Marlborough – Page 3 – The Cellar Club

2 September, 202211 September, 2024

Raise Your Glass To The Best Sparkling Wines For The Season Ahead

Jo Burzynska Nov. 6, 2021 | Viva

Plus, a handy guide for deciphering your methodes from your Champagnes.

If the bubbles that have dominated most thoughts of late are the ones we’ve been living in, there’s hopefully something we can toast, even if it’s just the passing of 2021.

There’s good news on the fizz front, as there has never been a more delicious and diverse array of sparkling wines to enjoy in Aotearoa.

Here’s a selection of the best from my blind tasting of bottles from across the world. Their corks are definitely worth popping, to cheer the spirits if our parties must be virtual, or celebrate with on the return to fully social occasions.

STYLE GUIDE: WHAT’S IN A STYLE?
Sparkling wines are made in a wide variety of ways that dictate their flavour, quality and price. It can be confusing, so here’s a rough guide to styles and terms you might see on a bottle that suggest the kind of wine you might find within.

Traditional Method
Most of the highest quality sparkling wines, including Champagne and cava, are made by the traditional method, also known as methode traditionnelle. It’s an elaborate system that adds to the cost of the wine, but is widely regarded to create the most complex flavours and finest mousse (bubbles).

A second bubble-inducing fermentation is triggered in the bottle, followed by a period when the wine remains in contact with its yeasts. These impart complex bready and nutty flavours to the wine depending on how long it remains on these yeast “lees”.

The yeasts are then removed by a lengthy process of “riddling” that gradually shifts the yeast into the neck of the bottle, which is then frozen. The frozen plugs of yeast are removed, the bottle topped up and then re-stoppered in the wine’s “disgorgement”.

Some examples state a disgorging date, which provides an idea of a wine’s maturity — recently disgorged can mean fresher flavours, and older more toasty notes.

Bottle Fermented (Transfer Method)
If it’s traditional method, most wineries trumpet this. So if you see “bottle fermented” on a label, this suggests the wine has likely been made by the slightly simpler transfer method. Sparkling wines made in this manner can still be very good, but are cheaper to produce than the traditional method. This is basically identical to the traditional method up to the point of riddling, when the bottles are instead disgorged into pressurised tanks, where they’re filtered. They’re then re-bottled in a new bottle.

Tank Fermented
Less likely to appear on a label, but influencing the final flavour, is the Tank Method. Also known as the charmat or Martinotti methods, or cuve close. The wine’s second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank rather than a bottle, and the final fizz bottled under pressure. You don’t get the yeasty character of bottle-fermented methods, but this is often preferable for more aromatic grapes and fresher styles, such as the prosecco that’s made this way.

Methode Ancestral (Pet-Nat)
Undergoing a revival currently is the methode ancestral, responsible for the petillant maturels (pet-nats) that have burst onto the natural wine scene in particular. Likely the oldest way of making sparkling wine, the wine is bottled while still undergoing its first fermentation. This finishes in-bottle, producing its effervescence.

Some winemakers choose to leave the yeast in the bottle, leading to a cloudy appearance and the possibility of drinking a bottle at different stages on its path to dryness. Others filter or disgorge and rebottle for a clearer and more consistent end product.

Champagne (NV and Vintage)
Champagne can only come from the eponymous region in north-eastern France. Its name, synonymous with luxury and celebration, is protected in law and cannot be borrowed by wines from elsewhere. Its wines have to adhere to strict criteria, which includes bottle aging of 15 months for non-vintage wines (NV) and three years for vintage.

Its chilly climate makes it a challenge to ripen grapes, which has led to the practice of blending wines from multiple vintages, with vintage wines being made with only the best grapes in the best years.

The practice of making and labelling sparkling wines as “NV” has been adopted beyond Champagne and tends to suggest the tier below a winery’s more premium “vintage” release.

Styles and Sweetness
Various terms originating in Champagne indicate the grapes used, and consequently suggest the style of a sparkling wine. Blanc de Blancs is made from 100 per cent chardonnay, which tend to be lighter and racier. Blanc de Noirs is a white sparkling wine made from just black grapes, which tend to be fuller bodied.

There are also descriptors highlighting levels of sweetness. The most common is Brut for dry to off-dry, with the likes of Demi-Sec, meaning sweet and Doux, lusciously sweet.

A growing movement towards near bone-dry styles means seeing more bottles sporting terms such as Ultra Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature and Zero Dosage, which signal the driest of the dry.

Detergent is the enemy of effervescence, so always rinse your sparkling glasses in warm water to get rid of any residue. Photo / Getty Images

WHAT’S IN A GLASS?

Wisdom on what makes the best glass from which to drink sparkling wine has shifted over the years. Certainly, the wide-rimmed shallow coupe popular in the early 20th century has fallen out of favour, for good reason.

These may work to some extent for softer, sweeter styles, but the wine’s large surface area in these means bubbles swiftly dissipate and they go flat quicker. The narrow shape of the iconic flute fares far better for retaining effervescence, but also suppresses aromas.

Current thinking on the foremost stemware for fizz, particularly the more complex traditional method wines, is a tulip-shaped glass with a wider middle and a narrow top. Similar to a white wine glass, it provides a slightly larger wine surface area than the flute and has a shape and greater space above the wine conducive to funnelling aromas up beyond its rim.

It’s also supported by findings of the rigorous research currently being conducted on bubble behaviour, by the likes of Champagne physicist Dr Gerard Liger-Belair at the University of Reims in Champagne.

The Comite Champagne, which represents independent Champagne producers, now officially recommends a tulip-shaped glass in which to enjoy its members’ wines. Something like Riedel’s egg-shaped Veritas Champagne Wine Glass fits the bill ($113 for 2 stems from Kitchenware.nz). However, the flute still works fine for simpler fruit-driven styles, such as prosecco.

You can enjoy fizz from a standard white wine glass. However, it’s still optimal to use a glass that’s been designed for sparkling wine as this will contain a “sparkling point”. Bubbles attract and carry aromatic compounds to the surface of the wine and need somewhere to start.

In sparkling glasses they’re directed from a single point etched on the bottom of their bowl, rather than forming randomly off the likes of fibres left in a glass from tea towels.

Whatever glass you choose, there are further ways to ensure you maximise your bubble count. Detergent is the enemy of effervescence, so always rinse your sparkling glasses in warm water to get rid of any residue. If you dry them manually, make sure it’s with a lint-free cloth to avoid unruly effervescence!

THE BEST SPARKLING WINES OF THE SEASON: FRANCE’S FINEST

1. Taittinger Millesime Brut Champagne 2014, $125
This Grand Cru-dominant blend is made only in the best vintages and aged five years on its lees to gain added complexity. The result is a Champagne with great intensity and finesse, with elegant and crisp notes of red apple and citrus, hints of apricot, mineral and blossom, over a subtle hazelnut base. Stockists: Countdown; Glengarry; Vineonline; Fine Wine Delivery; Vintners.nz

2. Paul Launois Monochrome #1 Grand Cru Extra Brut Champagne NV, $82
This stylish Champagne is an exciting new find: from third-generation growers Julien Launois and his wife Sarah, who started making wines in 2015 from their small family estate in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The Monochrome #1 is an impressive ultra-dry 100 per cent chardonnay, with a pure and poised palate of crisp apple and lemon, hints of almond paste, acidity and an intense flinty minerality. Stockists: Barewine.co.nz

3. Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut Champagne NV, $68
A 100 per cent pinot noir Champagne that offers great value. Its attractive notes of apple and stonefruit are underpinned by rich toasted brioche and hazelnut notes. All this is supported by a fine and fresh line of lemon and mineral salts and a fine mousse. Stockists: Black Market; New World; Dhall & Nash

4. Marion-Bosser Premier-Cru Brut Rosé Champagne NV, $90
Marion-Bosser’s impressive grower Champagnes are made by the mother and daughter team of Bernadette and Elodie Marion in the Premier Cru village of Hautvillers. Their elegant and fresh rosé Champagne combines delicate raspberry and redcurrant fruits with a suggestion of apple and almond pastry. Stockists: Threefrenchvines.com; Winedirect.co.nz; New World

BEST LOCAL BUBBLES

5. No 1 Family Estate Reserve Marlborough Blanc de Blancs NV, $96
It’s perhaps no surprise that one of the top wines in this year’s sparkling tasting is made by a 12th-generation Champagne winemaker. Daniel Le Brun crafts this exquisite Reserve example in Marlborough, which layers white flowers, white fruits and citrus over subtle nutty, biscuity nuances, wrapped in a creamy mousse. The release is limited to just 1000 individually numbered bottles. Stockists: Glengarry; No1familyestate.co.nz

6. Koyama Waipara Methode Traditionnelle Brut Nature NV, $45
A delicious bone-dry pinot noir-dominant blend made in tiny quantities by Takahiro Koyama, in which rich notes of gingerbread and toasted breadcrust are counterpoised by a powerful line of lemony acidity. Koyama has had a growing focus on sparkling wine with his original label and at Mountford Estate, which he now also runs, and this is a fine addition to Aotearoa’s sparkling scene. Stockists: Great Little Vineyards; Hamilton Beer & Wine Co; Star Superette; By the Bottle; Natural Liquor

7. Mumm Marlborough Brut Prestige NV, $40
A decidedly Champagne-like local traditional method wine, from a collaboration between the Champagne House of Mumm and Pernod Ricard NZ, makers of the likes of Brancott Estate. It expertly juxtaposes richness with freshness in its notes of crisp apple and lemon curd, savoury praline undercurrent, and long nutty finish. Stockists: New World; Countdown; West Liquor; Liquorland; Super Liquor; Glengarry; Moore Wilson’s

8. Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Methode Traditionnelle Central Otago Rose NV, $43
Refined strawberry and redcurrant meld with hints of rose-like florals, creamy notes and an appealing savoury dimension. A complex and compelling rose which finishes with a dynamic wave of freshness and lingering minerally note. Stockists: Glengarry; Fine Wine Delivery; Farro Fresh; Quartzreef.co.nz

9. Hunter’s MiruMiru Marlborough NV, $29
Hunter’s has been making its MiruMiru for two decades from the classic trio of Champagne varieties — pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier — over which time it’s established the wine as consistently offering great quality and value. Its latest release over-delivers once more with a lovely lemony freshness to the fore, joined by white fruits and more complex toasty, yeasty elements. Stockists: Fine Wine Delivery; The Good Wine Co; Wine Direct; First Glass Wine & Spirits; Primo Vino

10. Morton Estate Brut Methode Black Label NV, $20
Ridiculously good value for a traditional method sparkling wine, Morton’s pink-tinged crowd-pleaser ushers in baked apples, juicy lemons and a touch of toastiness. Rumour has it, its price may be rising soon, so stock up for the festive season and beyond. Stockists: New World; Pak’nSave; selected specialist liquor stores

EURO-FIZZ

11. Borga Prosecco Extra Dry, Italy NV, $25
Light, bright and bone dry, this is a lovely expression of prosecco from a family-run estate in the Treviso region of Veneto. Its crunchy green apples and mouth-watering lime join hints of stonefruit, perfumed with a touch of jasmine. Stockists: Caro’s

12. Vilarnau Barcelona Cava Organico Brut Reserva, Spain NV, $25
There’s plenty of richness to this organic cava, with its notes of spiced honey cake, baked apple, stonefruit, toasted nuts and bread characters, offset by crisp lemon.
Full of flavour, gorgeous packaging and great value. Stockists: Caro’s; First Glass Wines & Spirits

13. Ramon Jane Tinc Set Escumos Brut, Spain 2019 $33-35
A biodynamic pet-nat made with wild yeasts and no added sulphur from local grapes in the cava country of Spain’s Penedes. It’s ultra-dry, pure and savoury in style, with brisk citrus and restrained apple and pear, laced with white pepper and herb, an underlying vegemite-savoury richness. Stockists: Star Superette; Cahn’s Wines & Spirits; Fine-O-Wine; By the Bottle; Cult Wine; Planetwine.co.nz

14. Sartori Prosecco Rosé Brut, Italy NV, $25
Following the popularity of prosecco and the fashion for drinks pink, prosecco rosé became an official denomination in Italy last year for bubbly made from the traditional white prosecco grape Glera and a dash of Pinot Nero (pinot noir) for colour. While some “ro-secco” can be on the sweeter side, the Sartori is a more serious dry style that’s fresh, citrusy and moreish with strawberry scented with rose. Stockists: New World; Dhall & Nash

15. Privat Reserva Brut Nature Rosé Cava, Spain 2018, $32
This very appealing bone-dry organic cava is made from a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay. It combines green apple and fresh lime notes, with more complex nuances of honey and toasted breadcrust. From: Hamilton Beer & Wine Co; Regional Wines; Stvincentscave.com

5 August, 202211 September, 2024

Wine News

We all know it’s winter here in NZ, but did you know it’s also a very important time in our vineyards? The following article is taken from The Sisters’ latest wine newsletter. It gives you a great insight into what goes on in a Marlborough vineyard over winter to prepare for the next harvest – repeated with permission.

In the Vineyard

Winter a time for rest and repair

Buy your The Sisters wines from Countdown, select New World, Pak n Save, and online via Black Market.

After the frantic period of harvest in late summer and autumn and the excitement of grapes coming in and winemaking getting underway, winter seems a very still, quiet time. While this is true for the most part, important things are happening in the vineyard.

Row upon row of vibrant green, busy vines gradually change during autumn and early winter as the canopies begin to shut down, and the leaves change colour. Once brown, they fall to the ground, and the bare vines head towards dormancy.

And winter means pruning. This involves cutting off the canes (branches) that produced this year’s fruit and laying-down new fruiting canes that will bud come Springtime. There are many ways to prune vines, and methods are chosen based on the grape variety and the amount of fruit desired.

Generally, the more fruit it produces, the harder the vine must work and the more challenging it is to get it all ripe before the end of the growing season. This can lead to quality issues as grapes need to be ripe to produce flavoursome fruit with the right balance of natural sugars and acidity.

Once pruned, the vineyards are quiet, although buffeted with winter weather. It’s a period of rest and repair as their roots grow and strengthen, looking for the all-important nutrients from the soil, building up their resources in preparation for the growing cycle to start again in the Spring.

11 May, 202211 September, 2024

The Cellar Club, President’s Report 2022

Wednesday 11 May 2022

It is usual for a President’s Report to be EITHER comprehensive and an ordeal OR for it to be cryptically short and to the point. So it seems in this most unusual of years that short is best. As such this should allow the AGM to proceed swiftly so as to enjoy the wines from the club cellar and the supper on offer tonight.

It has been my absolute privilege to have been the club’s President this year. I want to begin by thanking most sincerely all of you as valued club members for your support in a trying year. For your subscriptions, of course, but particularly for your support at the scheduled tastings and sundry other monthly events such as the dinners and annual club BBQ. Our membership has held up well again this year. This despite all the pressures our communities and families have endured. Last year I reflected at some length in my report on the impact for the club of the pandemic so I will quickly move on from that. Again this has been a challenging year for all of us but through the club activities we have generated good company and a focus for interest in a time of lockdowns. Most particularly the attendance numbers at tastings and dinners have been regularly and phenomenally good which signals there must be something right about the way tastings are delivered, enjoying the company of friend and the functioning of the club. So, to all of you my thanks.

May I briefly review the tastings and activities [11] that we have been able to achieve for these past 12 challenging months. Tastings included Mahi Wines (Marlborough), Western Australia by Keith Tibble (Eurovintage agency), Butterworth (Gladstone Wairarapa), Crater Rim (Waipara), Portugal (Confidant agency), the Gold Medal wines from the NZ International Wine Show (2021), a celebration of Pinot (club members) as well as dinners at La Marche Frances and Juniper as well at the club’s January BBQ

I wish to extend the club’s thanks to the wineries, presenters and agencies that have supported the club during a year that has been challenging for their businesses, where labour restrictions, lockdowns, cancellations and social distancing have impacted us all. At least three wineries were unable to present in 2021 but have indicated they are keen to return for 2022/2023 and we are organising with them

As well as thanks to the meeting presenters and the tasting organisers, it is the committee that also deserves our appreciation for their work for the club. As a group they have met regularly and communicated frequently with each other in most constructive manner. This has been the prime reason for tastings continuing to happen when withdrawals have occurred or organisation of meetings has hit road blocks or come up against Covid limitations. Without naming committee members, because you know all of those involved – our secretarial servicing, our financial management, our newsletter communications with members, the meeting venue organisation efforts and suppers, cellar management, the facilitation of the tasting programme and deliveries have all kept pace and been successfully undertaken without there seeming to have been any hitches at all – even though there have been a few, and one cancellation. It has been a demanding time organisationally but the efforts of the 8 person committee have shone through and for that I wish to sincerely thank them one and all for their efforts on behalf of the club membership.

I am thrilled to report that the committee collectively has indicated a willingness to continue to serve the club for a further year and I am indeed grateful for that. The committee’s co-operation, sharing of the load and their special skills and interests continue to be the cornerstone of how we have managed to keep this great little club moving forward, fulfilling its wine appreciation objectives whilst providing a source of company, regular meetings and the occasional glasses of vino. Being Wellington’s premier and enduring wine society for over forty years is no mean feat. It is you as members, and the committee’s efforts, that have ensured that this continues to be the Cellar Club reality. We will move next to the election of the club’s officers. My best wishes to all club members as you navigate the societal challenges we are all facing.

Murray Jaspers | President, The Cellar Club Inc

4 March, 202211 September, 2024

Famous name in wines goes global

Michael Donaldson, Stuff | Oct 31 2021

Under new ownership, Villa Maria captures a global market

When Matthew Deller decided it was time to bring his family home from Napa Valley in California, there was only one place he wanted to work: Villa Maria.

He made his move in January 2020 after seven years as chief operating officer at Tor Wines – a winery globally renowned for its single-vineyard chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon.

And so, after a roller-coaster journey of sorts, he’s perfectly placed to oversee the first global launch of Villa Maria’s single-vineyard series of wines from tomorrow.

Deller, a master of wine, is Villa Maria’s chief global sales and marketing officer. In his almost two years with the brand, he’s experienced the rapid change brought by Covid-19 as well as seeing Villa Maria pass out of family ownership.

Villa Maria Estate Winery’s Blenheim acreage. <br /> Image: Brya Ingram/Stuff/Marlborough Express — Villa Maria Estate Winery’s Blenheim acreage.
Image: Brya Ingram/Stuff/Marlborough Express

Villa Maria’s parent company FFWL, owned by founder Sir George Fistonich, went into receivership late in 2020 and as part of that, Villa Maria was sold to Indevin, New Zealand’s largest wine-making company, in September.

“When we decided we wanted to move back to New Zealand and I was thinking ‘who would I want to work for?’ Deller says. “Villa Maria was the only option. There’s no other winery in New Zealand that makes the calibre of wines that Villa Maria does and that’s not going to change in under the new ownership.

“We’ve all been on a roller-coaster over the past 18 months. But the management at Villa Maria wasn’t exposed too much to that financial side as that was between the family and the banks.

“Indevin is very protective of the brand and what drove its success: it’s all about quality and global critical acclaim. And that’s not my opinion, that comes to us from our wine intelligence research.”

Other significant changes include the way Villa Maria is marketed.

“We’ve renovated every brand,” Deller said. “We’ve brought out Earth Garden range this year which is our first 100 per cent Biogrow-certified brand and fully vegan. And we’ve really ramped our global fine wine programme.”

As part of that global push, this year marks the first time that Villa Maria is doing a worldwide launch of its single vineyard series. That will involve events around the world throughout November. “We’re there in New York, London, Europe and there’ll be dinners, wine-maker tastings with a unified release of these single-vineyard wines.”

Indevin had been on the lookout for a quality New Zealand global brand for some time, says chief executive Duncan McFarlane.

Single vineyard releases are a winery’s way of showing what a particular block of land delivers. The 10 wines Villa Maria are releasing come in tiny volumes – just hundreds of cases for some styles. The grapes are mostly handpicked and many are fermented with wild yeasts.

The idea is to create a series of bespoke wines that Deller says are chosen for their elegance and as “the greatest expression of a particular vineyard”.

The release features vineyards in Auckland (Ihumātao), Gisborne (McDiarmid Hill) Hawke’s Bay (Braided Gravels, Keltern) and Marlborough (Attorney, Taylors Pass, Seaspray, Seddon, Southern Clays).

Deller said it was the right time to make a global push as New Zealand wine – particularly Marlborough sauvignon blanc – was at a “tipping point” in terms of appreciation by critics and collectors.

“Now that New Zealand wines are getting really high scores from international critics, all of a sudden they’re of tremendous interest to the fine wine community, British wine merchants and top New York restaurants. The market has been created by those global critic scores.”

And that maturation of the industry, in terms of quality, has dove-tailed with Covid-19 to create a perfect storm of desire for New Zealand-made wines.

“What happened last year was a huge shift in awareness of, and demand for, New Zealand wine and Brand New Zealand was on fire last year. The insights I have from the US is that a significant part of that is our sustainability story.

“What’s happened this year is another seismic shift – and perhaps one that’s more exciting and of more significance for New Zealanders. We had a small harvest in 2021 but it’s high quality. And with that, we’ve reached a tipping point where New Zealand wines are now recognised as really good. They’ve always been regarded as good but now they moved to really good.”

He noted that one of the world’s leading wine commentators, Jancis Robinson, wrote a glowing report on New Zealand wine, focusing on sauvignon blanc and pinot noir which helped push Marlborough sauvignon blanc from a supermarket staple to standing proudly alongside the best France could offer.

“Marlborough sauvignon blanc had already surpassed France in terms of mass awareness but the more conservative critics have always considered the fine wines of Sancerre as superior to Marlborough sauvignon blanc but that seems to have changed and Marlborough sauvignon blanc is now a fine wine benchmark as well as a reliable benchmark.”

The other thing that’s happened is that a number of factors – including increased costs of packaging and shipping – drove up the price of New Zealand wine and no one blinked. In fact, demand increased.

Deller says not only are people in love with the flavours of New Zealand wine but they are “buying an experience they can’t get from anywhere else” and part of that is a story of sustainability, ethical employers, and a focus on quality.

For Villa Maria, a critical part of that story is staying New Zealand owned. When the receivers came in at FFWL they needed to find over $200m to pay back bank loans. Selling Villa Maria was critical to raising that money and there was a fear an iconic Kiwi brand could end up offshore.

But it stayed in New Zealand thanks to Indevin, a giant wine-maker that most people have never heard of.

Indevin’s model is to grow grapes and make wine. It leaves the sales and marketing to third parties including brewing giant Lion – for whom Indevin produces the Lindauer range, among others – as well as Waitrose and Tesco supermarkets in the UK.

Chief executive Duncan McFarlane says Indevin had been on the lookout for a quality New Zealand global brand for some time.

“Rather than Indevin doing the brand building and holding the sales expertise in-house we’ll partner with someone who has that, and we’ll focus on the parts of the supply chain where we have the expertise and can create value,” he explains.

“But that meant there was a significant part of the New Zealand category that we weren’t participating in – that wasn’t a problem as such as we’d been successful with our model – but we believed that as the New Zealand wine industry matured, with the right brand, the right proposition, there was a lot of additional value to be created.

“Our long-term strategy has been if the right opportunity came along to acquire a genuine global New Zealand brand then that would be a very interesting, exciting and rewarding acquisition.

“Identifying that and actually having the opportunity are two different things.”

McFarlane couldn’t have hoped for a better opportunity than the unexpected sale of Villa Maria after 60 years of family ownership. “We felt that not only was it an amazing opportunity it was an unparalleled opportunity.”

McFarlane says Indevin and Villa Maria will continue to walk their own paths when it comes to sales and marketing, with Indevin remaining a business-to-business model and Villa Maria being a business-to-consumer operation.

But behind the scenes, on the production side, there is huge room for efficiency and growth.

“In many cases, the two businesses literally have vineyards next to each other or in the same street – so it makes sense that the production side of the business will come together over time to work as a team.”

Villa Maria single vineyard Taylors Pass sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, part of a range of 10 it’s releasing globally. — Villa Maria single-vineyard Taylors Pass sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, part of a range of 10 it’s releasing globally.

Adding Villa Maria’s vineyards and expertise to Indevin’s means a diversity of supply that “de-risks” the business on one hand while “putting you in a strong position to maintain and provide consistent quality season-to-season”.

As the ultimate boss, McFarlane has no qualms about Villa Maria hosting a series of global launches during a global pandemic.

“Like any business, we’re conscious of Covid, and management of risk is at the forefront of how we do things, but at the same time there are growth opportunities overseas and where we can do it, and do it safely, it’s business as usual.”

As for his pick of the single-vineyard wines, the chardonnay lover says he’s “quite honestly staggered” by the Keltern Chardonnay from Hawke’s Bay.

Sidebar; The Villa Maria Single Vineyards

Auckland – Ihumātao

Located on Auckland’s Manukau Harbour, Ihumātao sits within a shallow, sheltered volcanic crater with a soil profile that is diverse with a calcified shell and ancient scoria on the edge of the basin, with heavier peat and clay soils toward the centre layered above a volcanic basalt rock base. The immediate proximity to the Manukau Harbour provides a cooling influence, favourable in the retention of fruit acidity during the ripening season.

Gisborne – McDiarmid Hill

Home to expansive fertile plains framed by forested hills on one side and 200km of coastline on the other, the province has an abundance of natural resources. Gisborne’s climate is characterised by warm summers and mild winters. McDiarmid Hill is positioned on an elevated north-facing hillside slope in Patutahi. Taking full advantage of sunlight, drying wind conditions, slightly cooler temperatures and natural water drainage, the additional elevation provides a wonderful advantage for producing this consistently outstanding wine.

Hawkes Bay Braided Gravels | Keltern

The Gimblett Gravels Wine Growing District is characterized by arid, stony gravels laid down over millennia then exposed by a huge flood in 1876 that altered the course of the Ngaruroro River. East of the Maraekakaho region, Keltern is a warm inland site, buffered by the Ngaruroro River. Established on an ancient riverbed that is very dry, but not as hot as the Gimblett Gravels.

Marlborough – Attorney | Taylors Pass | Seaspray | Seddon | Southern Clays

Marlborough is surrounded by the inland Kaikoura Ranges to the south and the Richmond Ranges to the north. These rugged mountains are responsible for New Zealand’s driest and sunniest climate with an average of 2435 hours of sunshine, regulated by the cooling ocean influence, elongating the ripening period. Marlborough is composed of three sub-regions, each with its own distinctive characteristics and nuances, which are experienced in every taste.

Source: Villa Maria

4 March, 202211 September, 2024

Some of New Zealand’s best wines are being made by producers who don’t actually have their own vines

Jonathan Brookes – Stuff | Jan 23 2022

Kiwis motivated to make delicious and interesting wines under their own labels are changing the way we think about negociants winemaking. — Kiwis motivated to make delicious and interesting wines under their own labels are changing the way we think about négociant winemaking.

The business of winemaking can be, well, a little dry. Especially if what you are looking for is just something good to drink. But the truth is, who owns and does what can make a qualitative difference to what ends up in your glass.
My first job in wine was in a shop that proudly only sold “estate bottled” wine, which meant that all of the wines were made by the same people who grew the grapes. The alternative is probably best described by the French term négociant winemaking, where wine is made with grapes grown by someone else.

In the old world (Europe), a lot is made of the difference between these two models, and despite winemaking being the endpoint of both, they are – for legal and taxation purposes – recognised as different types of businesses.

The cost of land and plant can act as a prohibitive barrier to entry for young adventurous winemakers.

In terms of quality, the general consensus is that wines made by the people who grow the grapes on their own land are better. It makes sense; the farmer who is also the winemaker is invested in the final product from start to end, they understand best how the quality of the fruit they grow determines the quality of the wine they make.

It is also a fair assumption that the grape grower and the négociant winemaker might have conflicting financial motivations that don’t add up to better wine. Beyond this simple idea of quality control, there is also a sense in which an “estate bottled” wine is a unique expression of the specific place and people that it came from, in a way that wine made from purchased grapes won’t be.

In Aotearoa, there is less focus on the difference between these two models of how wine gets made. That is probably to do with small artisan farmer-producers, including winemakers, cheesemakers, and other producers, not historically had the same status here as in Europe.

It is also the case that our winemaking history is simply shorter, and so it makes sense that we’ve looked for trusted brands and flavour profiles, rather than focused on place and tradition as markers of quality, as those places and their traditions are still being established.

What’s more, the accessibility of vineyards and winemaking facilities is not the same here as in the Old World. Where in parts of Europe, forgotten or neglected wine regions have provided an opportunity for young adventurous winemakers to establish themselves at a relatively low cost, here the cost of land and plant can act as a prohibitive barrier to entry.

Kiwis motivated to make delicious and interesting wines under their own labels have however found another way and in doing so, are changing the way we think about négociant winemaking.

Corofin

Mike and Anna Paterson of Corofin in Marlborough, like the other producers featured here, have neither a winery nor vineyards. Perhaps counterintuitively, it is precisely this lack of a stake in a vineyard that is fundamental to them making wines that are uniquely connected to the sites they come from.

Corofin works mainly with Pinot Noir, with a little chardonnay, and each of their wines come from single sites, small corners of vineyards, all located in the foothills of the southern valleys of Marlborough. Their approach to winemaking is to dial back fruit character and varietal expression, believing that more reserved, savoury wines show better the differences made by the specific geography and geology of the vineyard sites that they want to promote.

Corofin, Wrekin Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2019 - $49.90 — Corofin, Wrekin Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2019 – $49.90

This model for making site-specific wines is reflective of the best parts of the négociant model in Burgundy, where law and tradition codify the unique nature of specific parcels of land, and farmers and négociant-winemakers are left to focus on their part in allowing those places to best reflect themselves.

The Patersons go a step further by promoting not just the physical growing conditions of their chosen vineyards, but also the family winegrowers who farm those sites. Not only are they in this sense advocates for the most interesting places to grow grapes in their region, they also shine a light on growers who are committed to best quality farming practices.

The best Corofin recommendation I can give you is to take the opportunity to taste each of the site-specific Pinots of a given vintage. The differences between each of the wines tell the story of those unique sites. A fascinating and delicious exercise.

This particular one from the meticulously farmed Wrekin vineyard is bold, savoury and concentrated, reflective of the relatively low yields taken from the site.

A Thousand Gods

Lauren and Simon Sharpe’s story is increasingly familiar. New Zealanders who spent a significant part of their lives and careers learning their craft overseas, in their case France, returning with their young family to put those skills to use in their homeland.

Of course, a return home can be challenging for a number of reasons, not least of which is the cost of starting afresh and wanting to establish your own business.

A Thousand Gods, Blanc, 2020 (Athousandgods.com) $36

The opportunity to purchase fruit from Churton vineyard in Marlborough, one of the best growers and vineyard sites in the country, and to lease space in a shared winemaking facility, meant that the Sharpes were able to establish their label A Thousand Gods relatively quickly after their return, and without the prohibitive capital outlay of purchasing a vineyard, or the lead-time of planting one according to their no doubt exacting standards.

Which is all the better for us, as already their wines are some of the most thoughtful, interesting and delicious in the market.

Being able to get their label underway has also allowed them the time and resources for what is next, which is establishing their own small winemaking facility, opening up further opportunities to experiment and show off their well-honed craft.

Sauvignon blanc, but not as we know it. A precise balance of texture, perfumed aromatics, and just right acidity that adds up to a glass I just can’t put down.

Bryterlater

Some of the freshest and most interesting new New Zealand wines are being made under labels that are a side-hustle for their talented producers.

James + Olivia vintage '21. ⁠ — James + Olivia vintage ’21. ⁠

Ambitious young winemakers, such as Bryterlater’s James Graves Opie, are holding down demanding viticultural and winemaking jobs and making their own wine on the side. Connections made in the industry through their ‘day jobs’ provide access to both information about where to source the best fruit, as well as access to expensive equipment and unused space, not to mention a network of seasoned professionals willing to lend advice and the odd hand where needed.

Bryterlater, Swell, Sauvignon Blanc Pet Nat, 2021 - $39 — Bryterlater, Swell, Sauvignon Blanc Pet Nat, 2021 – $39

Opie, situated in North Canterbury, sources premium organic fruit from local growers, and with it is crafting some impressive wines. His work with Sauvignon Blanc, especially in his sparkling wines, show new and delicious sides to a varietal many of us may have tired of.

I believe it’s partly the freedom of financial pressure associated with buying land equipment that gives Opie’s approach an air of experimentation, trial and error, and ambition. Like an increasing number of similarly minded winemakers, he’s not letting the absence of his own vineyard and winery stop him from producing his own wines.

The result is more exciting wines to drink, which is always a good thing.

Yeasty creamy texture and fine bubbles in this delicate sparkler are complemented by gentle pear flavours, all of which offset the shouty fruit-forward character normally associated with sauvignon blanc. Really impressive, and super refreshing.

4 March, 202211 September, 2024

Tasting – Everything Pinot – Feb 2022

The evening with Everything Pinot was a tippling success, with 37 people turning up for the Club’s own members to present to, plus a special guest for the evening’s last pinot – John Dawson with a whisky distilled in pinot barrels from Central Otago’s Lammermoor, ‘a farm to bottle distillery’: Lammermoor Distillery.

We tasted our way through the Club’s cellar after our opening pinot Waipara Hills Pinot Noir Rose’. Followed up with three 2017 Pinot Gris, from Peregrine Saddleback, Giesen Marlborough and Church Road McDonald series. The comparisons were quite distinct, and the discussion was good.

This was then followed by three 2016 Pinot Noirs, from Peregrine Saddleback Central Otago, Yealands Reserve Marlborough, and Russian Jack Martinborough.

4 November, 202111 September, 2024

Experience New Zealand’s oldest vineyards and wineries

Jo Burzynska, NZ Herald | 28 Sep, 2021

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 — 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 — 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

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 — 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.

12 October, 202111 September, 2024

Al Brown’s Tipping Point Project

Chef Al Brown and his winemaking friends launch Tipping Point, a wine brand that supports charities close to Brown’s heart and celebrates the regions.

If you want to follow something developing in New Zealand’s wine industry at the moment, go to the stuff.co.nz website and featured videos – Al Brown’s Tipping Point Project.

Al Brown – a well-known chef and entrepreneur has a new venture being developed with Rowan Dean of Constellation Wines, Gary Stewart, his graphic designer and Melanie Mark-Shadbolt who is the CE of Te Tira Whakamātaki Foundation [one of the charities that some profits will go towards]. They are developing a wine brand, without featuring Al’s face or name, that will bring
wine to the people.

Al’s visions for this venture are to bring wine down to earth, making the experience unstuffy and a more relaxed experience to encourage people to have a tipple and gain knowledge at their level. To take some of the exclusivity out of the experience, even drinking wine from a tumbler (as some restaurants already do) so more people are relaxed with choosing something they actually like to drink.

In the first video Al was touring through three of our wine regions: Hawkes Bay, Central Otago and Marlborough. Exciting stuff!

5 July, 202111 September, 2024

Mahi Wines – June 2021

Brian & Nicola Bicknell – Winemaker & Owners

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.

2 June, 202111 September, 2024

Not enough wine to go around: Wine companies to prioritise customers

Morgane Solignac | Stuff Apr 29 2021

A dearth of grapes this vintage has forced a family-owned winery in Marlborough to turn down a new customer in Europe. But it’s not just the smaller operations struggling. One of the biggest players in the global drinks industry, Pernod Ricard, is also reporting it is unable to meet the global demand for Marlborough wine this year, in particular sauvignon blanc, due to the region’s low yield.

One estimate puts the take of sauvignon blanc grapes down 30 per cent against long-term averages, due to early frosts and cool weather during the flowering season.

A Pernod Ricard Winemakers spokesperson said the company was in talks with its partners to determine how it should prioritise supply for customers “in the context of the strong ongoing global demand for the sauvignon blanc category”.

The volume shortage meant the family-owned Marisco Vineyards had to walk away from a deal in Germany to make sure it could supply its long-time customer base.

Marisco Vineyards general manager sales and marketing Siobhan Wilson said the winery, which employs about 80 people, didn’t want to sacrifice one market for another.

“The key focus for us this year is to look after the partnerships we’ve developed over the years … We have a long-term contract with annual supply conversations starting around January-February, which is tricky as vintage happens [March-April].

“So I have to take what our customers would like versus what we have got coming in.”

Marisco started blending this week, so it would have a full picture of what was available, and when, in the next couple of weeks, Wilson said.

New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive Philip Gregan said Aotearoa hit a record-breaking $2 billion in New Zealand wine exports at the end of last year.
“Exports to our key international markets have increased beyond expectations over the past 18 months, and we saw an increase of 19 per cent for the first four months of the new export year (July to October 2020), at the same time in 2019.

“We are already seeing supply and demand tension as a result, and we expect that many wineries will face tough decisions on who they can supply in their key markets over the next year,” Gregan said.

And while increased demand and reduced supply might push up prices, Wilson said they had to be careful.

“We are not just going to put the price up because it is in short supply, because next year what happens if we have a bumper vintage, and we’ve got plenty of wine, do you then discount it?

“What is important when you are selling wine, and when you are building a brand, is a consistency of quality and price.

“So, we all have a responsibility to ensure that we sell at a good price and the right price,” Wilson said.

Ongoing labour shortages, due to the closure of New Zealand’s borders and the restricted number of RSE workers, had also piled pressure onto wine companies.

Wilson said they had challenges coming at them every day and a short vintage was just one of them.

“We have got massive challenges in Marlborough getting wine shipped offshore because of the shortages of boats coming in, the restriction of space … and it is all the result of the pandemic.

“At Marisco Vineyards we are really resilient, my team have been working for me for a long time, and they have experienced many challenges over the year, so we just deal with it.

“The key thing is the communication with our customers and being really honest with them about the situation,” she said.

12 April, 202111 September, 2024

Brush up on your wine knowledge – April 2021

Pause for a moment and ask yourself.

What region grew the most wine in NZ last year, 2020?

Pat yourself on the back if you said Marlborough. But do you know what per cent of the total 2020 NZ harvest their 343,036 tonnes represent?

What about the next regions? I was amazed just how weighted the top 3 regions were of the total harvest.

Thanks to NZWine.com for the infographic.

See more of the 2020 NZ vintage statistics.

11 April, 202111 September, 2024

Light ‘n’ Lovely: Low yields but high quality in vintage 2021

Sophie Preece | 08 April 2021

Nautilus harvest 2021. Photo Credit: Richard Briggs

Grape yields across the country have taken a hit from poor flowering, but growers and winemakers are welcoming beautiful fruit and a kind ripening season.

Nautilus Estate Winemaker and General Manager Clive Jones said on 18 March that vintage ’21 in Marlborough was progressing well. “The fruit is pristine in quality but down across the board in quantity – particularly for Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris,” he said.

“At the halfway stage through the Sauvignon harvest, crops are moderate but flavours are fantastic.

Clive said the weather had been close to perfect, “with barely a glance required at the weather forecast”, and Nautilus was on track to have completed picking before the end of March, “our earliest finish ever”.

Jules Taylor, Gourmet Traveller Wine’s 2021 New Zealand Winemaker of the Year says all varieties are lower than the long-term average and agrees Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are particularly light, “which is a shame”, but is also the reality of horticulture.

The silver lining is that the fruit is beautiful and clean, thanks to a great summer.

“The weather is playing the game and the mood is so different to last year, with Covid,” she says. “It’s back to the old days, with all the banter in the field.”

Jules says the 2020 harvest was a case of keeping the panic at bay and getting the fruit off as fast as possible, “in case Covid decided to rear its ugly head”.

The contrast with 2021 is extreme. “This year we can pick exactly when we want to, in terms of capturing the essence of Marlborough at its best – it’s a delight.”

In Central Otago, Viticulturist James Dicey says yields are variable, with some subregions doing “really well”, while others are “exceptionally” low, with expectations of as little as two tonnes to the hectare predicted for some blocks.

That’s due to a cold initiation period that resulted in smaller bunches, and unsettled weather during flowering, causing some hen and chicken and poorly set bunches.

He says the weather averages for the season look typical but have resulted from big blocks of extreme conditions. “We have been seeing quite big swings in weather variability, which has stressed the grapevines and stressed out the viticulturists.

However, he has been pleased by a “really nice” and consistent ripening period and “coolish” nights and says the positive of the small yields is the “really high-quality fruit” and lack of disease pressure.

That gives growers “the luxury of time with picking decisions”, and the option of leaving fruit out for longer, if required. And that could be key to getting fruit in this harvest, with labour at “dire” levels due to border closures, he says.

James has spent more time and money than ever before advertising harvest roles, including to viticulture and oenology students, in backpacker lodges and on all bulletin boards, and directed to the remaining hospitality staff in the area.

The main pressure is on staff for hand picking, with little of the area suitable for machine harvesting.

James says some blocks that have never been machine picked before now have that option as a backup plan, but in many cases, a handpick is the only option, because of a steep aspect or small size. Two of the blocks he works with, for example, are 0.3 hectares, “so it’s not economical to have a machine turn up”.

James says staff are “trickling” in, “but if we don’t get what we want or quite what we need, then the harvest will be delayed or protracted… we are encouraging wineries to pick early and pick hard”.

In Hawke’s Bay, Esk Valley Winemaker Gordon Russell says they have experienced lower yields, with a general drop of around 20 per cent, due largely to poor flowering.

He says Sauvignon Blanc yields have done better than Chardonnay and the reds, which have small berries and loose bunches. The low yields and lack of rain means there has been no disease pressure, and cooling conditions are creating an enviable ripening period, allowing acids to drop without sugars climbing too high. “There seems no hurry at the moment.”

Esk Valley picked white varieties up to 19 March, and Gordon says the harvest to date has delivered grapes of excellent quality.

He expects wine to be “bright, fresh and pure”.

The labour situation has been manageable in Hawke’s Bay, with viticulture sharing picking gangs with other horticulture industries, he says. “We seem to have been able to get in what we wanted when we wanted it, so it hasn’t been an issue.”

However, that’s also down to a strategic approach, which has seen handpicking tonnages drop slightly, allowing selective machine harvesting to ease some labour pressure.”

At Matawhero, Owner Kristen Searle says tonnages are about average for a Gisborne season “and with great ripening weather it will be a great vintage for Gisborne wines”.

Kirsten says apart from some frost damage at budburst in some vineyards, the season generally has been good and has produced “some exceptional fruit”.

Matawhero began picking on 22 February, which is their earliest start ever.

“The season saw higher growing degree days and heat summation during the season which would have ensured the early pick. We also experienced low disease pressure and good brix, acid and Ph balance at harvest.”

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