NZ is well-established on a world stage with our flagship sauvignon blanc, but we are also becoming known as a country capable of truly great red wines.
Marlborough, tripping the pinotastic
Marlborough tends to dominate our wine headlines but think pinot noir and most conjure up an image of Central Otago.
Ferment, August 2010
On reflection, I think it was a seminal moment last Friday night when my husband looked at me and said, “I think I prefer the Trinity Hill”
Ferment, July 2010
The news that a Hawke’s Bay winery has gone into receivership with debts of $20 million came as a surprise. It was no surprise that the winery found itself unable to continue in the current economic climate because that has happened to a number of businesses and not just wineries. But I was amazed that…
Ferment, November 2009
Emboldened by my super smooth flight to Blenheim in September, I accepted an invitation from Wine Marlborough to be part of the Wine Weekend and dutifully packed my bags for a weekend of fun. I left Auckland in brilliant sunshine and flew the first leg to Wellington marvelling at NZ’s stunning landscape NZ. Unfortunately I…
Felton Road Retrospective
Let me begin with a disclaimer. This is indeed a flattering review typed after an enjoyable lunch. Oh dear.But having tasted such a stellar line-up of Felton Road’s latest releases (plus some gems from the cellar), I would have to have had no sense of taste at all or be curmudgeonly in the extreme not…
Ferment, May 2009
Whilst many release notes proudly proclaim that the wine in question will‘if carefully cellared, continue to develop and evolve’,one of our gripes is that wineries rarely show older vintages to back up their claims. So hats off to Wither Hills for sending out a trio of wines to celebrate a decade of making Pinot Noir….
Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac
Every now and then you taste a wine that helps to recalibrate your palate… and the 2004 Chateau Pichon-Baron I tasted a week ago reminded me just how classic and complete good Bordeaux really is. Beautifully integrated with ripe, seamless fruit, fine, unobtrusive oak and wonderful length, this wine is still in its infancy and…
Kumeu River 2007 New Releases
Kumeu River winery invites wine writers to taste its latest releases each November and the tasting and accompanying lunch is a highly sought after ticket. It is an opportunity not to be missed as I discovered, not just for the chance to taste through one of NZ’s best winery’s offerings but also to enjoy Melba…
Ferment, February 2009
In the last couple of months I’ve opened countless bottles of wine, mainly for friends and family. Mindful of the glorious weather, the demand hasn’t been for complex, interesting older bottles but for fruity, fresh New Zealand whites, which we’ve drunk outside on the deck, by the beach or over dinner. And without fail there…
TinPot Hut
On a flight to London last month, I sat next to a lady who told me her favourite Sauvignon Blanc was from Marlborough and called Tinpot Hut. (It was a bit embarrassing to admit that I had never heard of it). Fast forward three weeks and I am back in Auckland catching up on my…
Ferment, April 2008
There has been much discussion recently about the merits and motivation of those wineries submitting multiple single vineyard (or similar) bottlings to wine shows with the implication being that they are merely chasing medals (which is a bit disingenuous really as surely this is the very raison d’être of wine shows?). However, there is a…