadian, Australian,

French and even other New Zealanders.

We visited many islands of the Adriatic, Makarska,

Bol; known for its famous Zlatni rat (Golden Horn)

beach, a natural phenomenon dominating the

other beaches of Bol with its specific form. After

lunching on board, we sailed to Hvar island, my

favourite, claimed to be the sunniest Adriatic island

and where the oldest communal theatre in Europe

was founded in 1612.

Olives, olive oil and grapes in Dubrovnik

In the 12th Century Dubrovnik was an influential

trading centre and an important link between

the Mediterranean and the Balkan States but was

destroyed by the 1667 earthquake, killing 5000

people and leaving the city in ruins, marking the

economic decline of Dubrovnik.

Also, for no reason, Dubrovnik was pummelled

with some 2000 shells in 1991 and 1992 by the

Yugoslav military, images of the shelling dominated

the news worldwide. Dubrovnik has since regained

its grandeur. The Old City fortification built in

urgency; in 15 months, to defend the city from the

invading Saracens in the 12th Century. The town

walls are again intact with gleaming marble streets

and famous monuments lovingly restored.

Four grape varieties grow on the steep western

limestone slopes getting direct sun plus sun

reflected from the water. The locals believe because

the vines struggle through the rock, fighting for their

lives, it creates a stronger sugar content. Miljenko

Grgich, a Croatian by birth, returned from the United

Sates to built his summer villa. He proceeded, along

with scientific research, to prove the connection to

the Californian Napa Valley vines, therefore stating

that the vines indeed, were exported to California

from Croatia.


75

Travel | Croatia

Restaurant Sesame

DUBROVNIK

This restaurant, which

still follows traditions

from 1880, is located

in a quaint green

oasis just a couple of

minutes away from the

Old Town in Dubrovnik. The

restaurant is situated in

the street leading towards

Gradak park and Danče

beach, which is a favourite

spot for the locals. The

restaurant is part of a twohundred-year

old stone

house, surrounded by lush

greenery, pittosporum

and orange trees. The old

church, across from our

restaurant, was in full swing

with wedding celebrations.

We were told Croatian

weddings last for days, with

cannon fire to boot. The

street is named after the

great Italian poet, Dante,

and if you look closely,

you will see his bust at

the entrance to Sesame.

Every little detail inside the

restaurant tells the story of

Dubrovnik. Its deep history

is part of Sesame’s own

identity. You will notice old

black and white photos of

Dubrovnik with its old tram

from the 20th Century. There

are other curiosities like the

little owl figurines which are

symbols of wisdom, these

are scattered throughout

the restaurant.

We chose a main course

of red meat, appropriately

matched with Dingac, a

delicious red from Saints

Hills, considered the best

Red Wine in Croatia.

saintshills.com Croatia

DINGAC: The first place in

Croatia to be recognized, in

1961, as an appellation with

‘Protected Geographical

Origin’ the autochthonous

variety, Plavac Mali has

been producing the best

wines for centuries. From the

vineyards you can see the

island of Mljet and sense

Dubrovnik close by, with

the deep blue sea on the

horizon undulating all the

way to Italy.

Dingac has always been

the authentic heart of

Croatian winemaking. This

wine for us is right up there

with our very best Syrah, dry,

full bodied and firm tannins.

Savouring this wine made

us feel right at home at last.

This is a wine-food pairing

we highly recommend.

Perfect

for Dry

July, or

anytime

wine

We were the lucky

recipients of a bottle

of nil alcohol % Giesen

Sauvignon Blanc to taste

and taste we did with some wine

aficionado friends.

Firstly, they studied the bottle,

mmm, it looked like wine and tasted

like wine! Hats off to Giesen for this

one and the bottle arrived in perfect

timing for dry July.

And on a serious note, out team

concluded that the wine did not

lose balance and flavour. On the

palate it tasted just like wine, as it

should of course, but lighter, perfect

for a summer drink on the patio

or the beach. In fact, the major

comment was “this is a perfect

barbeque wine” for the long summer

days ahead. delicious, can’t wait,

but I don’t have to, there are stocks

in my store, so off I go to replenish my

supply to enjoy with friends as the

days become longer and warmer.

Perfect to get that barbeque out

and enjoy a glass of nil alcohol

Giesen Sauvignon Blanc.

We were happily surprised, as one

of our friends arrived armed with….

guess what? A bottle of the very

wine…. nil % Sauvignon Blanc, it was

July the 8th.

Dry July or anytime wine in deed!

Lovely wine, we can certainly and

quite happily recommend this one...

Tasted and enjoyed by the WineNZ

team.

76


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Travel | Singapore

TRAVEL

Words. Joan Gestro

IT ALL STARTED WITH THE RAFFLES EFFECT

The Raffles Effect

Singapore was founded in the 19th

century by Sir Thomas Stamford

Raffles, who was instrumental in

the expansion of the British Empire,

a British statesman, a Lieutenant-

Governor of the Dutch East Indies.

Recognising the immense potential

of the swamp-covered island, he

helped negotiate a treaty with

the local rulers and established

Singapore as a trading station.

In 1822, Raffles implemented the

Raffles Town Plan, also known as the

Jackson Plan, to address the issue of

growing disorderliness in the colony.

War and Peace

Singapore’s prosperity suffered

a major blow during World War

II, when it was attacked by the

Japanese on 8 December 1941.

When the Japanese surrendered in

1945, the island was handed over

to the British Military Administration,

A MUST-SEE LIST>>>

Singapore Botanic

Gardens and the

National Orchid Garden

These sprawling grounds are

Singapore’s oldest gardens, in the

heart of the city.

In 2016, they were named as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See the birthplace of

SEA’s rubber boom

It would not be an exaggeration

to say that Southeast Asia would

be a very different region without

the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

In 1877, rubber seedlings were

brought to Singapore from London’s

Kew Gardens, where they were

cultivated in the Gardens. By 1917,

the gardens had supplied over 7

million rubber seeds to the region,

bringing economic prosperity to

Southeast Asia.

RAFFLES HOTEL.

Enjoy a bit of England

in the tropics

With its gently sprawling grounds,

meandering paths and natural

distribution of plants, the Singapore

Botanic Gardens is the only major

garden in Southeast Asia that is

landscaped in the English style.

Founded in 1859, the Gardens

were designed by Lawrence Niven,

whose work reflects the influence

of the English pleasure garden

style of parks and gardens

in England.

10 | issue 26 • summer 2019-20


Singapore | Travel

TRAVEL

Big Bus Singapore Hop-on

Hop-off Tour

Tour operator: Singapore

DUCKtours Pte Ltd

Start with this classic open-top,

double-decked bus tour— Big Bus

Singapore Hop-on Hop-Off Tour

with a 24, 48 or 72-hour validity,

which offers seven lines–four Hop

On Hop Off Lines and three feeder

lines. The seven lines include the

Yellow Line, also the city route,

which takes you through

the Orchard Road shopping

district, past the Singapore

Botanic Gardens, and through

the Civic District. Orchard Road

is the place for the shopper

with deep pockets; top brands

are all here.

The size of Singapore is

721.5 square kilometres with

a population of 5.818 million.

Singapore exports petroleum

products, food and beverages,

chemicals, textiles and

telecommunication products.

Singapore is a bustling

metropolis with multi-faceted

and colourful skyscrapers,

interesting to see, the new amongst

the old colonial buildings of

yesteryear. Prime Minister Lee Kuan

Yew transformed the country from

what was a fishing village, and not

so hygienic, to a city that is now

a city of pristine tropical gardens

flanking immaculately clean streets,

and a high standard of living. No

rubbish to be seen anywhere as

littering is an offence punishable by

caning. In Singapore, crime rates

are some of the lowest in the world,

Singapore has strict gun laws and

an effective law enforcement policy.

Within the last year there were 80

days in which not a single robbery

or “snatch theft” was recorded.

Under Lee’s guidance the

country has become a chief

financial centre of South East

Asia. In 1959 he called for slum

clearance and the building of new

issue 26 • summer 2019-20 | 11


79

Travel | Singapore

TRAVEL

public housing, the emancipation

of women the expansion of

educational services and

industrialisation.

Singapore is hot and humid, so

be prepared for extreme heat, pack

a hat and sun glasses, an umbrella

or a very light raincoat as the

downpours are frequent.

There’s also the Red Line, or

the heritage route, where you’ll

get to experience the city at a

slower pace along the charming

shophouses and cultural

landmarks of neighbourhoods

such as Chinatown, Little

India, Kampong Glam and

Boat Quay.

After sightseeing we felt our

tummies rumbling, Chinatown,

across the road from our hotel,

Furama City Centre, is a four-storey

complex dedicated to food. It’s

difficult to choose where to eat as

there is an abundance of eateries

to choose from.

City Sightseeing tour buses run

from 9am-6pm daily, with each tour

loop lasting approximately 1 to 2

hours.. Tickets start at S$43/adult.

Singapore Airlines

stopover package

If you arrived in Singapore via

Singapore Airlines—your boarding

pass doubles as a ticket to

discounted fares on the SIA Hop-on

one-day pass. The pass allows you

unlimited rides on the buses for 24

hours and yes, making it a great

option for exploring the city at your

own pace. The SIA Hop-on Buses run

along Marina Bay, Chinatown,

Arab Street and the Civic District.

Ticket holders also get to enjoy

free bus rides to the tucked-away

neighbourhood of Dempsey Hill from

the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Experience on Singapore Air

The Economy Class seats are

designed to give you more

personal space. Even if the seat in

front of you is reclined. If you want

more legroom, you can choose the

Extra Legroom Seats with wider seat

pitch and located near the exits. It’s

a comfortable spot to be in.

If you prefer to be among the first

in Economy Class to disembark

the plane, you can choose the

Forward Zone Seats, located closer

to the doors. But this has to be

done pretty smartly as they quickly

get booked out. Upgrading to

Premium Economy, at an affordable

extra charge, is my suggestion for

long haul. We chose a stopover

in Singapore of two nights for the

first leg of our journey to Europe;

to do the whole trip to Europe

is not advisable. The charge for

the first night stopover, through

Singapore Airlines, is $1 and $90 for

the second night, affordable and

enjoyable as it gives you a chance

to recover from the nine-hour flight

from New Zealand.

Singapore, as a stopover, gets a

highly recommended tick from us, we

enjoyed two nights one way, which

gave us time to get a good sleep

and also explore and appreciate

what this city has to offer.

Please note: Any special deals

quoted here were current at our

time of booking. Please check with

your travel agent or Singapore

Airlines for current offers. •

12 | issue 26 • summer 2019-20


Restaurant Reviews | Feature

TRAVEL

Premium Economy

A great way to fly

23 Boutique wines to sample at

XUXU, Britomart, Auckland.

By Martin Gillion

SPACE & COMFORT

Premium Economy Class

and its leather seats

offer unmatched levels

of comfort. The leather

seats are up to 50cm

wide to give you extra

room and privacy. Made

for long-haul flights, their

20cm recline and flexible

footrest will help you get

a good night’s rest. The

space between seat rows

means that there is no

lack of legroom for even

the tallest travellers.

ENTERTAINMENT

In Premium Economy

Class, each seat has its

own 34cm, high-definition

LCD touchscreen that lets

you watch the newest

movies in the sharpest

detail on the largest

screen in its class. Paired

with a choice of more than

1,000 on-demand films,

television shows, music

and games, time will fly

by. The entertainment

is controlled with touchscreen

handsets and

with its noise-cancelling

headphones, you can

enjoy a virtually noise-free

flight.

XuXu Dumpling Bar

in the Britomart

Quarter of Auckland,

lies just across the

ADDED CONVENIENCE road from its sister

Just as convenient as restaurant the on-board

Café

features are the Hanoi. airline’s But this exclusive establishment, services.

Premium Economy signalled Class by the lets iconic you Asian speed

past the queue symbol with of a birdcage priority hung check-in over

counter. An expanded the entrance, baggage is really an allowance Asian

of 35kg means bar you with can a difference. pack more at no

extra cost. For although there are more

than ten different choices of

dumpling baskets to share, the

GOURMET MEALS

emphasis really lies with the bar

Pre-order from a large selection of

side of things.

mouth-watering meals with the Premium

There are cocktails with

Economy Book the Cook menu up to

extravagant names such as the

24 hours before your flight. In addition

‘Far East Paloma’ and the ‘Ping

to curated wines Shi Highball’ and as cocktails well as eight such

as the Singapore different Sling six-sets being of dumplings available, and

champagne is an available extensive to range passengers of craft beers for

the duration of from the all flight. parts of the country;

from Helensville to Dunedin and

Matakana to Gisborne.

But where XuXu really comes

into its own is the far reaching

Book online at singaporeair.com

wine list of 23 wines sourced

Or visit your from local boutique travel producers agent both

globally and within New Zealand.

issue 26 • summer 2019-20 | 13


81

Feature | Restaurant Reviews

And the most remarkable

aspect is that this eclectic range

is not only entrancing with its

variety and scope, but all 23 are

available by the glass and all

priced at less than $13.50, or less

than $65 if a bottle looks like a

better bet for sharing.

Among the wines we tasted

at the launch of their new

wine list were such offerings as

Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet

2018 ($12.50) a grape grown

in the Languedoc region in

France which was previously

used for blending but has

become increasingly popular

in recent times – perhaps due

to reduced cropping. Crisp

and light, it was a natural

accompaniment to the Asian

tastes of the dumplings we were

served.

Among the reds is the Luigi

Giusti Lacrima Morro d’Alba

2015 ($12) from the Marche

area of Italy’s north east; it’s

another ancient grape variety

that has become increasingly

acknowledged as crops are

reduced. The wines are renowned

for their perfumed density as this

one showed.

But not all the choices are from

off-shore. There are boutique

wines from Marlborough’s Rock

Ferry and Petit Clos, Waipara’s

Mountford, Muddy Water and

Mon Cheval, as well as a

Collaboration wine from Hawke’s

Bay.

Jahn Hansen, wine supervisor

for the Comenso chain of

restaurants (Xu Xu, Café Hanoi

and Saan) says that his aim

was to open the public to the

tastes of a range of boutique

wines at reasonable prices. “I like

to think we are introducing our

customers to unique wines made

in small quantities by dedicated,

boutique producers.”

He has certainly done that.


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