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Winter 2021 

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Contents 

WineNZ 

Winter 2021 

IN THIS ISSUE 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Martin Gillion, Daniel Honan, 

Anne-Marie Nansett, Louis Pierard, 

John Saker, Charmian Smith, 

Vic Williams. 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Courtesy of Winenz.com 

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COVER PHOTO: 

Taking a glass of red this time of year. 

8 WINTER WARMING REDS 

Two Masters of wine and one 

Author give us their selections. 

Plus wineries show what they 

have on offer. 

18 WINE & TIME 

Police seize $400k of wine. 

Will NZ run out of wine? 

24 VINTAGE REPORT 

Michael Cooper author of 

New Zealand’s Wine Buyers 

Guide checks around the 

country for feedback. 

26 

26 FOOD AND WINE 

Vic Williams works up a winter 

storm in the kitchen. 

30 GISBORNE 

Getting there is half the fun. 

Chairmian checks out her 

favourites. 30 

6 WineNZ Magazine | Winter 2021

Contents 

18 

40 A MARLBOROUGH MUST VISIT 

The Forrest family do it in fine style. 

40 


7

Tastings | Winter Warming Reds 

Winter 

Warming 

Reds 

2019 

Coal Pit ‘Tiwha’ 

Pinot Noir 

Gibbston, Central Otago 

Dark cherry aromatics with 

savoury cocoa undertones, 

underpinned with delicate notes 

of dried herbs. Structured tannins 

extend the length of the palate, 

signifying great ageability for this 

wine. An elegant yet powerful 

Pinot Noir, where depth of fruit and 

tannin abound, 

balanced with the delightful 

acidity that our Coal Pit site is 

known for. 

Year Produced: 2019 

Retail Price: $57 NZD 

Availability at Retail: online and 

select retailers (see website) 

Winery Name: Coal Pit Vinyard 

www.coalpitwine.com 


2019 Pask Gimblett 

Gravels Syrah 

Hawke’s Bay Gimblett Gravels 

Deep purple in colour, floral aromas 

with a touch of red licorice. The 

palate is medium weight with supple 

tannins and a savoury finish. 


Retail Price: $22.00 

Availability at Retail: Available at 

Cellar Door (various retailers supplied 

by Hancocks) 

Winery Name: Pask Winery 

www.pask.co.nz 

Main Divide Merlot 

Cabernet 2018 

Waipara Valley, North Canterbury 

It is deep purple in colour. The nose 

reveals an intoxicating patchwork of 

both sweet and savoury aromas, with 

hints of liquorice, chocolate, black 

cherry, vanilla and spice. On the 

palate it is rich and mouth-filling, with 

fine grained silky tannins. 

There is satisfying body, however the 

Merlot component ensures the wine 

remains smooth and succulent, with 

generous fruit weight. While ready to 

drink now, it will evolve gracefully in 

the bottle for many years to come. 



Availability at Retail: 302 cases 

Winery Name: Pegasus Bay Winery 

www.maindivide.com 

Pegasus Bay Merlot 

Cabernet 2018 

Waipara Valley, North Canterbury 

Its colour is deep ruby, with tantalising 

dark fruit aromas of blackberry, 

cherry and plum. Intertwined with 

this are hints of chocolate, liquorice 

and vanilla, along with savoury 

notes of wood smoke and spice. The 

mouthfeel is silky and succulent, with 

ripe tannins that provide balance 

and structure. A long hot summer 

has delivered a beautifully crafted, 

harmonious wine, displaying both 

power and finesse. 



Availability at Retail: 670 cases 

Winery Name: Pegasus Bay Winery 

www.pegasusbay.com 

The King’s ‘Wrath’ 

Pinot Noir 2018 

Southern Valleys, Marlborough 

A brooding nose invoking aromas 

of loganberry, damson plum with 

hints of lanolin. The fruit aromas 

are supported with a backbone 

of toasted oak. The palate is rich 

and mouth filling due to a complex 

tannin structure with blackberry and 

cassis flavours intertwined with an 

opulent smokiness. The wine finishes 

strong due to a salivating acidity and 

tension from the tannins reminiscent 

of Northern Burgundian appellations. 



Availability at Retail: Retail Liquor 

Stores 

Winery Name: Marisco Vineyards Ltd. 

www.marisco.co.nz 

Three Miners Warden’s 

Court Pinot Noir 2018 

Alexandra, Central Otago 

Medium to dark purple with purple 

hues. 

Fragrant red fruits with strawberries, 

florals and a hint of coffee. A creamy 

red fruit entry of strawberries and 

currants, pretty and well balanced with 

powdery tannins and a long sweet fruit 

finish. 


Retail Price: $42 

Availability at Retail: some New 

World’s, online at www.threeminers.com 

Winery Name: Three Miners Vineyard 

www.threeminers.com 

Ned Pinot Noir 2019 

Marlborough 

A true reflection of the 2019 vintage 

– small, concentrated berries have 

created a wine of deep violet colour 

with perfectly ripe fruit. Vibrant 

primary characters of Damson 

plum and cassis are restrained by 

delicate savoury notes. Bright acidity 

accentuates the fine-grained, supple 

tannins. This wine is approachable in 

its youth but will continue to develop 

varietal complexity as it ages. 



Availability at Retail: All retail liquor 

and grocery outlets 



Winter Warming Reds | Tastings 


9


Zephyr Pinot Noir 2019 

Marlborough 

Unassuming, supple and subtle. 

A quiet achiever. Perfume, tension, 

sinew and length. 



Availability at Retail: Glengarrys 

and small retail outlets and wine 

agents 

Winery Name: Glover Family 

Vineyards 

www.zephyrwine.com 

Lake Chalice 2019 

Vintage 

Gimblett Gravels 

Round, full, luscious palate. Aromatic 

dark stone fruits with mixed wild 

berries leading to a toasty finish. 



Availability at Retail: Hancock’s 

Wines & Spirits and Glengarry wines 

Winery Name: Lake Chalice Wines 

www.lakechalice.com 

The Journey’ Pinot 

Noir 2015 

Southern Valleys, Marlborough 

Concentrated fragrances of plum 

and black cherry are joined by 

perfumed oak, thyme and stem 

influenced baking spices that 

create a blend of primary Pinot 

fruit with earthy complexity. Juicy, 

rich dark fruits lead into the palate 

with the spice from oak and stem 

working together to create a savoury 

balance. Fine tannins and structured 

acidity build the framework to carry 

the weight of the mid palate ensuring 

that the finish is long and precise. 



Availability at Retail: Limited 

specialist retail liquor outlets 



LEEFIELD STATION Pinot 

Noir 2019 

Waihopai Valley, Marlborough 

A true reflection of the 2019 vintage 

– small, concentrated berries have 

created a wine of deep violet colour 

with perfectly ripe fruit. Vibrant 

primary characters of Damson 

plum and cassis are restrained by 

delicate savoury notes. Bright acidity 

accentuates the fine-grained, supple 

tannins. This wine is approachable in 

its youth but will continue to develop 

varietal complexity as it ages. 



Availability at Retail: Retail Liquor 

Stores 


www.leefieldstation.co.nz 

Yealands Pinot 

Noir 2020 

Marlborough 

Bouquet: Lifted notes of cherries and 

ripe berries with toasty aromas and 

savoury spice. 

Palate: The juicy, red fruit flavours 

lead into a supple palate, with soft 

tannins. 




selected grocery and liquor retail 

outlets 

Winery Name: Yealands Wine Group 

www.yealands.co.nz 

Yealands Reserve Pinot 

Noir 2019 

Marlborough 

Bouquet: Intensely concentrated with 

ripe dark cherries and plums with hints of 

spice adding to its overall complexity. 

Palate: An attractive, structured palate 

with layers of ripe dark-berries, warming 

spices, silky tannins and a long lingering 

finish. 




selected grocery and liquor retail outlets 


www.yealands.co.nz 


Winter Warming Reds | Tastings 

Babydoll Pinot 

Noir 2020 

Marlborough 

Bouquet: This Pinot Noir has generous 

aromas of boysenberries, ripe 

damson plum and nuances of warm 

spice. 

PalaTe: Juicy blueberries and black 

plum, balanced with gentle tannins 

and a subtle toasty finish. 




selected grocery and liquor retail 

outlets 


www.babydollwines.co.nz 

Amisfield Pinot Noir 

2018 

Central Otago (Pisa) 

Bright and perfumed aromatics. A 

Plush and red-fruited palate. Soft, 

approachable fine-grained tannin. 

A hint of spice adds complexity. A 

precise acid back-bone gives good 

length. 



Availability at Retail: Yes. Distributed 

through Red + White Cellar or www. 

amisfield.co.nz/wines/shop 

Winery Name: Amisfield 

www.amisfield.co.nz 

Ara Single Estate 


Marlborough 

This Pinot Noir offers enticing red 

cherry and raspberry flavours 

supported by savoury, smokey 

undertones creating wonderful 

complexity. Its soft, subtle palate is 

alight with bright strawberry nuances 

intertwined with a rich cocoa finish. 




some liquor stores, fine wine shops 

and supermarkets 

Winery Name: Ara Wines 

www.arawines.co.nz 

Amisfield Breakneck 

Reserve Pinot 

Noir 2018 


Laden with plush red and purple fruit 

flavours that are characteristic of our 

Pisa site. The warmth of the year has 

brought an extra level of opulence 

to this wine, and highlighted the silky, 

fine tannin in the mouth. This wine 

has great length on the palate and 

will reward for many years to come. 








Amisfield RKV Reserve 



This wine has generous layers of 

complexity with a defined savoury 

character of coffee and liquorice, this 

is balanced by Black Doris Plums and 

liquored cherries. The tannins are fine 

grained with a soft palate from the 

lower acidity of this harvest. 








Ara Resolute Pinot 

Noir 2017 

Marlborough 

Notes of sweet spice and dark cherry, 

along with subtle smoky, earthy 

undertones. This organic Pinot Noir 

boasts a rich palate, fine tannins and 

juicy acidity. Expect fantastic length, 

with a complex lingering finish. 






Winery Name: Ara Wines 

www.arawines.co.nz 


11


Giesen Organic Pinot 

Noir 2019 

Marlborough 






Retail Price: $$39.99 




Winery Name: Giesen Group Ltd 

www.giesen.co.nz 

Giesen Organic Syrah 

2016 

Marlborough 












Giesen Uncharted 


Marlborough 

Discover aromas of dark cherry and 

bramble, with sweet spice and subtle 

toasty notes. On the palate, enjoy 

flavours of cherry compote, mocha 

and clove, with earthy smokey notes 

from careful barrel aging in French 

oak hogsheads. 








Giesen The Brothers 


Marlborough 












Holly South series 


Wairaapa 

The 2019 Holly South series Pinot 

Noir ripples with elegance and 

finesse reflecting the warm growing 

season in the Wairaapa region. 

Bold aromatic expressions of wild 

flower,red berries,spice and herb give 

way to a fresh palate. 



Availability at Retail: Liquor stores 

and fine wine shops. 

Winery Name: Matahiwi Wines 

www.matahiwi.co.nz 

TRINITY HILL GIMBLETT 

GRAVELS 2019 

Hawkes Bay 

Elegant yet powerful and reflecting 

the very best of vineyard and 

winemaking team. 

Lends itself to mid to long term 

cellaring. 



Availability at Retail: All wines are 

available in retail. 

Winery Name: Trinity Hill Wines 

www.trinityhill.com 


Bringing world class wines 

to the world since 1982. 

603 Rapaura Road, Blenheim, 

New Zealand 

Open Wednesday-Friday 

9.30am – 5.30pm 

Hunters.co.nz 

@hunterswinesnz 

Distributed nationwide by EuroVintage NZ

Feature | Buyer's Guide 

Here's what these 

wine masters are drinking 

this winter 

Simon 

NASH 

MW 

In selecting wines from the thousands available, 

I’m guided by the 3 A’s – approachability, affordability 

and availability. The terms are relative but the goal 

is to select 6 wines which over deliver on all counts. 

The other guideline was to choose not just full bodied 

wines but also medium and even lighter style wines. 

This allows a broader appeal to different personal 

tastes as well as different occasions and a wider range 

of food to match the wine. So here goes! 

Grant Burge Barossa Filsell 

Shiraz 2017 

about $33 

Grant Burge is a top Barossa 

brand. Their Fillsell, from near 100 

year old vines, is always stylish, 

polished, rich and flavourful. 

Think blueberry, dark chocolate, 

mocha and vanilla. Highly 

expressive. 

Campo Viejo 

Reserva 

Rioja 2014 

about $23 

This is a steal. 

All the warmth 

and richness 

of Tempranillo 

aged for over 2 

years in barrel, 

and 5 in bottle. 

It’s savoury juicy, 

dusty and vinous, 

an outstanding 

partner to many 

winter dishes 

Akarua Rua 

Pinot Noir 

$23 

Akarua Pinots are always 

well rated. Their entry Rua label, 

made from Bannockburn/Pisa 

fruit is glossy, spicy, perfumed, 

with delicious Morello cherry 

characters and lively acidity too. 

Trinity Hill 

The Gimblett 2018 

$35 

TH makes a suite of top red 

wines. The Gimblett is a Bordeaux 

blend, a powerful red wine with 

intense aromatics and deep 

flavours. Decant to enjoy best as 

doing so will help open up this 

youthful complex wine. 

Brookfields sun dried 

Malbec 2019 

$25 

Has enough depth to classify 

as full bodied but the juicy 

richness of Malbec makes it very 

easy to drink. The variety is much 

underrated, and it is sun ripened 

and concentrated due to a great 

Hawkes Bay vintage. Dark ripe 

plum, dried herbs, spice, and 

cigar box. 

Te Mata 

Gamay 2020 

$21 

I fail to understand why this 

variety is not more planted in NZ. 

Te Mata has long shown how 

successful it can be. This Gamay 

has a juicy, red berried, softly 

textured style with notes of dark 

roses and raspberries. 

Prices availability and vintages 

will vary…. 

Michael 

Cooper 

MA ONZM 

Acclaimed 

wine writer 

“The first duty of wine is to 

be red,” declared celebrated 

French novelist and poet Henri 

Murger, in the mid nineteenth 

century. Many wine lovers 

don’t agree with him, but 

particularly at this time of the 

year, we know what he meant. 

Robust, rich reds hit the spot 

in winter. It’s hardly a surprise 

that red wines are in strong 

demand – in cold weather, 

who wants a glass of chilled 

white wine? With their higher 

levels of alcohol and tannin, 

red wines are also typically 

more full-bodied than whites, 

which makes them an 

obvious partner for the hearty 

dishes often served in winter. 

Doctors Flat 

Central Otago 


$52 

This lovely red 

was estate-grown 

at Bannockburn, 

matured for a 

year in French 

oak barrels, 

and bottled 

without fining or 

filtering. Fragrant, 

with deep, 

youthful colour, 

it is sweet-fruited 

and concentrated, with 

layers of flavour, showing 

excellent complexity, and 

a long, silky-textured finish. 

doctorsflat.co.nz 

14 

WineNZ Magazine | Winter 2021

Church Road McDonald Series 

Hawke's Bay 

Merlot 2017 

$28 

Distinctly reminiscent of Bordeaux, 

this fleshy, very harmonious red is 

dark and full-bodied, with vibrant 

blackcurrant, plum and spice 

flavours, impressively complex and 

savoury, and supple, fine-grained 

tannins. Drink now or cellar. 

Anita.anderson@pernod-ricard.com 

Bob 

Campbell 

MW 

Buyer's Guide | Feature 

I like winter. It encourages me to unleash a few 

favourite bottles and match them with hearty 

stews and casseroles. A good red is like drinking 

bottled sunshine. It lights me up from the inside out. 

I set myself a price target of under $30 and 

searched for wines that, although young, can be 

enjoyed now. By featuring youthful, ready-to-drink 

wines I managed to net most from the excellent 

2019 and 2020 vintages. 

It’s time to light the fire, dust off your seriously big 

red wine glasses, relax and drink a toast to winter. 

Frenchmans Hill Estate Rock 

Earth Waiheke Island 

Syrah 2015 

$98 

This is a terrific wine, with great 

presence. Dark and weighty, with 

blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, 

and a hint of liquorice, it shows 

notable complexity and density. 

frenchmanshillestate.co.nz 

Umani Ronchi San Lorenzo 

Rosso Conero 2017 

$24 

This noble Italian red flows from 

the Marches region on Italy’s east 

coast. Made from the classic 

montepulciano variety and oakmatured, 

it is fragrant, dark, fleshy 

and concentrated, with good tannin 

backbone and loads of personality. 

sales@vintners.co.nz 

Domaine Fond Croze 

Confidence 

Cotes du Rhone 2019 

A ‘steal’ at $22. 

This gem is an organically certified 

blend of grenache (70%) and syrah 

(30%), from the southern Rhone Valley. 

Dark and sturdy, but not lacking in 

finesse, it is supple, with bold, plummy, 

spicy, slightly earthy flavours. 

sales@mvauron.co.nz 

Mission Jewelstone 

Gimblett Gravels 

Antoine 2018 

$50 

Highly refined, this cabernet 

sauvignon-predominant blend was 

barrel-aged for a year. A classic 

‘claret’ style, it is deeply coloured and 

full-bodied, with rich cassis, plum and 

spice flavours, seasoned with nutty 

French oak, and ripe, supple tannins. 

Well worth discovering. 

missionestate.co.nz 

Thornbury, Central Otago 


$29.99 

Silken-textured Pinot Noir with 

black currant, black cherry, 

dark-fleshed plum and spicy 

flavours. Ripe, succulent wine 

that’s deliciously drinkable now 

and offers good value at this 

price. 

www.thornbury.co.nz 

Craggy Range, Gimblett Gravels 

Te Kahu 2018 

$29.95 

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, 

Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Rich, 

weighty red with plum, dark berry, spice, toasty 

oak and liquorice flavours. A classic winter 

warmer! 

www.craggyrange.com 

Villa Maria Cellar 

Selection, Hawke’s Bay 

Merlot 2019 

$17.99 

Deep tinted Merlot with dark 

berry/black currant, Black Doris 

plum, liquorice and dried herb 

flavours. Rich, intense and quite 

stylish red that punches well 

above its weight. Good now 

but no rush. 

www.villamaria.co.nz 

Akarua, 

Central Otago Rua 


$25 

Akarua’s entry level Pinot 

Noir has always offered 

excellent value. This vintage 

is no exception. Bright, fresh 

Pinot Noir with black cherry, 

violet, and mixed spice flavours. 

Deliciously accessible. 

www.akarua.com 

Church Road McDonald 

Series, Hawke’s Bay 

Syrah 2019 

$27.99 

Intense, ripe Syrah with plum, 

dark berry, chocolate/mocha, 

vanilla, pepper and spicy oak. 

Classy wine with impressive 

density and underlying power 

although. Excellent value at this 

price. 

www.church-road.com 

Papa Luna, Spain 

Calatayud 2018 

$26.95 

Grenache Syrah blend from from old vines (70-100 years) grown 

in the north of Spain. Dense, fruity red with dark berries, liquorice, 

spice/anise and leather flavours. Should respond well to a bit of 

bottle age. A truly gutsy red. 

www.vinyo.be 


15

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Wine & Time 

Wine & Time The 

latest from New Zealand wine world 

Martinborough’s 

Wine and Gin 

destination 

coming mid-2022 

Foley Wines is very pleased 

to have received the 

second stage building 

consent for their 

Martinborough development 

at Te Kairanga, with Holmes 

Construction being awarded 

the contract. This must-visit 

hospitality venue is set to further 

cement Martinborough’s growing 

reputation as one of the country’s 

unmissable wine locations. 

Nestled on the edge of the 

Martinborough Terrace, the wine 

and gin destination will be the 

new home of Foley Wines’ local 

brands - Martinborough Vineyard, 

Te Kairanga and Lighthouse Gin. 

The venue will be the first of its 

kind for Martinborough, allowing 

visitors to experience some of the 

region’s best crafted drops under 

the one roof. 

Led by Holmes Construction, 

the build is expected to be 

completed mid-2022 and will 

feature a restaurant, tasting 

room, gin distillery, private dining, 

terrace and underground barrel 

hall across 1800 sqm. 

“We have been involved in 

many landmark projects in 

Martinborough and we know 

that this will be the place to be 

for locals and tourists. The entire 

Holmes Construction team is 

excited about the opportunity to 

work on this job for Foley Wines,” 

says Ben Holmes, director of 

Holmes Construction. 

“It will be a huge asset to the 

local community employing 

more than 150 locals in the 

process. We look forward to 

bringing this iconic building to 

life,” concludes Holmes. 

Construction is expected to 

start in the next few weeks, the 

new barrel facility was recently 

completed in time for the 2021 

vintage. The restaurant and 

cellar door are expected to be 

completed mid-2022 

The restaurant will have the 

capacity to seat 100 people 

inside, along with additional 

space in the private dining 

room and outdoor terrace. 

With a culinary crossover with 

Wharekauhau Country Estate’s 

new Executive Chef, Rob Cullen, 

the menu will celebrate the 

produce of the local region. 

Lighthouse Gin’s new distillery 

within the venue will give it the 

space and design to meet 

its ever growing demanding 

with a custom-built copper still 

commissioned from German 

distillery manufacturer CARL. 

Visitors will be able to see the 

distiller at work while enjoying a 

Lighthouse Gin & Tonic. 

A perennial favourite of Pinot 

Noir lovers, Martinborough is 

increasingly on the radar for 

epicurean explorers seeking 

great food, picturesque scenery 

and small village charm 

alongside their glass of wine or 

gin. 

Whether they’re visiting or 

drinking its wares, Kiwis are 

embracing all that 

Martinborough has to 

offer and is fast becoming 

a go-to wine destination for 

New Zealanders and tourists 

alike. Foley Wines’ wine and 

gin destination is expected to 

entice even more visitors to 

Martinborough, boosting tourism 

at a time when it is needed 

most. 

Follow Te Kairanga, 

Martinborough Vineyard and 

Lighthouse Gin for progress and 

start planning your visit! 

For more information about 

these award-winning wines and 

to follow the journey, visit 

www.foleywineclub.co.nz. 


Wine & Time 

SIWC - Twelve Judges Tasting 

Sydney International 

Wine Competition 

announces return in 2021 

with New Zealand wines and 

judges participating 

Sydney International Wine 

Competition announces 

return in 2021 with New 

Zealand wines and judges 

participating 

25 March 2021: The Sydney 

International Wine Competition 

will return this year, after a hiatus 

in 2020, with entries being 

accepted from 12 July, and 

judging to take place in late 

October. Provisional award and 

trophy winners will be announced 

on 8 November 2021. 

While the uncertainty of 

international borders precludes 

the appointment of judges 

from further afield, the 2021 

Competition will have a panel 

of 13 highly credentialed judges, 

including four Masters of Wine, 

from Australia and New Zealand, 

chaired once again by Warren 

Gibson. 

Wines will be invited from across 

the globe, with entries capped 

at 2000, and – as is the standout 

difference with the Sydney 

International – the final 400 wines 

will be set aside for re-judging 

with appropriate food, leading to 

about 250 wines being awarded 

Top 100, Blue Gold and Gold 

medals, along with 25 trophies. 

In past years, up to 

12 countries have been 

represented, featuring most of 

the major wine producers as well 

as smaller producers such as 

Georgia and Turkey. 

With no minimum production 

requirements, this show is 

particularly applicable to 

experimental and small makers 

to test their wines alongside 

wines from major producers. 

The Sydney International 

Wine Competition is the 

only international wine show 

that judges all its finalists in 

combination with suitable 

food dishes, to ensure that 

medal-winning wines are both 

technically excellent and 

relevant for consumers. 

Medal and trophy winners 

are featured on the website 

alongside judges’ comments 

and the dishes they were 

matched with. 

Full details of the competition’s 

2021 schedule can be found 

at https://sydneywinecomp. 

com which contains full details of 

the judging criteria and judges’ 

comments on all award winners 

from the previous competition. 

Co-convenor of the Sydney 

International Wine Competition, 

Brett Ling, said that given the 

difficulties faced by the wine 

industry over the past year, it 

was important for competitions 

such as the Sydney International 

to proceed to highlight to 

consumers the exceptional 

range of food-friendly wines 

available to be enjoyed at 

restaurants and at home. 

“This is a very important year 

for the Australian and New 

Zealand wine industries as they 

come out of Covid and have 

to face additional issues with 

international distribution,” said Mr 

Ling. 

“While there will be greater 

emphasis on wines from Australia 

and New Zealand this year 

because of logistical issues, our 

region has never been more 

open to competing against 

other international producers, so 

we expect very keen interest in 

the competition from across the 

world. 

“Our judging panel this year 

will be made up of judges 

from Australia and New 

Zealand, which are traditionally 

powerhouses in the competition, 

so we can only hope that the 

trans-Tasman travel ‘bubble’ is 

floating by the time judging takes 

place in late October. However, 

we have built in contingency 

plans just in case.” 

Warren Gibson Sydney International 

Wine Comp Chair of Judges Vertical 


19

Wine & Time 

The ‘Qualmark 

5 Star Hotel 

rating and Gold 

Tourism Business 

Sustainability Award’, 

two of the New Zealand 

tourism sector’s highest 

official marks of quality, 

have been achieved 

for the fifth year running 

by The Rees Hotel 

Queenstown. 

Qualmark was first 

established in 1997 

and is wholly owned by 

Tourism New Zealand. 

It is the tourism 

industry’s official quality 

assurance organisation 

for accommodation 

providers, and 

an endorsement 

programme for 

attractions and 

leisure activities. The 5 Star rating denotes an 

accommodation provider with facilities and 

services amongst the best on offer in New 

Zealand. The Gold Sustainable Tourism Business 

Award recognises those businesses which deliver 

exceptional customer experiences as an integral 

part of everything they do, leading the way in 

making the New Zealand tourism industry a world 

class sustainable visitor destination. 

After a year’s hiatus during the COVID pandemic 

in 2020 during the which The Rees worked hard to 

maintain its valued staff and extremely high guest 

standards under the hardest of conditions, the 

independently owned luxury operator was assessed 

across all three of its different accommodation 

offerings for the combined period of 2020 and 2021 

to date. Situated overlooking Lake Wakatipu, the 

property has 60 hotel rooms, 90 apartments and 5 

brand new private lakeside residences that opened 

in December 2017. 

“Every day we have continued to put a huge 

amount of effort in to keep The Rees in the best 

possible condition with the most creative and up-todate 

offerings and services,” says CEO Mark Rose. 

Innovation is, “…doubly important now, given the 

past year’s struggle to survive during the COVID 

lockdown with no international travel. 

"Keeping our core team throughout this period 

and their unwavering commitment to the hotel has 

been crucial to this awesome achievement". 

The Gold Qualmark Sustainability Award is 

particularly satisfying for Mr Rose. “Being audited by 

an independent assessor who is able to compare 

us with the best hotels across New Zealand is 

The Rees Hotel 

Queenstown Achieves 

Rare Dual Qualmark Gold 

for Fifth Year in 2021 

so important. Rose 

believes it is a “vital 

tool from a very 

relevant organisation 

that ensures our New 

Zealand offerings are 

world class, safe and 

sustainable”. The Rees 

team, he says, have 

consciously focused 

on being responsible 

operators through 

leaving a “light 

footprint” via many 

staff-initiated actions 

that both reduce the 

impact on the natural 

environment and 

preserve it. “This Gold 

status again underlines 

our total commitment 

to our environment, for 

both our visitors and 

the generations to 

follow us – we all need 

to do whatever we can to protect our 

pristine country”. 

Qualmark Award - Background and Criteria 

In 2018 The Rees was one of only five hotels 

amongst 900 accommodation providers in New 

Zealand to receive both awards – 5 Star and Gold 

Sustainability certification, that encompasses 

the triple bottom line (social, environmental and 

financial) performance. 

The Rees Hotel Queenstown 

Major awards 

for 2019 and 2020 

In 2019 The Rees was presented with the 

highly prestigious ‘Allied Operator of the Year 

Award’ by the New Zealand Tourism Export 

Council after consistently reflecting ‘Tiaki’ values 

across all operational platforms, The Rees was 

recognised by peers at the national event as 

the “best in the business” excelling in innovation, 

customer service and responsible tourism. 

In 2020 The Rees achieved the highly 

prestigious SKAL International Sustainable 

Tourism Award in the Urban Accommodation 

category. Judges from internationally 

recognized entities have independently 

evaluated each entry based on leadership 

criteria in sustainability that encompass 

tangible, measurable benefits to the 

environment, enhance business, and the 

society and communities in which they operate. 


Wine & Time 

Vintage 

A Small and Mighty 

2021 

Marlborough’s 2021 

vintage story is 

one of low crops 

and “exceptional” 

wines, according to Forrest 

Estate General Manager Beth 

Forrest. “For me it was the year 

for Sauvignon Blanc,” says the 

winemaker, describing the 

complexity of Marlborough’s 

flagship variety. “They were overly 

aromatic and beautiful, with 

multi-layered flavour levels as 

well.” 

Plant & Food Research 

weather expert Rob Agnew 

says lower yields were due to 

a variety of factors, including 

inclement flowering conditions, 

with Marlborough temperatures 

mostly lower than average from 

mid-November to the first week of 

December last year. A late frost 

on September 30 last year also 

played its part, coinciding with 

early budburst for Sauvignon 

Blanc in some parts of 

Marlborough. 

Beth, a director on the 

Marlborough Winegrowers board, 

says the lighter crops enabled 

viticulturists to pick blocks three 

or four times to ensure the fruit’s 

“peak” profile. “It gave you time 

to wait for the absolute best.” 

The great quality of the harvest, 

following on from excellent 2019 

and 2020 vintages, is a prime 

opportunity for premiumisation in 

“small and mighty Marlborough”, 

adds Beth. “For us it will be a 

focus on ‘great’ this year.” 

Blank Canvas co-owner and 

winemaker Matt Thomson, a 

consultant for several wine 

companies, says crops ranging 

from “extraordinarily light” 

through to fairly light, promise 

wines of “great intensity and 

balance”. He believes the 2021 

vintage is an “industry changing 

event”, as low yields meet strong 

demand for Marlborough and 

New Zealand wine. The vintage 

will bring “short term intense 

pain, for a longer term gain”, he 

adds. “It is an opportunity for our 

industry to refocus on premium.” 

Villa Maria’s Chief Global 

Sales and Marketing Officer 

Matt Deller agrees, saying 

there is “absolute opportunity” 

in the lower yields. “It gives us 

the opportunity to prioritise our 

higher tiers, so proportionately 

it will accelerate our 

premiumisation.” 


21

Wine & Time 

HIGHLIGHTS 

Police in Australia allegedly seized two full 

sets of Australian Grange wine worth 400K. 

All part of global Operation Ironside. 

Three young women 

take out the 

top three places 

in the 2021 Corteva 

Wairarapa Young 

Viticulturist of 

the Year 

Congratulations to Albie Feary 

from Ata Rangi in Martinborough 

who became the Corteva 

Wairarapa Young Viticulturist of 

the Year 2021 on 17 June. 

Congratulations also goes to Hannah 

Pause from Foley Family Wines who was 

Runner Up and Katie Cameron from 

Escarpment who came third. 

The competition was held at the 

stunning Luna Estate Blue Rock Vineyard 

where the Young Vits were tested on 

a wide range of challenges including 

trellising, tractor knowledge, pruning, 

nutrition, irrigation, pest & disease, 

budgeting and an interview. They then 

went head to head in a very colourful 

Biostart Hortisports race. This was followed 

by a Fruitfed Supplies BBQ. 

The Awards Dinner was held at Peppers 

Parehua where the contestants delivered 

speeches on key wine industry issues and 

the winners were announced at the end 

of the evening. 

Albie will go on to represent Wairarapa 

at the National Final in August in 

Marlborough. She will compete against 

the winners from Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, 

Marlborough, N.Canterbury & Central 

Otago. 

Trans- Tasman bubble boosts NZ Wine - 

Within days of Australian and New Zealand 

borders opening, wine tourists are being 

welcomed back both sides of the Tasman. 

Vegan leather made from winegrapes 

_ Wine leather is the newest plant-based 

leather to make its way into the eco-friendly 

fashion industry. 

For sale – Shays Flat, Landsborough 

Victoria – Famous for Pyrenees Wines 51 

hectares of vines. 

Is New Zealand running out of wine? 

Could the recent reduced harvest in 

Marlborough run New Zealand and the rest 

of the world out of the excellent highest 

quality Sauvignon Blanc? Watch this space. 

China wine imports slide – Now dipping in 

volume and value, compared to last year. 

Nielsen report - On line alcohol beverage 

sales up 87% year to date, compared to the 

same period last year. 

Non alcoholic beverages now worth 4.5 

million in Australia. Predictions are 15 million 

by the end of 2021. 

Hawkes Bay reports a third high quality 

vintage in a row. 

‘Near perfect growing conditions’ is 

the word. 

New highlights: One bidder for Villa 

Maria, identified as Apple Exporter Scales 

Corporation, has reportedly pulled out 

according to RNZ. 


Join the team of the Original one and only Marlborough Wine Tours, 

for one of our fun and informative wine tasting tours. Whether you 

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Half and full day tours depart Picton and Blenheim daily. Our award winning 

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Highly recommend this tour to anyone in the Marlborough region. We had such a great day out. 

All together a brilliant tour from Picton; a “must-do” 

If you want to experience more than just wine let us show you the ‘Ultimate 

Marlborough Day Out’ with a cruise on the Marlborough Sounds in the morning 

followed by lunch and an afternoon wine tour. 

For those who want to explore more of the wine making side we offer private tours 

which give you an opportunity to blend your own wine, hear form the wine maker 

about how the process happens and be taken on a tour of the vineyard and winery 

with expert commentary. 

Book today! 

marlboroughwinetours.co.nz 

03 574 2889

Feature | Vintage Report 

T 

he 2021 

harvest has 

yielded a 

small crop, 

right at the 

time when the 

international demand 

for Marlborough 

sauvignon blanc – over 

half this country’s wine 

output - is skyrocketing. 

At Villa Maria, for 

instance, the company’s 

total grape intake declined by 

26 per cent, compared to last 

year. As a result, you can expect 

a significant lift in the retail price 

of many 2021 sauvignon blancs, 

especially those in the cheaper, 

everyday-drinking category. 

In Marlborough, which has 

70 per cent of New Zealand’s 

vineyard area, the light crops 

were caused by a late frost 

on September 30, followed by 

cool weather during the vines’ 

flowering, from mid-November to 

early December. Brian Bicknell, 

owner of Mahi winery, sums up 

the 2021 vintage as “very good, 

very early and very small.” 

Rather than unusual warmth 

during the growing season in 

Marlborough, Bicknell says the 

early harvest was caused by 

“low cropping across all the 

varieties... To give you an idea 

of the magnitude of this, the 

drop of income from grape sales 

will be in the vicinity of $NZ150 

million, and that does not include 

the flow-on effect of lower wine 

income.” The good news, reports 

Bicknell, is “the quality right across 

the varieties, as we had brilliant 

weather through the harvest... 

Clean and low-cropped fruit 

with low rainfall is always a pretty 

good recipe for beautiful wines.” 

Bryan Fry, Sydney-based chair 

QUALITY 

NOT 

QUANTITY 

The 2021 New Zealand 

V i n t a g e 

By Michael Cooper.MA ONZM 

New Zealand’s most acclaimed wine writer with 45 books 

and several major literary awards 

and CEO of Pernod Ricard 

Winemakers (owner of the 

Brancott Estate and Stoneleigh 

brands), says this year’s grape 

shortage is the worst for over a 

decade, and that New Zealand’s 

total wine output will drop by 

about nine million cases (12 

bottles per case) compared to 

2020. 

Pernod Ricard’s sauvignon 

blanc harvest is down by 34 per 

cent, compared to last year. “The 

biggest issue is New Zealand 

wine, particularly Marlborough 

sauvignon blanc, is growing very 

strongly,” reports Fry. “So the trick 

is being able to manage that 

level of supply decrease with 

customers around the world, and 

to ensure they don’t try to switch 

to other brands and markets.” 

Winemaker Matt Thomson, 

of Blank Canvas, believes the 

2021 vintage will be an “industrychanging 

event”. With sauvignon 

blanc currently in short supply, “it 

is an opportunity for our industry 

to refocus on premium.” Villa 

Maria plans to raise its prices by 

up to 20 per cent. However, the 

wines from New Zealand’s smaller 

wine regions, often made from 

other grape varieties, such as 

pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris 

and merlot, are not believed to 

be in undersupply. 

On the quality front, 

expectations are high in 

Marlborough. Allan Scott 

winery praised its grape 

quality as “awesome.” 

Beth Forrest, general 

manager of Forrest 

Estate, describes the 

company’s sauvignon 

blanc crop as “beautiful, 

with multi-layered flavour 

levels and amazing 

aromas...” 

Every year produces a similar 

rush of enthusiastic comments 

– after all, the winemakers are 

keen to promote their wares – but 

small crops do usually yield wines 

with enhanced flavour intensity. 

However, due to a severe 

shortage of temporary workers 

from overseas, used for selective 

hand-picking of the grapes, 

greater use than normal was 

made of mechanical harvesters, 

which for some producers could 

adversely affect quality. 

In Hawke's Bay, the country’s 

second-largest wine region, Haha 

reported that the 2021 growing 

season was “slightly warmer and 

drier than the long-term average. 

As a result of lower crops... the 

2021 wines will have a slight 

edge over 2020.” Clearview 

Estate says its 2021 wines show 

“amazing concentration.” 

Further south, Butterworth Estate 

in Martinborough says “quality 

is up across the board.” Black 

Estate, in Canterbury, reported 

“concentrated” grapes, with “lots 

of sugar ripeness.” 

In Central Otago, Grasshopper 

Rock, at Alexandra, reported a 

cool spring and cool, wet earlymid 

summer. However, autumn 

was warm and dry, “which 

perfectly ripened a smaller than 

average crop.” 

24 


Restaurant Reviews | Feature 

THE CLARENCE 

HOTEL AND BISTRO 

By Joan Gestro 

The new Clarence 

Hotel and Bistro is 

now situated where 

once was the historic 

Tauranga Post Office, a 

beautiful building with a 

gracious frontage, a rotunda on 

one side serving as a popular bar 

area in the summer. 

The Clarence Hotel and Bistro 

now boasts two chic and funky 

restaurants, fine accommodation 

upstairs with 10 individually 

designed suites. The symbolic 

representation of the Bee 

comes from the existing tiles 

on the roof, manufactured in 

Marseille, France. Government 

buildings the world over have 

commissioned tiles such as these 

and now their adventure has 

come a long way to rest above 

our heads. 

We dined in the Bistro, we 

found it interesting seeing chefs 

preparing fine cuisine. We 

were lucky to have David, our 

French waiter, with his extensive 

knowledge matched our three 

courses with the right wine. 

The Bistro serves innovative and 

classic dishes, if you are looking 

for a more casual fare, try the Iki 

Bar, whose staff go out of their 

way to make you feel welcome; 

surrounded by music, cocktails, 

wines, craft beers and Southern 

Asian Street food to delight your 

appetite. 

Our First course: 

Colin’s choice of Pork Schmaltz 

with Love Rosie’s Bread was 

matched with Nautilus Rose 

2015, a sparkling wine from 

Marlborough- Berry fruit and 

Brioche notes. This sparkling 

wine cleans your palate for the 

next course. 

My choice of Anchovies, 

matched with Dry Riesling 

Spatlese “Fromm” 2018 from 

Marlborough, with fresh acidity to 

cut the saltiness of the Anchovies, 

which were tender, delicious, not 

too salty, a product of Italy. 

Our Second Course: 

Colin chose Consommé, his dish 

matched with Arneis 2015 Hawkes 

Bay lime and honey aromas with 

a dry finish to work really well 

with the strong aromas of the 

Consommé dish. 

My choice was Truffle Risotto 

matched with Harakeke 

Chardonnay 2015 from Nelson, 

Nectarine, peach and oak 

aromas nice texture to work with 

my delicious creamy risotto. 

Our Third Course 

Colin’s choice of Coq au Vin was 

matched with a Central Otago 

Tekapoto Estate 2013 Pinot Noir. 

Nice tannins flavours to work 

with the poultry dish. A small 

winery with a fantastic philosophy 

around the wine. This wine is 

a multi-awarded world best at 

London’s IWSC. 

My choice Goat Ragu, I asked 

David our wine buff at Clarence restaurant. 

for a small portion which came 

smothered in pappardelle with 

not enough of the delicious 

Ragu. Still a generous portion 

and delicious. David matched 

this dish with Waiheke Island Man 

O’ War-Dreadnought 2016 Syrah, 

Intense Cherry and Liquorice 

flavours and tannins to balance 

the Caribbean spiced Ragu. 

We enjoyed the experience with 

delicious food good staff who 

made you feel welcome and help 

in any way to make our evening a 

great experience. We will certainly 

be back as they also offer A Five 

Course Tasting menu with wine 

match. Can’t wait to enjoy this 

with a bunch of friends. 


25

Food | Vic's Food N Wine... 

Winter 

Warmers 

There is a common belief that we should 

enjoy white wine in the warmer months 

and red as the temperature drops, but 

do we really need to be that restrictive? 

We say no. The food on the plate 

should dictate the accompanying wine 

style, regardless of the weather. If the dish calls for 

a light-hearted white that should be our choice 

even if it’s snowing outside. 

The wine and food combinations on these 

pages have brought pleasure to our table 

over the past few months. We hope they might 

provide a little inspiration for your own creations. 

Have fun! 

Silver Farm 

venison with 

chocolate sauce 

Wine match: Syrah 

Chocolate sauce with meat? 

It might sound weird, but it has 

long been a culinary tradition 

in some parts of the world, 

notably Mexico. The name is a 

bit of a misnomer. The sauce 

was actually formed in the usual 

manner by reducing stock and 

red wine in the pan where the 

meat was cooked. The dark 

chocolate, in the cautious 

form of no more than six or 

seven tiny ‘buttons’, was stirred 

in just long enough to melt it. 

The result was savoury and 

unctuous with no more than a 

touch of sweetness — a perfect 

foil to the upfront flavours of 

the farm-raised and grass-fed 

venison. We served the meat 

on a scoop of buttery mashed 

potato and poured Elephant 

Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah 2018 into 

the accompanying glass. The 

venison was liberally coated with 

cracked black pepper before its 

appointment with the hot pan, 

and the resulting savoury notes 

were happy to meet similar 

characters in the wine. Gentle 

tannins through the mid-palate 

gave extra substance to the 

creamy mash while the rich 

blackcurrant-like fruit edged by a 

whisper of acidity played nicely 

with the chocolate. All boxes 

ticked. 


Vic's Food N Wine... | Food 

Double lamb cutlets with roasted parsnip 

Wine match: Gamay 

Buying lamb in the form of a 

rack is not the cheapest option, 

but when cooked properly pink 

the meat is invariably tender, and 

there is no waste apart from the 

bone. We seared this well-trimmed 

example in a little olive oil before 

transferring it to a 200degC oven 

for around six minutes, then 

tented it with foil for a little while 

longer. The parsnip was scrubbed 

and halved lengthwise before 

being diagonally sliced partway 

through, brushed with oil 

and roasted. Carved into double 

cutlets, the lamb sat on a drizzle 

of Sriracha chilli sauce, with a 

floret of broccoli added to each 

serving for extra colour. Lamb is 

easily overpowered by too big 

a red, so we chose Louis Latour 

Beaujolais-Villages Chameroy 

2015 as an accompaniment. 

Berryish and still instantly 

appealing despite being a 

little older than is generally 

recommended with this style, 

the wine accentuated the 

natural sweetness of the meat 

and was smooth enough to be 

comfortable with its supporting 

role. A dash of acid through the 

mid-palate found companionship 

in the chilli sauce. Gamay is a 

rare grape in New Zealand, but Te 

Mata Estate in Hawkes Bay makes 

a flavoursome and thoroughly 

enjoyable version, labelled 

Gamay Noir. 

Chicken livers on Bulghur wheat with edamame beans 

Wine match: Grenache 

Regular readers of this column will have gathered 

that offal is a popular choice at our table, and 

few examples of what are euphemistically called 

‘variety meats’ are more readily available than 

chicken livers. Trimmed of any connecting tubes 

and pan-fried pink in a splash of olive oil spiked 

with butter, they make a great entrée on a slice 

of grainy toast or a delicious main dish when 

sitting atop a pile of braised lentils or, as in this 

example, Bulghur wheat. Their earthy flavours are 

best emphasised by wine with a healthy dash of 

rusticity, and we have had particular success with 

both Malbec and Grenache. The latter variety is 

common in Australia, but we went further afield 

and opened a Breca Old Vine Garnacha de 

Fuego 2019 from Spain (Garnacha is the Spanish 

name for Grenache). Fermented in stainless steel 

tanks and concrete vats, it boasted the appealing 

combination of ripe fruit and tannic grip that the 

dish deserved. 


27

Food | Vic's Food N Wine... 

Mercer Extra-Mature Cumin Gouda with 

sourdough and piadina 

Wine match: Albarino 

Cheese should be served with 

red wine or port, right? Wrong. 

White wine is often a better 

choice, and is particularly well 

suited to the Dutch styles that we 

do so well in New Zealand. 

Albert and Ineke Alferink’s 

Mercer Cheese shop, 45 minutes 

or so south of Auckland City, 

sells several variations on the 

Gouda theme, all crafted by 

Albert and fellow cheesemaker 

Thomas Fredrickson, but we are 

particularly partial to the cumininfused 

model. It is usually offered 

in standard and mature forms, 

and it was an ‘extra-mature’ 

version that we recently matched 

to a Red Metal Vineyards Block 

Five Albarino from Hawkes Bay. 

The 2020 vintage we opened was 

fresh and lively, suggesting that 

a few years in the cellar would 

be a good idea, but even at 

this young age it had enough 

complexity to stand confidently 

alongside the assertively herbloaded 

Gouda. Suggestions 

of dried peach and mandarin 

peel brought out the cheese’s 

gentle sweetness, while a hint 

of herbs emphasised the cumin 

flavours. We eschewed crackers 

in favour of our own home-made 

sourdough and wedges of 

piadina (Italian-style flatbread) 

and were very happy with the 

combination. 

Tempura-battered gurnard with 

Tonnato sauce 

Wine match: Chardonnay 

Tonnato is a sauce created 

by blending tinned tuna with 

mayonnaise, and in Italian 

cuisine it is usually served with 

thinly sliced veal in a dish named 

Vitello Tonnato. We decided, 

given its piscine origins, that it 

should work equally well with 

fingers of crisply battered fish. 

It does. We chose gurnard 

because it is easy to cut into 

the requisite shapes, and made 

the batter from fine flour (Tipo 

00) and refrigerated soda water, 

with an ice cube slipped into the 

balloon whisk to keep everything 

as chilled as Tempura success 

requires. The savoury, faintly 

nutty character of the batter sat 

nicely with the similar characters 

of Kumeu River Hunting Hill 

Chardonnay 2017, while the 

creaminess ensured by the wine’s 

malolactic formed a symbiotic 

relationship with the sauce. A 

judicious scattering of crisp-fried 

capers took care of the gentle 

acids through the mid-palate. 

Vic Williams has been writing 

and broadcasting about wine 

and food for more than 40 

years. Beginning in the 1990s 

he compiled 10 editions of The 

Penguin Good New Zealand 

Wine Guide, featuring a food 

recommendation for every wine 

tasted. A little later he acted as 

New Zealand wine and food 

editor for Fodor’s Guides and 

Courvoisier’s Book of the Best 

and edited one Australian and 

three New Zealand editions 

of Food, Wine and Art. In 

2002 the Vineyards of New 

Zealand Cookbook, written in 

conjunction with Julie LeClerc 

and photographer Ian Baker, won 

the ‘Best Book on Matching Food 

and Wine in English’ award at the 

Gourmand Cookbook Awards 

in Paris, and was a finalist in the 

Lifestyle category at the Montana 

New Zealand Book Awards. On 

television, Vic presented the shows 

A Taste of the Orient and Summer 

Cooking with Vic Williams and 

enjoyed a three-year stint as the 

food and wine authority on the 

magazine show, Weekend. 

On radio, Vic joined fellow wine 

authority Ron Small to broadcast 

a regular restaurant review on 

1ZB’s Leighton Smith Show, and 

chatted about wine and food with 

restaurateur, cookbook author 

and keen foodie Connie Clarkson 

on the Brian Edwards show, Top o’ 

the Morning on Radio Live. 

For three consecutive years Vic 

joined a panel of international 

wine and food luminaries 

including Britain’s Robert Carrier, 

the USA’s Fred Ferretti, Thailand’s 

Ken Hom and Australia’s Terry 

Durack and James Halliday 

to judge Hong Kong’s best 

restaurants, and for 15 years he 

was New Zealand wine consultant 

for Cathay Pacific Airways. At 

home, he acted as Cellar Director 

for the New Zealand Wine Society 

for the 28 years from its inception 

until its closure in 2019. 

Vic’s contribution to the wine and 

food scenes in New Zealand has 

been rewarded with a Lifetime 

Achievement award from the 

hospitality industry’s Lewisham 

Foundation and the Sir George 

Fistonich medal as a ‘Legend 

of New Zealand Wine’ from the 

International Wine Show. 


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Feature | Gisborne 

Gisborne 

By Charmian Smith 

Gisborne Wine Centre and Crawford Road Kitchen - the place to find many Gisborne wines and have lunch. 

Gisborne with its sun, surf beaches, 

laid back lifestyle and warm 

summer weather has attracted 

Kiwis on holiday for decades. 

Charmian Smith visits Gizzy as 

it’s known to its friends, and 

enjoys the sun, sand, food and, of course, the 

wine.. Geographically speaking the Far North is 

one of the most stunning parts of New Zealand 

recognised as a tourist friendly destination not for 

its wine. 

Last summer Gisborne cellar doors were buzzing 

as Kiwis explored their own backyard. Although 

not a major international wine destination like 

Marlborough, Hawkes Bay or Central Otago, 

Gisborne’s wines are certainly not to be passed 

over - and they are usually reasonably priced for 

their quality. 

Gisborne styles itself the “chardonnay capital” 

of New Zealand with good reason, but don’t 

overlook the wonderful aromatics - pinot gris, its 

famous but increasingly rare gewürztraminer, and, 

a new discovery for me, the surprisingly delicious 

sauvignon blanc, zesty and herbaceous but not as 

assertive or aggressive as some Marlborough ones 

can be. Apparently there is a lot being planted in 

the area so expect to see more from here. 

There are also less common varieties to explore, 

such as the exciting albarino, stylish chenin blanc, 

lush viognier and lively verdelho. 

Refreshing bubblies are made here too, 

from methode traditionelle blanc de blancs 

(chardonnay) to lively carbonated wines. Steve 

Voysey has planted glera, the grape variety from 

which the popular Prosecco is made, so keep 

an eye open for this light Italian style bubbly in 

the future. 

30 


Gisborne | Feature 

Gisborne reds tend to be released early. A soft, 

easy to drink merlot is common and also a more 

textural malbec, but some unusual varieties can be 

discovered, such as fragrant, spicy montepulciano - 

just the thing for a pizza - or tempranillo, carménère, 

St Laurent, and even the occasional pinot noir. 

Despite a few early winemakers such as 

Fredrich Wohnseidler who made wine at his 

Waihirere vineyard in the 1920s, the big expansion 

in Gisborne came in the 1960s when large 

companies, Montana, Corbans and Penfolds, 

persuaded farmers to plant müller thurgau, muscat 

and other grapes for bulk wine and built large 

wineries to process it. 

But fine wine was not forgotten. Bill and Dennis 

Irwin of Matawhero and James and Annie Millton of 

the prestigious Millton Vineyard were among early 

growers of boutique wine at the end of the 1970s 

and into the 1980s. 

Some of the bigger players also went on 

to develop super premium labels such as 

Montana’s “O” Ormond Chardonnay, “P” Patutahi 

Gewürztraminer and Corbans’ Cottage Block 

Chardonnay. 

Some of the larger producers from elsewhere 

in the country, such as Villa Maria and Coopers 

Creek, also source grapes from here. 

Now Montana, Corbans and Penfolds have 

gone but their wineries in the Awapuni industrial 

area have been turned to good use by contract 

winemakers - Indevin, Gisvin and Solander Cellars. 

Denny Zame of Bond Block, following in his 

winemaking great uncle’s footsteps. 

Andy Nimmo with his quirky Hihi wines. 

Some of the abandoned growers formed a 

cooperative, Groco, others decided to produce 

their own wine and still others pulled out their 

vineyards. 

James Millton thinks that wine regions go 

through 30-year cycles of ups and downs. From 

the 1960s to the 1990s Gisborne was flourishing, 

then the corporations left and it declined. But 

now in the 2020s its fortunes are reviving with new 

plantings and a new generation with knowledge 

about regenerative agriculture, the use of water, the 

sequestration of carbon and the build up of humus 

in the soil, he says. 

Gisborne’s climate is warm but it also has 

a higher rainfall than most other wine regions, 

with rain often falling around vintage time. Its 

soils are fertile, varying between silt loams down 

towards the coast and heavier clay soils further 

inland. Unlike other regions, the rainfall and clay 

soils enable grapes to be dry farmed without 

irrigation. Apart from being more environmentally 

responsible, the vine roots tend to go deeper and 

are said to yield more intensely flavoured grapes. 

Bulk wines are still produced as well as a lot 

of mid-range wines and a few premium ones. 

However, unlike Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Central 

Otago and even Wairarapa and North Canterbury 

which have large cities nearby, Gisborne has 

a sense of isolation. It’s not high on the list of 

international destinations, even for wine lovers. 

Perhaps because of this there are only a 

handful of cellar doors, although some growers 

are happy to show you their wines if you make 

an appointment. A few have stalls at the bustling 

Gisborne farmers market on Saturday mornings - a 

must-visit for any visitor. 


31


Kirsten and Richard Searle have restored Matawhero 

to one of the key Gisborne cellar doors to visit. 

John Thorpe and son-in-law Gene Walker of Longbush. 

Gisborne’s flagship is chardonnay, and it’s 

certainly not to be missed with its generous ripe 

flavours and many variations. Annie Millton says 

Gisborne’s high clay soils give chardonnay a 

richness and generosity, but still retain freshness. 

Many winemakers make three styles, an oak-free 

one often with a hint of nuttiness from lees contact, 

an estate one often with hints of nutty, buttery oak, 

and a more complex reserve with all the bells and 

whistles. Chardonnay is not only a still wine, but 

also appears as sparkling wine, usually a blanc de 

blanc without added pinot noir. 

One of Gisborne’s most experienced winemakers 

is Steve Voysey. Originally working in Marlborough 

he came to Gisborne as chief winemaker for 

Montana more than 30 years ago intending only 

to stay for three years. He liked chardonnay more 

than sauvignon blanc, he said with a laugh. 

He says he’s been “sold” with the winery three 

times, always keeping the 

same position, just with different 

owners. Allied Domecq bought 

the winery from Montana, then 

Pernod Ricard and then Indevin. 

He now makes his own Spade 

Oak label but still consults and 

makes wine for others. 

Early in his career here he fell in 

love with Gisborne chardonnay. 

“It’s capable of just about 

anything. I like its ability to make 

sparkling wine all the way 

through to full bodied, oaked, 

barrel fermented chardonnays,” 

he said. 

“I just love the way the vines 

adapt and grow here. If it’s easy 

to grow in a region then it’s a 

nice match, and in Gisborne it 

Some wineries have their cellar 

doors at the Gisborne farmers 

market: David Hart of StoneBridge. 

Chardonnay and aromatic whites are the wines to 

seek out in Gisborne. 

Gisborne chardonnays are always 

weighty, generous wines: Steve 

Voysey of Spade Oak. 

32 


Geoff and Nicola Wright of Wrights vineyard and winery with their five 

sons, from oldest to youngest, Noah, Eli, Luke, Guy, and Otto. 

Shona and David Egan of Bushmere Estate. 

Bridge Estate, a cottage wine bar and cafe in a vineyard. 

is. It shows the weight and depth of our soils. They 

are always weighty chardonnays and they are 

generous wines, but not clumsy.” 

People often think of Gisborne as a warm 

climate region but it doesn’t reach prolonged 

30+degC temperatures where vines shut down. 

They keep on growing so you always have 

physiological ripeness nice and early while 

retaining acidity, he said. 

“Chardonnay respects the effort you put into it, 

and that’s time and money and site. Whether you 

are growing or making wine you are always doing 

it to a cost and that has to be built into the quality 

structure, whether its generic chardonnay made 

with oak staves instead of barrels, or premium, 

lower cropped, barrel fermented wines.” 


33


Crazy 

by Nature 


The Milltons were considered crazy 

in the 1980s and ‘90s but they 

find they are now at the forefront 

of new trends, James and Annie 

Millton tell Charmian Smith. 

J 

cutting edge for both the next 

generation of winemakers and 

many of the more traditional 

ones as well. There’s a growing 

demand for organic, lo-fi wines, 

that are often vegan-friendly 

or “natural”. 

ames and Annie 

Millton are mavericks 

in a conformist 

world. For almost four 

decades they have 

grown grapes and 

made wine biodynamically, 

well before it was a thing and 

their wines are much admired 

and sought after both here and 

overseas. 

But what they have been 

doing for so long is now at the 

When I visit their cellar 

door, Annie comes in from the 

vineyard where she has been 

taking out laterals and James 

drives up on his tractor - he’s 

been spraying biodynamic teas 

on the vines. Tomorrow he has a 

Zoom tasting in London. 

“With covid we’ve had to get 

down into the coal pit and pick 

up the shovel and you can see 

the love. Rather than tell people 

to do this and don’t do that, we 

lead by example now,” James 

says. 

Both grew up on the land, 

James on the West Coast near 

Franz Josef and Annie is the fifth 

generation on the family farm - 

some of the oldest land in New 

Zealand still farmed by a single 

family - at Manutuke in Poverty 

Bay. 

Before returning to New 

Zealand in the early 1980s, James 

and Annie worked in France and 

Germany, learning how wine 

was grown and made there. In 

34 



1984 they took over the vineyards 

Annie’s father, John Clark, had 

planted in the 1960s for Montana, 

one of the big producers 

establishing Gisborne as a major 

wine growing region. 

“In those days all the farmers 

were dependent on chemicals 

and they’d just invented preemergence 

herbicide. We didn’t 

like the look of that stuff because 

it didn’t really make sense,” Annie 

said. 

In Europe just copper and 

sulphur were used, so they had 

seen it was possible to grow 

grapes without the volume of 

sprays the chemical companies 

prescribed - basically an 

insecticide, fungicide and 

herbicide every 14 days, she said. 

“One of the first things we 

stopped was a fungicide at 

flowering. We didn’t actually 

see the point when a flower is 

flowering and that’s going to be 

your crop, why would you spray it 

with fungicide.” 

Especially if the grapes are 

contaminated with a fungicide 

and you are fermenting that 

juice with residual fungicide in it, 

James adds. 

“You can imagine the yeast 

would get fairly brassed off, 

in which case the modern 

insensitive way of thinking was 

you’d have to add a whole lot of 

other stuff to the wine to keep the 

yeast alive,” he said. 

“When you don’t use all those 

chemicals in the vineyard the 

vines have to have their own 

defence mechanism. They 

produce polyphenols in their sap 

as a response to an attack by an 

insect or cold or hot or dry, so we 

have more phenolics in our wine 

than a conventional wine, which 

then means we have a broader 

palate and a different texture.” 

They believe they were the first 

biodynamic wine growers in the 

southern hemisphere and find 

it gratifying that so many others 

are now following organic and 

biodynamic principles. 

When a group of prestigious 

family-owned winemakers formed 

The Family of Twelve in 2005, the 

“We farm 

ease and 

don’t fight 

disease.” 

James Millton 

Milltons got a bit of jostling about 

organics and biodynamics. 

However, now half of them have 

gone organic, James said. 

“You have to ask why. It’s 

because the gatekeepers and 

the markets they are selling wine 

to, both the fine restaurants and 

the fine off-premise shops said 

‘you are sustainable but our 

customers want organic’.” 

Markets may want certified 

organic wine but bureaucrats, 

especially in the EU, are going 

to say with climate change we 

can’t be using so much sulphur 

because it contributes to acid 

rain, he said. 

Elemental sulphur is one of the 

few additions allowed in organic 

viticulture and winemaking, 

although its levels are lower than 

in conventional sustainable wine 

growing, so other methods have 

to be found. The Milltons make 

teas from various plants such 

as willow for spraying the vines 

that helps reduce the need for 

sulphur and increases the health 

of the soil and vines. 

One of James’s favourite 

sayings, "we're not standing on 

dirt, but the rooftop of another 

Kingdom,” refers to the kingdom 

of microbes, fungi and other 

minuscule forms of life in a 

healthy soil that contribute to the 

health of the vines. 

Although there’s no uniform 

definition for “natural” wine, it 

generally refers to wine made 

without pesticides or herbicides, 

with few or no additives, and, in 

the case of “orange” or “amber” 

wines, white varieties fermented 

on the skins like red wines. 

Unfortunately, some “natural” 

wines have gained a bad 

reputation. 

Annie explains: “Orange or 

natural wine is a very young 

movement here in New Zealand 

and some of the young people 

who have taken it on have not 

been making wine that long 

and - this is me personally - it’s 

just ‘let it go, see what happens’, 

whereas in our case we want it 

to be serious and a good wine, 

whereas some of them think it’s 

just going to turn out perfect.” 

Ancient and modern winemaking techniques at the Millton winery. 


35


James adds: “To make 

conventional wine you have to 

turn up to work; to make organic 

and biodynamic wine you have 

to turn up to work and be very 

clean; to make natural wine you 

have to turn up to work and be 

very clean and then be very 

clean. I think a lot of these ones 

in question spend too much 

time ya-ya-ing, Annie and I being 

old…” 

Natural wines may still be in 

their infancy in New Zealand 

but it’s on an upward trend. A 

growing number of restaurants 

that source local, organic food 

and are choosing natural wines 

for their customers. Several new 

small wine sellers, mostly on-line, 

also specialise in them. 

However, the trend is 

unfortunately also prone to 

greenwashing. Not everyone 

actually believes in what they put 

on the label, says James. 

“There are some people 

labelling their wine veganfriendly 

but they use every other 

“Before a 

wine can 

be great 

it must be 

true.” 

James Millton 

chemical under the sun. The 

only reason they can label it 

vegan-friendly is that they use 

genetically modified pea protein 

that comes from Canada to fine 

the wine. Not milk powder or 

eggs or casein.” 

Millton wines are unfiltered 

and unfixed, so are naturally 

vegetarian and vegan-friendly. 

Some people point out that 

biodynamic preparations include 

the use of manure and cow 

horns. This is where the divide 

between urban and rural comes, 

James says. 

“If it’s an urban consumer 

looking at an agricultural 

product, they have a different set 

of standards and desires than 

someone coming off the land. 

While the urban population may 

point the finger at the methane 

produced by cows, yet ignore 

the amount of aerosol and fabric 

softener and petrol urban people 

use.” 

Not surprisingly, James and 

Annie’s children are following 

in their footsteps, growing wine 

naturally. Their daughter Monique 

and her husband Tim Webber 

produce biodynamic wine at 

Manon Farm in the Adelaide Hills 

in Australia. 

Son Sam makes his own wine 

at his parent’s winery and runs 

a natural wine bar, Siduri, in 

Gisborne, and, of course, works 

the vintage at Millton. 

W i n e s 

“Instead of making wines 

that are for sniffing, sipping and 

spitting we are making wines 

that are for touching, pausing 

and engaging . This is our little 

thing at the moment, look at 

the meniscus, feel the texture, 

the natural aromas,” James 

says. 

The Milltons produce four 

tiers of wine, natural skinfermented 

wine (Libiamo), 

village wines (Crazy by Nature), 

premier cru (Millton) and grand 

cru (Clos de Ste Anne). 

Besides their classics, Opou 

Chardonnay, Opou Riesling, Te 

Arai Chenin Blanc and Clos de 

Ste. Anne Naboth’s Vineyard 

Chardonnay, James and Annie 

are again setting trends. The 

village wines, Crazy by Nature 

are blends, the red Cosmo of 

malbec, syrah and a splash of 

viognier, and the Sirius white 

of chardonnay, viognier and 

marsanne. 

My favourites are the 

skin-fermented Libiamos, 

one a cloudy field blend of 

gewürztraminer, marsanne 

and muscat, another from 

gewürztraminer, and a rich, 

delicious chenin blanc made 

in amphora, a large ceramic 

jar that has recently become 

popular with winemakers 

exploring natural winemaking. 

James and Annie Millton 

It’s one of the ancient and 

modern trends that James and 

Annie are so expert at bringing 

together. 

millton.co.nz 

36 


Food & Wine Events | Food 

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) 

Wellington Wine & Food Festival 

(February) 

North Canterbury Wine & 

Food Festival 

(March) 

Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival 

(May) 

Ripe Festival Wanaka 

(March) 

These are mostly annual events with dates being as accurate as possible. 

Please Google for updates as they are posted by organizers of events. 


37


Waimata 

cheese 


A 

t the busy 

Gisborne 

farmers market 

on Saturday 

mornings 

the Waimata 

Cheese stall is busier than 

many with people crowding 

around to see what’s on offer. 

There’s probably a big 

range of both cows and 

sheep milk cheeses - soft 

white mould cheeses, some 

dusted with vine ash or 

manuka leaf powder, pungent 

washed rind cheese, hard 

cheese, blue cheese, feta, 

soft white balls of mozzarella, 

and the popular halloumi in 

several flavours which can be 

grilled or fried. Their newest 

products are a blend of cow 

and sheep milk cheese - a 

brie and a blue. 

Waimata Cheese started 

some 30 years ago after Carol 

and Richard Thorpe travelled 

to Europe and fell in love 

with some of the soft white 

cheeses they found there. 

They were unlike anything 

available in New Zealand at 

the time. 



They learnt cheesemaking and 

when they returned to Gisborne, 

Carol, a former teacher, decided 

to make cheese, according to 

Kelly Thorpe, Carol and Rick’s 

daughter-in-law who is taking 

over sales and marketing from 

Carol. 

Their sons, Elm, Daniel and Luke 

are also involved in key roles in 

the business. 

Carol and Rick converted a 

former family kiwifruit packhouse 

on the banks of the bush-clad 

Waimata river on the outskirts of 

Gisborne into a cheese factory. 

With the help of Chris Duncan, 

now head cheesemaker, they 

started producing white mould 

cheese such as brie and 

camembert which were not yet a 

thing in New Zeland at the time. 

Now with 40 staff on site and 

four distributors they have a very 

experienced team who have 

been together for a long time, 

Kelly said. 

These days Waimata processes 

more than 3 million litres of milk 

annually and their cheese is 

available in most supermarkets 

around the country and are 

expanding into cafes and 

restaurants, especially with their 

ash and manuka-coated bries. 

“Some people prefer very 

young cheese. Then as their 

taste develops the hardcore 

cheese lovers like to eat it at the 

best-before date or even two 

weeks after so we try to cater for 

everybody.” 

It takes 1 litre of milk to make 

one small round cheese of 110g, 

Kelly says. 

The Thorpes subscribe to the 

farm-to-table philosophy and 

for many years ran their own 

dairy farm to provide their milk. 

However, in 2018 they introduced 

dairy sheep, sourcing their cows 

milk from other local dairy farms. 

People queue for Waimata 

Cheese at the Gisborne 

farmers market. 

Baby camemberts growing their characteristic white mould. 

“There was a trend towards 

different milks so we received 

some sheep milk samples and it 

was an amazing product. It really 

appeals to those who can’t eat 

cow’s milk or dairy, so it’s naturally 

an A2 milk, really creamy and 

high in nutrient.” They have 

developed a milking flock of Poll 

Dorset and East Fresian sheep. 

“Now we are up to our third 

cross. Every season we are 

increasing our production and 

the sheep are becoming better 

producers.” 

The introduction of sheep milk 

cheeses sets Waimata apart as 

there are only a few other sheep 

cheese producers, she said. 

Waimata is the largest familyowned 

cheese producer in the 

country, third in size after the 

multinationals Fonterra and 

Goodman Fielder, each of which 

has a portfolio of cheese brands. 

These days soft white mould 

cheeses such as brie and 

camembert have become staple 

items in supermarkets, so theirs 

has to compete with cheaper 

products from the multinationals. 

“We think ours is much nicer, it’s 

hand crafted, we don’t put any 

preservatives in it or standardise 

it. Each batch is independent of 

each other,” she said. 

“At present there’s a lot 

of pressure coming from 

imported cheese that’s really 

affecting smaller to medium 

sized cheese companies. The 

imports either come in in bulk 

or frozen, and they saturate the 

market at very cheap prices 

then the supermarkets want us 

to compete on price but it’s a 

different playing field,” she said. 

Waimata’s white mould cheese, 

some covered in vine ash or 

Manuka powder. 


39

Feature | Forrest 

trialling 

Allways 

different things 

Working with your family is the most rewarding and 

most frustrating thing you’ll ever do, Beth Forrest 

tells Charmian Smith. She talks about continuing 

traditions, new innovations and where she is taking 

the family wine company. 

40 


Forrest | Feature 

Forrest’s relaxing cellar door. 

Dad and I are much 

too similar most 

of the time and 

we butt heads like 

nothing else, but I 

think at the end of 

the day both of us can shake it 

off and carry on and enjoy each 

other’s company,” Beth Forrest 

says. 

Now manager and winemaker 

at Forrest, the Marlborough 

wine company founded by her 

parents John and Brigid more 

than 30 years ago, she grew 

up in the vineyard, trained as 

a winemaker, then travelled, 

working vintages overseas and in 

New Zealand. 

“I’d come home again broke 

at Christmas, asking mum and 

dad for a bed and a job in 

the vineyard, and then roll into 

another harvest with someone 

else,” she said with a laugh. 

But eventually she returned 

to Marlborough and worked at 

Lawson’s Dry Hills for four vintages 

to regain perspective and 

understanding of the region and 

find her own lifestyle. 

But over Christmas 2015 John 

suggested it was time she 

returned to Forrest as long-time 

winemaker Dave Knappstein 

was coming up to retirement. 

She spent a couple of vintages 

working with him, gaining the 

benefit of his 20 years at Forrest 

and 50 in the industry, she said. 

Then three years ago their 

general manager left and the 

family elected Beth to replace 

him. To gain more business nous 

she did various management 

training courses. 

“We’d always operated a bit on 

the fly and a handshake with the 

neighbour over the fence, and 

I wanted to put some structure 

behind it.” 

She also started recording 

John’s experiments rather than 

have him keep them all in his 

head, she said with a laugh. 

“Dad is the ultimate ideas 

man, an entrepreneur, and every 

year he’d be trialling 10 different 

things. It’s making sure we were 

keeping a track of what was 

really working.” 

For many years John has been 

quietly working on wines that are 

lighter in alcohol, a trend that 

has taken off around the world in 

the past 12 months. The quirkilylabelled 

Doctors’ wines, which 

are 9.5% rather than the usual 

13% -14% alcohol, are now about 

60% of their production and will 

probably grow to 90% over the 

next couple of years, Beth says. 

“There’s been a huge change 

globally with people concerned 

about wellness, how much 

alcohol they consume, or are 

more conscious of drink-driving, 

and also what might be put 

on social media that might 

embarrass or come back to 

haunt them later.” 

John explains that because 

wellness is the primary driver, 

professional women have led 

the revolution to lower alcohol 

beverages, not exclusively to 

wine, but beer and spirits as well. 

Men have followed though they 

don’t quite admit to the wellness 

thing as much but they do admit 

to increasing the opportunities of 

being able to drink as they used 

to. 

“There’s a real social 

conscience to behaviour and 

other things as well which is a 

global development,” he said. 

Forrest’s low alcohol wine 

project started accidentally 

about 15 or 16 years ago with 

The Doctors’ riesling made in the 

Mosel style, medium sweet but 

crisp and around 9.5% alcohol, 

Beth said. 

Beth Forrest - a new generation 

at Forrest. 


41


“It was a celebration of 

everything mum and dad had 

achieved. At that stage it had 

been 20 something years, and 

was a celebration of them both 

being doctors and a celebration 

of anything that was quirky or 

different. When it first took off, it 

was the statement from everyone 

that they loved the fact that it 

was lighter in alcohol.” 

That set John wondering if New 

Zealand’s icon variety, sauvignon 

blanc, could be made with 9.5% 

alcohol and still retain its fresh, 

fruity intensity. 

At first they tried making it 

sweeter like the riesling but 

people didn’t want a sweet 

wine. They wanted crisp, dry, racy 

sauvignon, Beth said. 

Then they tried picking the 

grapes early before the sugars 

developed but the wine lacked 

fruit and was a bit like battery 

acid, she said. 

The eureka moment came 

about six years ago during the 

last lecture on the last day of a 

riesling symposium in Germany 

that John attended. 

Climate change was causing 

sugar levels in grapes to rise 

faster than they used to but the 

flavour and intensity didn’t keep 

up and this caused problems 

because of Germany’s restrictive 

riesling designation system. 

Researchers from Geisenheim 

university had manipulated the 

way the vine canopy grew and 

played with leaf area to fruit 

weight ratio to slow the sugar 

development while allowing 

the flavours and other desirable 

characters to develop. 

John realised that if you 

could effectively slow down the 

plant’s sugar ripening engine 

by removing leaves, the grapes 

would develop flavours at 

lower sugar or brix levels which 

translate to potential alcohol. 

Forrest cellar door. 

This overturned the received 

wisdom among viticulturists 

that sugar development was 

intimately linked to flavour 

development, phenolic 

development, acid drop and 

colour, he said. 

“That actually proved not to 

be true with one remarkable 

exception, colour. But you could, 

as it turned out, slow sugar 

by controlling the leaf area to 

fruit weight ratio, and the other 

parameters you need for ripeness 

just carried on.” 

Now they were able to get 

grapes physiologically ripe and 

flavour-rich at 9.5% potential 

alcohol they extended the 

technique to other vineyards. 

That allowed them to have six 

or seven tanks of naturally low 

alcohol sauvignon they could 

blend together which gave a 

more interesting flavour profile. 

From there it was working out 

what to do on the winemaking 

side to increase complexity and 

texture, Beth said. 

John explains: alcohol is one 

of the key components in the 

structural integrity and interest 

of wine. It gives mouthfeel, 

texture, longevity, flavour, colour, 

perception of weight and even 

aroma to wine and is what holds 

the flavour molecules together. 

He gives the example of 

adding vodka 1% at a time 

to fresh orange juice. There is 

a tipping point at about 10% 

where the orange juice tastes 

confected, cooked or jammy. 

Once you get to 14% the 

mouth and brain perceive the 

flavour components as being 

ripe and jammy. Below 10% 

they are more like primary fruit, 

which is why most of the lighter 

wines sit at 9.5%, John, a former 

neurophysiologist, says. 

“This whole project for me has 

opened up the importance of 

alcohol and all the other things 

it does to a beverage that is so 

important and that we so like, 

besides the effect it has on the 

central nervous system.” 

42 


Forrest | Feature 

Winemaking is hard work: John buckets pinot skins out of the 

fermentation tank. 

The Waitaki is a 

stunning wine region 

though it’s a miserable 

place to grow wine. 

Beth points to the 

advancement in winemaking 

tools, yeasts and natural products 

often extracted from grapes or 

other plants, that can be used 

to build texture in wine or to 

specifically address the side 

palate or the front palate. They 

spent many hours trialling and 

tasting and trying and retrying 

and discarding some of them, 

she said. 

“Once John felt he’d got savvy 

under control we had to do 

something else - we can never sit 

here and do nothing. That began 

the research into other varietals. 

I guess the riesling had always 

been a slightly early harvest and 

always held sugar, then it was just 

using different vineyards to get 

really nice components of riesling 

from the lime sherbet to the rich 

apricot of the Brancott valley.” 

While sauvignon blanc reacted 

to the leaf control work, pinot noir 

didn’t really care, it just carried a 

lighter crop with higher sugars, 

she said. 

However a serendipitous 

accident produced a stunning 

rosé. 

Although they had planned to 

pick pinot noir at 9.5% potential 

alcohol, a couple of unexpected 

hot days between measuring 

and picking made the brix levels 

shoot though the roof, John said. 

“I harvested the first row and we 

stopped and checked what the 

brix was, and I quickly realised we 

had over 11% potential alcohol, 

not 9.5% which was tops. Luckily 

I’d just tested the white varieties 

we had in the same vineyard 

and we had a low-sugar and 

low-acid, ripe aromatic variety, 

arneis, and I knew it was sitting 

at something like 14.5 brix and 

had a nice herbal, lemon thyme 

nuance. I calculated on my 

phone that I needed 22.5% of 

arneis in the pinot to drag it back 

to about 9.7%.” 

Forrest Estate. 

It turned out that fermenting 

the two varieties together 

produced a lovely blue-pink 

colour rather than the pale 

onion-skin shade characteristic of 

many rosés, and the wine turned 

out to be fruiter and fresher. 

“It was a serendipitous 

accident, so we’ve got a white 

that gives the freshness and 

helps lower the alcohol,” he said. 

“It’s hard to beat as a summerdrinking 

rosé. It’s fresh and fruity 

but it’s got this beautiful crisp, 

lemon thyme acidity to the back 

of it, so it’s more refreshing than 

the other rosés we make and 

it’s got really interesting flavour 

profiles.” 

Not surprisingly, they have 

planted more arneis. 

Besides its lower alcohol 

Docktors’ wines and core 

wines at normal alcohol levels, 

sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, 

pinot gris, riesling, pinot noir, 

and botrytis riesling, Forrest has 

a portfolio of interesting lesser 

known varieties, chenin blanc, 

albarino, petit manseng, grüner 

veltliner, gewürztraminer and St 

Laurent, something customers 

enjoy exploring, John says. 


43


Keeping it in the family - John Forrest steps back and daughter 

Beth is now in charge. 

Another of his innovative moves 

was to be one of the first to plant 

vineyards in the Waitaki in North 

Otago. 

“It’s a stunning wine region 

though it’s a miserable place to 

grow wine,” Beth said. 

Even with well established 

vineyards there, their business 

plan allows for losing one vintage 

in five. The wind could rip off 

every shoot on a vine, or a cold 

flowering season mean very low 

fruit set, but the savoury intensity 

of the fruit was unlike anywhere 

else in New Zealand, she said. 

John made the first Waitaki 

pinot noir from an experimental 

vineyard in 2003 and was 

hooked. 

The characteristic floral and the 

savoury elements of Waitaki wine 

are derived from the limestone, 

and he believes chardonnay 

will be its greatest grape - “that 

chalky chablis but with a bit of 

extra floral nuance and fruit”, he 

says. 

Their Waitaki pinot noir, pinot 

gris and rosé are under the Tatty 

Bogler label. 

But that’s not the sum of 

Forrest’s new directions. Beth 

notes there’s a real drive 

to modern organic and 

regenerative viticulture. 

“We’ve been here for 32 years 

now with vines in ground. How 

do you make sure in another 32 

years the vines are just as healthy 

and producing just as well and 

the soil is giving you just as much 

as it ever has? My ethos is to 

leave everything in a better state 

than you received it.” 

She enthuses about their 

new under-vine mower which 

will control weeds in the stony 

soil under the vines and which 

eliminates the need for herbicide. 

It also reduces manual labour as 

it will remove shoots and buds 

growing on the lower part of the 

vine. 

John adds that if you’re smart 

you develop low-growing swards 

like clover that outcompete the 

water-hungry rye grass. 

Most vineyards have irrigation 

lines along the vine rows that 

drip water into the soil, but Forrest 

have buried theirs which saves 

about 65% of the water they 

previously used. 

“Water’s a big thing moving 

forward, water conservation 

across all New Zealand farming. 

I think viticulture is really trying to 

get on top of alternative water 

storage but also using other 

techniques to reduce how much 

water we loose to evaporative 

“Dad and I are 

much too similar 

most of the time 

and we butt 

heads like nothing 

else, but I think 

at the end of the 

day both of us 

can shake it off 

and carry on and 

enjoy each other’s 

company.” 

transpiration and other things,” 

Beth said. 

With Beth at the helm, John 

and Brigid are stepping back 

confident about how the 

business is being run. 

“There’s really good 

consultation among the family 

and with our board. We are pretty 

open about where we want to 

go and what we want to do. It’s a 

nice place to sit,” Beth says. 

“That’s the nice thing about 

working in a small family 

company is you do what you 

fancy sometimes.” 

Are the flavours ripe? John Forrest 

samples grapes before harvest. 

44 


Lyres | Feature 

Lyres non alcoholic spirits are 

leading the change 

July is a popular 

month to be more 

mindful about our 

drinking habits. Paul 

Gloster from Lyre’s non 

alcoholic spirits said 

“people across the globe are 

cutting back, in fact 31% of New 

Zealanders are drinking less than 

they did 5 years ago, amongst 

the highest in the world”. A month 

off the booze can have some 

great health benefits and also 

help via a donation to the Dry- 

July charity. 

Products such as Lyre’s non 

alcoholic spirits are leading 

the change in the way we 

drink with their award winning 

range of true to taste spirits that 

match the classic flavours and 

aromas normally only seen in an 

alcoholic drink. “The versatility of 

the Lyre’s range means that you 

make virtually any cocktail or 

mixed drink, so having a break 

from the booze, doesn’t mean a 

break from a great drink”. 

Lyre’s is now available in NZ 

and is easy accessible via 

Countdown, Glengarry or directly 

at www.lyres.co.nz 


45

Feature | Hawke's Bay Wine Auction 

30th THE Annual 30TH ANNUAL Hawke’s HAWKE’S BAY Bay 

The Hawke’s 

Bay Wine 

Auction is 

the oldest wine 

auction in 

New Zealand, 

established in 

1991 the event 

celebrates 30 

years in 2021. 

The idea to establish 

a Hawke’s Bay 

charity wine auction 

sprung from a casual 

conversation in the 

late 80s between local 

winemakers, Alan Limmer of 

Stonecroft, John Buck of Te Mata 

Estate, and Kate Radburnd of 

Radburnd Cellars. 

The Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction 

is about showcasing the very 

best of Hawke’s Bay wines to the 

region, country and the world. 

A group of extremely talented 

winemakers and one feature 

artist come together annually 

to celebrate and showcase the 

fruits of their labour. This success 

allows them to also acknowledge 

the less fortunate in our 

community who are suffering 

from terminal illness via an 

auction style event. The Auction 

proceeds go to Cranford Hospice 

- Hawke's Bays regional palliative 

care facility. 

The contributing wineries have 

grown over the years, as have 

the funds raised. Without the 

amazingly generous wineries 

HBWA is nothing… 

Many of the wine lots offered 

are made especially for the 

auction event, not commercially 

available, those that are fall into 

the premium tiers and are only 

available in small quantities. 

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 

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 $3.9 

million in 2020. 

Hawke’s Bay’s regional wine 

industry association with 

Cranford follows in good stead 

from other wine / hospice 

relationships around the world. 

Examples include the most 

famous Hospice de Beaune 

held in Burgundy each year, the 

Napa Valley Wine Auction, and 

the Winesong! Auction held in 

California. 

A quote from inaugural auction 

catalogue stated “Oceans may 

separate mankind, but wine 

unites them.” Anon. It goes on to 

state the two-fold purpose of the 

event was “to promote Hawke’s 

Bay wines and to strengthen our 

bonds with the community”. An 

enduring sentiment still evident 

as strongly held today as then. 

Now in its 30th year the 

Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction is New 

Zealand’s most prestigious wine 

event for pedigree and quality of 

wines on offer, and has achieved 

record financial results in terms of 

the philanthropic aspect back to 

Hawke’s Bays leading palliative 

care facility. 

The first Hawke’s Bay Wine 

Auction, which was at the time 

named the Charity Wine Auction 

was held in 1991 at the Hawke’s 

Bay Racing Centre on Saturday 2 

November. There were 27 lots and 

16 

Save 

contributing wineries. 

the date 


THE 30TH ANNUAL HAWKE’S BAY 

Save the date 

18 September 2021 • Toitoi HB Arts & Events Centre 

Save the date for this exceptional event with great people, wine, art, memorable 

experiences and a fun, lively auction to raise funds for Cranford Hospice. 

hbwineauction 

@hawkesbaywineauction hawkesbaywineauction.co.nz

WineNZ Winter21 LR

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