Those of you who watch Country Calendar may have seen Churton Wines on Sunday 28th July 2024.
PRODUCING SOULFUL, ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED WINES FROM OUR DISTINCTIVE HILLSIDE VINEYARD IN MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND
For the past 30 years Sam and Mandy Weaver have farmed the land with a delicate hand, long before it was fashionable, and approached the vineyard with strong ecological values, a focus on biodiversity and adopted biodynamic principles. The wonderful diversity of the property from its mature trees and native bush to the riverbed and pastureland first attracted them to this special place. This is a family farm with three generations living and working on it, a herd of Red Devon cattle, that get let into the vines after harvest at Autumn, beehives, chickens and the family dogs.
Sam Weaver looked at an overview of their property and decided it looked like a side of beef, so all the different blocks are named after cuts of meat!
The reins have now been handed over to the second generation, Ben and Jack, who bring youth and innovation to the Churton vineyard and cellar.
Biodynamic farming allows them to truly express their unique hillside vineyard site and its soil. They learn daily from the farm and are always seeking ways to challenge themselves and convention, experimenting with a traditional approach to winemaking to bring out the best from their vines. They firmly believe that the source of exceptional wines lies in the vineyard.
Their biodynamics involves Microbiology, Macro-biology, Cosmic biology and Spiritual biology, and their wines cover 22ha of their 51ha farm.
They focus on four grape varieties, which they believe are best suited to the undulating hillside vineyard with its north-east aspect, clay soils and specific micro-climate. They are:
Sauvignon Blanc
Viognier
Petit Manseng – they are NZs main producer of this wine, a native to France’s Jurancon area
Pinot Noir
Churton also has a Wine Club if you would like to join.
34 members and one guest attended the evening; tastings and sales were good.
Our presenter for the evening was Brent Linn from Wairiki, and as well as giving a brilliant talk about the terroir of the region and how the wines were different, Brent gave a personalised view of the owner of Petane and his families’ losses from Cyclone Gabrielle where they lost everything. Phil Barber lost his house, vineyard, restaurant, and a neighbour’s brewery; his brother also lost his property. The good news is that they didn’t lose family; all were safely rescued.
Phil Barber continues to make wine, but now the grapes are from neighbours, and the latest batch he is working with is from Gisborne. His wines are worth seeking out.
The different labels certainly made for an interesting evening, and a reminder of the wines we tasted during the evening are:
Wednesday 11th September, 8 pm Start Door Price: Members $12 / Guests $16
This evening is to be presented by Misty Cove’s South African and French-trained Chief Winemaker, Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Bolliger. Manu’s philosophy is simple: get the grapes right and do very little in the winery. When he is not getting his hands dirty in the vineyard innovating their wine program with Acacia wood puncheons, working with new varietals or just getting all-round creative with new styles of wines – you’ll find Manu off the grid, hunting somewhere in the wilderness, or creating his own cheese, cured meats and olive oil at his piece of paradise in Rarangi.
Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Bolliger
Misty Cove isn’t your typical wine brand. Founded in 2008 by New Zealander Andrew Bailey, it’s a story of breaking conventions. Now led by a tight-knit crew team, who blend traditional winemaking with Kiwi ingenuity, crafting bold wines that defy expectations. With vineyards across Marlborough and New Zealand, their wines travel worldwide, embodying their motto, “Wine for Good Times.” They celebrate individuality, encouraging people to forge their own paths and share memorable moments over a glass of Misty Cove Wines.
Our wines for the evening are:
2022 Misty Cove Waihopai
2024 Misty Cove Estate Sauvignon Blanc
2023 Misty Cove Estate Pinot Gris
2024 Misty Cove Landmark Albarino
2024 Misty Cove Landmark Riesling
2022 Misty Cove Landmark Chardonnay
2023 Misty Cove Estate Pinot Noir
Misty Cove Wine Group Limited offers more than just quality wines. The company also boasts cellar door accommodation located in the heart of the Marlborough wine country, away from it all, while still being close to all the good stuff. The accommodation comes complete with a private pool, garden, barbecue facilities, free WIFI, and free private parking.
From the Misty Cove website
Ask any winemaker and they’ll tell you that the flavour and characteristics of a wine shouldn’t be overly influenced by the wood during fermentation. Instead, the wood is intended to support the wine – and merely add a little ‘spice’. It’s a balancing act between the flavours of the wood and the fruit.
Lately, a few winemakers have been questioning the dominating role that oak has played in winemaking. There is the view that by adding something to the wine – that ‘woodiness’ in oak – you’re merely masking or adding too much to the fruit and fermentation.
In walks acacia wood to the scene, who is now unquestionably the new player in town. Winemakers have discovered that judicious use of acacia barrels during production adds floral notes, improved texture and less of a “woody” taste. Thus, the appeal of acacia barrels lies not so much in the flavours they impart but rather the lack of flavours. Compared with oak, acacia’s contribution is mostly textural.
Firstly, it’s native to America and it was brought over to Europe in the 17th century. Its common name is Black Locust tree. And it’s actually a family of the legume, so it’s a legume. Acacia, which comes from forests in northern France, is sawed rather than split into saves, and is now used by a handful of wineries worldwide.
Along with its famous pinot noir, the region also produces excellent riesling wines CREDIT: Getty
The world’s most southerly commercial wine region, Central Otago produces pinot noir considered among the finest on earth.
There are plenty of reasons people from all over the world make the long journey to the southern part of New Zealand’s South Island.
The majestic, jaw-dropping scenery for one – Mount Cook, Milford Sound, the Southern Alps, glaciers and turquoise lakes – and the many opportunities for hiking, kayaking, climbing and (eek) bungy jumping.
I travelled there recently with another main aim – to visit the wineries of the world’s most southerly commercial vine-growing region, Central Otago. To the east of the Southern Alps, close to popular Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu, the Central Otago vines cling to a rugged, rocky terrain. Winemaking only took off here in the 1990s.
Sheltered by the mountains, it’s very arid with hardly any top soil on the foothills, and the weather can be harsh, wind whistling through the vineyards and frosts striking at almost any time of year.
But vines that have to work hard can make the very best of wines, and the nuanced, beautifully balanced pinot noir eked out in this region is considered among the finest in the world.
Mount Cook National Park is home to some jaw-dropping scenery CREDIT: Getty
Sam Neill, the New Zealand actor, owns and is based at his winery Two Paddocks in Alexandra, Central Otago. The most hands-on of “celebrity winemakers”, he tells me half-jokingly that “rational people shouldn’t make wine here”.
‘But,’ he continues, ‘I’ve learned that to produce great pinot, you have to teeter on the edge of viability.’
There’s certainly huge complexity in the region’s hard-won pinots: savoury, spicy notes, a whiff of violets and smoke and something woody-herbal, redolent of the scrubby wild thyme bushes that cling to the hillsides all around.
It’s not just pinot that makes an impact here. Chardonnay and pinot gris can impress but my favourite whites from the region are its Rieslings, usually dry and intensely flavoured with super-fresh citrus and orchard fruit. If you love German, Austrian and Australian Riesling, you really need to try these most southerly ones.
Although very few Central Otago wines make it into the major retailers (the region only produces 3% of New Zealand’s wines), plenty of independent merchants stock a few.
They’re not cheap, as you might expect from a small region with very low-yielding vineyards, but I think the best rank comfortably alongside those from the traditional, long-established vineyard areas of the world.
Peregrine Riesling 2022, Central Otago 12%, Great Wine, £28.85 | $32.00NZD Compelling and beautifully balanced organic riesling, almost dry, and aromatic with lime and lemongrass character and a very succulent long finish. The incisive acidity points to a good “ager”, although it’s delicious now, especially with white fish ceviche.
Two Paddocks Picnic Riesling 2022, Central Otago 12%, ndjohn.co.uk, £19.95; Harvey Nichols, £23 | $36.00NZD Actor Sam Neill’s organic Picnic Riesling is shot through with zesty citrus, and there are notes of green apple and pear too. It’s slightly off-dry and that dab of honey makes it a great match for ham, pork pies and mild cheeses (picnic food then) as well as seafood.
Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago 14%, Waitrose, £29.99 | $47NZD Bursting with juicy red fruits, especially red cherries, this is nonetheless much more than a sweet “fruit bomb” of a wine, with savoury, earthy and spicy complexity and ending dry. Its texture is sublimely soft and silky. I’d drink this with medium-rare duck breast.
Rockburn Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago 14%, strictlywine.co.uk, £38.50 | From $49NZD Down to £29.99 while stocks last, minimum three bottles Rockburn is one to watch. Named after the craggy landscape and with Felton Road ex-winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis at the helm, its wines are distinctively elegant and poised. This fresh, vivacious pinot offers a beguiling aroma of cherries, violets and tart raspberries. Good offer too.
Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2022, Central Otago 14%, Lea & Sandeman, £47.50 | $67NZD Felton Road owns some of the oldest vineyards in the region, dating back to the 1990s, and is part-owned by Englishman Nigel Greening. Its near-cult status is due to pinots like this – inky purple and super-smooth, rich with ripe blackberries and a seam of chocolate, with a dash of woody herbs, especially thyme. Organic, too. Deserves a fine steak.
NOT TO BE MISSED: These are two vineyards you normally don’t see and taste,
Wednesday 14th August, 8 pm Start Door Price: Members $15 / Guests $19
Wairiki Estate was founded by Brent Linn in 2008, but his passion for wine began long before that. Brent’s interest was sparked when he worked in banking, helping winemakers find the funding to plant their vines in the soil and establish their labels. From there, his curiosity about the industry grew.
In 2008, a special property was found on the terraces high above the Garuroro River in the Maraekakaho area of Hawkes Bay. ‘The winery was named ‘Wairiki’ because of the importance of this land. Wairiki means ‘little water’ in te reo, and our land is blessed with a small stream that runs through it in Winter. Our soil, climate and passion for viticulture have brought us here: we’re proud of the results. Our small batch Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are select, special and full of flavour.’
In 2010, family and friends worked together to plant just under 2 hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines. After supplying commercial wineries with our grapes for several years, we grew restless, wanting to see the true potential of our land realised in our wine label. The first Wairiki vintage under our label was released in 2018.’
Feast on the flavour of our handcrafted, small-batch wines. Wines for the evening will be:
Petane is in the Esk Valley and was severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with their vineyard suffering extensive damage. Thanks to the support of their family and friends, community and customers, they continue to create beautiful wines made with love and dedicated to the production of boutique single-vineyard wine. Their wines are unique from vintage to vintage.
To give us an understanding of the quality that these two wineries can produce, we will be tasting the following wines:
Grace White Pinot 2023
Petane Viognier
Wairiki The Matriarch Chardonnay 2023
Wairiki La Briar Rosé 2021
Wairiki The Optimist Pinot Noir 2020
Wairiki The Redeemer Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
Petane Merlot Cabernet Franc
If you want to read about these wines in more detail, you can go to the following websites:
What a brilliant evening! Organised by Wayne and hosted by Michelle Fraser from Clearview, a wine judge in her own right, plus with an extensive knowledge of viticulture and wine making.
Due to illness and holidays, we had only 27 attend the evening, but book your diaries for next year, as this may be repeated with next year’s Gold Medal Winners!
Michelle filled the evening with knowledgeable tips about the different growing regimes, different classes of grapes, the different way grapes are treated/processed, i.e. in stainless steel or oak barrels, skins in or out; plus her sayings that kept us laughing:
ABC – Anything But Chardonnay
Pinot Gris – Puma wine, younger girls juice
Chardonnay – Cougar wine, older women’s juice
Gewurztraminer – how to says this: Girls Get Meaner
She gave us updates on what some of the bigger personalities in the Hawkes Bay area are now doing, with Gordon Russell now in retirement, until he decides what his next project will be. However, his daughters are now up and running through their new brand Three Fates.
This was an evening that was full of surprises, and to those of you who couldn’t make it, the below wines that we tasted are available from New World, The Good Wine Company, and other NZ locations.
Lindauer Special Reserve Rose NV -Gold Trophy from a female wine maker, Jan DeWitt.
2022 Leefield Station Gewurztraminer -Double Gold Trophy for Champion Gertz this is owned by the same family who own NED wines.
2022 Brancott Estate Letter Series O Chardonnay – Double Gold Trophy for Champion Chardonnay + Champion Wine of the Show again a female wine maker, Laura Kate Morgan
2021 Daisy Rock Reserve Pinot Noir – Gold Medal
2021 Esk Valley Artisanal Hawkes Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold Medal sadly Esk Valley is now more, so snap up this one if you like Bordeaux style wines.
We had Pegasus Bay wines presented to us by Ed Donaldson, Marketing Manager, who was informative and entertaining throughout the evening. Our club ordered 109 bottles from Pegasus.
Some of the information he imparted to us was:
Their venture started as a curiosity by Ed’s father, a surgeon 40 years ago.
That they have 40ha now planted in vines.
Their vines are not grafted from root stock.
They used to get grapes for their Main Divide range strictly from other growers/friends, this has now changed as they planted vines in 2008 to cover half this load.
There is seven family members involved in the day to day running of the business.
They export half of the wine they make to approx. 20 countries, including the UK, Belgium, Holland and Australia.
They will be 40 years old next year.
As a reminder of the wines we tasted during the evening:
Main Divide Rosé 2023 – Welcome wine a mixture of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Pegasus Bay 2021 Sauvignon Blanc had less than 15% Semillon added
Pegasus Bay 2020 Chardonnay the grapes for this were foot stomped!
Pegasus Bay 2023 Bel Canto ‘Dry Riesling’ this is a really important grape variety for the area, these grapes are picked really late in the season – Bel Canto translates as beautiful music/singing
Main Divide 2021 Te Hau Pinot Noir
Pegasus Bay 2020 Merlot Cabernet
Pegasus Bay 2021 Finale ‘Noble Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Hosted by Michelle Fraser, Clearview Sales Manager and occasional Wine Judge
Wednesday 10th April, 8 pm Start Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18
Please remember your tasting glasses
Immediately after the Gold Medal Winners from the New Zealand International Wine Show were announced last October, your club set out to acquire 3 bottles of 7 gold medal wines for us to taste this month. April was chosen to do this as that is a time of the year when the wine industry is busy with harvest and thus many wineries are unavailable to present to us.
The beauty of doing this immediately that the announcements were made were two-fold. It meant that the wines were still available and more importantly it also gave us an opportunity to secure 5 that were trophy wines, one of which was also the overall Champion Wine of the Show.
And to help us present these wonderful wines to you all, we have invited Clearview Sales Manager, Michelle Fraser back to help us. You may recall that last year she mentioned that she has been a wine judge but she also comes with an extensive knowledge of viticulture and wine making, so is well placed to provide background and her take on each of our wines that we will be tasting.
The wines we will be tasting are:
Lindauer Special Reserve Rose NV – Gold & Trophy for Champion NZ Sparkling Wine
2022 Leefield Station Gewurztraminer -Double Gold & Trophy for Champion Gewurztraminer
2022 Brancott Estate Letter Series O Chardonnay – Double Gold, Trophy for Champion Chardonnay plus Champion Wine of the Show
2021 Daisy Rock Reserve Pinot Noir – Gold Medal
2021 Esk Valley Artisanal Hawkes Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold Medal
2021 Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah – Double Gold, Trophy for Champion Syrah, Trophy for Champion Syrah & Predominant Blends & Trophy for Champion Commercial Red Wine
Kevin presented to us, with his views on the Marlborough history of wine growing, supplying and the present, as well as his predictions for the future of the area. All very informative and well received, leading to more than a bit of discussion by the members present. An intriguing evening of information and wine tasting.
A reminder of the tastings we had during the evening:
Riverby Rosé 2023 – Welcome wine – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Cicada Gewurztraminer 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Riverby Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Gruner Veltliner 2022
Riverby OVB 2021
Riverby Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
Riverby Noble Riesling 2019 – multiple award winner.
As well as the above, we were offered a small tasting of two of Riverby’s Rieslings:
Sal’s Block Riesling 2023 – this was a dri-ish tipple with 20gm of sugar
Eliza Riesling 2023 [blend of Riesling and sweet grapes] with 40gm of sugar
Both well received, depending on how sweet you like your wines. Kevin mentioned that most of his Rieslings go to the Scandinavian countries in Europe.
This tasting was clearly enjoyed, as evidenced by the 141 bottles ordered from Kevin. Well done.
www.pegasusbay.com Wednesday 13 March, 8 pm Door Price: Members $16 / Guests $20 PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR GLASSES
The Family, mmersed in the wine industry since the early 1970s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making.
The Donaldson family have been seriously involved in wine since the early 1970’s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making.
Associate Professor and Consultant Neurologist, Ivan Donaldson, first became interested in wine when his girlfriend at the time, Christine, gave him a book simply called ‘Wine’, penned by English industry legend, Hugh Johnson.
After travelling to explore the wine regions of Europe, Ivan return home to plant one of the first vineyards of modern times in Canterbury, and to marry Christine, who has been an integral part of the Pegasus Bay story.
The first vineyard was a hobby with Ivan making wine in the garage at home on the weekends. In-between seeing patients at his private practice in the evening and after his shifts at the public hospital. He also started writing a wine column in the local newspaper and was a judge in numerous wine shows around the globe.
By the mid-1980s Ivan and Chris had decided there was definitely a future for wine making in Canterbury. They went on to plant Pegasus Bay with the help of their four sons, who have all ended up working in key role within the business.
Ed will be presenting a selection of wines from their premium Pegasus Bay label as well as some from their Main Divide collection:
Main Divide Rosé 2023
Pegasus Bay 2021 Sauvignon Blanc
Pegasus Bay 2020 Chardonnay
Pegasus Bay 2023 Bel Canto ‘Dry Riesling’
Main Divide 2021 Te Hau Pinot Noir
Pegasus Bay 2020 Merlot Cabernet
Pegasus Bay 2021 Finale ‘Noble Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Wednesday 14th February 8 pm start Door Price: Members $10 / Guests $14
We have lined up for your February Club Monthly meeting an evening with Kevin Courtney of Riverby Estate from Blenheim.
Riverby are a boutique, family owned and run wine producer in Marlborough’s Jackson Road heartland. All grapes are grown on the estate vineyard by descendants of the Matthews family, who have been farming the property for over 100 years. The Matthews farm was called Riverby and the original homestead, depicted on the Sauvignon Blanc back label, is still in use.
On their approximately 70ha vineyard they have three different soil types that allow the family to grow a variety of grapes, and their range of award-winning wines come from individual parcels on that single vineyard. Although not all their wines are made every year, as this depends on the quality of grapes for vintage.
The Riverby name originated from the Opawa River and its tributaries, which meandered through the property. This river was diverted in the 1930s to stop Blenheim from flooding, creating what was eventually to become ideal grape growing land. The rainbow trout on the Riverby label is symbolic of the fish that used to swim where grapes are now grown.
Old Vines Reserve Chardonnay 2020 – Silver Medal NZIWS 2022
They are proud to practice sustainable grape-growing techniques throughout the whole grape-growing and winemaking cycle and are also pleased to be eligible to be members of Appellation Wine Marlborough (AWM) because of their vineyard practices and restricted yields.
In a throw-back to past glories, sheep are used extensively throughout the vineyard to control weeds and grasses.
Wines for the evening:
Riverby Rose’ 2023 – Welcome wine – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Cicada Gewurztraminer 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Riverby Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Gruner Veltliner 2022
Riverby OVB 2021
Riverby Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
Riverby Noble Riesling 2019 – multiple award winner
The evening was well attended, and our presenter was Tim Turvey, winemaker, vineyard owner and the person who had returned tanned from Australia the day before after planting a pineapple plantation.
Tim regaled us with the history of how and why he set up the vineyard, built the house, established a native tree nursery and the expansions through to other regions of New Zealand for the different grapes he wanted to be able to use. He has 28 grape varieties they currently work with, plus a 100-year-old Olive tree that the original property owner, Vidals, planted.
He told us how the ‘White Caps’ range got its name, simply by white caps being the only colour available at the time for the new wines.
Our special treat was the extra tasting of their 2022 Reserve Chardonnay with a big buttery nose and taste from a challenging vintage, so it is in short supply.
The evening was finished with their Sea Red Dessert wine, a nice sweet touch.
A reminder of the wines we tasted during the evening:
