Weather we like it or not...

“Thank god we got the last of our reds in before the rain!” sighs a relieved Mel Lawson from Cypress Wines in Hawke’s Bay.  “It is just horrible here, hosing down in fact.  But there are growers out there with fruit still on the vines, so I’ve got no idea how they’ll get on”.  That was the state of play on April 26^th, the day before the region experienced severe flooding on the tail end of what’s been a pretty rough year for most North Island wine regions.  “We’re all ok here” said Clearview Estate’s Tim Turvey, “The rest of Te Awanga is a bit of a train wreck though.  With a bit of fruit still to come in “it’ll be a very late harvest” he adds.

Wet and wild La Nina weather patterns put a real dampener on the 2011 ripening season, and while north island farmers will be gleefully gambolling around in their gumboots, predicting prolific grass growth; our winegrowers greet autumn rain with fists in the air and foul language. Rain encourages bunch rot (botrytis) and thirsty vines soak up water like a sponge, distributing that water up into the berries. This then causes the berries to swell and dilutes those intense, concentrated flavours needed to create fabulous wine.   

Nelson has also had it tough with growers really battling the conditions to manage crop spoilage from things like slip-skin and acetobacter, bacteria which can give the grapes a vinegar-like flavour, but wineries like Waiheke Island’s Destiny Bay have adopted the very expensive but extremely effective method of loading all the fruit onto sorting tables where only the best individual berries are selected to go into the ferment.  Marlborough is the powerhouse of New Zealand’s production and they’re putting a positive spin on things with growers saying that most grapes in Marlborough have been harvested and winemakers are hoping for a good end to the vintage despite the heavy rain.  They’re also not worried about fruit still on the vines with Constellation New Zealand’s viticulture and winemaking manager Darryl Woolley saying that this late in the season canopies were shutting down, so dilution of flavours by vines taking up moisture from the soil shouldn’t be a problem.

What could be a problem though, according to some North Island growers of those big, full-bodied red varieties like syrah, merlot and cabernet sauvignon is that while most of the fruit was bought in flavour-ripe, the sugar levels weren’t as high as they’d usually like.  “It just means we’ll have to be careful and creative in the winery” shrugs Mel.  It could be a blessing in disguise as lower alcohol levels may mean a swing to the more elegant, gentle red styles that the French are so famed for.

Wine lovers with a sweet tooth won’t be left wanting as the weather across the regions is ideal for fans of the sweet, sticky dessert styles.  All this extra moisture and mild daytime temperatures mean botrytis will lay claim to those aromatic whites such as gewürztraminer and riesling, encouraging the berries to shrivel, concentrating all those gorgeous honey, toffee and stonefruit flavours and making me a happy girl indeed.

Two for One Coleraine! 

Are you the owner of a bottle of 2005 Te Mata Coleraine?  Then the team at Te Mata Estate want to hear from you.  They’re in a pickle because they were so impressed with Coleraine 2005 at their Showcase 2011 tastings held around the country recently, that they realised they need more of this wine for their own cellar.  So, they’re asking New Zealanders “if you have Coleraine ‘05 then we want to talk to you”.  Te Mata will exchange your Coleraine in a two-for-one deal. Every bottle of Coleraine ’05 gets you two bottles of Coleraine ’07.  Call Sally Duncan now on 06 877 4399 or email sally@temata.co.nz if you’re interested in turning your good Coleraine into two excellent Coleraines.  

Medieval Beer Fest

If your memories of the Oktoberfest in Germany on your O.E back in the day are foggy at best, you can relive some of the glory over in Taranaki at the inaugural Mike’s Brewery Medieval Beer Fest.  Held on Saturday 21^st May from 2pm – 11pm, it’ll be a grand opportunity to sample sensational organic beers, enjoy Medieval entertainment (jousting anyone?), an authentic Medieval feast, a free collectors drinking vessel, a groovy live band and best of all there’s buses to and from New Plymouth and Hawera so driving isn’t even in the equation!

Just remember to swap your lederhosen for tights, pointy shoes and a tunic of some description.  Suits of armour are also encouraged and even court jesters will be tolerated.

Situated on Main North Road Urenui, the team at Mike’s Organic Brewery want to make the event world famous in Taranaki, so if you’re keen to venture westward tickets are available from www.organicbeer.co.nz or you can email sales@organicbeer.co.nz

A taste of their own medicine…

Italian-born kiwi winery owner Antonio Pasquale has recently returned from Italy with an excellent, yet slightly unusual export order.  Hundreds of cases of his Waitaki Valley Pinot Gris (or Pinot Grigio as it is known in Italy) have been ordered by high end restaurants in Milan and other Italian cities.  The unusual thing is that pinot gris is one of the signature grapes of Italy, very widely planted and is incredibly popular over there – so why would they want any from New Zealand?  “It’s a little like coals to Newcastle” says Antonio.  The wine is delicious; I can vouch for that, but being the only kiwi winery at Vinitaly, one of the worlds largest wine fairs definitely helped.  “We were the only NZ winery there, and despite being hidden away we were the only ones with long queues to taste our wines.  The Italians were stunned by the clarity and minerality in our pinot gris” he shrugs.  The expo attracted a record 156,000 people over three days.

Four of the Best

Man O War Gravestone Sauvignon Semillon 2010 $34 (5 Stars)

70% sauvignon blended with 30% semillon has created a masterpiece in this snappy, incredibly complex white.  Intense aromas of crushed green herbs, passionfruit, wild flowers, dandelions and hay – seriously it’s that good.  Tangy, herbaceous and crisply elegant –this is definitely one wine you won’t forget in a hurry.  Buy from fine wine stores or via www.manowarvineyards.co.nz

Spinyback Nelson Chardonnay 2009 $16 (4 Stars)

Fantastic value for money here!  Loaded with grapefruit, lemon and lovely tropical melony notes fringed with some toasty, nutty notes on the finish.  An absolute crowd-pleaser that has ‘drink me with roast chicken’ written all over it plus money from the sale of every bottle goes toward saving our own Spinyback, the Tuatara. Widely available or visit www.waimeabrands.com to buy.

Mikes Organic Brewery Imperial Porter 750ml $15

The pitch black and brooding Imperial Porter by Mike’s Organic Brewery is a heavyweight at 8.0%ABV and boasts molasses, tar and creamy, smoky flavours.  I love this beer with roast duck on a bed of garlicy mashed spuds and swimming in red wine sauce.  For stockists visit www.organicbeer.co.nz. 

Urlar Gladstone Riesling 2010 $25 (4 Stars)

Beautiful green apple and lemon aromas followed by punchy, tangy acidity and deliciously dry lemon verbena flavours on the finish – this organic, biodynamically produced riesling is lipsmackingly good.  Buy from fine wine stores or via www.urlar.co.nz

Easter Sipping

Eager for Easter Sips

There’s nothing like a public holiday, nay a ‘religious’ holiday to get the festive juices working and the wine thirst calling.  We start planning where we’re going to be, or who’ll be coming around.  There could also be a bit of panic about what we’re going to eat because chances are it’s very likely to be the last time we use the barbeque.  Do we need to make peace with granddad because we haven’t seen him since Waitangi weekend? Is it our turn to do Easter lunch this year?  Have we bought enough Easter eggs for the kids?  So naturally we start thinking about wine.

 

Parents the length and breadth of the country are also in the midst of a very busy fortnight.  For me, school holidays conjure up daydreams of spending my days baking hot cross buns, pottering around in the garden, bottling fruit, visiting playgrounds and sewing dolls clothes with my little cherubs just like my mum did when I was little.  But after a couple of days of trying my hardest to work and keep the house clean and entertain the children with arty, crafty things, what I usually end up with are frustrated, scratchy little cretins suffering from Easter egg overload who demand that I please send them to the YMCA because home is so boring.  So again I find myself thinking about wine.

At least it’s autumn.  I adore autumn.  The firewood’s been delivered and safely stacked away, the electric blanket is dusted off, the rhubarb is ripe and piles of sweet-scented feijoas start appearing in my favourite fruit and veg shops. The figs are fit to bursting; foraging for edible fungus becomes a full-time occupation and best of all it’s quite acceptable to wear long pants every day, which is great because my summer tan is already a shadow of its former self.  Autumn is about wrapping up in something warm to catch the last of the afternoon sun, while sitting on my front step clutching a glass of something crisp and aromatic.

‘Aromatic’ is a term given to a group of white wines where so much of their appeal lies in their extremely distinctive aromas.  Wines like Riesling with its honeyed, floral, apple, lime and mineral aromas, Pinot Gris and its pear and quince notes, Viognier with it’s orange peel and spicy stone fruit and Gewurztraminer’s distinctive lychee, rose petal and spicy characters.  These wines, as a general rule are made without oak, and are matured in stainless steel tanks to preserve these bright, fresh, spritzy characters that make them famous.  However, the down side is that due to their delicate nature and high acidity, these wines are also highly prone to spoilage, so once the bottle is opened it will need to be consumed immediately.  Screwcaps will help it live overnight as will a vacuvin pump – but please don’t think you can leave an open bottle of aromatic wine in the fridge for a week and have it live up to your expectations. 

I won’t attempt to go into who grows the best examples of these styles because you know what?  Great aromatic wines are produced right across New Zealand; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  Each November the Canterbury A&P Show hosts the International Aromatic Wine Competition which brings out the best of the best of these styles.  Last year, West Auckland winery Westbrook took out the Supreme Champion Trophy with their Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2010.

I love aromatic wines because they go so well with Asian food which my husband and I are addicted to, but they’re also sensational with flavours of a Spanish persuasion, and if you don’t believe me crack any aromatic and enjoy with my never-fail, Feijoa Firecracker Salsa.

• 8 feijoas, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 
•  ½ cup diced capsicum (try a mixture of red, yellow and orange if you can for extra colour)
• Juice of 2 limes, (about 1/4 cup juice)
• 1 level tsp freshly chopped red chilli (or ½tsp minced chilli from a jar)
• 2 tblsp chopped coriander
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion or sweet onion

 Mix everything together and plough into it.

Beer for Brekkie?

As if they didn’t have a beer for every occasion already, the team at Moa have started brewing a Breakfast Beer.

A blend of premium wheat malt, floral Nelson hops and cherries, Moa Breakfast was launched last week at a trendy café in Auckland; but don’t let that put you off because it’s actually pretty good. Brewer Josh Scott and his father Allan would occasionally compliment a leisurely breakfast with beer, which got Josh thinking that if people could enjoy champagne at breakfast time, why not beer? The Breakfast brew has an alcohol content of 5.5%. Like champagne, it is bottle fermented and conditioned and is sealed with a cork, muselet and foil.

Additional ‘Moa Breakfast’ events are set to be held in Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown over the coming months.

Moa Breakfast is available in 375ml bottles in selected stores and premium cafes, bars and restaurants, and a four-pack of Moa Breakfast will cost you around $34. 

FIVE OF THE BEST

Lawsons Dry Hills Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2009 $26 êêêê

Big and blousy, but beautiful nonetheless.  I love this style of Gewurz, with its luscious lychee, rose and peach aromas pierced with ginger and it’s fleshed out with some sweetness and spice on the back palate.   Lawson’s are masters of the lengthy finish and this wine definitely leaves an impression, particularly if you pair it with Thai Larb Gai.  www.lawsonsdryhills.co.nz

Georges Road Block Three Waipara Riesling 2010 $23 êêêê½

A few years making wine in Germany clearly infected Kirk Bray with the riesling bug and this superb example has subtle jazz apple, feijoa and lipsmacking lime notes underpinned with beautifully balanced acidity and superb persistence of flavour.  Gentle, wild fermentation gives this riesling extra depth and a hint of funk.    www.georgesroadwines.co.nz

Rock Ferry Central Otago Viognier 2008 $29 êêêê

Classic aromas of orange zest, cinnamon, jasmine and tangy citrus oil lead to an ultra-clean and lean palate, punctuated by chalky minerality, fruit complexity and elegant length.  Super-tasty with pork spare ribs slathered in Hoisin sauce and sizzled under the grill.  www.rockferry.co.nz

The Mussel Inn Captain Cooker Manuka Beer 5%alc $5 330ml

Using organic malts, hops and water sourced from a tiny stream in the hills behind the brewery, this little outfit from Onekaka in Nelson’s Golden Bay area is turning out some seriously tasty tipples.  The ‘cooker is their signature brew and it boasts a rich, nutty molasses-like aroma, a smooth, creamy texture in the mouth with a hint of anise followed by tangy, ribsticking length of flavour.  Also available in 1.3lt PET $8.85.  For stockists in your area or to order visit www.musselinn.co.nz

Kurow Village Cricklewood Pinot Gris 2010 $24 êêêê½

Produced from North Otago fruit this is hands down one of the loveliest pinot gris I’ve tried in ages.  Scented with classic apple, pear and quince, it delivers a crisp, clean burst of vibrant citrus which morphs into spicy strudel notes on the finish.  If you’re a plate of cumin seed gouda, fruit paste and oatcakes I’d be very afraid.  www.kurowwinery.co.nz

Summer Lovin'

Out in the leafy loveliness of west canterbury sits Melton Estate.

If you travel twenty minutes west of Christchurch on the West Coast Road (SH73) you’ll enter the leafy locale known as West Melton which is home to a plucky community of winegrowers including Melton Estate.  Previously known as Sherwood Estate, the Melton Estate winery is the brainchild of Philip Caunter, a million-miles-an-hour man who can add ‘software entrepreneur’ and ‘ardent fan of the West Melton RFC’ to his busy business card.  He’d asked me to pop out to the vineyard one warm, sunny day a few weeks back to sample some “summer love”. I thought about it.  He did sound quite nice on the phone and my husband did happen to be away for a few days so I said “sure, what’s the harm”. 

Upon arrival, rather than asking me up to see his etchings Philip led me out into the small, but perfectly formed vineyard where he began talking about Melton Estate’s flagship wine, a sparkling riesling called, wait for it, Summer Love.   “I started the sparkling riesling as an experiment” says Peter, “I visited the Yarra Valley and sampled a Pink Moscato, something I’d never tried before at a place called Innocent Bystander. It was spritzy, sweet, refreshing and I loved it.  I came back and said to our winemaker “let’s make this” and he said “well clearly we can’t grow Moscato here” and I agreed, but then he said “so we’re gonna make it with riesling and add 10% pinot noir to pink it up” laughs Philip.  “We’ve mixed something that’s never been done before and it’s worked”.  Initially I thought sparkling riesling sounded cheesy and lightweight, but on sipping it, the end result is anything but.  “We’ve been making it for three years now, every batch seems to get better and better so we think we’re onto a winner” he shrugs.  Melton have doubled production each year and it still sells out. 

Pinot noir is another variety that has Philip fizzing and looking at his pinot noir block it’s incredibly green and lush. “We’ve had a lot of growth this year which is amazing because this block doesn’t get watered at all.  And we’ve been very aggressive fruit thinning and leaf plucking aiming for maximum ripeness.  Today we’re about 19brix (which is a measure of sugar ripeness) but by harvest we need to be up around 24”.  Harvest chaos begins here around the week of April.  “Canterbury has a really nice autumn” adds Philip, handing me a taste of the newly bottled 2010 pinot.  “Canterbury maintains those essential warm days and cool nights right into May, which is just fantastic for growing grapes.  It’s quite even-tempered, but come July it’s custard like the rest of the south island, but the vines bounce back.” 

The vineyard is fully netted. “Birds are aggressive here in Canterbury because they’ve got very little to feed on, so they’re going to turn up and decimate your crop if you’re not careful”.  Sauvignon blanc isn’t a grape he’s worrying about however, “what’s the point? We could grow great sauvignon, but when you see it in the supermarkets for less than ten bucks a bottle it aint worth it. We make a Marlborough sauvignon that we serve for our events here, and that works for us.”  Everything is very compact at Melton Estate, and every inch of land is utilised by the vineyard, a function centre about to undergo some sensational renovations and Philip’s house, unlike much of West Melton’s ‘lifestyle’ surrounds which appear proudly devoted to dogs, ponies and tennis courts instead. 

Ninety percent of the wines are sold onsite, and while other cellar doors revel in their rusticity and ramshackle charm, Melton Estate makes no bones about promoting themselves as a slick, high-tech, corporate-friendly function centre.  “What we learnt early on is that we had all these people turning up for weddings, functions and corporate events and they only really wanted to drink Heineken and sauvignon blanc” admits Philip.  “We realised that rather than overtly or aggressively promoting our wine, we were happier encouraging wine hospitality.  People come here for lunch or for an event, and the fact that our wines are nice is an extra bonus”. 

Britain’s oldest wine store closes…

 

I read with sadness the story of the recession forcing Britain's oldest off license to shut down - after almost 400 years.  Baker's Wine Merchants in Bishop's Waltham near Southampton has been selling liquor since 1617 but shut the doors for the final time last weekend because the owners could no longer afford the rent. There was also the looming threat of losing business to a new Sainsbury’s supermarket store being planned for the little town. Baker’s was owned by just two families for 244 years.

Managing Director Colin Baker also said there was a lack of customers in the village and that the overheads were just too high. "We had to look at the potential to break even and it just wasn't there", he added.

Manager Oliver Bartley said: "The main problem has been the downturn. Because people are earning less money they want to spend less on wine. "They go to the supermarket and spend just £3 pounds on a bottle of wine, and we can't compete with those prices. The landlord won't drop the rent so we had no hope of surviving”.

FOUR OF THE BEST

Melton Estate Summer Love Sparkling Riesling $25 êêê½

There are three things I like about this wine.  First is that a squirt of pinot noir gives it a pretty ballet-shoe pink colour while on the nose it has lovely fresh, vibrant peach stone and citrus aromas followed by a bright, spritzy, fruit-forward burst of flavour.  Secondly with a positively demure alcohol content of 6% it’ll hardly knock you sideways and thirdly, it’s also available in a 375ml bottle, just perfect for picnics.  www.meltonestate.co.nz

Melton Estate Canterbury Pinot Noir 2010 $25 êêê½

If this is any indication of what the 2010 pinot’s from Canterbury are shaping up like, then I’m a very happy camper.  With baked strawberry, rosemary and rhubarb aromas and ripe, summer-pudding berries on the palate, this is definitely a tasty drink.  It is still just a puppy, but I can see those layers of flavour developing nicely over the next year or two. www.meltonestate.co.nz

Two Rivers Convergence Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $22 êêêêê

Wow!  Intensely pungent pea-pod, green bean, lime and passionfruit aromas leap out of the glass and in the mouth it sings with pure citrus, crushed nettles and a hint of feijoa.  The acidity slices across the tongue adding excitement to the clean, tangy length of flavour.  Amazing with homemade paua fritters sprinkled with lemon and salt.  www.tworivers.co.nz

W5 Marlborough Chardonnay 2009 $14 êêêê

This is a classic rich, juicy chardonnay that oozes layers of tropical undertones and grapefruity goodness all wrapped up in a cosy cardigan of oak.  This is not available in shops but all you need do is tap www.blackmarket.co.nz into your browser and you’re away laughing – or should I say ‘sipping’. 

The kids are alright

Some things are best left in the realms of childhood.  Things like stubbed toes, skinned knees, loose teeth, nosebleeds and knickerbockers are afflictions that remind me of a time where I tore around the streets of Takapau either barefoot or on my Raleigh Twenty sporting the latest 80’s fashion according to those gigantic Butterick pattern books my mother used to covet.  However one part of my childhood I’d rather forget was reawakened this morning when I woke up with an ear infection.  My sisters and I were cursed with ear infections when we were little and it drove my mother mad, “they’ll grow out of it” Doctor Broderick used to say, but today the pain was as raw and piercing as it was when I was seven.  Eating hurt, sleeping hurt, even sipping a glass of wine hurt - not good, especially when you have a column to produce. 

from left: Gary Duke, head winemaker for Hunters Wines, Vic Williams, Jane Hunter and Competition Organiser Terry Dunleavey.

But while my ability to cope with being crook has not improved with age, the good people at Hunter’s Wines are justifiably chuffed that their rieslings have done the exact opposite.  A set of three Hunter’s Marlborough Rieslings from 2004, 2007 & 2010 have earned the top prize at the Royal Easter Wine Show, taking the inaugural Heritage Shield.

The new category at the Royal Easter Wine Show has been introduced to identify and reward wines that have the proven capacity to develop grace and complexity over time.  For the first time in New Zealand, this national wine competition offers a guide to consumers and wine lovers about cellaring potential of such wines.

“New Zealand Rieslings have always had lengthy cellaring potential and it is very pleasing that this new award recognises wines made in a style that consumers can cellar confidently” said Gary Duke, Chief Winemaker at Hunter’s Wines.

Hunter’s have been making Riesling since the winery’s inception in 1982 and this award is a seal of approval and shows confidence in New Zealand wines ageing potential.  Quality not quantity has been an adage that Hunter’s have endorsed for 30 years, taking out over 160 Gold Medals and 30 trophies for its wines over the years.

For Goodness Sake…

Those of you who enjoy the delicate, rich, clean complexity of the signature beverage of Japan will be saddened to hear that many of Japan’s premier sake breweries have disappeared in the wake of the tragic multiple disasters that rocked Japan in March.  This ancient alcoholic beverage is brewed using just rice and water, yet the results come in a smorgasbord of styles.  Although here in New Zealand we do not consume a great deal of sake, I certainly cannot contemplate drinking anything else when I go to a Japanese restaurant – so the thought of one of my favourite tipples becoming harder to find, or more expensive to enjoy – is a tad worrisome.
The destruction to the sake industry has been extensive in terms of damage and loss of life.
According to Decanter.com, the worst-hit breweries are located in Miyagi prefecture, the epicenter of the earthquake, as well as in Iwate and Fukushima – the location of the seriously-damaged nuclear power plant.
Among the list of badly-damaged breweries are Suisen from Iwate prefecture, which was entirely destroyed with the loss of some 11 employees, and Hakurakusei in Miyagi prefecture, which was not hit by the tsunami but was destroyed by the earthquake. There are over 100 sake breweries in the three prefectures, many of which produce some of Japan’s highest quality, aromatic, elegant sakes. 
The damage to the breweries is just one part of the challenges ahead for Japan’s sake industry, with the real challenge in 2011 being planting and tending the rice fields.  There are also serious concerns that the nuclear fallout will affect the water supply so vital for sake production.

THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Hands up anyone who’s ever nervously stood in a wine shop trying to pick a bottle to take to a dinner party?  Hands up anyone who’s spent far too much time and way too much money on said bottle?  Your choice will of course say screeds about you personally.  Too cheap and you’ll never be invited back.  Too expensive and you risk appearing arrogant & snobby.  Hands up anyone who’s been left gutted because their precious bottle got shoved to the back of the breakfast bar while the hosts served their own cheaper (and often nastier) wine.  What does one say?  “Umm, thanks for dinner, now can I have my wine back please?” Or for the less patient, “You peasants!  Can you not see that I spent my last dollar choosing the perfect wine in order to impress you all with my impeccable taste and slick sense of style?  And you reward me by not even having the decency to open it!  So you can take your Tasmanian ocean trout and kumara crumble you cretins, and jam it up your jacksie!” 

Clearly it’s good manners to front up with a bottle of wine but it’s bad manners to open it yourself and extremely uncouth to take it home with you. So how to deal with this dilemma?  The first rule of scouting and social drinking is ‘be prepared’.  This means, for example, that if you bring a warm bottle of white wine – no matter how pricey and rare - then it serves you right if your hosts choose to hang on to it and serve one from their own fridge.  So if it’s white, chill it or lose it.  If it’s red,  you could cut the foil and pull the cork before you leave home and tell your hosts that you’ve been letting it breath for a couple of hours “so it should be ready to drink right now”. 

You could also mention (as you hand your bottle over) that you can’t wait to try the wine because it was given to you by your late nana (bless her) and it was her dying wish that you drink it the next time you went out for dinner.  Just remember to sniff, wipe an imaginary tear and cross your chest when your glass is poured.  The key is to ensure that your bottle is opened and consumed by you during the course of the evening and not by your host’s weeks later over their Friday night fish and chips.

However if you can’t help but bring along a cheap (and possibly nasty) bottle, make sure it’s hidden in a bag so you can take it to the kitchen yourself and in secret agent style, swiftly swap it with someone else’s.

Four of the best

Tuatara APA Hop Head Ale (500ml $8)

Gorgeous orange/amber hued with a healthy, foamy head and delicious aromas of citrus, lifted hops, herbaceous notes and tangy, intense flavours make it the perfect partner for spicy pork kebabs.  Find a store closest you on www.tuatarabrewing.co.nz

Hawke’s Ridge Hawke’s Bay Tempranillo 2009 $30 (4 stars)

A saucy Spanish number from the inland Maraekakaho district of Hawke’s Bay.  It’s very good and dangerously drinkable.  Sweet, spicy oak merges with ripe plum and cocoa flavours to create a red that’s fresh and vibrant yet ribstickingly comforting and satisfying.  Visit www.hawkesridge.co.nz for more information on where to buy.

Mud House Swan Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009 $36 (4 and a half stars)

Opulent red fruits, cocoa, spicy, earthy flavours wash over the palate finishing with damson plum and black tea notes.  This is one lovely pinot with impressive length of flavour and fantastic cellaring potential.  Buy from fine wine stores or via www.mudhouse.co.nz

Church Road Reserve Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $30 (5 stars)

This is what gets me excited about sauvignon blanc – when winemakers throw gorgeous things like wild yeasts and barrel fermentations, lees stirring and the like.  This wine has sweet almond, passionfruit, white peach and white pepper, fleshed out with honeydew melon and it’d take a whole ‘nother paragraph to describe the rest but I absolutely love it, and I implore you to try it.  Demand it from your local fine wine store.

Bay of Islands Beauties

Bay of Islands Beauties…

Michael & Barbara Webb of Cottle Hill Vineyards

Cottle Hill has an idyllic setting which sets an indelible stamp on your memory and I almost missed it entirely due to an address typo on the Northland Wine Trail flyer.  Situated on the corner of State Highway 10 and Cottle Hill Drive on the outskirts of Kerikeri, its cute potager garden filled with corn, herbs and vegetables and sweeping balcony overlooking acres of carefully tended vineyards makes you ache for it to be a restaurant.  But for owner Barbara Webb they’ve decided from experience that they’re much better to focus on their core business of being a winery.  “We’ve done a couple of weddings and big parties and that’s great because we think it’s a great venue for it, but we’re not going full-time into food”.  Barbara and her husband Michael sailed into Kerikeri on board their 35ft packet yacht Sprig from San Diego California back in the mid 1990’s.  “We fell in love with the Bay of Islands and were inspired to get into the wine industry after a road trip to Hawke’s Bay and seeing what was going on down there.  With vines sourced from Joe Corban our vineyard was planted in 1996 and we started making wine that same year” says Barbara.  In the ground they’ve got Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chambourcin and Dolcetto plus they make a syrah from fruit grown closer to Kerikeri.  Made in a deliberate “old-world style” according to Barbara, the Cottle Hill 2010 Chardonnay has delicious butterscotch and grapefruit aromas, loads of white peach and creamy, leesy flavours fleshed out with vibrant acidity and great persistence of flavour. 

Barbara and Michael planted all sorts of other varieties in the early years, however after much experimenting and replanting they feel they’ve hit on the right combination of fruit for the future.  This part of New Zealand is notorious for having a climate that acts as atmospheric root burst to most plants, including grapes.  “We are lucky in that the early part of the summer was really dry and that kept growth in check, but we’re constantly out there leaf plucking and trimming – the vines just grow like weeds up here” laughs Barbara. She hand over a glass of their famous Dolcetto, and I instantly fall in love with its soft cocoa, mint and lavender aromas and supple, plummy, juicy flavours on the finish.  “Everyone told us we couldn’t grow pinot up here, but we love pinot so we put some in the ground and it’s done incredibly well” shrugs Barbara.  “We just trust our instincts and it seems to work”. 

A few minutes away on Wiroa Road is the world class cellar door and restaurant at Marsden Estate.  Back in the 1990’s Marsden and Cottle Hill were the only wineries in Kerikeri and not being trained winemakers meant the first few years consisted of experimentation and trial and error.  Today Marsden Estate, under the cool-hand Luke approach of owner/winemaker Rod MacIvor is one of Northland’s most highly awarded producers.  “One thing we have to remember up here is not to let things get too ripe” says Rod as we tuck into a heaving plate of juicy Asian prawns, “because of the climate if we go for higher sugar we inevitably lose acidity that creates distinctive wines.  Some Northland whites have a history of being a bit flabby, but we know how to fix that now, in fact we’re learning all the time”.  Rod remembers 1998 “which was just nuts, an incredible year, but a lot of the wines just tipped over too quickly because we were seduced by these huge sugar levels.  But we’ve got the experience now to exercise restraint”.   

Sauvignon Blanc has Rod really excited, “we have a different style up here, its super tropical and really juicy” he says, but I think the boutique varieties like Chambourcin will end up becoming Northland’s signature.  Chambourcin is a red hybrid that’s only been around since the early 1960’s, but it boasts brilliant resistance to fungal disease making it an ideal grape for Northland’s humidity.  “Chambo’s also great eating ” offers Kelvin Mowat from Pukeko Vineyard down the road who’s come to join us at lunch, “I was taking bunches down to the local lunch bar in Waipapa and they were selling heaps every day”.  Chambo aside, I recommend trying the Marsden Estate Cavalli 2008 $25.  Named after the Cavalli Islands, it’s a delicious, juicy blend of Chambourcin, Pinotage and Merlot that cries out for roast lamb.  

L-R Kelvin & Christine Mowat with a fan

After lunch I follow Kelvin up SH10 to Pukeko Vineyard, a 7 acre block he owns with his wife Christine with 4 acres of grapes and 3 acres of miniature ponies, an odd combination, but undeniably cute. “I bought the place 3 years ago when it was an overgrown kiwifruit orchard.  The plants were skyscraper high, untended for over 6 years so I just got a bulldozer, pulled them all out, rolled them up and burned the lot – but we still get kiwifruit plants popping up amongst our vines even now” he says handing me a glass of syrah.  It’s solid, pepper-driven and fleshed out with plum and violet notes and it’s very good.  Prepare yourself for pukeko’s everywhere – hats, t-shirts, stuffed toys, ornaments and umbrellas even, but if merchandise isn’t your thing don’t fret, his sauvignon, chambo and chardonnay will provide plenty of entertainment for your tastebuds. 

Hang a left into Puketotara Road and you’re at the home of Bruce and Sue Soland, owners of Fat Pig Vineyard.  Sporting a goatee, black t shirt and black wraparound sunglasses, I’m not surprised to learn Bruce was born a Westie and he worked on vineyards as a kid before spending 20 years as a golf pro.  Opting for a life back amongst the vines he purchased an old kiwifruit orchard in 2003 and converted it into a vineyard which now produces Syrah, Pig-o-gris (also known as ‘cougar juice’ according to Bruce), Char-boar-nay and Sow-Blanc.  If you need a touch more fortification you could give his Wild Boar Port a go, or if something more delicate calls, try the hugely popular Runty Rosé. 

Bruce Soland of Fat Pig Vineyards

The cellar door is rustic and raw, and yes there is a pig (named Jenny Craig) that I don’t get to meet, but I can certainly smell.  “We have our own wine and food fest up here, which” he whispers “is really just a rage up.  We have a big marquee housing all the vineyards in the area, 5 chefs cooking and a fabulous band – it’s just awesome”. 

Four of the Best

Marsden Estate Syrah 2009 $36 (4 stars)

Strong, masculine spice and dusty, earthy, peppery notes herald the arrival of a rather delicious syrah.  Beautifully balanced, with just the right amount of cedary oak and juicy plummy, berryfruit notes, this is one red that oozes personality and charm.  www.marsdenestate.co.nz

Redwood Cellars Old Mout Scrumpy Cider ($16x330ml 4pk) 

Recently repackaged with the tag line “we think it’s pretty good”, I think the team at Redwood Cellars are on the money.  This scrumpy has solid apple fullness, generous alcohol (8%) and clean, vibrant, tangy length of flavour.  Pronounced ‘Old Moot’ it’s definitely a new favourite.  www.oldmoutcider.com

Pukeko Vineyard White Tail Pinot Gris 2010 $22 (4 stars) 

A super-cute pinot gris that shows jazz apple, pear and quince flavours combined with crunchy acidity and fantastic length of flavour.  Crisp, clean, elegant and totally drinkable.  pukekovineyard@xtra.co.nz or 0274933458

Fat Pig Runty Rosé 2010 $18 (3 and a half stars)Made from 100% Syrah grapes according to proprietor Bruce Soland this wine has its own cult following in the Far North – I have no idea if that’s true, but it’s really good nonetheless.  Lifted strawberry, pepper and rhubarb aromas lead to a super lush and spicy finish.   09 407 3113 www.fatpig.co.nz