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Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay
All too many wine reviews seem to read like a nurseryman’s catalogue, incorporating a seemingly endless list of adjectives. Maybe understandable if the wine deserves it but what about when confronted with a boring wine?
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The Writer’s Block
I first met Brendan Seal when he worked at Denbies Vineyard over in the UK. We had a chat about Bacchus, a grape variety about which I knew almost nothing, to be told by Brendan that he ‘wasn’t sure he knew a lot about it either’.
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Dry River : Autumn Release 2014
Wilco Lam brought the Dry River 2014 Autumn Release tasting to Auckland, so I boxed on over to the Parnell Rose Garden on Sunday morning to taste the newest wines. I should start out by saying I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Dry River Pinot Noir.
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Wine Writers NZ on tour : Day 1
One of our aims, when establishing up Wine Writers of NZ, was to ask if regional bodies would put on tastings, thereby allowing us to get an overall snapshot of the wines without necessarily being beholden to one particular producer. So hats off to Wines from Martinborough (WfM) who stepped forward and hosted the inaugural […]
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Georgetown Wines, Central Otago
Standing on the side of the Kawarau River, it crossed my mind that you really have to think the pioneering spirit of old is still alive and well in Central Otago. Only these days its in the form of boutique vineyard owners rather than gold prospectors
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2013 BusHHawke Vineyard Fiano
When a package arrived from Hawke’s Bay, I was surprised to unwrap a bottle of Fiano. I wasn’t aware there was any planted in NZ but remembered the words of advice given to me when I moved here, ‘everything’s available, you just have to know where to look’.
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Ellero, Central Otago
Leaving the sanctuary of the warm Maude Wines tasting room, we made the short drive down State Highway 6 to meet John Montero, owner of Ellero Wines.
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2013 Bacardi Legacy NZ Competition
No-one was more surprised than me when I was asked to judge the NZ Bacardi Legacy competition. Spirits are an integral part of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust qualifications, but cocktails are not.
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TOSQ Wines, Central Otago
Artisan Winegrowers of Central Otago, a group of six tiny (2000 or fewer cases) committed producers who have banded together to promote their common interest of ‘small batch, high-quality viticulture and winemaking’.