Editor: I’m taking it that everyone has found The Wine Show on your TV screens now – Prime TV, Thursdays around 7:30 pm. This UK production delves into the history of wine and compares European varieties and vineyards in different countries.
Joe Fattorini, the Oracle of Wine (or the David Attenborough of Oddbins depending on who you ask) is here for you.
Were you aware that in the 17th century, France used to export wine to Britain, where it sat on the wharves for a consequential time, such as the business of moving products [sound familiar?]
Because of the time sitting on the wharves, the wine went through a second fermentation, making what we now call Cuvee, Champagne or Sparking wine! So even the French admit that Britain ‘invented’ champagne! Of course, Britain still can’t use the name of the area now world famous for the beverage. This programme is informative and also a light-hearted journey.
We all know it’s winter here in NZ, but did you know it’s also a very important time in our vineyards? The following article is taken from The Sisters’ latest wine newsletter. It gives you a great insight into what goes on in a Marlborough vineyard over winter to prepare for the next harvest – repeated with permission.
In the Vineyard
Winter a time for rest and repair
Buy your The Sisters wines from Countdown, select New World, Pak n Save, and online via Black Market.
After the frantic period of harvest in late summer and autumn and the excitement of grapes coming in and winemaking getting underway, winter seems a very still, quiet time. While this is true for the most part, important things are happening in the vineyard.
Row upon row of vibrant green, busy vines gradually change during autumn and early winter as the canopies begin to shut down, and the leaves change colour. Once brown, they fall to the ground, and the bare vines head towards dormancy.
And winter means pruning. This involves cutting off the canes (branches) that produced this year’s fruit and laying-down new fruiting canes that will bud come Springtime. There are many ways to prune vines, and methods are chosen based on the grape variety and the amount of fruit desired.
Generally, the more fruit it produces, the harder the vine must work and the more challenging it is to get it all ripe before the end of the growing season. This can lead to quality issues as grapes need to be ripe to produce flavoursome fruit with the right balance of natural sugars and acidity.
Once pruned, the vineyards are quiet, although buffeted with winter weather. It’s a period of rest and repair as their roots grow and strengthen, looking for the all-important nutrients from the soil, building up their resources in preparation for the growing cycle to start again in the Spring.
This was held at Field & Green in the Wellington CBD last month. It was well attended, albeit we did have a couple of last-minute cancellations due to Covid, which meant we did not hit the maximum seating of 48 that we were booked for at the beginning of that week.
Everyone was welcomed with a glass of the Club’s bubbly, and a good variety of wines was brought to create a jovial atmosphere for the evening. The food was well presented, and the committee received a host of favourable feedback after the event, indicating that this was a venue that members would like to attend again sometime in the future.
We know members particularly enjoyed the Treacle Tarte with clotted cream. Laura, the chef at Field & Green, has kindly agreed to share her recipe with club members, and you will find it as a separate attachment to this newsletter. Thanks, Laura and thanks, Helen, for securing this for us.
We thank Terry Friel for suggesting Field & Green and working with them to produce an excellent menu for the night.
The Committee is excited to present Esk Valley wines with presenter and renowned winemaker Gordon Russell on Wednesday, 10 August 2022.
Range
An interesting range of wines will be presented, including a rose, three whites and three reds. These include several of Gordon’s recently released “Artisanal” ranges, which will be new to many of you. These wines will be available to order on the night at very special prices.
History
Esk Valley, another prestige tasting for August
Esk Valley winery has come a long way since Sir George Fistonich purchased the historic Glenvale Winery from the Bird family in 1986. Esk Valley broke boundaries by introducing new grape varieties and wine styles to Hawke’s Bay. From its original cellars in north Hawke’s Bay to the new purpose-built winery in the Gimblett Gravels area, Esk Valley has produced a collection of wines regarded as among New Zealand’s finest.
About Gordon
Gordon Russell, legend, winemaker
Gordon Russell was born in New Plymouth, and his desire to travel took him to England and Europe for three years after university. During that time, he expanded his interest in different flavours and food to include an appreciation for fine wine.
Gordon was appointed Esk Valley’s winemaker in 1993 after working as a cellar hand for Villa Maria in Auckland from 1987, then as assistant winemaker to Grant Edmonds at Esk Valley from 1990. Gordon produces a natural style of wine, paying attention to detail in the vineyard, using wild yeast and long-term lees ageing. These are modern styles of wine hand-crafted by a master.
This promises to be a great tasting by one of the legends among the country’s winemakers. We look forward to seeing you there.
The Te Mata evening last month was a great success, with Keith Tibble and Brett Newell from EuroVintage filling in for Te Mata’s Reps. They were both informative and interesting about the vintages, the people who own and work the vineyards and the different classes of wine that Te Mata produces and sells. There was a good level of orders from members.
The vertical tasting of the two Cabernet Merlots was also interesting, as these helped educate us on the different processes that are used on the different classes of grapes the Winery handles. The taste of these two wines was an eye-opener.
NB: Don’t forget Brett Newell’s tip that you don’t decant older wines too early before you want to drink them, as their taste will not be the best by the time you drink them. ‘Old’ is anything older than ten years.
Update on Te Mata orders
The orders are in hand if a little delayed. Keith Tibble from EuroVintage has been ill and given the orders are compiled in Auckland and then shipped as a single order to Wellington, there has been a delay. The orders are due to Murray by the end of this week and as soon as received will be delivered to you or arrangements made. The charges at this point have not gone on to your credit cards. Apologies for the delay.
This promises to be a great evening at a very good restaurant. As of last weekend, we had reached our maximum of 48 people, which is very pleasing to the committee who view this as a huge reward for all the effort that goes into planning such events.
Wayne currently has a waitlist in operation in case COVID or some other sudden reason prevents someone from attending. If you find yourself in this situation, can you please let him know ASAP either by text to 027 452 3802 or email?
Next week you can expect to receive an email from Wayne giving you your seat number and the confirmation of what you have ordered. If that information is correct, you do not need to do anything apart from seeking out a bottle of wine to match your food. But if you need to change something or Wayne has misrecorded your choices, please get back to him urgently. That email will also include another copy of the menu.
If you intend to use public transport to get to the dinner, then simply get off the bus at Courtenay Place, walk down Allen St, turn left onto Wakefield Street and you will find the restaurant on your left approx. 30 metres.
As is usual, please try to arrive close to 7 pm as possible, as arriving too early can cause issues. Thanks in advance for your co-operation with this.
Menu
Entrees
Mushroom soup, Madeira cream Smoked trevally soufflé, leek and chive sauce Duck, prune and green peppercorn rillettes, toasted brioche, chutney
The March evening with Victor Kattenbalt and Confidant Wines was a taste experience for all those that could attend. We tried some Waipara Downs wines, which are largely exported to Australia, and some Portuguese wines that were quite different grape varieties to what we see in NZ.
Victor explained a little about the areas of Portugal where the Portuguese wines came from, and some of the Cellar Club members started dreaming of visiting and exploring those regions further.
Our thanks go out to Victor for moving his planned tasting forward to March at very little notice.
The January BBQ at Derek’s was the start of our calendar year and was a lovely afternoon in the sun for the approximately 40 club members who came.
Thanks to Derek for letting us use his house for this event, Anne for her organising skills, Richard and Wayne for their culinary skills and to all those who supported the event, and their wine and food contributions.
In a change to previous years, the committee decided to eliminate the salmon and do a major upgrade in quality for the burgers and bangers. Wayne successfully approached the Cameron Harrison butchery shop on 4 Crofton Road, Ngaio and arranged for them to supply 48 x 100gm Venison patties and 60 Pork, Apple and Sage gourmet sausages at a very competitive price. Whilst still not cheap, it was evident from the feedback at the BBQ that this change was meet with wide appreciation, as their quality was excellent and the Cranberry sauce on the patties a wonderful accompaniment.
The (Irish) Government has agreed to introduce minimum unit pricing on alcohol from the start of January 2022.
In New Zealand, the governement imposes two types of taxes. The Good and Services Tax (GST) @ 15% and a alcohol excise tax of 14% to 37% for wine and beer, and 50% for spirits.
hse.ie | 25 May 2021
Price before MUP
The Government has agreed to introduce minimum unit pricing on alcohol from 4January 2022. It sets a minimum price for a gram of alcohol, meaning it cannot be sold for less than that price. It doesn’t matter where the alcohol is sold – off license, supermarket, bar or restaurant – the minimum price stays the same.
Why is minimum unit pricing being introduced?
Alcohol is a major cause of illness and disease, hospitalisations, self-harm, and violence in Ireland. It’s better for everyone if, as a country, we cut back.
Price after MUP
In 2019, on average, every person in Ireland aged 15 and over drank 10.8 litres of pure alcohol a year – the equivalent of either 40 bottles of vodka, 113 bottles of wine or 436 pints of beer.
Research by the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group found that when minimum unit pricing on alcohol is introduced in Ireland, alcohol consumption is expected to reduce by almost 9% overall.
The heaviest drinkers are expected to reduce their alcohol consumption by 15%, while people who already drink within the low-risk alcohol guidelines are expected to drink 3% less.
The heaviest drinkers buy the cheapest alcohol. Minimum unit pricing on alcohol targets these drinkers, reducing its affordability so that less alcohol is purchased. This will reduce the harm that alcohol causes them and others.
This should result in around 200 fewer alcohol-related deaths and 6,000 fewer hospital admissions per year.
Minimum unit pricing is being introduced as part of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018. It is one of a number of public health measures being introduced under this legislation, all aimed at reducing the harm that alcohol causes to our society.
What is the minimum unit price?
One standard drink in Ireland contains 10 grammes of alcohol. The minimum price for one standard drink will now be €1. Most alcoholic drinks are already above this, especially in pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Some examples of a standard drink are a pub measure of spirits (35.5mls), a small glass of wine (12.5% volume), and a half pint of normal beer.
For example, a 12.5% bottle of wine has 7.4 standard drinks and from 4 January 2022, cannot be sold for less than €7.40.
Minimum unit pricing on alcohol prevents strong alcohol from being sold at low prices.
How do we know it will work?
In 2018, Scotland became the first country in the EU to bring in minimum unit pricing on alcohol. Alcohol purchases in Scotland reduced by 7.6% in the year after it was introduced. This is the lowest level of alcohol sales since records began in the early 1990s.
Research has also shown that moderate drinkers were affected very little; it has had the greatest impact on harmful drinkers. It is estimated that it will save more than 2,000 lives in Scotland over 20 years.
Research on minimum unit pricing in Canada has also shown that it reduces alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm, including alcohol-related diseases, deaths, crime, and health service use.
Why not use a tax instead?
People drink more alcohol if it is cheap. Increasing the price of alcohol will reduce the amount of alcohol that is purchased and this will improve our health. There are different approaches to increasing the price of alcohol, such as through tax. If you raise taxes for alcohol, you are raising the cost of alcohol for everyone. A minimum unit price only targets cheapest alcohol. For low-risk drinkers, like those who are already drinking within the low-risk alcohol guidelines, the change will largely go unnoticed.
Who will it affect the most?
Minimum unit pricing most impacts people who are drinking alcohol harmfully. It is designed to target the heaviest drinkers who seek the cheapest alcohol, which means it will have the greatest effect among those who experience the most harm. These drinkers also suffer greater harm from alcohol and therefore stand to gain more in terms of health as a result of reductions in drinking.
But what is a heavy drinker?
A heavy drinker is someone who regularly drinks more than weekly low-risk alcohol guidelines. These are 11 standard drinks for women and 17 standard drinks for men, spread out over the week and with at least 2 to 3 alcohol free days per week. A heavy drinker is also someone who regularly drinks more than 6 standard drinks on one occasion.
With the new Traffic Light System put in place by the NZ Government, in order to the use of the Johnsonville Community Centre under COVID19 mandates, you must scan to enter the premises when you arrive and show your vaccine pass to be recorded by Wayne – when you pay for the evening.
The showing of your pass will be a one-off until it expires.
At the moment, the wearing of masks when entering and exiting the Johnsonville Community Centre, plus the distance we have to be settled at, etc is all in play and we’ve adapted well, thank you.
Your vaccination pass can either be printed or stored on your mobile phone. For people that haven’t yet got one of these passes:
If you don’t have a Real Me ID, go into the https://mycovidrecord.health.nz and follow the instructions to get access to your medical record, then download/print a copy of your pass
Carry this with you in your wallet/purse
This pass will ensure you have all the freedoms you can access for your Summer pleasure.
NB: As always, please if you are feeling unwell, do not attend any of your Club’s meetings, thank you.
To get the scoop on the best way to bring your barbecue fare to life with wine.
Our January Cellar Club BBQ is going ahead on the last Sunday of this month and as previous, it will be a No Charge event requiring you to contribute a bottle of wine [ie its BYO] and food.
All wine is pooled so it can be enjoyed by others who appreciate the variety. We would ask people not to take wine away to individual tables, as this limits access to wines that people might want to try. Remember though that the Club provides no wine for this event, so ensure that you bring enough if you think the summer heat will make you thirsty.
For new and prospective club members, this is a great afternoon/evening to get to know the other Club members and join in to start off 2022 in a wonderful setting.
Also, if members have friends as prospective members, then this is an ideal time to see the club in action.
This year your committee is trying something different with the format of the BBQ and club members are asked to bring whatever they would like to nibble on for their appetiser. The idea is to share what you bring at whatever table you are seated at, and we will also provide popcorn [thanks Anne]. There will be no cheese or bread as that tends to be an issue on hot days.
We are also going to try venison patties with a cranberry sauce and gourmet sausages as the meat dishes this year, instead of using salmon and precooked sausages.
As in previous years, you are asked to please bring a salad if you are an even numbered house, or a dessert if you are an odd numbered house. This should be sufficient for about 8 people.
If you are bringing a dessert, because of a limited fridge capacity, could we please have some without cream or the need for ice cream this year. Thanks.
