Tasting wine in Johnsonville since 1980.
12 April – New Zealand and Portuguese Wines with Victor Kattenbelt, Confidant Wines. Check out…
10 May – Cellar Club AGM – The AGM Agenda was emailed with April’s newsletter. We would ask you to note that if you have any Notices of Motion, these need to be in the hands of the Secretary – Jenny Jebson – by 19th April ’23.
14 June – Askerne, Hawkes Bay
12 July – Club Dinner, details – TBC
Your committee continues to review how it operates, particularly in trying to work out which tasks need to remain with the committee and which can be delegated.
This review is timely, given that two of the committee are stepping aside for the coming year, and we need to ensure that we have a good match of skills to match the roles being vacated.
This process will only work if members continue to provide us with their support when asked. Thanks.
We also continue to be delighted and thankful for everyone’s help with the hall setup for our gatherings and then the pack down at the end of the evening.
But please remember: We can’t arrive to do the setting up activities any earlier than 7:30 pm as we interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule, who has the hall until that time.
This was an evening of tasting grape varieties from around the world but produced right here in NZ.
Adding to this international flavour was our presenter Carlos, who was born in Chile and came to NZ in 2010, and now resides in Marlborough with his wife and daughters. Carlos informed us that Forrest is now second-generation owned and operated and that they loved working with many different grape varieties.
As a reminder of the wines we sampled during the evening:
70% of their Sauvignon Blanc goes overseas each year, with 100 cases to Waitrose per year!
Notably, most of their Forrest Botryised Riesling, with a honey/marmalade taste – is made for and sold to Air NZ. So when COVID19 hit NZ, the unwanted stock was stocked by NZ based stockists – a bonus for the NZ public.
There were 15 orders from Club members for this tasting, evidence of just how much this tasting was enjoyed by our members.
Thank you to Carlos and Forrest Wines for your support of our club.
If you drilled down from New Zealand through the earth’s centre, where would you come out, Iberia? If it were not in Spain, it would level with the wine heart of Portugal.
Therefore, there must be something special that links the viticulture and the wines of our two countries.
Victor from Confidant Wines will present a mix of special boutique wines from New Zealand, some wonderful new wines from Portugal, and several repeated favourites.
This is your chance to try some new varieties and vineyards and support one Hawkes Bay vineyard (with a great sparkling Rosé) that was impacted after the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle. The evening will take a small journey from Hawkes Bay to Nelson to Waipara in North Canterbury; and then to Portugal with an array of blended wines and, to finish, a Tawny Port. Be prepared to be impressed.
We will see the influence of terroir in Waipara wines, the influence of climate on Nelson wine, what makes Hawkes Bay special, and some delicious red styles from award-winning Casa Santos Lima vineyard in Portugal. The Portuguese selection will focus on new vintages and some previous wines that were very popular and still available. Do you remember Waipara Pinot Blanc? Something new, something known, gold medals, new vintages, comparisons and varieties to experience. This array of wines has been specially selected we believe to suit the members’ preferences for this tasting.
In summary, we will kick off with a Linden (NZ) Sparkling Rosé, followed by a Portuguese Rosé and two classic NZ white wines, Riesling and a Viognier or Chardonnay. We will then compare the new award winning Portuguese Confident red and a blended Mosaico red with a NZ Pinot Noir. We will conclude with a delicious Tawny Port from the home of all great ports.
We look forward to enjoying these wines with you. Please remember your tasting glasses.
House & Garden | 1 Feb 2023
MERMAIDMARY lauds the delights of lesser-known white wine variety chenin blanc.
Like many of the grape varieties we know and love, chenin blanc originates in France, hailing from the Loire Valley. And like other European wine varieties, chenin has found its spiritual home in the New World wine regions – South Africa produces one-fifth of the world’s chenin, twice as much as in its native France. Here in New Zealand, just a few passionate producers are devoted to this lesser-known white wine.
You can describe most New Zealand wines in a few words that refers to their signature style. For example, sauvignon blanc is zesty and vibrant, chardonnay is buttery and oaky and so on. Chenin blanc, however, is hard to narrow down due to its remarkable versatility.
On the vine the chenin grape is akin to chardonnay with high acid and a neutral palate. As a result of this neutrality the grape is influenced by the terroir in which it is grown as well as winemaking decisions. In the glass, chenin comes in a range of guises, from the perfect base wine for crisp dry sparkling wines to lusciously sweet dessert wines – and everything in between. There truly is a chenin blanc for every wine lover.
Chenin is best served chilled, but not cold, so as to preserve its complex aromatics and rich flavours – about half an hour in the fridge will suffice. Chenin is also a fantastic food wine, complementing a range of different cuisines. Off-dry examples with a hint of sweetness are particularly sublime with Southeast Asian cuisine.
Although delicious young, chenin has an incredible ability to age. A dry chenin could hold its own in the bottle for 10 years, with sweeter examples cellaring beautifully for decades.
Essentially, you can drink chenin in any style, at any age with any food, so there’s no excuse not to try one.
For a number of years, the Club has benefited from a stable committee which has been a blessing as we have had to meet a number of challenges, especially how to cope with Covid.
However, two of the committee have signalled that they would like to step down from their roles which raises the exciting prospect that the AGM will provide a new infusion of blood to continue the successful operation of our club.
There are a number of tasks that the committee carry out that strictly have nothing to do with the decision-making of the committee, so would not involve someone having to attend monthly meetings, but everything to do with how the Club conducts its successful tasting evenings.
Your committee is considering if some of these tasks could be delegated to the general membership, and we may seek volunteers to fulfil these roles at our monthly tastings.
Watch this space for more information.
Most members know that Derek Thompson is our Cellar Master, and this vital and important non-committee role means that Derek looks after the 80 to 90 bottles of wine that we carry forward for future use at tastings etc.
Derek is currently looking to downsize and the Club is now faced with the real likelihood that we will need to rehouse our cellar sometime later this year. We believe that our wines can adequately be stored in a recycled lockable metal cabinet that has a footprint of 1050mm x 470mm and a height of 1770mm, which the Club would supply, if required.
If you have a space in your garage, or rumpus room, that could house this cabinet and its contents, then can you please let Wayne know [0274523802 or email] and he will contact you to discuss this role in more detail. Thanks
And whilst on the subject of the AGM, if there is a matter you would like to raise, we would appreciate a heads-up before the AGM so it can be investigated and a considered response offered at the meeting, thanks.
It was great to have everyone help with the tables and chairs at the start of last months’ meeting and taking the same down after the meeting. Also taking the tables contents: spittoons/water jugs/cracker plates back to the kitchen.
Could we please continue this new routine.
PLEASE NOTE: We can’t arrive to do the setting up activities any earlier than 7:30pm as we interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule, the cleaners are in the hall until 7:30pm.
With most of the club familiar with Australian wines, but not necessarily Victoria wines, this was an interesting introduction for most of us.
Keith introduced firstly, Mount Langhi (Ghiran) is an extremely famous cool climate-based winery in the Grampian range of Northern Victoria, established 1969 by the Fratin Family.
Secondly, we were introduced to Yering Station is an acclaimed producer almost as famous for its cellar door and restaurant as their amazing Yarra Valley Wines. Originally the first grapes were planted in 1838 by the Ryrie brothers.
The styles included a Prosecco to start [yes it was sourced and made in Australia], as well as two each of Chardonnay, Pinot and Shiraz.
That everyone present enjoyed Keith’s presentation and wines was reflected in the excellent orders received. Thanks again to Keith and EuroVintage for their continued support of our club.
UPDATE: We have just been advised that these are now in transit from the Auckland Warehouse, despite the logistical delays [weather issues etc.] and will be delivered to you, via Murray, either this weekend, or early next week.
3-4 raspberries or strawberries, plus extra to serve
30ml Chambord
750ml sparkling Rosé
The eighth year of the popular wine celebration is fast approaching and now is the perfect time to get your pink party plans in order.
A huge 7.9 million litres have been exported globally in 2021, which is double of 2018 when NZ exported 8.6 million litres of Rosé and 10 times that of 2010 at just 0.56 million litres, according to NZ Winegrowers statistics.
According to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, the Rosé category is forecasted to grow by almost 70 percent from 2020 to 2024.
The BBQ at Derek’s was the usual success with the weather playing its part.
Thanks to everyone who brought a salad or a dessert, but special thanks to:
Wednesday 8th February, 7.45 pm
Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18
There is much to admire and emulate in the wines of Australia. For many members such wines may well be amongst your favourites. Perhaps such wines are from South Australia, perhaps Western Australia, but for this tasting to kick the year off for the club we are highlighting Victoria.
For many wine enthusiasts the wines of this state fly under the radar. If so, you are missing a treat. On a much smaller scale than the neighbouring South Australian state, the wines of Victoria have their own charm, distinctiveness and award-winning status. And some plantings are indeed old vines.
As with NZ there are a number of different vineyard regions within the Victorian state and some well-known vineyards which we will explore under the guidance of Keith Tibble from EuroVintage, who is very well acquainted with these wines.
Across the state from the south (Mornington) to the central near Melbourne (Yarra Valley) to the interior (Grampians , Murray River) there is a diversity and quality that elicits awards and a dedicated following
…is a highly famous cool climate-based winery in the Grampian range of Northern Victoria. Established in 1969 by the Fratin Family, the site had been planted (like Hawkes Bay’s Te Mata ) back in the late 1890s; after one poor and challenging year in 1980, the Fratins decided they needed a consultant and hired the noted winemaker Trevor Mast. Six years later, Trevor his wife and partner Ian Menzies purchased the varied blocks. They started to develop the concept of Cool Climate (Victorian) Shiraz, a personal vision of Trevor that has led Mount Langhi to be regarded as one of Australia’s greatest shiraz producers. We will taste two shiraz wines, the superb but great value Billi Billi and the superb ‘Mast’ awarded 96/100 in Decanter.
…is an acclaimed producer almost as famous for its cellar door and restaurant as their amazing Yarra Valley Wines. Originally the first grapes were planted in 1838 by the Ryrie brothers; this was Victoria’s first winery and was the largest Victorian vineyard right up to the 1980s. Purchased by the Rathbone Family in 1996, Yering Station is sister to Yarrabank, a sparkling producer jointly owned by a champagne House Devaux. However, Yering is famous for its Burgundy style wines – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – and we will taste the legendary reserve chardonnay along with two superb Pinots, the superb Yering station 2021 and the unique value Village 2021.
Olivia Wannan, Stuff | Dec 07 2022
Blenheim-based Yealands wants to eventually absorb more greenhouse gas than it emits, making it climate positive. That’ll require the winemaker to cut its footprint by 5% every year, sustainability head Michael Wentworth tells Olivia Wannan.
In 2008, when we launched, it was Peter Yealands’ vision to lead the world in sustainable wine production. We have a philosophy: think boldly, tread lightly.
We were the first winery in the world to be certified as carbon-zero, from day one.
In sustainability, there’s never a finishing post. There are always improvements.
Our operations here – the vineyard and winery – make up about 35% of our footprint. Of that, diesel and electricity are key.
That leaves 65% – the primary emissions are packaging and freight. This is challenging, because you have to work with multiple parties and countries. The big gains are beyond our vineyard boundary.
Diesel powered our irrigation pumps, though we’ve electrified those. We’re using smaller tractors, better suited to lighter work. Before, we had large agricultural tractors.
We reduced diesel emissions by planting wildflowers and legumes down the vineyard rows, so you don’t have to mow as regularly. The beauty of that is it naturally increases biodiversity within the vineyard and carbon and water in the soil.
We’ve got a significant composting operation.
Winemaking can be electricity-intensive. Right throughout the process, you’re regularly either warming wines or cooling it, depending on where your wine is at. That requires energy.
At the moment, we produce 20% of our energy requirements on site. We’ve got a solar system on our winery roof – and it was the largest array at the time, when it was installed. Within the next two years, we’ll be installing something that’s 10 times larger, on land opposite the winery. We’ll get to about 60% self-sufficient.
But what’s unique to us is that we bale a portion of vine prunings, dry them and use those as a heating source in the winery – rather than using LPG.
Increasingly, we are bottling in the market. When you’re shipping long distances, you want to be as efficient as possible. Sending packaged wine overseas means your container is full of air, or the air gaps between bottles – plus you’re shipping a heck of a lot of packaging.
By shipping more wine in less packaging, we reduce our freight footprint by 30%. In the foreign markets, you get more choice. For example, in Sweden a lot of their premium wine comes as cask wine – which is one of the lowest-emissions forms of packaging.
We calculate all our emissions and for all unavoidable ones, we purchase registered carbon credits. We’ve done that from day one. But we want to be carbon-positive by 2050 – we’ll achieve that without offsetting.
By 2050, we’ll have to sequester carbon: whether that’s planting native trees or using biochar, which locks carbon away in the soil.
2050 sounds like a long way away. To get there we need to reduce our carbon footprint by at least 5% every year. And by 2030, we want to reduce our emissions by at least 50%.
From 2013 to now, we’ve reduced our footprint by about 25%. There’s still a lot of work to be done.
It was a PET plastic product, which had emissions advantages. A lighter bottle uses less resources, and when you’re moving that bottle, you produce fewer emissions transporting it.
It was always a starting point, in our quest to find a biodegradable product that stopped the wine being oxidised.
The public wasn’t really ready. We found people were buying it more for convenience, than the environmental aspect. It was easier to use outdoors, and doesn’t break.
Shoppers’ acceptance is key. There was a push against plastic. Ultimately, we didn’t progress.
Over the last six months in Marlborough, we’ve had three significant weather events that have impacted our ability to get to the winery and our ability to export our wine via Nelson.
Our industry is very reliant on the weather. A small change in temperature or the environment has a noticeable impact on the flavour profile of your wine. Marlborough sauvignon blanc is so distinctive on the international stage, so a small change in climate has the potential to affect the wines we produce. It is scary.
People are looking at ways to adapt – but the argument should be: what can we do to prevent it?
We believe that a more biodiverse vineyard is a more resilient one. The more we plant native trees and wildflowers, the less inputs we need to make and the better our vines will be.
![A well-kept secret of the international wine scene, and certainly the most diverse wine-growing state in Australia, is Victoria. [Wine Folly]](https://cellarclub.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-01-Jan.jpg)
One not to miss out on. Wines continue to impress after more than 30 years.
Check your next newsletter for details.