Renowned sailors, the Butterworth Family (Brad & Warren), is the new custodian of Julicher vineyard, planted in the iconic soils of Te Muna. The J-Knot on every bottle, the strongest knot you can tie, is a tribute to their vineyard’s founder, Wim Julicher.
Wim Julicher originally planted the Te Muna vineyard as an Olive Grove, but the site’s unique aspect made it far too cold for the olive trees. Luckily, it creates the perfect amount of pressure for the divine struggle required to produce world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The Butterworth Family has a viticultural heritage dating back to the founding days of the New Zealand wine industry – the original 1890’s vineyard property is still in the family today.
The wines for our evening are from their Te Muna (Butterworth formerly Julicher vineyard and Layline ranges:
Nelson’s Tohu Wines are the toast of the New Zealand wine industry after taking out a coveted ‘Best in Show’ prize at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
Over the course of two weeks of rigorous wine-testing in London in June, Tohu’s Whenua Matua Chardonnay stood out from amongst the 18,000 wines judged, to win one of the 50 Best in Show accolades.
As the only New Zealand winery to receive a Best in Show award, it was a major achievement for Tohu – the world’s first Māori-owned winery.
French wines dominated the Best in Show category with 15 awards, along with nine from Spain and seven from Italy.
Decanter organisers said while New Zealand was more well-known for its Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Chardonnay had been quietly building its success in recent years. At the 2021 awards, Chardonnays from less-expected places like Canada and Germany also received Best in Show awards.
Tohu Wines’ 2018 Whenua Matua Chardonnay received one of the 50 Best in Show accolades at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
The Whenua Matua Chardonnay 2018 is a single-vineyard wine grown in the rich clay soils of the Upper Moutere region. The only other time a Nelson winery has won best in show for chardonnay was in 1992 when Neudorf Winery won for its 1991 Chardonnay, also grown in similar Moutere-clay soil.
Tohu winemaker Bruce Taylor said the Chardonnay was all about showcasing a single vineyard.
“Whenua Matua translates as ‘significant lands’ and the changing angles and orientations of the vineyard blocks lend themselves to the complexities of winemaking.
“The wine is selected from the very best barrels of our hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed 15-year-old Chardonnay vines.
“These single-vineyard wines hold great structure, exceptional varietal characteristics, texture and complexity.”
Owned by the Kono food and beverage company, Tohu Wines was established in 1998 and around 200,000 cases of wine are produced at its winery in the Awatere Valley.
Kono chief executive Rachel Taulelei says the company is immensely proud of winning the Decanter Best in Show award.
Tohu Wines also received a Gold Medal for its 2020 Sauvignon Blanc at the Decanter Awards.
“The chardonnay is a special release for us and follows on from our 23-year celebration last year. Each wine in the Whenua series is an expression of the uniqueness of our tūranagawaewae, our standing place, and our connection to the land.
“To be acknowledged and singled out from thousands of wines in such a prestigious wine competition is confirmation that care for the land and its bounty is tōtika, a beautiful balance.”
Continent Winner – The Best Vineyard in Australasia 2021 – #11 Craggy Range & #15 Rippon
During this morning’s ceremony in Germany, Havelock North’s Craggy Range winery was announced 11th overall, making it the highest-ranking Australasia.
This puts the winery in high-calibre company, alongside estates such as Chateau Margaux of Bordeaux, Opus One of Napa Valley and Champagne Billecart-Salmon; a result Craggy Range Director Mary-Jeanne Peabody described as ‘incredibly humbling’.
“It is my parent’s dream to sit alongside the great wineries of the world, and this shows us that we are heading in the right direction,” she said.
Close behind in the list was Rippon Valley; the Wānaka winery claiming 15th place overall.
The World’s Best Vineyards is by no means the only list of note, however, what makes it unique according to Craggy Range’s Marketing Manager David T. Peabody is the breadth of criteria one must excel at.
“It is not about a single wine in a particular year, this is about consistently being recognised as world-class,” he said.
Love a natty or a wine spritzer? Pop a piquette next
Emma Gleason | March 3, 2021
Little Crush by Garage Project
Light, low in alcohol, and made from waste-optimising practices, piquette ticks every box for what we’re wanting to imbibe now. More mellow than a pét-nat, a little bit murky with a subtle fizz, a handful of recent releases suggest that winemakers and drinkers alike have rediscovered the beauty of this humble drop.
Piquette is made from pomace — the grape leftovers from winemaking — and water, which is then left to ferment, resulting in a highly drinkable, crisp, aromatic, sparkling beverage.
It’s a method with centuries of history throughout Europe, dating back to the classical period, and more recently was enjoyed by field workers at lunch. As with many old-fashioned practices, piquette feels grounded in a more sustainable way of living. The process harnesses a by-product of the wine industry, helping to minimise waste.
Its earthy flavour and dash of fizz may make it the next favourite tipple for natural wine fans, and piquette also possesses a lightness that will appeal to those of us partial to a wine spritzer.
Low in alcohol (most available in New Zealand are between five and seven per cent), piquette gives you less of a buzz, which, in our opinion, is sometimes a nice thing. Piquette also has fewer calories.
All of this makes it unsurprising that this modest, delicious drink is appealing to local winemakers.
Kindeli by Alex Craighead Wines
Alex Craighead Wines launched its 330ml cans of Kindeli piquette in June 2020 (wine-in-a-can has a dear place in our hearts). “It was really interesting from an experimental point of view,” founder Alex Craighead tells Viva. “It also sits really well with me as it is adding another step and product to the lifecycle of the grape.”
Made from certified organic grapes from his biodynamic home vineyard in Nelson, Alex describes Kindeli as something of a hybrid. “We added a tiny amount of cider ferment to give it a natural spritz. Our piquette is literally naturally produced CO2, grapes and a micro-amount of apples.”
What makes piquette wine so special, according to Alex, is the reuse that’s inherent to its creation. “There is so much waste in the world at the moment, so using the same grapes for wine, piquette, then in our vineyard compost blend is awesome.”
There’s a delicious Australian piquette, called Atomic Bomb by BK Wine, worth trying, and is available at, who deliver nationwide.
Another local variety on the market is from Garage Project. I’ve been enjoying its very quaffable piquettes all summer, and reached out to co-founder Jos Ruffell to find out more about their piquette range, Little Crush , which launched late last year.
It was a fruitful idea to come out of the stasis of 2020. “During lockdown we had more time to tinker with some ideas,” Jos says. “Making piquettes was one that just made a lot of sense — and our mate Cosmo said we should make one, so we did!”
With a relatively simple process and light flavour, it provides opportunities for a wealth of creativity and experimentation. “We love that piquettes allow you to create a quite different expression from regular wine,” explains Jos. “You can build up and layer piquettes — adding in more skins from lots of different varieties you typically wouldn’t see together.”
To make them even more unique, we used a variety of grapes not typically used in wine. They give our Little Crush Piquettes bright, juicy flavours you won’t find in a glass of Sauv,” says Jos.
“They’re also striking in colour and minimise waste in the winery — everything goes to use.”
Locally, the piquette market is small — for now. “The early adopters seem to be craft brew fans and natural wine drinkers,” says Alex. However, he predicts it will grow in 2021 as New Zealanders discover the joys of this old, down-to-earth treasure. “They are a great lower- alcohol alternative to wine and low-carb alternative to beer. They work really well as a glass with a light meal or aperitif.”
Jos sees piquette becoming a charming addition to the family of natural wines on offer in Aotearoa. “They are a celebration of the harvest — best drunk fresh and not to be taken too seriously and should be at an approachable price for everyone.”
“They are fizzy, lower alcohol, refreshing and delicious — what’s not to like?”
We were to be entertained in September by Gordon Russell from Esk Valley. Gordon is described as one of the Godfathers of the wine industry.
Unfortunately, due to the current situation with the Delta variant of COVID19 this month’s Club evening has had to be cancelled. We can’t meet until we are down to Level 2.
While this is disappointing for us all, for your information and interest, the wines we were going to be tasting were largely from Esk Valley’s new range: Artisanal. Wine f.y.i.:
The easiest way to open wine without a corkscrew is to push the cork into the bottle.
Other methods involving shoes, lighters, screws, and bike pumps are all effective but less practical.
If you break the cork, strain the wine through a coffee filter before drinking it.
If you find yourself without a corkscrew, you can use what you have on hand to open your wine. Mint Images/Getty Images
We’ve all been there. You have a bottle of wine but no corkscrew to be found. Don’t panic. You’ll still be able to enjoy your wine. Just follow one of these methods below depending on how practical or flashy you’re feeling, and what tools you have on hand. First things first – take the foil off. No matter what method you’re using, this is the first step. From there, you can try any of these methods below, but — fair warning — they get less practical as you go.
Quick tip: If you want to take the easy way out and buy a corkscrew, check out Insiders picks for the best wine openers.
Push the cork in
Find a sturdy object smaller than the opening of the bottle and slowly push the cork down. Westend61/Getty Images
Pushing the cork into the bottle is the expert-approved method of winemakers and sommeliers. You could break a nail, but otherwise, this is the safest and most straightforward method. Once the foil is off, simply push the cork into the bottle with your fingers or a sturdy small object like a key, lipstick container, the handle of a wooden spoon, or a pen. You can use the palm of your hand as a hammer.
“This always gets the job done,” says winemaker Stuart Spoto of Spoto Family Wines. “I’ve done it a hundred times.” Depending on the length of the cork and the specific bottle, it may be harder or easier but shouldn’t take long.
“Take it slowly. Be cautious and patient,” Spoto says. As you push the cork in, the wine will spray out, so be prepared with a towel around the bottle.
Once the cork is in the bottle, it may block the neck, so it helps to have something long like a fork or your finger to move the cork and ensure you can pour the wine out. Done right, the cork should be intact, so although it’s submerged in the wine you don’t need to worry about small bits of cork in the wine as you pour.
Use a key as a corkscrew
Instead of pushing the cork in, this method relies on jamming the key into the cork, then pulling it out like you would with a corkscrew. Stick a house key into the cork at a diagonal angle, then twist the key while pulling upwards to dislodge the cork.
This method can be hit-or-miss, and if you try a few times and can’t get the key to grip the cork, you’ll damage the cork and may have small pieces of cork falling into the wine. It’s hard to get enough grip or leverage.
“I’ve never tried this method,” Spoto says. “If I had a key I’d just use it to push the cork in.”
Quick tip: If you break the cork using any of these methods, strain the wine through a coffee filter to remove any broken cork bits before you drink it.
Screw and hammer method
Insert a screw into the cork and pull it out with the claw of a hammer. Sergio Delle Vedove / EyeEm/Getty Images
A more elaborate rendition of the ‘key as handle’ method above, this method involves inserting a screw into the cork, then using the forked end of the hammer to pry the cork out by using the leverage of the screw. Just like with a real wine key, twisting as you pull upwards always helps.
“Typically, if you find yourself without a corkscrew, you probably won’t have a screw or hammer either,” Spoto points out. “With that said, screwing a screw in the cork and using a hammer to pull it out is a very safe method.”
Heat the neck up
Use a long lighter to keep your hand away from the flame. EugeneTomeev/Getty Images
Once the foil is off, take a flame to the neck of the bottle and heat the air gap between the cork and the wine. Turn the bottle slowly to heat the air uniformly and minimize the likelihood of the glass shattering. The cork will slowly be pushed out until you can grab it and pull it the rest of the way.
“It works, and it works well,” Spoto says. “It’s pure physics. As you’re heating the air, you’re creating more pressure. The liquid doesn’t expand, so the air only has one place to go and it pushes the cork out. If you take it to the full extent, it’ll pop like a champagne cork.”
Spoto did this once when he was much younger and said it took less than a minute for the cork to slide out. He doesn’t recommend this method though. Although it works, it’s dangerous since fire is involved, and there’s the possibility the bottle may break if it gets too hot.
Bike pump method
Set the wine bottle upright on a flat surface and jam an air needle into the centre of the cork. The needle must be long enough to push all the way through the cork into the air space in the bottle. Then simply start pumping air in and, within a minute or two, the cork should rise enough that you can grab it with pliers or your hand to pull it out.
“This works great,” Spoto says. “The increase in air pressure drives the cork out.” It’s the same principle behind heating the neck up, but less dangerous, although you’re more likely to have a lighter than a bicycle pump on hand.
Shoe and wall trick
Sit the bottle of wine securely inside the shoe, then bang it against the wall to force the cork out. AlanMBarr/Getty Images
Place the wine bottle in a shoe — a flat shoe with a hard rubber sole will work best — with the base of the bottle nestled at the heel and the bottle standing upright like a leg. Hold the toe of the shoe with one hand and the wine bottle, just below the neck, with the other.
Strike the wall perpendicularly with the base of the wine bottle in the shoe. “The idea here is you’re hammering the cork out ever so slightly,” Spoto says. “As you pound, you’re moving the liquid in one direction, and it starts pushing the cork out.”
But not any shoe will work. Don’t try this with heels, and cushioned running shoes won’t transmit enough force to the bottle. This method can be exhausting and take a very long time. Once the cork is dislodged enough to grab with pliers or your fingers, you can pull it out the rest of the way.
Spoto does not recommend this method. “You’re just shaking the wine up, and I don’t think it’s good for the wine,” he says. “It looks more like a trick than anything else.”
More tips for opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew
The best method uses objects that you have readily available
Sanitize your object of choice – key, nail, air needle – before sticking it into the cork.
Synthetic cork may be more difficult to manoeuvre because it has less give than a natural cork.
Always exercise caution if you’re playing with fire or sharp objects
Insider’s takeaway
It’s easy to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. Pushing it in is the most practical method, and using a lighter to heat the air beneath the cork works every time too with a little extra flair and danger. Hammering the wine out with a shoe can be fun if you want to put on a show or entertain yourself. But for everyone’s sanity and safety, you’re better off investing in at least a simple wine key.
The evening was a splendid celebration of mid-winter for the Club and also of Bastille Day for the venue and their French staff. The atmosphere and service were excellent and enjoyed by all.
We had a selection of three entrees’ each with the soup being served in a demitasse cup, with a small serving of quiche and a separate salad.
For the mains, people had a selection from Beef Bourguignon, Chicken Champenoise, or Whaherou Cerole – all were served with veggies and were very tasty.
For the dessert we each had a trio of petite fours’: lemon pie with meringue on top, a macaron and a lemon Brulee served in a spoon.
Your committee has sent a special note of thanks on behalf of everyone present to Chef Vero and her staff for staging a very enjoyable dinner indeed.
Western Australian Wines – Sandalford, Xanadu and Moss Wood Vineyards
Keith will let us know that Western Australian wine is more than just the Margaret River wine we are aware of. He is featuring three vineyards in the wider area on the night.
Sandalford – establishing estate at Caversham, Swan Valley had its genesis in 1840 and coincided with both European settlement in the burgeoning colony of Perth and the birth of Western Australia’s world-famous wine industry. In one of Australia’s most sustainable wineries at Caversham, Swan Valley, Sandalford creates today’s collection of Prendiville, Estate Reserve, Margaret River Range and Element award-winning wines from its two fertile vineyards.
Xanadu – Just 4km from Margaret River’s town centre and an equal distance from the magnificent coastline, Xanadu is one of the first vineyards to have been established in the region with a long history of crafting outstanding wines that embody all the region has to offer. Established by Dr John Lagan, an Irishman who arrived in Margaret River in 1968 with his wife Eithne and was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the region.
Moss Wood – situated in Wilyabrup in the Margaret River wine region, has the highest concentration of premium wine producers in the region. Planted in 1969 Moss Wood is an important, founding estate of the Margaret River wine region. Clare & Keith Mugford winemakers, viticulturalists and proprietors have been making wine and tending the vineyard since 1984 and 1979, respectively.
This will be an evening to taste Australian wines from entry-level through to upmarket expressions, so come along and taste the variations for yourself!
Brian was a consummate presenter of his wines and his varied vineyards in the Marlborough region. His whiteboard diagrams and explanations of how, why and what consummated good wines, grounds, countries differences and weather were educational for us all, helped along by his sense of humour.
He reinforced to us that this year’s vintage was very good, very early and very small. And that this may be good for smaller vineyards as the quality is very good. He also thought we could all benefit from some fine wines being drunk.
It was the 21st vintage for Mahi, and because of COVID all of their vintage staff were from NZ!
Brian also had his son Max back from a winery in New York to do his first full crush here at his winery, which was very special for them both.
Because of COVID and the increase of wine consumption at home worldwide (in the developed world), Marlborough went into vintage with hardly any available wine and after a vintage that was down by possibly 30% there will be a supply problem, perhaps for a couple of years, depending on the weather this year.
Our tasting on the evening involved vertical tastings, which was something different for us and most interesting. Wines tasted during the evening were:
2020 Mahi Marlborough Rose’ – welcome tipple
2019 Mahi Marlborough Sauv Blanc
2019 Mahi Boundary Farm Sauv Blanc
2019 Mahi Marlborough Chardonnay
2017 Mahi ‘Twin Valleys’ Chardonnay
2016 Mahi ‘The Trine’ Chardonnay
2019 Mahi Marlborough Pinot Noir
2019 Mahi ‘win Valleys’ Pinot Noir – pre-release, not for sale at the moment.
Wednesday 14th of July is Bastille Day and in keeping with this day, a French-inspired menu has been arranged with Chef Veronique at Le Marche Francais on Thorndon Quay.
This July is the 10th Anniversary of the opening of Le Marche Francais in Thorndon, so this is a triple celebration! A ta Sante! Je leve mon verre a la liberte (Cheers! I raise my glass to freedom.).
The menu etc will be available shortly. However, here is some additional information:
Le Marche Francais is situated on the first floor of the Woolstore Building on Thorndon Quay. Nearby is the motorway overpass and just south of that is bus stop 5492 which is used by bus routes 1, 19e, 24, 25, 26, 52, 56, 57, 58, 60e and 83.
When it comes to going home, you can use bus stop 5024 just north of the motorway overpass. So again, just a short distance away.
Chef Veronique is French, and her café provides authentic French food during the day. However, she has agreed to make her café available for our club dinner and she and her restaurant will certainly be celebrating France’s National Day with style.
This could be the perfect opportunity to bring out a French wine or two from your cellar that you’ve been saving for just such an occasion. And in keeping with the French theme, feel free to dress with a little je ne sais quoi red, white and blue anyone – or perhaps just some French flair!
So, watch your Inbox and be prepared to act quickly.
Anne Megget & Wayne Kennedy with 27 bags of wine bottle screwcaps for Kidney Kids
The following appeared in the Independent Herald for the last week of April.
Members of a local wine club have been collecting screw caps off wine bottles for the last year and have amassed 27 bags full.
As each bag holds approximately 1300 caps – this is a lot of wine! (Remember 2020 was not a normal year), and that is a lot of metal not going into the landfill.
Vice President Anne Megget collects the caps from members, friends and neighbours, and when her cellar is overflowing with bags Treasurer Wayne Kennedy comes around with his trailer and takes them to Wellington Scrap Metal for recycling and this year they raised $215.40.
The Cellar Club is a Wellington-based social group that focuses on learning about and appreciating wine. It has been in existence for 40 years and provides wine education and experience through monthly presentations at the Community Centre Hall in Johnsonville.
Contact can be made through the website or to Anne.
Postscript
Wayne recently provided a plastic bread bag fill with wine tops and neck labels. The latter is also aluminium and equally collectable. Being retired he decided to check out just how many bottles had been consumed. The bag weighed 556 grams and contained 167 tops and 107 neck labels. The problem was Lynne was nearby and not being a wine drinker, she asked ‘what was the likely value of the wine consumed?’, to which he replied, ‘Using an $18 average bottle cost, about $3000! But it was more than a year’s worth!’ he pleaded. Lynne just smiled and, as she walked away, said there was a lot more wool coming.
But having done this weighing, and looking at the money raised above, he thinks the club collected close to 50,000 tops and even if we were to use a cost of $15 per bottle consumed, that’s $750,000 of wine drunk by the club, friends and neighbours.
One final point
Those neck labels on wine bottles will aluminium tops are 1.3 times heavier than the tops, so are well worth collecting. Just be very careful and work away from yourself as you attempt to remove one from the bottle.
