Want to try something new, and not already a member? Come on your own, grab a friend, workmate or partner and join us for our next tasting. Take a look and see who's presenting. Scroll down to view the website.
Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family-owned, producing internationally recognised wines exclusively from its Hawkes Bay vineyards. The Chambers family, the original owners, sold the property in 1919.
TMV Te Mata Vineyards was established, and the property had two other owners until it was acquired by the Buck and Morris Families in 1974 – the two families behind the modern interpretation of this historic NZ estate.
Te Mata Estate is committed to improving its performance in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability through the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) programme, established in 1995 as an industry-initiated programme directed by NZ Winegrowers. Te Mata Estate’s vineyards were amongst the first to be accredited in 1995, as was the winery in 2005.
This evening was going to be presented by Te Mata vineyard but is now being covered by Eurovintage with Keith Tibble and Brett Newell hosting the evening for us.
Indictive wines for the evening, still being worked on at the time this newsletter went out:
Starting with Estate Range Sauvignon Blanc
Premium Sauvignon Blanc
Two premium reds – Awatea and Bullnose ranges
Estate Range – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
The above selection is indicative only as it will depend on the availability of stock at this time.
This will be both a surprising and informative evening with great wines to taste across Te Mata’s different wine ranges and looks to be an experience that you wouldn’t normally get anywhere else.
The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is an Ontario government enterprise and one of the world’s largest buyers and retailers of beverage alcohol. Through more than 660 retail stores, catalogues, e-commerce, special order services, close to 400 LCBO Convenience Outlets, which provide cost-effective, convenient and socially responsible access for rural consumers, and as a wholesaler to almost 450 Grocery stores, the LCBO offers more than 28,000 products annually, from more than 80 countries to consumers and licensed establishments.
Wines described in the series may not be available in New Zealand. Try to think about an alternative you may drink instead.
The LCBO has a responsibility to the buying public to help ensure the products they sell are safe to drink and authentic.
This series is an exciting part of exploring the world of wine that despite some tried-and-truisms, it’s always evolving and changing. Here are some fresh ideas to shake up your sipping this year.
It’s easy to be intimidated by traditional wine rituals and rules instead of following your own intuition and palate to discover what you really enjoy.
Fortunately, today almost anything goes, including many old myths, which are being busted by the modern wine industry. For instance, are you convinced that cork is better than cap? Unless you’re cellaring wine for years, screw-tops and pop-off caps now preserve the product of many coveted wines, including countless Ontario VQAs.
Still, pairing only red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat? Sommeliers aren’t; most will now happily recommend white Burgundy or creamy Chardonnay with steak, or a Pinot Noir with poultry (or rosé with everything).
If you’re drinking red wines at room temperature, the current consensus is that many of them are better served cool. Try putting your reds in the fridge for 30 minutes and, correspondingly, taking your whites out half an hour before serving to take off the big chill. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy wine, but here are 10 new ideas to help you discover what’s new, exciting and worth trying.
1. Rethinking ABV
Popular “fruit-bomb” big red wines can be as high as 15% alcohol by volume (ABV). A new crop of complex, flavourful reds with slightly less alcohol is emerging, among them South American wines like Trivento Fair Trade Malbec, with tons of black fruit and a touch of spice, at just 12.5%. Jackson-Triggs Merlot has full-bodied fruit and rings in at 12%. Though many white wines (including the cool-climate whites Ontario is known for) are naturally a touch lighter in alcohol, look for off-dry German Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs such as 11.5% Remy Pannier Sauvignon Blanc IGP Val de Loire, calorie-reduced whites like Skinnygrape Chardonnay with just 7.5% ABV, or Italian bubblies such as Moscatos (typically under 10%) or 6.5% Viticolitori Acquesi Brachetto D’Acqui Sparkling.
2. Bring on the funk
Savvy wine drinkers know that “noble rot” (describing the botrytis fungus that can destroy crops or produce coveted dessert wines) or “barnyard” (animal or vegetal wine aromas, courtesy of the Brettanomyces yeast that can be a virtue or a fault) can actually be desirable qualities. Likewise, unfiltered or slightly oxidized wines — once worthy of being returned — today might be just what the winemaker intended. Though so-called low-intervention or natural wines can be wildly unpredictable from year to year or batch to batch, these authentic and rustic-tasting wines are growing in popularity. Experiment with reliably consistent Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon and Bonterra Chardonnay from their organic California winery. The Mendocino County vineyard eschews pesticides for natural solutions, from using birds and sheep to control weeds and insects to planting diverse cover crops like crimson clover and lavender to attract bees and nourish the soil. Can you taste any traces of that care in the bottle?
3. The return of sweet
Once upon a time, sweet wine was taboo; today, sweetness can be a treasured quality in wines that have acidity, tannins or other balancing qualities. The ticket to finding them on LCBO.com or shelf labels: look for “MS” (medium-sweet) or “M” (medium) wines and a style descriptor that includes “fruity.” Try trendy wine from the ancient region of Georgia: United Stars Alazanis Valley Off-Dry from the Kakheti region is a red made with acidic Saperavi grapes. Tropical-smelling, just-tart-enough Ironstone Obsession Symphony California makes a mouth-watering break from minerally and dry whites.
4. Sustainability
From fewer chemicals and less water-intensive growing to environment-friendly packaging (the LCBO’s lighter-glass “Canada bottle” is a global game-changer), wine is going smaller-footprint. Get on board with Organic Chardonnay from carbon-neutral delivery Cono Sur or Ciao Sangiovese Organic in a light, recyclable Tetra Pak. Ontario’s Tawse and Southbrook make naturally grown organic and biodynamic wines — and, like most Ontario VQA wineries, are committed to the Sustainable Winemaking Ontario program.
5. Rosé with everything
It’s not just for summer sipping anymore. Rosé’s wide range of drier styles has been discovered by wine lovers, and its versatility with every course is beloved by diners. Since colour or even the country of origin doesn’t always dictate the taste, read the label for clues about grape varietal. Grenache/Garnacha rosé will be off-dry, and great with big Mexican, Indian or Thai flavours. Pinot Noir grapes give an elegant acidic balance to dry rosés that complement many poultry and fish dishes. Sangiovese or Syrah rosés have spice that bounces well off fatty and creamy dishes, from meats to pasta. Many rosés are blends of a few grapes — experiment to find your favourites.
6. Reading the label
The pretty front label has everything you need to know — and now there’s often a wealth of new information on the back, too.
A Ageing and barrel maturation information.
B Serving and food-pairing suggestions.
C Indication of the region or terroir where the wine was made.
D Notes on the winery’s philosophy or practices.
E Importer or distributor, which might share your taste in other wines.
F Detailed information about the grape varietals.
G Contact information, from an e-mail or URL to a QR code
7. A cheat sheet
Sometimes you need to parse the shelves or a wine list with a quick but savvy eye. Voilà! A shortcut guide to trendy regions and wine styles, and fresh rules of thumb for tasting without fear.
Colour and country:
When in doubt choose whites (like Albariño) from Spain, rosés from France and reds from the U.S. (California for bolder varietals and blends, Oregon for Pinot Noir)—a highly simplified matrix that rarely disappoints.
Stellar whites:
Namecheck white wines from Portugal’s Douro region and look out for Aligoté, a staple grape in white Burgundy blends now in the varietal spotlight.
German and Austrian cool:
We all know German Riesling and Austrian Grüner Veltliner are a food pairer’s friends: watch for Austrian Riesling as the next big thing.
Egg is the new oak:
The use of big, egg-shaped concrete ageing-vats rivals barrels and stainless tanks — labels and websites often “eggs-claim” it.
Regional shortcut:
The Loire Valley in central France is a current wine world darling for whites like Chenin Blanc and light reds and rosés featuring Gamay.
Catchphrase:
Vin de soif is a French (and sommelier) catchphrase for a light, quaffable wine that’s great with or without food.
8. High-tech wine
Winemakers use drones and tablet-controlled wind machines and watering in the vineyard: time to plug into wine-tech at home. Apps like Vivino and Wine Ring expand your cellar memory, The Sonic Decanter and Ullo reportedly pour better-tasting wine and the Coravin revolutionizes single glass pours without oxidation.
9. Everyday bubbly
The time-and-labour intensive traditional method for bottle-ageing Champagne justifies its price. Winemakers’ new embrace of the Charmat tank-ageing method (long used for Prosecco) means Moderately priced bubbly can now help you toast a small work victory or Taco Tuesday. From Ontario, try Lily Sparkling Wine VQA from Colio Wine or Pelee Island Secco VQA.
10. Wine in cocktails
Aromatized (vermouth) and fortified (like sherry) wines have long been essential ingredients in sophisticated drinks. Wine is now a full-fledged star of the cocktail bar, in sangria or Champagne cocktails, spritzes or Whisky Sours with a Red-Wine Float.
Roy Kellahan grew up in Johnsonville in Wellington, in an era when it was affectionately known as Cow Town.
Roy Kellahan, a well-known equestrian enthusiast and entrepreneur, at his Johnsonville riding school.
In the 1940s and 50s, stock drovers moved sheep and cattle along the main road to the stockyards, many of the youth had horses as their mode of transport, and the main social entertainment was seeing a movie at the Empress Theatre on a Saturday afternoon.
Kellahan was born with a passion for horses, and all things Western and Spanish.
At age 10, he surprised his parents by buying his first horse – a lame old mare from the Johnsonville pound, called Betsy.
He would later admit he had not considered how he would look after Betsy.
“In my frantic haste to buy a horse, I didn’t give a paddock a second thought. That would come after I got the horse. During that night, the Kellahan household didn’t get much sleep. The mare was tied to the base of dad’s bean trellis on a long rope, where she could graze on the back lawn.
Roy Kellahan was well known in Johnsonville.
“She somehow managed to pull the trellis down and walk over the still-wet concrete foundations of a new tool shed dad was building and eat a large quantity of carrot tops from his veggie garden. An article appeared a day or so later in the local paper which read ‘Boy brings home unexpected guest for dinner.”
At 16, Kellahan started his first riding school from his parents’ house in Bannister Ave, and the direction of his future was established. From small beginnings, he developed what was to become a successful trekking and riding school based in Ohariu Valley.
The equestrian enthusiast and entrepreneur died in February, aged 81, after a long illness.
His commitment to the horse world meant over the years he brought into the area more than 2000 horses – mostly good strong station hacks from Gisborne, providing quality horse trekking including his famous Moonlight Treks.
Kellahan in the Festival of Wellington, at the Basin Reserve in 1961
Kellahan built and ran Wellington’s first indoor riding school in Ohariu Valley, alongside a fully stocked equestrian saddlery shop and licensed cafe, and manufacturing equestrian horse care products.
He generously let Riding for the Disabled use the indoor facility free of charge, for many years.
Ohariu Valley is now home to many people with horses, embracing the lifestyle he helped establish.
With the help of four friends, Kellahan built the recreational Spanish-themed Country Club.
A facility considered 20 years ahead of its time, it was frequented by Wellington families at the weekend and international corporates during the week.
Roy Kellahan, Rodney Scanlan and Beni Paroli, with a restored buggy in 1959
The club featured two restaurants, tennis courts, a swimming pool, boardroom, billiard room, squash court, sauna, wine cellar and, of course, horse trekking and operated, successfully, for over a decade.
The sale of alcohol was problematic and they began a lengthy battle with bureaucracy. After an eight-year campaign, eventually, the law changed, enabling private clubs to legally serve liquor.
Over the years Kellahan had many friends with whom he shared his love of European history, art, architecture, music, food, wine and culture.
He attributed his passion to his parents giving him a recording of Bolero to play on the gramophone when he was just 10 years old.
Childhood friend Rodney Scanlan said Kellahan was a character.
Marguerite Smith and Roy Kellahan ran a soap business in Porirua.
“By the time Roy was walking he was into mischief – never one to sit still. There were always adventures to be had and that never changed.
“His achievements are the result of hard work, the ability to take risks and being willing to face any challenge thrown at him. Rarely has anyone packed so much into their life.”
He was regarded as a gentleman with a highly developed sense of fun and a strong dislike for injustice, bureaucrats and gorse – a good Kiwi with a mix of culture and a bit of mad cowboy thrown in.
In 2020, he married his partner of 40 years, Marguerite Smith, in unusual circumstances.
As a young girl Smith had been told by her grandmother she would have a long life and a short marriage. Engaged in 2010, she was afraid to take the next step due to a fear that the prophecy would come true.
Roy and Marguerite Kellahan married after a 10-year engagement in 2016. Roy was in the Mary Potter Hospice and was only expected to live a few more days.
In 2016, Kellahan was diagnosed with a rare aggressive form of lymphoma. He was only given days to live and they were married in a ceremony, at the Mary Potter Hospice, in June 2020.
As well as the wedding, the couple had another cause to celebrate – after 10 years they published his autobiography, A Long Ride from Johnsonville.
Marriage proved a good tonic for Kellahan, who rallied and, against all odds, lived another 20 months.
He is survived by Marguerite, his four children and four grandchildren.
By Marguerite Kellahan, with additional reporting from Nicholas Boyack.
If pouring a glass of wine seems like hard work – then you need to buy one of these amazing wine chairs.
Matt Thompson from Detroit loves to put his woodworking skills to good use. In 2017, the Michigan man built a lawn chair that delivers beers via a chute.
Then in 2018, Thompson Woodworks did it again, this time with a lawn chair that pours glasses of wine with the pull of a lever.
Being able to chill a glass of wine quickly is the wine equivalent of building a better mousetrap. My partner doesn’t understand why this is important – thinking, ‘what kind of person is so desperate for a glass of wine they can’t wait 60 minutes!’ Answer – EVERYONE!
My usual go-to method has been whacking a bottle of wine in the freezer. Yes, this can be relatively quick, but it’s not as quick as our new method. Plus, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve frozen the forgotten wine because I was side-tracked by the gin and tonic I had while waiting!
Wait no more – because The Wine Wankers have invented the Tea Bag Method! [Yes, there is a serious wine group called this – go, Ed]
But before we explain, let’s look at man’s previous attempts to chill wine quickly
Frozen Grape Method toss frozen grapes into your glass of wine to cool it down (Con – the grapes can add an unwanted flavour once they defrost in your wine)
Ziploc Bag method placing half your bottle of wine into a zip-lock bag and submerged this into an ice bath for six minutes (Pro: brilliantly quick. Con: too much fussing around with ingredients and props)
Ice + Salt + Water in Bucket Method submerge it in a bucket of salted ice water (Con – no one has that much ice in their freezer, plus it still takes 10 minutes)
The Wet Towel and Freeze Method wrapping the bottle in a wet dish towel and popping it in the freezer – of course, you’ll have to detach the tea towel from the bottle!. (Con – the wet towel acts as an insulation device, so it takes longer than simply whacking it in the freezer)
Add Ice Cubes To Your Wine Method (Con – waters down your wine – and no one wants that)
Introducing The Wine Wankers Tea Bag Method
Step 1 – fill your wine glass half full of ice so you only use the right amount of cubes Step 2 – pour the ice cubes into a small plastic bag Step 3 – fill your wine glass to the very top with room temperature wine Step 4 – leave it for 3 minutes – giving it the occasional tea bag dunk to mix the wine Step 5 – remove the bag, clean it and re-use it for another time (I hate single-use plastic – and so should you!) Step 6 – your wine will now be chilled to perfection. Cheers!
Drink up NZ’s rich history with a trip to one of our venerable vineyards, writes Jo Burzynska.
Sauvignon Blanc has the wow factor in Marlborough. Photo / MarlboroughNZ
On September 25, 1819, the Anglican missionary Reverend Samuel Marsden recorded planting the first grapevines in New Zealand in the grounds of the Stone Store, Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. Sadly these never produced wine, allegedly being gobbled by local goats. Nevertheless, the promise that Marsden perceived for wine in Aotearoa has now been amply proven, and can be experienced alongside its history at vinous milestones that span the length of the country.
Bay of Islands – Vine Zero
Marsden Estate in Wiroa Road, Kerikeri. Photo / Supplied
Greater wine-growing success was achieved with the arrival of British wine enthusiast, James Busby to the Bay of Islands. He made New Zealand’s earliest recorded wine from vines planted in his grounds at Waitangi in 1833, described by French explorer Dumont d’Urville as “delicious”. While the wine industry followed more suitable climes and moved south, good wines still hail from this historic region. Head to Marsden Estate in Kerikeri, established 176 years after its namesake planted his vines. Select six wines to try at its cellar door, or grab a glass to savour in its subtropical – and goat-free – vineyard gardens or at its restaurant.
Gisborne – Organic Trailblazer
Millton, New Zealand’s first biodynamic vineyard. Photo / Supplied
Long before the New Zealand wine industry promoted its wines as the riches of a clean green land, James and Annie Millton were walking the talk. The couple established the country’s first organic and biodynamic wine estate in 1984 with the planting of their first vineyard near Manutuke where earlier settlers had planted grapevines in 1871. They now combine classic wines like their chardonnay with edgier examples in the skin-fermented whites of the Libiamo range influenced by the younger generation of Milltons. Sample these at their cellar door, set in beautifully landscaped grounds complete with olive grove.
Hawke’s Bay – Oldest Winery
Mission Estate Winery in Hawke’s Bay. Photo / Mission Estate
Christian orders helped spread the vine as well as their religion around the world, and it was Marist missionaries that transplanted vines from Bay of Islands to Hawke’s Bay, and in 1851 built the country’s oldest winery, Mission Estate. Its cellar door, housed in an imposing former seminary building, offers seated tastings that include insights into its history. Visitors can then wander through its underground cellar and extensive gardens that look out to sea, with an option to dine in its recently refurbished restaurant.
Wairarapa – Pinot’s First Place
Guests enjoying the sun at Ata Rangi vinyards, Martinborough. Photo / Pete Monk
New Zealand’s potential for Pinot Noir can be traced back to Wairarapa, where in the early 1880s Frenchwoman Marie Zelie Beetham and her husband William, planted the country’s first pinot vineyard near Masterton. Temperance put paid to that endeavour, but pinot noir grows once again at one of their vineyard sites, now Lansdowne Estate. Martinborough pioneers, such as Ata Rangi’s Clive Paton, then founded the modern pinot industry in 1980s. Ata Rangi continues to produce some of the country’s finest examples, which can be explored, along with its history, through intimate tastings held in their charming old winery cellar door.
Nelson – South Island Pioneers
The Neudorf Winery, Nelson. Photo / Supplied
In the early days of New Zealand wine, most vineyards were planted in the North Island as it was considered grapes couldn’t ripen further south. However, in the 1970s some brave souls started to plant vines on the mainland, including Tim and Judy Finn who founded Neudorf in Nelson when nobody knew what varieties might thrive there. Now they make some of the country’s top chardonnay and pinot noir.
These can be enjoyed at their cute cellar door overlooking their first Home Block vineyard, where picnic fare can also be selected from the “baby deli”.
Marlborough – Sauvignon Country Roots
Sauvignon Blanc has the wow factor in Marlborough. Photo / MarlboroughNZ
Our flagship Marlborough sauvignon blanc is a fairly new phenomenon. Planted there in 1973, on what is now Brancott Estate Vineyard, it went on to wow the world when Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc won the UK’s prestigious Sunday Times Vintage Festival in 1986. Hunter’s still excels at sauvignon, as well as sparkling wines, which are shared in its farmhouse tasting room set in tranquil native gardens. The next generation continues to innovate, with the experimental Offshoot range that includes a naturally sparkling sauvignon “pet-nat”. Marlborough’s earliest history can be encountered at Auntsfield Estate, the site of the region’s first commercial vineyard and winery founded by David Herd in the 1870s. Take in the historic sites, such as the restored 1873 rammed earth cellar, on a vineyard tour and taste the impressive wines made by the Cowley family who re-established vines on the property.
Canterbury – Humble Beginnings
Take a trip around New Zealand’s oldest vineyards and wineries. Photo / Graeme Murray
An important chapter of Canterbury’s contemporary wine history started three decades ago in a Christchurch garage. This belonged to neurologist Ivan Donaldson, whose winemaking hobby resulted in Pegasus Bay, which went on to become a flagship winery of the region. Knowledgeable staff at its Waipara cellar door can talk you through its exciting range of wines. These can also be partaken of in the winery’s fabulous gardens or inside by the fire as part of a picnic of local fare from the mini deli it launches in December.
Central Otago – Natural Succession
Looking down over its sloping vineyards to Lake Wanaka, the views from Rippon vineyard are iconic. Photo / David Wall
It’s rare for a family to spend over a century cultivating their land, never mind close to 40 years in the wine-growing industry in New Zealand – and even rarer in Central Otago, where the wine industry only took off in recent decades. However, Rippon has long and strong ties to their special land, now managed biodynamically by second-generation winegrower Nick Mills. The views from Rippon Hall, where its cellar door is situated, are iconic, looking down over its sloping vineyards to Lake Wānaka and the mountains. Rippon’s site-expressive wines are equally spectacular.
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.
Craggy Range’s vineyard at the base of Te Mata-o-Rongokako has been deemed the “most Instagramable vineyard in the world”.
In a recent survey by money.co.uk, the Hawke’s Bay vineyard that sits between Te Mata Peak and the Tukituki River beat American vineyards Robert Mondavi Winery and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars to the title.
Craggy Range reigned supreme with 13,319 hashtag mentions, Robert Mondavi came in second with 12,189 hashtags and Stag’s Leap took third place with 11,852 hashtags.
The survey looks at “The World of Wine”, from its consumption, to various wine trends and grape-related facts.
Craggy Range Vineyards took out the picturesque category, which analyzed the top 50 vineyards in the world according to the popularity of their trending Instagram hashtag.
David Peabody, the marketing manager for Craggy Range Vineyards said: “We are blessed with a lot of natural beauty in Hawke’s Bay, and I think our site is very reflective of that.”
“Attention to detail is at the core of everything we do, which resonates across the property. As the quality and reputation of our wines has grown, so too has the level of interest in visiting either our restaurant or our cellar door – it is a very immersive experience,” he said.
The trending hashtag #craggyrange encompasses a range of photos, from panoramic vistas to posing pooches and glamorous bridal moments.
“What is fantastic to see is that there are many different themes, generally focused on wine, our hospitality, or of course, the sheer natural beauty of the site,” Peabody said.
The main types of wine include red, white, rosé, sparkling, and fortified and dessert wines.
Exploring new wines can help expand your palette and knowledge of drinks to pair with different dishes.
Grapes from all over the world give wines a range of flavours from fruity to oaky to dry.
Wine types vary and each style has a distinct taste that suits different people’s preferences. d3sign/Getty Images
Humans have produced and enjoyed wine for over 8000 years, so it stands to reason that this grape-based beverage would be easy and stress-free to enjoy, right?
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Wine education covers a great deal of information, from grape types to geographic regions to flavour profiles. While some drinkers love to geek out to the nuances and details of this subject, others can feel a bit overwhelmed when they walk into a wine shop.
While there’s no limit to the amount of information that you can learn, a few basic guidelines will help direct your shopping experience and allow you to get your hands on a bottle that suits your tastes and preferences.
As vast as the world of wine is, most wines can be classified into five main categories: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and fortified and dessert wines. Below, you’ll find a rundown of these categories, with a breakdown of 28 popular variety types.
To offer some expert insight, we’ve enlisted sommelier and wine educator Caroline Conner who teaches online courses to wine lovers seeking to enhance their knowledge and broaden their wine-related horizons.
Why is it important to know about different types of wine?
“The best way to learn about wine is to approach it like learning a language,” says Conner. “You can DIY it, but without lots of real-life practice, it’s hard to get anywhere.” Knowing what you’re tasting and why can help you along your wine journey in a number of ways:
Developing your palate: You may have heard the term “palate” tossed around by wine drinkers in the past, but it really just refers to a sense of taste, which can be developed by simply tasting. The more flavours you experience, the more sophisticated your palate will become because you’ll understand how taste elements differ from each other and how they work together to create unforgettable flavours.
Discovering food and wine pairings: Wine and food are a natural match for each other, and when you figure out which wines taste best with which dishes (according to your own palate), then you can take your meals to the next level.
Gaining a global perspective on wine: As corny as it sounds, you really can “travel the world” by tasting wines from different countries, continents, and regions. Learning about the climate and soil conditions of a particular country can help you understand how the wines from that nation develop their flavours. Paying attention to common wine and food pairings from that country will clue you in on how best to enjoy the bottles you purchase.
How to talk about wine
Because flavours are so subjective, it’s easy to dismiss wine-tasting terms as pretentious and less-than-useful. However, understanding a few basic phrases can give you all the vocabulary you need to describe the wines you enjoy (and the ones that you don’t). To get you started, here are a few commonly-used wine words:
Dry: “Dry” essentially translates to “not sweet”. Dry wines don’t contain residual sugar from the fermentation process (or, if they do, it’s in a very low quantity).
Off-dry: An off-dry wine features a small amount of residual sugar, which gives it a gentle sweetness. The French term for off-dry, “demi-sec,” is also frequently used in wine tastings and on bottle labels.
Sweet: A sweet wine — also known as a dessert wine — contains significant amounts of residual sugar and has a pronounced sweetness in its flavour.
Oaky: Many red wines and certain white wines undergo a process of ageing in oak barrels, and said barrels impart a woodsy, toasty flavour to the wine. The more time the wine spends in the oak barrels, the stronger the “oaky” flavour will become.
Full-bodied: This is a term generally used to describe red wines, and it refers to both the flavour of the wine and to its texture. A full-bodied wine boasts rich, complex flavours, a robust texture that coats your mouth and tongue, and (in most cases) a higher alcohol content than a light-bodied or medium-bodied wine.
Tannins/Tannic: Tannins are natural compounds found in wine grapes (particularly in the skins of said grapes). These compounds affect the texture of the wine in the mouth; the drying sensation that you may experience when drinking a glass of red wine comes from tannins. Tannins exist in both white and red wines, but because red wines are produced and aged with the grape skins still in contact, the tannic structure of red wines tends to be more prominent.
Grape: The vast majority of wines produced worldwide use grapes as their core ingredient. Wine grapes differ from “table grapes” designed for eating; they’re typically smaller, juicier, and more acidic. Most wine grapes are of the Vitis vinifera species, a style of grape specifically cultivated for wine production.
Style: Some wines are named after the style of grape used to make them; “Chardonnay”, “Cabernet Sauvignon”, and “Pinot Noir” are all examples of grapes that often lend their names to their wines. However, some wines take their names from the regions where they’re produced. French wines are especially notable for this pattern: “Champagne”, “Bordeaux”, and “Burgundy” all fit into the “wines named after regions” theme.
Now that you know how to talk about it, let’s get into the wines themselves. Below are many of the most popular wine styles you’ll find in stores and at restaurants, along with a few underrated gems.
Red Wines
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon is a very popular red wine, while a merlot offers a softer taste. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
Merlot is a red grape that’s grown throughout Europe, South America, Africa, Australia, and the United States. According to Conner, “some of the greatest wines in the world” are Merlots. “It’s plummy and juicy, and a bit softer than Cabernet [Sauvignon], which it is often blended with,” she says. It tastes delicious alongside charcuterie boards, roasted vegetables, and even cheeseburgers.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon can grow in a wide variety of regions and is, therefore, an easy bottle to scoop up at any wine shop. As for flavour, Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied and dry. “Cabernet Sauvignon is ‘bigger’ than Merlot, and it has lots of tannins, which are those chewy, drying particles in reds,” says Conner. “It’s wildly popular and you can find stunning examples all over the world.”
Pinot Noir
“Pinot Noir is widely loved because it’s one of the rare lighter reds, but has tons of flavour and complexity,” says Conner. “It’s most famously from Burgundy, but there’s great Pinot all over the place, like in Oregon, New Zealand, and even Germany.” But she does warn that these wines can be fairly pricey: “Pinot is picky and fickle, it’s prone to disease and only thrives in certain climates. You have to be a good winemaker to make the best of it, in any conditions! That’s why it’s so prized, because when it’s good, it’s good, and the winemaker took these grapes from the right place, treated them right, and made them sing.”
Syrah/Shiraz
Wines made with this red grape can claim two names, depending on where the grapes are grown and where the wines are produced. In the Rhȏne Valley region of France, these wines are called Syrah, but in Australia, they’re known as Shiraz. In both cases, you’ll find a rich, deeply-hued red wine with strong dark-berry notes and high tannins.
Zinfandel
Like Syrah/Shiraz, the Zinfandel grape produces “big” red wines with lots of stage presence. Notes of dark fruit, tobacco, and leather are common when tasting Zinfandels. It’s a popular grape in California vineyards (and most Zinfandel is indeed grown in the Golden State), but you can also find it in Italy, South Africa, and New Zealand.
Gamay
The Gamay grape is perhaps best known as the primary grape used to make Beaujolais. Made in France, Beaujolais wines are beloved for their light texture, high acidity, low tannins, and bright fruit flavours. Every November, the first release of Beaujolais bottles (known as “Beaujolais Nouveau”) makes a huge splash in the wine market both in the U.S. and abroad.
Sangiovese
If you’ve ever enjoyed a glass of Chianti at an Italian restaurant, then you’ve experienced the Sangiovese grape. This purple-red grape produces many styles of wine made throughout Italy, all notable for their medium body, high tannins, red fruit flavours, and hints of spice. If you need a wine to pour at a red-sauce dinner, then Sangiovese will do you right.
White Wines
Chardonnay
Some well-known white wines include Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Albariño. Mykhailo Lukashuk/Getty Images
“Chardonnay is a true winemaker’s grape; it can really do it all,” says Conner. “A lot of people think they don’t like it because all they’ve tried is their mom’s oak-bomb, buttered-popcorn ’90s Chardonnay. This style still exists, but it’s not very trendy anymore, so it’s easy to find Chards with less oak, more fruit, and more balance. Try Chablis from France if you want to taste a spectacular unoaked Chardonnay.”
Sauvignon Blanc
This white grape famously makes lightweight wines with clean acidity and pronounced fruitiness. “Sauvignon Blanc is all about that fruit,” says Conner. “It has two main styles: the super-intense version with passion fruit aromas coming out of New Zealand, and the more restrained, grassy French style from Sancerre. There are great Sauvignon Blancs from Chile and the USA too.”
Riesling
White grapes are typically easier to grow in cooler climates than red grapes, and Riesling, which originally hails from Germany, serves as a prime example. Riesling wine is highly versatile; it can be sweet, dry, still, sparkling, and anything in between. Its fruity, floral flavours tend to pair well with white meat, fish, and anything spicy.
Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris
Known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and Pinot Gris in France, this white grape makes a highly approachable and popular wine with citrus notes, zingy acidity, and a pleasant undercurrent of minerality. Alongside a platter of fresh seafood or a cheese plate, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris truly shines.
Gewürztraminer
The Gewürztraminer grape is native to Germany, and wines made with it tend to feature fruit flavours like apricot and pear, along with herbaceous notes. In the US, Gewürztraminer proves especially popular at Thanksgiving, thanks to the fact that the wine’s gentle fruit and herbal aromas pair perfectly with turkey, stuffing, and all of the fixings.
Chenin Blanc
Commonly grown in the Loire Valley of France and in South Africa, the Chenin Blanc grape translates to a white wine that’s light-bodied, appealingly tart, and easy to pair with a variety of dishes. Try it with soft cow’s milk cheeses like brie or with grilled or roasted veggies.
Albariño
If you’re a fan of Sauvignon Blanc but want a white wine with even more fruit presence, then Albariño, a wine style native to Spain, could be perfect for you. Albariño is a medium-bodied white, which means it works very well as a food wine. Pair it with shellfish, white meat, or an entrée salad.
Rosé
Rosé wine is made by removing skins from red grapes. Dulin/Getty Images
Contrary to popular belief, most rosé wines aren’t made by combining white grape juice with red grape juice. Instead, they’re made by removing the skins from red grapes after a brief period of time, resulting in a wine that’s light, refreshing, and a pretty shade of pink.
Provençal Rosé
Some rosés are made with only one type of red grape, but many — like the mega-popular, super-refreshing pale-pink rosés that come from Provençe, France — come from a blend of grapes. Conner urges us to embrace blended wines like Provençal rosés: “I think that blends are underrated,” she says. “Many of the famous European wines are blends, and all the better for it! Blending is part of the art of winemaking, and especially with climate change disrupting vineyards, it will continue to be important in order to achieve balanced wines.”
Zinfandel Rosé
Zinfandel rosés got a bad rap for many years due to the perception of “White Zinfandel” as overly sweet and not especially nuanced. However, you can now find plenty of quality Zinfandel rosés on the market, and many feature a delicate sweetness that makes them a great partner for BBQ dishes or grilled salmon.
Grenache Rosé
Grenache is one of the grapes most commonly used in the Provençal rosé blend, but you can also find rosés made solely from this red grape. Grenache rosés burst with summery fruit flavours like strawberry and watermelon, and they’re delicious with Caprese salads, grilled eggplant, and Mediterranean fare.
Sangiovese Rosé
Italian “Rosato” wine often comes from the Sangiovese grape, which gives this varietal a darker hue than some competitors and makes it a robust and spicy wine with plenty of red fruit flavour. There’s no better partner for Sangiovese rosé than pizza (especially grilled pizza).
Tempranillo Rosé
Spanish Tempranillo (also grown in the US and South America) has an almost savoury quality to it, which gives this medium-bodied rosé an advantage where food friendliness is concerned. Enjoy it with anything from grilled meats to tacos to seafood to Spanish classics.
Sparkling Wines
Champagne
Champagne isn’t the only type of sparkling wine — there’s also Crémant, prosecco, cava, and Lambrusco. Yulia Naumenko/Getty Images
Some drinkers use “Champagne” as a catch-all term for “sparkling wine,” but the only wines that can truly claim the Champagne name must be produced in the Champagne region of France from grapes grown there. You can use white grapes to make a Champagne (called a “blanc des blancs”) or red grapes (a “blanc des noir”), but either way, you’ll end up with a phenomenal bottle packed with citrus notes, a bit of yeastiness, and a prominent fizz.
Crémant
Not all sparkling wines produced in France fall into the Champagne category. If a wine is made using the same techniques as Champagne but isn’t from the Champagne region, then it’s known as a Crémant. Crémants boast many of the same flavour characteristics as Champagne, but they can often be purchased at a far lower price, making them one of the best bargains in the wine world.
Prosecco
These once-obscure sparkling wines of Venice now claim a major share in the wine market, and these Italian sparklers are bright, crisp, fresh, and very reasonably priced. Drink with a cheese and charcuterie board for a great start to a fun evening.
Cava
Cava, the sparkling wine most closely associated with Spain, uses the same production process as Champagne, but it’s made with a different range of grapes. The result is a dry and lively wine with a pleasant minerality — an almost flinty taste that comes from the soil where the grapes are grown. In fact, this minerality makes Cava a smart pairing choice for creamy dishes and sauces, since the wine has enough fortitude to cut through those weightier ingredients.
Lambrusco
All of the sparklers listed above are whites — even the Champagnes that are made from red grapes. But you can also find sparkling reds, a great example of which is a Lambrusco. Lambrusco comes from Italy and is made from grapes of the same name. It can be either sweet or dry, but all versions have a relatively light body and a potent fizziness that makes it a whimsical choice for pizza or pasta night.
Fortified and dessert wines
Port
Fortified and dessert wines include Port, Sherry, Madeira, and Moscato. Westend61/Getty Images
One of the most popular sweet wines on the market, Port takes its name from its country of origin, Portugal. It’s a fortified wine, which means that it has a distilled spirit added to it, upping its alcohol content. Port comes in four different varieties: Ruby (a red Port), Tawny (a barrel-aged Port), White (a Port made with white grapes), and Rosé (a Port made the same way a typical rosé wine would be made). Bold cheeses, BBQ with a sweeter glaze, and, of course, desserts all pair beautifully with Port.
Sherry
Like Port, Sherry qualifies as a fortified wine. It comes from the Andalusia region of Spain, and while all Sherry undergoes some level of ageing, darker versions (like Oloroso Sherry and Amontillado Sherry) spend more time in the barrel than lighter versions (like Fino Sherry). Sherry can be drier than other fortified wines, which gives it more food flexibility. It works just as well with an appetizer spread as it does with dessert.
Madeira
Madeira, a fortified wine from a Portuguese island off the coast of Africa, bears many similarities to Port and Sherry. It often features nutty flavours and a hint of caramel, along with fruit notes like orange and peach.
Moscato
A sweet Italian wine made from the Muscat Blanc grape, Moscato can be either still, sparkling, or semi-sparkling (with a lighter level of effervescence). The most popular Moscato, known as Moscato d’Asti, falls into the latter category. Moscato’s pronounced but not overwhelming sweetness lets it pair nicely with spicy dishes, savoury cheeses, and fruit-based desserts.
Insider’s takeaway
At the end of the day, a “good wine” is any wine that you enjoy. Spending serious bucks on high-end bottles isn’t necessary for a great tasting experience, but a bit of know-how will help simplify your shopping and will increase your chances of ending up with a wine that’s exactly what you want to drink.
New Russian law orders French producers to label their champagne ‘sparkling wine’. Photo / Getty Images
Russian oligarchs are facing a shortage of champagne after French producers temporarily cut off supplies to the country over a new law that will force them to label their drinks as “sparkling wine”.
Last week, President Vladimir Putin signed off on legislation stating that only wine produced in Russia could be labelled as “champagne”, while foreign makers would have to rebrand their bubbly.
Neither the President nor Parliament explained why Russia needed such a law.
The “champagne” controlled designation of origin is governed by very strict rules in France, which state that the wine must originate from a small area in the Champagne region, be made with approved grape varieties and mature for a minimum of 15 months.
Moet Hennessy, which produces drinks such as Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot, told partners in Russia that it would have to halt distribution.
In a letter to local businesses, Moet Hennesy, part of the French luxury goods group LVMH, said stocks of its champagnes would therefore be at an “extremely low level”, exacerbated by a wider drop in imports over 2021.
Later, the company told Bloomberg that it would add a “sparkling wine” mention on the back label of their bottles, and resume deliveries once these changes were made.
Olga Sokolova, a sales director at Vinicom, which imports and distributes foreign wine in Russia, denounced the situation as absurd as she shared the letter from Moët Hennessy on social media.
“This seems like it’s fake, but it’s true,” she said. “From today, black is now white, and white is black.”
Others online were equally damning of the change in the law, with the exiled oligarch and Kremlin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky saying he thought “the whole champagne thing was a joke”.
Vineyards in the Champagne region of eastern France. Photo / AP
Sergei Mironov, a restaurant owner, quipped that Moscow’s next step would be to ban Scots from using the word “whisky”.
Other experts questioned whether Russia had the legal jurisdiction to force foreign products to rebrand.
Vadim Drobiz, director of the Centre for the Study of Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets, told the business newspaper RBK that about half of the 330 million litres of still and sparkling wine imported to Russia every year could be affected.
The new law came as Putin signed a decree stating that the “Westernisation” of Russian culture was one of the primary security threats to the country.
Moscow banned the import of Western cheeses, meats and other food products in 2014, as a response to European and US sanctions over the annexation of Crimea.
The ban motivated local producers to develop their own versions of European goods, such as “Russian parmesan”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree stating that the “Westernisation” of Russian culture is one of the primary security threats to the country. Photo / AP
In the 1920s the USSR created a cheaply produced “Soviet Champagne” as a way of bringing luxury goods to the masses.
In recent years, a growing number of wine-makers have launched in southern Russia.
French media has dubbed the import spat the “champagne war” or the “bubble war”.
Champagne producers have long been extremely protective over their brands. Last week, French wine producers won a legal battle to prevent an ice cream from being called “champagne-flavoured”, according to a German court, after a long battle against the supermarket giant Aldi.
Novelty stemware glass set includes four cute glasses that each feature one popular yellow smiling emoji.
As the UK summer approaches, the pink blush of rosé will become an increasingly prevalent sight in pubs, pavement cafes and on picnic blankets.
Rosé may have become hugely popular in recent years but in Italy, winemakers say that when it comes to social media, the eminently quaffable drop is woefully under-represented.
Winemakers say that when it comes to social media, rosé is woefully under-represented.
They are lobbying for a new emoji to put to an end the shameful “marginalisation” of rosé, pointing out that currently the symbols available on smartphones to denote wine are limited to a glass of red, two clinking Champagne flutes and a bottle of fizz; not a drop of the pink stuff in sight.
The Consortium for the Protection of Chiaretto di Bardolino, a popular rosé, has presented its case to the Unicode Consortium, the US-based non-profit organisation that oversees the process of choosing and creating emojis.
The Italians argue that the absence of a symbol representing a glass of rosé is discriminatory to their fragrant plonk.
“If you write to a friend about having a glass of wine on Whatsapp, Instagram or Facebook, you get representations of a glass of red, two flutes of Champagne or a bottle of spumante, but a rosé wine symbol is totally missing,” said Franco Cristoforetti, the president of the consortium.
“This is a legacy of the marginalisation that the world of rosé has suffered for decades and which it continues to have to deal with, notwithstanding the phenomenal global growth in sales of recent years.”
In the United States in particular there has been “astronomical” growth, he said, with 10 million bottles sold annually.
Rosé producers have teamed up with a graphic design agency in the northern city of Verona to come up with what they called the “pink wine” emoji – two glasses of rosé being chinked together in a toast.
They also plan to launch a petition in June, gathering signatures in support of the appeal.
Based in California’s Silicon Valley, the Unicode Consortium is the body that decides which new emojis should be adopted.
Individuals and companies can suggest new emojis to the organisation, where a panel of experts considers them.
“Anyone can propose an emoji character, but they have to make a solid case for it,” Mark Davis, the president and co-founder of the Unicode Consortium, told the Los Angeles Times.
“It’s more than just saying, ‘Well, I think there should be a drunken chipmunk emoji.’
“You have to give us some good reasons that would establish why it would be a successful and valuable addition.”
The consortium considers whether a proposal might “flesh out” an existing set of emojis, meaning that the addition of the rosé symbol to the canon of booze-related pictograms may be in with a chance.
