One of the great things about wine is that there are many different ways of treating each grape variety. With chardonnay the winemaker can influence the flavours we taste by ageing the wine in oak for varying lengths of time. In this case the use of oak has been minimal resulting in a clean, fresh wine with lemon/marmalade flavours. Background minerality and juicy acidity make this a nice dry style chardonnay that is nicely balanced and not dominated by big oak characters.Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wild South 2009 Chardonnay
One of the great things about wine is that there are many different ways of treating each grape variety. With chardonnay the winemaker can influence the flavours we taste by ageing the wine in oak for varying lengths of time. In this case the use of oak has been minimal resulting in a clean, fresh wine with lemon/marmalade flavours. Background minerality and juicy acidity make this a nice dry style chardonnay that is nicely balanced and not dominated by big oak characters.
Montana Reserve 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Gris
This is not a blend of sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, it is in fact a variety in its own right that is new to this country. Pear, nectarine and blackcurrent flavours are delicate rather than big and punchy. Crisp acidity makes this a lovely summer wine.Aromatics Symposium
On Waitangi Day about 160 people gathered at Upper Moutere to discuss and taste the wine varieties Riesling and Gewurztraminer. As well as wine enthusiasts most local winemakers were in attendance along with winemakers and wine writers from around New Zealand.
But most importantly there were a large number of world renown wine writers, commentators, restaurateurs and buyers from most parts of the globe – Hong Kong, Singapore, London, New York, Sydney and of course the key note speaker, Ernst Loosen, from the Mosel region in Germany.
The Aromatics Symposium had a focus on learning by sharing knowledge and tasting a range of wines from here and overseas. Speakers like Andrew Caillard (Master of Wine, wine writer and author from the UK) Ernst Loosen from Weingut Dr Loosen (200 years history of winemaking in Germany) and Simon Tam (wine commentator from Hong Kong) had important messages to pass on to wine producers in this country while Alan Limmer (Stonecroft Wines) and Nick Nobilo (Vinoptima) shared their passion for producing gewürztraminer.During the day and at the evening function at Neudorf I managed to spend some time talking with Clarke about wine and food in general. He makes a point of drinking and eating local produce where ever he is. He says this gives him a real ‘sense of place’ about a region and its people. He also has a deep fondness for good beer and was mightily impressed with the local brews he managed to taste here. He was particularly impressed with the things the guys at the Moutere Inn are doing in there efforts to foster the local brewing industry.
Congratulations to Nelson Winemakers for arranging an outstanding weekend.
During the day we tasted wines from New Zealand and overseas so how did our wines stack up? In the opinion of everyone there, very well indeed. A few highlights included a fleshy Greenhough Vineyards 2007 Riesling, beautifully balanced Mount Edward 2007 Riesling from Central Otago. From Germany we tasted a rich Jesutengarten 2007 Riesling delightfully balanced with piercing acidity and from Austria a Dursteiner Hollerin 2007 Riesling that had superb aroma complexity with luscious, ripe stonefruit characters.
In my next column I will tell you the Gewurztraminers we tried.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Huia 2004 Blanc de Blancs
This sparkling wine from Marlborough is made from chardonnay grapes, was matured in oak barrels for a period and then tucked away in the cellar to age gracefully in the bottle before being finished. Fresh bread yeasty characters with an elegant, creamy mid palate and beautiful cleansing freshness in the finish make this a super aperitif or simply a fantastic good value wine for a celebration. http://www.huia.net.nz/
Pegasus Bay 2008 Riesling
The Donaldson family in Waipara (North Canterbury) have been making a range of outstanding and extremely popular rieslings for many years and this 2008 medium style is a delight. Not too sweet, bursting with zingy citrus flavours that are countered with a touch of honey richness. A luscious wine.
Festivals
Summer is wine and food festival time and we have some great choices in the top of the south.
Last weekend we had the annual Sarau Festival at Upper Moutere while the week before the good folk in the ‘bay’ delivered the first Golden Bay Cultural Food and Wine Festival and by all accounts it was a glowing success.
I was lucky enough to be at the very first Marlborough Wine Festival more than 25 years ago and in that time New Zealand’s longest running festival has evolved to meet the changing desires of both attendees and the booming wine industry in the region, the whole time maintaining the relaxed and fun atmosphere that makes the festival so special.
This year’s Wine Marlborough Festival will be held at the Brancott Estate vineyards, same site we have all become familiar with over the years, on Saturday 13th February. Tickets for this festival are strictly limited but if you go to their website you may still be in luck – http://www.wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz/ . Tickets are about $48
Much closer to home the following weekend (11am, Sunday 21st February) the Rotary Club of Richmond hosts the Brightwater Wine and Food Festival. This event has grown each year and become an important date on the wine calendar in Nelson. Tickets are $20 if you get one from Everyman in Nelson or Specsavers in Richmond Mall but $25 if you buy one at the gate. Kids under 12 get in free. Go to http://www.bwff.co.nz/ for lots more information, especially to check out the bus timetable.
If you happen to be in Auckland on the same weekend as the Brightwater festival don’t panic, the Rotary Club of Devonport is also hosting their annual two day wine and food festival (http://www.devonportwinefestival.co.nz/)
Festivals are not only a great day out but for the wine aficionado they are also a good place to taste a wide range of current release wines, as well as a few special treats many of the wineries bring out on the day.
If you want to learn a bit about wine then it is also a good time to find out about different styles of wine by comparing the many styles made by this region’s producers.
On top of all this Nelson Wineart is also hosting the tri-annual Aromtaics Symposium at the Upper Moutere Recreation Centre. This symposium has attracted many of the world’s elite wine writers including Judy Sarris (editor of Australian Gourmet Traveller) and the highly regarded and influential Oz Clarke, Matthew Jukes and top producers of aromatic wine styles from Alsace and Australia.
Unfortunately seats at this event sold out weeks ago but don’t fret I promise to tell you about the treats you missed out on.
So many choices – so little time!!
Last weekend we had the annual Sarau Festival at Upper Moutere while the week before the good folk in the ‘bay’ delivered the first Golden Bay Cultural Food and Wine Festival and by all accounts it was a glowing success.
I was lucky enough to be at the very first Marlborough Wine Festival more than 25 years ago and in that time New Zealand’s longest running festival has evolved to meet the changing desires of both attendees and the booming wine industry in the region, the whole time maintaining the relaxed and fun atmosphere that makes the festival so special.
This year’s Wine Marlborough Festival will be held at the Brancott Estate vineyards, same site we have all become familiar with over the years, on Saturday 13th February. Tickets for this festival are strictly limited but if you go to their website you may still be in luck – http://www.wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz/ . Tickets are about $48
Much closer to home the following weekend (11am, Sunday 21st February) the Rotary Club of Richmond hosts the Brightwater Wine and Food Festival. This event has grown each year and become an important date on the wine calendar in Nelson. Tickets are $20 if you get one from Everyman in Nelson or Specsavers in Richmond Mall but $25 if you buy one at the gate. Kids under 12 get in free. Go to http://www.bwff.co.nz/ for lots more information, especially to check out the bus timetable.
If you happen to be in Auckland on the same weekend as the Brightwater festival don’t panic, the Rotary Club of Devonport is also hosting their annual two day wine and food festival (http://www.devonportwinefestival.co.nz/)
Festivals are not only a great day out but for the wine aficionado they are also a good place to taste a wide range of current release wines, as well as a few special treats many of the wineries bring out on the day.
If you want to learn a bit about wine then it is also a good time to find out about different styles of wine by comparing the many styles made by this region’s producers.
On top of all this Nelson Wineart is also hosting the tri-annual Aromtaics Symposium at the Upper Moutere Recreation Centre. This symposium has attracted many of the world’s elite wine writers including Judy Sarris (editor of Australian Gourmet Traveller) and the highly regarded and influential Oz Clarke, Matthew Jukes and top producers of aromatic wine styles from Alsace and Australia.
Unfortunately seats at this event sold out weeks ago but don’t fret I promise to tell you about the treats you missed out on.
So many choices – so little time!!
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