PHIL PARKER: WHOSE WINE IS IT ANYWAY?
Spring has sprung With signs of seasonal change, for example - waggly-tailed fluffy white lambs in the rural west, magnolia blooms, daffodils, torrential rain, and intoxicatingly fragrant erlicheer flowers, it does appear that finally Auckland is ‘gettin’ springy with it’. (By the way - I always thought that they were called ‘early cheer’ as in - early, cheerful spring flowers). So much for my botanical nominative incompetence. Anyway - this is also, fortuitously, the time when wineries release their new wines on to the market and send out trade samples to wine writers for appraisal. I drink... therefore I am one. Here’s a recent selection. Mudhouse Pinot Gris 2014 $20.00 Pale gold colour. Aromas of lemon squash lime juice. Medium sweet and lush with flavours of spice, quince and poached pear. Time ageing in oak barrels has added a layer of complexity and softer flavours. Mountford Pinot Gris 2011 $29.00 Hailing from Waipara, this is a lush and unctuous late harvest style sweet wine in line with the Vendange Tardive style from northern France’s Alsace region. A mouthful of spiced quince, pear, honey and golden queen peach. Gladstone Vineyard Sophie’s Choice (Oak Aged) Sauvignon Blanc 2012 $35.00 A great ‘savvie’ for those who are put off by the Marlborough acidity. This one has spent 10 months in French barrels. Classic gooseberry and passionfruit flavours with a hint of toasty hazel nut, yet with a crisp finish. Main Divide Merlot/Cabernet 2011 $20.00 2011 wasn’t the best of vintages - with a cooler temperatures and a lot of rain late in the season. Yet, this is a good value merlot dominant blend - with cherry/berry fruit flavours, spicy characters and medium tannins. (PHIL PARKER) F PN
WHAT’S HOT AT SABATO OUR NEAL’S YARD DAIRY CHEESE SELECTION Our cheesemonger, Calum Hodgson, trained at Neal’s Yard Dairy, the famous London cheese mecca - so it is only natural that we would bring some of their hand-selected and expertly cared-for traditional English cheeses to join our range from France, Italy, Spain and New Zealand. Neal’s Yard Dairy and their unique mantra came about when Randolph Hodgson, one of the founders of Neal’s Yard, was sent some samples of cheese by an artisan producer - and he realised that there were people out there, in Britain, making fantastic farmhouse cheese vastly different to the mass-produced cheese on the market at the time - and people needed to know about it! This set in motion the concept of Neal’s Yard Dairy. They pay the best money for the best cheeses, hand selecting from around 50 producers, and they introduce these cheeses to consumers in London and beyond. Customers taste before they buy, they buy from someone who is an expert on the product, and they leave with a delicious product - and now Sabato can offer you some of their amazing selection with the same retail style and an expert resident cheesemonger. Sabato has several cheeses currently in stock, with more on the horizon. Love traditional English blues? The Colston Bassett Stilton and Shropshire Blue are sure to please, or unique Stichelton - made with raw milk - is full of flavour. Sabato also have the world’s three ‘real’ cheddars from Somerset - Montgomery, Keens and Westcombe - smooth, fruity and golden, each with their own personalities. Last but not least, have you tried Hawes Wensleydale? Mild, milky and deliciously creamy it is PN a real treat! F SABATO Limited, 57 Normanby Road, T: 09 630 8751 www.sabato.co.nz
Read Phil’s blog at nzwineblogger.blogspot.co.nz Phil Parker is a wine writer and operates Fine Wine & Food Tours in Auckland. www.insidertouring.co.nz
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
DEADLINE - 20TH OF THE MONTH
PONSONBY NEWS+ October 2014
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