Tag: Hawkes Bay

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Babich Wines w/Antonia Romero, Aug ’23

Sustainably Crafted New Zealand Wine – 100 years in the making

Wednesday 9th August, 8 pm Start
Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18

People thought Josip Babich was crazy back in 1912. Planting vines in West Auckland and then patiently making wine the difficult way – with great vision, graft, thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and true craft. That pioneering spirit is something that still runs deep in our veins today, and we’ll keep ‘paying it forward’ for as long as we exist.

Over 20 years ago, we registered our first sustainable vineyard – a New Zealand first. But we’re not content to look back because what you’ve done is not who you are. We’re more excited about our future than ever and applying 100 years and three generations of winemaking experience to sustainably craft the most drinkable wines from New Zealand to the world.

Sustainability is always better when shared. Babich’s iconic NZ wine regions: Marlborough is home to some of the world’s finest Sauvignon Blanc. And a second home to Babich since we established vineyards there in 1989. Hawkes Bay is internationally renowned for its soil profile – perfect for supple, robust
and sophisticated reds.

Wines for the evening will be:

  • Family Estates Marlborough Organic Rose
  • Family Estates Organic Albarino
  • Family Estates Organic Chardonnay
  • Irongate Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay
  • Black Label Pinot Noir
  • Classics Hawkes Bay Syrah
  • Irongate 2017 Cabernet Merlot Franc

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Fat & Sassy goes to Marlborough

Sophie Preece, RuralNewsGroup | 12 April 2023

Fat & Sassy by Tony Bish
Fat & Sassy by Tony Bish

It’s a steaming 26.5C in Hawke’s Bay as a retired King’s Counsel handpicks Chardonnay grapes in the wake of a cyclone.

He’s one of a team of volunteers who heeded the call from winemaker and Chardonnay specialist Tony Bish, who’s lost 75% of his intended intake to the rain and floods this season. “We’ve written off about 150 tonnes out of a 200-tonne intake,” Tony says on 9 March, about to drive his trailer of freshly picked fruit back to the winery. “It’s been a hard season.”

But despite knowing he won’t meet export orders, which take up half his production, Tony is heartened by the response from his local community, with people of all ages joining the harvest, alongside a team of seasonal workers from Vanuatu.

Tony Bish, Winemaker
Tony Bish, Winemaker

The wine community has pitched in too, with Marlborough growers offering a lifeline for Tony’s Fat & Sassy consumer brand. On realising the extent of crop losses, Tony emailed his contacts in the region and revealed he was “desperate for Chardonnay”.

The response was good, both from those willing to part with their fruit, and others offering moral support. “It’s a case of Marlborough helping Hawke’s Bay,” he adds. “Basically the story will be Fat & Sassy goes to Marlborough. Thanks to our colleagues in Marlborough helping us through a cyclone, we’ll be able to keep continuity in the domestic market.”

In the meantime, he’s excited about the quality of fruit still hanging on the vine, to be picked at the end of March for his premium labels. “We are going to pick some really good fruit, so there’s a happy ending in sight. It’s going to deliver something delicious.”

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PhD Précis: Lucie Jiraska

Winegrower Staff Reporters | 13 April 2023

Lucie Jiraska. Photo Credit: Sarah Knight
Lucie Jiraska. Photo Credit: Sarah Knight

Lucie Jiraska clearly recalls her first taste of wine, unimpressed by her grandpa’s Cabernet Moravia.

Now she’s working with Auckland University’s Biological Sciences department studying the effect of management on soil biodiversity in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough vineyards.

What drew you to studying soil in New Zealand vineyards?

I was five when my grandpa, a hobby winemaker from the south of the Czech Republic, thought it was about time for me to have my first sip of wine. I vividly remember him being so proud of that batch. The cold of the cellar was seeping through my summer clothes, as he ceremonially withdraw the wine from one of the barrels and I was presented with a tiny glass containing less than a sip of dark ruby liquid. My grandma was strongly arguing against it, but my grandpa was adamant. I took a sip, my face twisted into a forced smile, and I thought, what is this adult madness and why is everyone pretending they like it? I did not want to hurt my grandpa’s feelings, so I pretended I liked the wine as well, but for a long time after, I kept wondering what the wine industry was all about.

It took me another 15 years, and moving to Prague for my bachelor’s and master’s degree in molecular biology and microbiology, to actually start understanding the science behind fermentation, microbes and soils. From there, it was just a small step, supported by a portion of luck, to join the Vineyard Ecosystems (VE) Programme. I was looking for a PhD project right when my current PhD supervisors Professor Matthew Goddard and Dr Sarah Knight were advertising a position. I did not really have to think twice, and I am very happy that I made this decision to join it.

What has your research involved?

My research mostly focuses on the impact of agricultural management on soil microbial communities in vineyards from the Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough regions. I specifically researched how soil microbial communities differ between vineyards using synthetic herbicides and those with alternative undervine management, like cultivation or mowing. I also focused on direct impacts of synthetic and organic fungicides on soil microbes and changes to their functions in response to the application of fungicides.

As a microbial ecologist, I get to go out in the field to collect samples. Samples for the VE Programme were mostly collected by our colleagues at Plant & Food Research in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, but for other aligned projects I was collecting samples of soil, bark, fruit and/or leaves. While I enjoy being outdoors and sampling, a large part of my work is in the laboratory doing either DNA or RNA extractions from samples or using molecular techniques to understand what microbial communities live in our samples. Or I’m in front of a computer bioinformatically processing and statistically analysing the data. This is what I think the most exciting part is, as this is the step where the data begins to make sense and we can start answering our research questions

Who has helped you in your work?

Besides my amazing supervisors, Mat Goddard and Sarah Knight, I would like to acknowledge Beatrix Jones, Victoria Raw, Innocenter Amima, Jed Lennox, Paulina Giraldo-Perez and Soon Lee. And obviously all the winegrowers that allowed us to collect soils and access their sites for so many years!

What are some of the findings in your thesis?

The soil communities between vineyards are highly variable, more than between management regimes. While we found a small but significant effect of management regime on soil microbial composition, we are still in the process of understanding if these small differences do affect their function in the vineyard. Each vineyard seems to be a microbiome soil island where the history of the site is reflected in the soil community.

And while some of the synthetic fungicides we tested directly in the lab had no impact on the soil microbial community composition, we were able to find an impact on microbial function in these soils. Especially those that had a history of repeated exposure to pesticides. These findings suggest that soils do in fact have an “ecological memory”, so what you put in your soils matters, as it may influence how your vineyard responds in the future. However, at this stage we still have a very limited understanding on how it mechanistically works, as soils are extremely complex systems to study. Maybe one day we will be able to design management plans suited for each vineyard, not just generalised guidelines to follow.

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Committee Musings May ’23

Resignations

While there are two resignations from the present Committee, six people are staying on. Club members have been approached for new positions, and numbers are now back to eight for the new committee.

Member support

It was great to have everyone help with the tables and chairs at the start of last month’s meeting and take the same down after the meeting. Also, take the table’s contents: spittoons/water jugs/cracker plates back to the kitchen. Could we please continue this new routine?

Arrival times

We can’t arrive to do the setting up activities any earlier than 7:30 pm as we interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule; the cleaners are in the hall until 7:30 pm.

Looking ahead

  • June – Askerne, Hawkes Bay
  • July – Club Dinner, details tbc
  • August – Babich, details tbc

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Challenging harvest off to good start

Julie Asher, odt | 28 February 2023

Quartz Reef winery operations manager Montse Mondaca helps with the first harvest of the season at the Bendigo vineyard yesterday. Image: Julie Asher
Quartz Reef winery operations manager Montse Mondaca helps with the first harvest of the season at the Bendigo vineyard yesterday. Image: Julie Asher

A classic Central Otago harvest season began yesterday with the first fruit plucked from the vines at Bendigo.
Quartz Reef winemaker Rudi Bauer said the harvest looked set to be a good one but would have its challenges as unsettled weather during flowering in early December resulted in uneven fruit set.

Daily decisions would be made about which fruit to pick, but overall the average yield looked very good, Mr Bauer said.

Harvest had started three to four days earlier than last year, so it was a normal season. The spring had been very good, with good rainfall until January, when it became very dry.

There was around 50mm of very welcome rain last week.

A forecast of cool nights and warm days was exactly what the winemaker wanted for the cool climate wines such as the Pino’s, Chardonnay, sparkling and Gewurtztraminer wines that did so well in Central Otago.

He had plenty of labour available and there was no sign of infection in the grapes so it promised a good solid season.

Last year’s white wines had been very well received and the Pino’s would be bottled after harvest.

More winemakers in Central Otago were expanding into organic production.

While Central Otago wine made up about 3.5% of the country’s total production, their reputation and quality meant they were highly regarded.

“We punch way above our weight,” Mr Bauer said.

All the winegrowers in the region were mindful of the losses suffered by their North Island counterparts following Cyclone Gabrielle.

All were donating what they could to the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne winegrowers associations.

It would be some time before the scale of damage could be assessed but it would be massive and include machinery destroyed by having silt through it as well as vines which could take years to replace.

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Looking Ahead – April ’23

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

 

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New Zealand and Portuguese Wines with Victor Kattenbelt, Confidant Wines

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.

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Lindauer replaces New Zealand grapes in their wine with Australian to cut costs

Emily Brookes | Nov 11 2022

Lindauer is an iconic Kiwi sparkling wine brand, but soon some of your favourite bubbles will be more Aussie than local.

Lindauer is a Kiwi favourite, but costs of local grapes are forcing owner Lion to look overseas.

Starting from next week, the Lindauer Classic Brut going to market will be made with Australian grapes rather than New Zealand, while the Classic Rosé will be a blend of Aussie and Kiwi.

Both were previously made with 100% New Zealand grapes from Gisborne and Hawkes Bay.

Jane De Witt​, head winemaker at Lindauer owner Lion, said the decision had been made to keep costs stable.

“As with everything that’s happening at the moment costs have increased significantly for us,” she said. “We’ve really struggled to find the volume and the quality that we’re happy with to ensure the quality and the value that our consumers expect.

From next week, bottles of Lindauer’s Classic Brut and Classic Rose on sale will be made with Australian grapes.
From next week, bottles of Lindauer’s Classic Brut and Classic Rose on sale will be made with Australian grapes.

“Costs are increasing, so if we are to supply Lindauer to the consumer at the same or similar price point we just couldn’t continue using New Zealand grapes.”

De Witt originally claimed Lion would not decrease the volume of grapes it purchased from New Zealand growers, indicating they would be deployed to other Lion-owned wine brands, which include Wither Hills, Huntaway, Daniel Le Brun and Morton Estate.

After Stuff reported that, however, Lion clarified this point, saying it was purchasing two products’ worth fewer grapes, but claimed that volume would be picked up by other, non-Lion, wine companies.

The new Classic Brut and Classic Rose grapes would be sourced from South Australia, which provided the best climate for the chardonnay, pinot noir and pinotage grapes used in the styles and mimicked the New Zealand grapes that had been used before.

Lion head winemaker Jane De Witt said she hoped if consumers could detect a difference in flavour, it would be an improvement.
Lion head winemaker Jane De Witt said she hoped if consumers could detect a difference in flavour, it would be an improvement.

Initially De Witt was disappointed to be in a position where using foreign grapes was inevitable, she said.

“But I’m really happy with what we’ve got in bottle.”

While all efforts had been made to keep consistency through the Classic Brut and Classic Rose, both of which are non-vintage, De Witt said she had “decided you can never underestimate the consumer in what they can and can’t taste”.

If they could detect a difference, she hoped it would be deemed an improvement.

The move to foreign grapes was a permanent one for these two styles, De Witt said. The only other Lindauer wine made from non-New Zealand grapes was the Prosecco, which used Italian grapes.

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Panel discussion on NZ Rosé, Oct 2022

28 Club members chose to attend this diverse and interesting pink evening, but those that did were pleasantly surprised by most of the wines tasted, educated and now appreciative of Rosés.

From when to drink Rosé, regional styles, and the variety of grapes now used for the various wines, from the opening bubbly, everyone connected with and enjoyed the tastings. Opening with a Toi Toi Sparkling Rosé, which comprised of a mixture of Riesling and Merlot, through to the last McArthur Ridge Lilico Pinot Rosé, the diverseness of the 21st-century Rosés was indeed on display. Rosé is a style of wine, not a grape variety.

The wines were selected from wine sites and supermarkets, which were below the $20 mark, so they can be purchased and enjoyed by everyone the next time they’re shopping or browsing the computer. The wines we sampled during the evening were:

  • Toi Toi Sparkling Rosé NV – Riesling and Merlot blend from Marlborough
  • 2021 Giesen Estate Riesling Blush – from Marlborough and Waipara
  • 2022 ME by Matahiwi Estate – Pinot Noir from Masterton this was thought to be the best value for money in wines
  • 2021 Haha Hawkes Bay Rosé – Merlot and Malbec from Hastings and Bridge Pa this is a Bordeaux blend with added Cab Sauv and Cab Franc
  • 2020 Left Field Moon Shell Moth Rosé – Arneis, Pinotage and Merlot from Hastings
  • 2020 Middle Earth Pinot Meunier – a faux pas for the evening, turned out to be red! A Pinot Meunier – this was enjoyed by everyone nonetheless and will go on to be purchased
  • 2019 Spade Oak Voysey Blonde Rosé – Tempranillo, Albarino, Syrah, Viognier and St Laurent from Gisborne – this was indeed Blonde! And was a special blend as this vineyard has been on-sold since this mixture was bottled
  • 2019 McArthur Ridge Lilico Pinot Rosé – Pinot Noir – from Central Otago

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Brookfields with Peter Robertson, Sept 2022

What a great turnout for our Trifecta event from the Hawkes Bay vineyards!

This event was well attended by Club members, plus we had four guests attend. There were eight wines to sample for the evening, plus the owner Peter Robertson was there to let us in on some of his planting/vineyard secrets.

Peter explained to us how he started his wine career working for McWilliams making a rose spritzer that they used to export to Fiji! Times have certainly changed as have tasted in the 21st century.

See Stop Press!! Cellar Club Wins Trifecta of Top Hawke’s Bay wineries!!Information is now freely passed between the Old-World vintners and the New-World vintners as are cuttings of the different wine varieties. The eight wines for the evening were:

  • 2022 Fiesta Rose – a Syrah dominant variety, floral with strawberry and melon on the tongue
  • 2022 Robertson Pinot Gris – this variety was from Brother John of Mission wines who introduced Peter to a 15-year-old bottle of this Pinot!
  • 2021 Bergman Chardonnay – named after the Ingrid Bergman roses on their property. A more modern style rather than the heavy buttery style of old
  • 2021 Barrique Fermented Viognier – surprisingly smooth in the mouth with fresh mineral notes
  • 2021 Back Block Syrah – this variety had its first vintage in 2000, spicy and this is their biggest-selling wine!
  • 2020 Ohiti Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – light and spicy but smooth with a year in old oak
  • 2021 Hillside Syrah – actually grown on land that Peter was invited to use to grow grapes. Woody but smooth in the mouth.
  • 2019 Reserve Vintage Gold Label Cabernet Merlot – a Bordeaux style wine, black fruits with subtle spice, this is wine is closed with the traditional cork stopper.

Our thanks go to Peter for his generous support for the Club, and to members for their support through the volume of sales.

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A Panel discussion on NZ Rosés

Wednesday 12th October | Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18

Pretty in pink

Rosé wine is an exciting and diverse category. New Zealand Rosé comes in a rainbow of pink hues, from the palest salmon to deep watermelon. Typically, they’re light-bodied, fruit-focused and just off-dry in style. While it’s often associated with Pinot Noir in NZ, this style of wine is no one-trick pony, and there is so much more to discover.

So, join us on Wednesday the 12th Oct, when our panel will take you on a tasting discovery of just what wonderful wines NZ can produce in this style.

Our presentation includes both still and sparkling Rosés, showing delicious aromas and flavours of ripe strawberries, raspberries and crushed cherries, sweet citrus, watermelon, honeydew melon, spices and fresh herbs. And the grapes used in the wines to be tasted will surprise you. They won’t just be Pinot Noir or Merlot dominant.

Here is some more Rosé information that may help in your appreciation of what the tasting may cover.

The specific colour of a given rosé is based on the amount of time that the skins have spent with the juice—though contrary to popular belief, darker-hued rosés are not always sweeter.

Due to their low tannins, high acid, and fruit-forward nature, Rosé—whether still or sparkling—is one of the most versatile, food-friendly wine styles on the planet.

When to Drink Pink? Rosés are perfect for spring and summer, as they are served chilled and can be a refreshing accompaniment to a variety of warm- weather fare. Rosé wines also top the charts for food-friendly versatility, as there’s a Rosé to suit most food types.

Regional styles of Rosé

Rosé styles, hues and myriad varieties are found throughout all of New Zealand’s wine regions, reflecting the fruit freshness and focus for which our wine is renowned.

Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay is home to a great many of the Merlot and Syrah-based Rosé, with some wines made from a blend of (often Bordeaux) varieties. The moderately-warm climate lends itself to robust, spicy and savoury wines with good depth of flavour.

Marlborough

Pinot Noir is the most common variety used for Marlborough Rosé, with characteristic aromatic intensity, ripe berry fruit and spice, and vibrant, well-balanced palates. There are also some interesting examples using less-common varieties such as Syrah and Montepulciano. Excellent quality Methode Traditionnelle Rosé is made in Marlborough.

Central Otago

The vast majority of Central Otago Rosé is Pinot Noir-based. Packed with bright strawberry, raspberry, ripe cherries and often a touch of spice and fresh herbs, the palate is lively and crisp palates with clean acidity. There are also several very smart examples of Methode Traditionnelle Rosé.

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Esk Valley and Gordon Russell, Aug 2022

In 2018 we contacted Gordon Russell to see if he could present a tasting some time, and he said yes, he would be delighted, but it would need to be 2021!

Roll onto 2021 when sadly, the Covid levels meant that our Esk Valley tasting had to be postponed to that year. So, imagine your committee’s disbelief when Gordon contacted us in the week of our tasting to say sadly that his wife had COVID-19 and that he was having to isolate himself. He said he was disappointed but then offered to fast courier the tasting notes and wine to us so the meeting could continue. Thankfully, Richard Taylor then stepped up to the plate and, using the tasting notes, entertained us with an interactive evening that went down well and was much appreciated.

The club’s appreciation of the wines presented was subsequently reflected in the 141 bottles ordered by members.

The wines for the evening were:

  • Hawkes Bay 2022 Rose’ – was our mix and mingle wine and a beautiful shade of almost metallic pink, gentle on the nose, smooth in the mouth
  • Hawkes Bay 2021 Pinot Gris had a slightly pinkish colour with greengage on the tongue – it was a lovely extra tasty Pinot Gris which comes from free-draining terraces with the grapes themselves approaching 20 years old! Interestingly it has some oak barrel fermentation too
  • Artisanal Hawkes Bay 2021 Chenin Blanc – this is a new brand that has only been on the market for 12-18 months; it was a pale shade and, at the moment, has baked apple/citrus/peach on the tongue
  • Great Dirt Seabed Chardonnay 2020 – this is their premium label and was buttery on the nose and white peach on the tongue. The terrain where these grapes grow was tidal river territory before the 1930s Napier earthquake.
  • Artisanal Gimblett Gravels Grenache 2021 – nice dark red colour; this is a low-yield crop and is 100% Grenache, fermented in open-topped concrete carrels
  • Artisanal Gimblet Gravels Tempranillo 2021 – almost purple in colour, dry on the nose, dark berries with a hint of vanilla on the nose – has been in American and French oak and comes from a single block in Te Awa planted in 2018
  • Artisanal Gimblett Gravels Malbec, Cav Sauv, Merlot 2000 – again almost purple in colour, blackberry/currents on the tongue. This would go well with Venison. Again this is a low-yield crop, fermented with wild yeast in concrete open-topped barrels and kept until 2032!

Of the above, the most ordered was the Chenin Blanc. This reflected both the quality of this wine and likely the fact of how starved we are of this variety in New Zealand. Thanks again, Richard, for arranging this tasting and then stepping in to deliver it for Gordon. I am told that Gordon has already offered to do this again in 2024. You would be most welcome, Gordon.

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