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

polarising pinot gris

I’m writing this column on Tuesday 22^nd of February from underneath my dining table after the ninth aftershock of the day.  I managed to collect the children from school, battling chaotic traffic to bring them home before waiting an anxious four hours to see my husband walk through the door.  But we had power, water and thankfully our lives.  Watching the news coverage made my mouth dry, but everything I sipped tasted like paper (and believe me I’ve sipped plenty today).  So I’m relying on my memories of the delicious bottles I opened yesterday, most of which were pinot gris.  Pinot Gris is here to stay and the volumes out there are increasing at a rate we haven’t seen since sauvignon blanc.  So it’s a good thing that finally our winemakers are getting their heads around the potential of the fruit and what each region and sub-region are capable of.  Finally we’re seeing crisp, clean intensity of flavour, textural elegance and, in more and more cases, solid ability to age.

Pinot gris polarises people which is hardly surprising because it’s a bit tricky identifying what you’re going to get in that bottle.  Some pinot gris can be so dry they’re practically skeletal, others ooze sweet, oily lusciousness, but if well made, they should all offer that distinctive pear, quince or nashi-like niceness for which pinot gris is famous.  Pinot gris takes practice, it’s important to persevere – if you find one that’s too sweet or too dry for your taste don’t let that put you off the variety, reach for another one – look at the alcohol level, if it’s under 13% then chances are there’ll be a bit of sweetness, any higher and it’ll be drier.

Saint Clair’s Godfrey’s Creek Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2010 ($25) 5 stars is one of my current favourites.  It smells of Eskimo lollies, fresh quince, winter cole pear and has clean, crisp, textural length of flavour and a beautifully balanced finish. www.saintclair.co.nz

Urlar Gladstone Pinot Gris 2010 ($28) 4.5 stars  An organic, biodynamically produced pinot gris that boasts lovely nashi, granny smith and marshmallow notes that I really like.  Hints of sweetness, but a clean, refreshing finish make this one to watch. www.urlar.co.nz

Clark Estate Awatere Valley Pinot Gris 2010 ($23) four stars A single-vineyard wine that’s beautifully textural and shows juicy pear , apple and nectarine notes followed by a gripping, snappy texture.  A splash of sweetness gives it extra weight and adds to its lovely complexity. www.clarkestate.com

Seresin Marlborough Pinot Gris 2009 ($30) 4 stars  Enticing aromas of pear, dandelion and apricot kernel lead the way to richly flavoursome, quince and white peach flavours on the finish.  Definitely a lovely example.  www.seresin.co.nz

Main Divide Waipara Pinot Gris 2010 ($19) 4 stars  One example which never disappoints, Waipara I think might be the pinot gris capital of New Zealand because they just keep getting better and this wine is a great example.  Pear, peach and tangy tropical fruit sliced through with seams of sweetness – definitely one that won’t disappoint.  www.maindivide.com

Canterbury Wineries in the quake

Wineries are reporting little damage, with the epicentre of last week’s quake to the east of the city in Lyttelton, rather than in the wine growing areas west of Christchurch.

Speaking to Decanter.com within hours of the quake, Celia Bosman of Sandihurst winery said, 'the whole place was swaying but we are fine, we have been spared this time. We had much more damage last time as we were far closer to the epicentre. '

When the earthquake hit, new tanks were being fitted at Sandihurst to replace those damaged by September's earthquake and work had to be stopped.

Tresillian Estate's Heather Anderson confirmed producers west of the city had escaped relatively unscathed: “We got far more damage last time and are ok because we are out of the city centre.”

Cracroft Chase Vineyards, a producer closer to the city centre in the suburb of Cashmere, also escaped damage to the vineyard and winery but owners Alessandro and Wilma Laryn have suffered damage to their home.

Decanter was unable to contact city centre fine wine retailers Decant and Vino Fino following the earthquake.

ROYAL EASTER DELIVERS GOLD

A record 118 wines have won gold at the 2011 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards.

New Zealand Wine Society director Terry Dunleavy said a 16 percent increase in the number of gold medals awarded this year was evidence of the increasing quality of New Zealand wines.

“What's in the bottle has shown 2010 to be one of the best vintages of the last few years, especially in our number one export variety sauvignon blanc, which won 21 golds, while our stellar red, pinot noir, continued its remarkable progress, also with 21 golds,'' he said.

More than 1500 wines were entered in the competition, up 1.6 percent on last year.

Judges chairwoman Kate Radburnd said the standard of judging was the among the highest she had ever seen.

Villa Maria Estate ended up beating it’s own competition record by being awarded 17 gold medals.“We are fortunate in this country to have a growing band of young professionals working in our wineries who are dedicated not only to making better and better wine, but have become expert in recognising and judging quality,'' she said.  Trophy winners will be announced at an awards dinner on 19 March 2011.

THREE OF THE BEST

Brown Brothers Dolcetto & Syrah 2010 $17 2.5 stars

Those who like sticky, sweet, plummy reds will fall over themselves for this wine.  A red wine with a hint of spritz that can be chilled right down – it’s a tasty treat for these warm afternoons.  Widely available.

MacKenzies Pardon Methode Traditionelle 2008 $18 3.5 stars

Delicate brioche and lemon aromas light the way for smooth, nutty, tongue-tingling mouthfeel.  Fantastic value for money, this is a surprisingly good wine of which 25cents from the sale of each bottle goes to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.  www.mackenziespardon.co.nz

Ti Point Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2010 $22 4 stars If you like a bit of peach, melon and pineapple flavour in your chardonnay then look no further than this juicy number.  Winemaker Tracy Haslam has created an ultra-tasty tipple complete with toasty oak and zesty acidity on the finish.  Dangerously drinkable

www.tipoint.co.nz

Wine Matching For Christmas Feasting

Wine Matching for Christmas Feasting

I’m a big believer in wine being a superb digestive aide; therefore it’s inconceivable that I’d be without a glass of something at dinner time whether I’m having fish and chips or feta-filled figs.  Christmas is no exception.  Problem is, there are so many different dishes and flavours going on, it’s hard to settle on one wine to suit the occasion.  But if you want your guests to get the best they can from your feast, here are some winning combinations. 

Upon arrival.

I’m bored senseless by that whole ‘waiting for a special occasion’ concept. I think the birth of Christ counts as a bit of an occasion don’t you?  Don’t go letting money get in the way of treating yourself to something sensational – affordable fizz does exist…

 Champagne Lanvin & Fils Epernay Brut NV $40

This fine fizz has aromas of roast nuts and rising dough with subtle lime and biscuit notes.  Tiny, prickling beads and a delicate mousse lead to lovely rich flavours and zingy-fresh acidity

Morton Estate IQ3 $27

A special limited release bubbly which has spent three years maturing on its yeast lees which  has given it a heavenly, biscuity, brulee-ish character and excellent persistence of flavour. (ph 0800 MORTON) 

Jacobs Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut $13

I love Christmas because inevitably this fantastic sparkler ends up on special pretty much everywhere and it’s fantastic.  Aromas of scone dough, almonds and lifted lemon lead to a delicate bead, soft minerality and a lovely, yeasty character.  Clean, crisp and utterly brilliant value for money.

If Turkey or Roast Chicken arrives on the table then you’ll want a wine that works with all that rich, white flesh, buttery new potatoes, baby peas, green beans and fatty gravy.  So I’d go chardonnay all the way – but not some unwooded example.  I’d opt for a big, ripe, fruit-laden, oaky, creamy one. 

The Dog Point Marlborough Chardonnay 2008 $34 has gorgeous bruleé and stonefruit aromas and pungent grapefruit and gun-smoke complexity in the mouth, which makes it the perfect partner here.  For stockists near you visit www.dogpoint.co.nz

The Mission Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2009 $26 is so clean, elegant and downright juicy.  Grapefruit, rich, tropical notes and toasty oak combine to create greatness.  Available at supermarkets, wine stores and via www.missionestate.co.nz

Tradition has it there’ll be a Ham, and it will be studded with cloves, covered in orange zest and glazed with all sorts of cellulite-inducing sweeties like marmalade, brown sugar and brandy.  Choosing an appropriate wine for salty meat with a candied/savoury element to it wasn’t the easiest job, but after a dozen or so bottles (and one very seedy morning later) I think I cracked it.  Viognier.

Pronounced Vee-On-Yay, it is a white wine that sits somewhere between the peachy, creamy, tropical characters of chardonnay and the spicy citrus you’ll find in pinot gris.  The perfect wine for this season’s swine.

Villa Maria Private Bin East Coast Viognier 2009 $17

This gorgeous little wine has spicy, mandarin-peel, jasmine and apricot kernel characters abound.  Tangy and dry, it’s an absolute winner.

Selaks Winemakers Favourite Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2009 $24

I love the subtle white peach, almond and apricot aromas of this viognier, and its crisp, textural, flavoursome mandarin-like finish makes it a winner with the Christmas ham and one I'll definitely be buying again.  Widely available.

Up next, the obligatory Pavlova.  Fingers crossed your pav will turn out light, fluffy and deliciously sweet – so toast your success with something equally decadent like a honeyed, marmaladey, toffee-ish dessert wine to cut through that sweet meringue and compliment the fruity toppings and cream.

Any of these stickies will please the crowds: Brown Brothers Patricia Late Harvested Noble Riesling 2006 375ml $30, Hawke’s Ridge Late Harvest Viognier 2009 $20 or the Te Awa Noble Chardonnay 2009 375 ml $20. 

But what about the fruit-heavy, nutty, boozy Christmas puddings, Mince Pies and Christmas cake?  There are some intense flavour combinations like brandy and butter-soaked raisins, currants with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mixed peel, nuts, almond icing, sweet pastry and sugar here, so I think the best option here is a soothing Stout.  Try the Townshend Brewery Number 9 $6.50 500ml.  It’s a deliciously dark, velvety brew that will work well with all of the above and best of all it’ll settle your digestion down a treat.

Art and science collide

Iconic New Zealand artist Dick Frizzell has launched his new collection of Frizzell Wines just in time for summer following the success of the inaugural range launched last year.

This new collection, produced by award winning wine maker Rod McDonald, includes a 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, a 2008 Hawkes Bay Chardonnay and a 2009 Central Otago Pinot Noir, all retaining the unique Dick Frizzell-designed label art.

“I’m thrilled with how well our wines have been received since we launched 18 months ago, and expanding our range was a natural next step.  When we started out on this adventure, we wanted to make a real contribution to the New Zealand wine scene, and we hope people enjoy the new range as much as we have enjoyed developing it,” says Dick Frizzell.   

In addition to the new releases, Frizzell has also launched a Limited Edition Reserve Range. “It’s very important to me that it’s not just about having a unique label on a bottle but the quality of the wine has to be exceptional too. I’ve been lucky enough to work with such a strong team who are all about keeping standards high and as a result our business has gone from strength to strength,” says Frizzell.  The packaging of the Reserve range cleverly resembles a restaurant ‘reserved’ sign – or a Toblerone on steroids – depending on how you look at it.  Either way, it’s “eye-catching as!” according to my ten year old daughter.  Visit www.frizzellwines.co.nz for more info.

Grin and Beer it…

Paraparaumu’s Tuatara Brewery was set up in 2002 by Carl Vasta with the support of Sean Murrie from the Malthouse and Fraser McInnes of Bar Bodega.  It was a tiny operation turning out some of the best boutique brews of the day.  Today it’s pushing its 35000 litre capacity to the limit and was named in the Deloitte Fast 50 as one of NZ’s fastest growing companies.  They might be bigger, but the beers just keep getting better as I can well vouch for having just tried their Ardennes Strong Golden Ale which is rich, aromatic, sexy and malty and Munich Helles (hell-iz) Lager which has clean, herbaceous, hoppy freshness.  “We’ve just launched a mixed six-pack of our top selling brews” says Murrie, “it takes a bit of work because you’re only brewing one type of beer per day, but it’s what our customers have asked for so we’re going for it”. Visit www.tuatarabrewing.co.nz for stockists near you.

Four of the Best

Frizzell Wines Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2007 $45 êêêê½

This big, juicy Hawke’s Bay red oozes aromas of gunsmoke, baked prune, cocoa and dusty, earthy notes.  Solid, meaty and muscular in the mouth, with spicy, masculine length of flavour.  Available in fine wine stores or via www.frizzellwines.co.nz

Wairau River Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $20 êêêê

Super-clean lime and passionfruit flavours burst forth in this tangalicious, textural sauvignon.  Solid, punchy length of flavour adds to the experience, it’s a cracker.  Visit www.wairauriverwines.com for stockists near you or to order online.

Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Pinot Noir NV $24 êêê

I’ve seen this red version of sparkling pinot noir (which is normally white) on special recently for as low as $12 which is crazy stuff.  This is fresh and frisky fizz that has lifted red fruits, floral aromatics and a firm, lingering finish.  Widely available.

Moa St. Josephs Belgian-style Tripel 2010 ($20 per 4pk)

It’s sweet, mouthfilling, herbaceous and seriously malty flavour is quite addictive.  But beware, at 9.5% alcohol, more than one glass of the St. Josephs might send you sideways.  To buy visit www.moabeer.co.nz

Something In The Soil

The French knew a thing or two when they decided to introduce the appellation system. It was a system of dividing the wine-land into designated areas that produced specific levels of quality wine. Areas like Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Chablis and the like. I have a similar thing going on in my garden, the fertile right hand side is known as ‘good cabbage’ whereas the left hand side I call ‘average cabbage’ because the hose doesn’t reach that far and the handle fell off my watering can.

New Zealand is slowly starting to allocate names to its great grape-growing land too; the most famous of which is the Gimblett Gravels, an area that covers 800 hectares of gravely soils, laid down by the Ngaruroro River which was exposed after a huge flood in 1867. It’s an unattractive, infertile heat-trap that before the wine boom, was considered a waste of time for agriculture. I remember it wasn’t much more than a decade or so ago when crops wouldn’t grow, you couldn’t graze stock and word was the farmers ‘couldn’t give the land away’- now it’s some of the most expensive vineyard land in the country!

The thing that makes the Gravels so good is that every type of grape seems to grow well there. It’s where you’ll find succulent chardonnay, mouthfilling merlot’s, chunky, chewy cabernets, amazing aromatics and even international award-winning pinot noir for goodness sake! But the variety that’s ripping the wine-worlds knickers right now is Gimblett Gravels Syrah. Before I get started let’s get one thing clear, especially if you’re a first-time reader. Syrah and Shiraz are the same. Two wines, two different names, same grape.

But the Gimblett Gravels produces a unique style of Syrah that recently collected four out of the 7 gold medals awarded at the prestigious Air New Zealand Wine Awards last month.

Wines from the Gimblett Gravels also swept all 4 trophies for the fuller bodied red wine categories at the awards. Newly elected Chairman of the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers Association, Nick Aleksich of Mills Reef Winery, was especially pleased at the consistency demonstrated by the wines coming from three different vintages: 2007, 2008, and 2009.

“This result confirms what we in the Gimblett Gravels have long felt; that the Gimblett Gravels can produce fantastic quality wines consistently from vintage to vintage – marking it as a truly great terroir.

Wine lovers can take assurance from the fact that every vintage since 1998 has produced gold medal winning wines from the Gimblett Gravels.

Of course, we’re not resting on our laurels and are focused on continual improvement which is promising an extremely exciting future”.



The Champion Merlot trophy went to Church Road Cuve Series Merlot 2007, the Champion Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot Cabernet blend trophy went to Te Awa’s Leftfield Merlot Malbec 2009, while the trophy for Champion Syrah was awarded to Gavin Yortt for his Squawking Magpie “The Stoned Crow” Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2008. Trinity Hill’s Gimblett Gravels Tempranillo 2008 took home the “Other Red Styles” trophy.

Further cementing Gimblett Gravels’ performance was its dominance in the gold medals awarded to fuller-bodied red wines, dramatically scooping 10 of the 14 golds awarded. Before it was planted in grapes, this patch of land was home to a hot-rod drag strip, the Hastings dump, I think there was a motorcycle gang’s headquarters out there and I think not much else. However looking back over the last decade, wines from this formerly useless patch of dirt have amassed a whopping 400+ gold medals and over 140 trophies in domestic wine competitions. Congratulations are clearly in order.