WINE SPRING ISSUE

WineNZ SPRING 2022

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TE MATA SHOWS THE WAY SEIFRIED SOUTHERN LEADER

NELSON REGIONAL OUTLOOK

ORGANIC WINES THE WINNERS

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Contents

WineNZ

I N TH IS IS S U E

SPRING 2022 CONTRIBUTORS

Martin Gillion, Daniel Honan, Anne-Marie Nansett, Louis Pierard, John Saker, Charmian Smith, Vic Williams.

PHOTOGRAPHY Courtesy of Winenz.com Richard Brimer

DESIGN Spinc Media

PUBLISHERS Colin Gestro 027 256 8014 colin@affinityads.com Joan Gestro joanlucy47@gmail.com

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TE MATA WINERY

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NELSON WINE REGION

PO Box 13257 Tauranga 3141

COVER PHOTO: Inside look into Te Mata winery.

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One of New Zealand’s longest established winery, shows its paces from Hawkes Bay.

A sunny region that delivers fine wines and holds its own with its Marlborough neighbour.

SEIFRIED FAMILY WINERY PROFILE

One great read of New Zealand’s longest established wineries in the South Island.

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WINE AND TIME

Learn what’s new and what’s hot in the wine world.

WHO IS TOPS IN ORGANIC WINES

Read about the leaders in this field.

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AKAROA SALMON AND WINE

Learn which wines are great matches.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

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Contents

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58 32 42

TRUFFLES DELIGHT

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NZ GINS

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NIL ALCOHOL

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UP NORTH

From Truffle hunting to truffle dining.

Distilled by design with a distinctive Gin flavour.

When there is nil alcohol; is there a change in flavour?

The Northland wineries.

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Feature | Te Mata

TE MATA ESTATE A NEW GOLDEN AGE Te Mata is one of the oldest and most respected wine producers in New Zealand and with a new generation in charge, it’s certainly not resting on its laurels. Charmian Smith reports on the new developments they are working on.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Te Mata | Feature

Despite surviving the 1931 Napier earthquake the atmospheric 1872 winery, now used for barrel storage, is to be strengthened.

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Feature | Te Mata

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The Bucks’ Athfield-designed house sits in the Coleraine vineyard on the slopes of the Havelock Hills.

stablished in the 1880’s by the Chambers family, the original Te Mata winery and vineyard are the oldest continuously operating in Hawkes Bay, but by the 1970s it had fallen on hard times.

The Buck and Morris families saw the potential for producing fine, long-lived wine in the region and bought the estate in 1974.

Te Mata is still a family company - the fourth family to own the 140 year old estate, and the second generation of Bucks has taking over the governance, management and technical aspects.

“That gives nice continuity for all staff and our clients,” says CEO Nick Buck, son of John and Wendy.

He joined the business after

experience in the wine trade here and the UK, while his brother Jonathan, a man of the land, manages the company’s large Woodthorpe Terraces vineyard and grape sales. The third Buck brother, Tobias, with a background in literature, is sales and marketing manager, establishing an office in Europe to manage northern hemisphere markets. The Morris family is still involved: Michael Morris’s son

With John Buck’s experience in the European wine trade and Peter Cowley as winemaker, they developed the run-down winery and vineyards and their 1981 and 1982 cabernet sauvignon/ merlots won trophies in the national wine competition.

Over more than 40 years Te Mata has continued to engender new ideas and expertise, establishing vineyards in various Hawkes Bay subregions and building an enviable reputation both here and overseas for their Coleraine and Awatea Bordeaux blends, Bullnose Syrah, Elston Chardonnay and Cape Crest sauvignon blanc. Te Mata aligns itself with some of the world’s great family wine estates such as Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

The Te Mata “family” in 2013. From left: Phil Brodie, then assistant winemaker, Wendy and John Buck, Peter Cowley winemaker, Larry Morgan viticulturist, Jonathan Buck. In front from left: Tobias Buck, Nicolas Buck with his daughter Lucie-belle.

Te Mata | Feature

Te Mata Tasting Room.

Barrels in Te Mata’s old winery.

Alistair is chairman of the board and daughter Fiona a director.

Even the third generation is now working there. Zara, Jonathan’s daughter after whom Zara Viognier is named, has joined the marketing team.

As children they were all involved in the family business, living in the remarkable Athfield house John and Wendy built in the Coleraine vineyard, helping in the vineyard and working in the bottling and packing shed during school holidays.

“Bottling is a major performance for us because we tissue wrap every individual bottle [of Coleraine] then put them into these wooden 6-packs and nail them all closed We were always in there over summer and on leave from school and whatever.

We’ve all done it for years,” Nick said.

The winemaking and viticulture teams are also changing with new people learning from the old and bringing their own new ideas. Phil Brodie took over the chief winemaker role when Peter Cowley retired and viticulturist Brenton O’Reilly succeeded Larry Morgan when he retired. Both these ‘new guns’ have serious credentials - Phil now in his 30th vintage at the estate.

However, Te Mata is not resting on its laurels. Nick is leading a spate of new developments, buying new vineyards in

There are plenty of great pinots and we don’t just want to be adding to the pinot noise.

We want one that is going to be identifiably Te Mata and identifiably different and I think we’ve managed to achieve that in the first two vintages. the Gimblett Gravels area, moving towards organics and regenerative viticulture, developing new irrigation technology and other research projects. They have also imported a special clone of cabernet sauvignon used by many of the most prestigious estates in Bordeaux and California.

A new state of the art crusherdestemmer removes leaves, bits of stem and abnormal berries to a higher standard and more efficiently than the old optical sorter. They have reworked the open-top fermenting tanks with a completely updated red wine cuverie and are strengthening

Te Mata Awatea Vineyard 1896.

A set of Te Mata’s iconic Coleraine 1982-2009 at one of Webbs fine wine auctions.

the 1892 winery which survived the 1931 Napier earthquake.

They have also introduced a new wine, a pinot noir made from 20-year-old vines grown on the Woodthorpe vineyard.

“Hawkes Bay hasn’t been regarded as necessarily a pinot noir location and if we make one, we want to make a Te Mata pinot noir. We want it to have some of the characteristics of our other red wines - we want it to have very good structure, very fine substantial tannins and from that the ability to age in bottle. To achieve that we really need vine age,” Nick said.

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Feature | Te Mata

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hen I visited Te Mata last summer, they were just releasing the 2019s, one of a series of four superb vintages in Hawkes Bay, 2018, 2019, 2020 and now the 2021.

Nick says 2019 is unquestionably one of the greatest vintages for Te Mata.

“In the past the gap wouldn’t have been that great but in 2019 there’s a profound difference between [Awatea and flagship Coleraine]. It’s quite a step above. We are thrilled with that.”

Hand sorting.

They made experimental batches from the vineyard every few years, selling the rest of the grapes until they felt the right elements had come together.

“There are plenty of great pinots and we don’t just want to be adding to the pinot noise. We want one that is going to be identifiably Te Mata and identifiably different and I think we’ve managed to achieve that in the first two vintages.”

The first vintage of the Alma and the Estate pinot noirs, 2018, sold out in about two weeks, he said.

Te Mata, like many other fine wine producers, pride themselves as blenders rather than producers of single vineyard wines. They do about 70 or 80 different vinifications from their vineyards in Havelock Hills, Bridge Pa Triangle, Woodthorpe Terraces in the Dartmoor Valley and the two new Gimblett Gravel vineyards, which means there are lots of parcels, each with its own different character to give many options for various blends.

Years ago, John Buck told me that to evaluate a wine producer you should always look at the bottom end of its production as well as the top. While Te Mata’s named wines such as Coleraine, Bullnose, Elston and so on are at the top of their game, their more affordable Estate wines are well made, widely available, very drinkable and good value.

It’s a clever juggling act. While keeping the estate’s focus and reputation on fine, long-lived wine at the top end, their efforts filter down into the regular wine.

However, the Bucks are not complacent about their achievements.

“We’ve got to push way harder. We’ve got avenues we are exploring all the time, we’re going to take this business a long way forward,” says Nick.

“We are very lucky. Mum and Dad did an incredible job, and Pete and Larry and all those guys did an amazing job with this business - and Michael Morris they set up a great business platform and foundation.

But we are selling out of our wines all the time and many markets want to take our wines on, but we don’t want to make more, we want to make them better.

We’ve learnt an enormous amount over the years, but we’ve got way more potential still.”

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

He puts it down to the fine tuning they’ve been doing in the vineyard and winery which has enabled them to extract the very best more precisely.

CAPE CREST 2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC Wonderfully complex with hints of grass and mineral, one of the fine, long-lived New Zealand sauvignons for those who are looking for something with more interest than the usual Marlborough style.

ELSTON 2019 CHARDONNAY A beautifully balanced wine, fresh, slightly nutty, a hint of smoky oak and a long finish.

In my experience, Elston is one of the longestlived New Zealand chardonnays if cellared well.

ALMA 2019 PINOT NOIR One of few pinots from Hawkes Bay, this is a bigger style, oozing plums and other red fruits with savoury, toasty undertones, intensity and a fine structure.

BULLNOSE 2019 SYRAH One of the early Hawkes Bay Syrahs, this hints of black pepper with bright fruit, savoury undertones and the characteristic structure of Te Mata reds.

AWATEA 2019 A cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc blend, this is satisfyingly dense, oozing black currant fruit, intense, textural but elegant.

COLERAINE 2019 Te Mata’s flagship is already delicious with dark, enticing fruit, lively yet savoury, soft but with fine, underlying tannins, with all the length and complexity you’d expect in an iconic wine like this.

Feature | Nelson

NELSON WINERIES STEP UP

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Nelson | Feature

Sunny Nelson at the top of the South Island flies somewhat under the radar compared to Marlborough, its massive neighbour over the hill to the east.

Nevertheless Nelson has many vinous delights, Charmian Smith discovers.

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elson may not have the clout of Marlborough, but it’s not lacking in fine wine with an international reputation. Neudorf, established

by Tim and Judy Finn in the 1970s on the clay soils of the Upper Moutere, ranks as one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed producers particularly for its chardonnay and pinot noir. Others have a history of producing fine wine, including Greenhough, tucked away near Hope, whose chardonnay is well worth seeking out.

North-facing slopes of the Moutere Hills are prime vineyard land, famous for their fine chardonnay.

While some of the older family vineyards have closed, a new generation of small vineyards is emerging, established by people who, after international business careers, decided to return or emigrate to New Zealand and grow wine. Couples like Patricia and Stuart Anderson of Flaxmore, Amber Robertson and Paul Miles

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Feature | Nelson of Riwaka River Estate, and Achim Bauer and Karin Schoch of Kina Beach Vineyard have done their research thoroughly, are happy to get their hands dirty in the soil, have marketing and business skills and aim to produce fine wine working alongside their contract winemakers.

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A common theme to their stories is that they searched the world for the perfect spot for growing grapes and making wine, but surely the beauty of the area and its sunny reputation also had something to do with it.

Nelson is known for apples - in fact, the region’s first modern winemaker, Austrian Hermann Seifried, was brought to New Zealand to make apple wine!

However, he and his New Zealand wife Agnes soon planted grapes and over the past 50 years Seifried Estate has become the region’s largest wine producer.

There’s always been a European influence here, right from the earliest days when a group of Germans settled in the Upper Moutere, originally known as Sarau - there’s still a Lutheran church operating in the village and the pub, founded in 1850 is said to be the oldest in New Zealand.

Beth Eggers of Himmelsfeld, a descendant of one of the early settlers, the Seifrieds, of course, but also David and Ursula Schwarzenbach of who established Blackenbrook some 20 years ago, and newcomers Achim Bauer and Karin Schoch of Kina Beach.

Nelson is known for its aromatic wines. Riesling is a star everywhere, pinot gris is fragrant and the occasional gewürztraminer is well worth seeking out. Waiting in the wings, as elsewhere in New Zealand, is albarino. Nelson examples are delicious, from fresh, crisp styles to more serious, textural wines.

Chardonnay, of course, is a star especially in the Moutere Hills. Nelson sauvignon blanc is more fragrant and generally less aggressive than the Marlboroughgrown version but nevertheless, sauvignon blanc from the Waimea Plains attracts Marlborough producers looking for extra grapes.

Pinot noir can be good, but I also

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Nelson | Feature

1. The Mt Arthur Range shelters the Nelson Tasman vineyards from the west.

2. A magnificent view across vineyards to Tasman Bay from Gravity cellar door.

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Feature | Nelson tasted a few edgy ones that might have benefitted from riper fruit. A few brave souls grow other reds - cabernet franc, syrah, even merlot and cabernet sauvignon, with variable outcomes from delicious to ones that might have been better made into rosé.

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I was struck by Middle Earth’s dense, velvety petit verdot 2020, the only vintage that managed to ripen in the all years it had been planted, according to winemaker Trudy Sheild, and it has now been pulled out. She has also made a silky red pinot meunier hinting of redcurrants with a tight finish. It’s usually a component of methode traditionelle.

Some winemakers age their wines before sale so they drink well on release, most for a year or three, but Himmelsfeld glories in 10 or 15 year old wines.

The Nelson Tasman vineyard region falls naturally into three areas based on the soils: the heavier clays of the Moutere Hills; the loamy, more vigorous soils of the coastal areas; and the stony, free draining soils of the Waimea plains close to Richmond, which are not unlike Marlborough’s Wairau valley soils.

However, Nelson is more humid and has a higher rainfall than Marlborough, according to Blair Gibbs of Middle Earth Wines who has spent much of his winemaking career in Marlborough.

The water table, especially on the plains, can be quite high and many of the Nelson vineyards are dry farmed.

Because the water in Tasman Bay reaches 22-23degC in summer, there is not much diurnal temperature variation, he said.

When I visited the Nelson cellar doors last summer I was disappointed to see that several had closed since my last visit, some no doubt due to Covid, although they may still sell their wine on line.

However, many were open including some winery restaurants, notably the highly recommended Forster’s at Moutere Hills in Sunrise Valley. Harvest Kitchen at Seifried is family-friendly with a menu that ranges from platters and burgers to main dishes. North Eatery at Heaphy

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Nelson | Feature 5

does rather good sourdough pizzas and Rimu’s wine bar at Mapua Wharf also offers pizzas and platters as well as an extensive wine list of Nelson and other wines.

The busy wharf attracts many visitors to its eateries and boutiques.

Jellyfish and Apple Shed do rather more stylish meals and the best coffee is said to be at Alberta’s which is also famous for its pastries.

With its fertile soils, famous sunshine and adequate rain, Nelson Tasman grows many crops besides wine grapes. Around Motueka hops are a speciality. It’s no wonder the area is awash with craft breweries - every pub offers a local craft beer brewed on site or a few kilometres away. In fact I suspect Nelson may almost have more craft breweries than wineries!

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Former tobacco fields and sheds may have been repurposed but apples are still a major crop. Drive down any back road in summer or autumn and you’ll pass stalls selling berries, cherries, stone and pip fruit, vegetables, eggs, olive oil - even kiwifruit, feijoas and avocados!

Nelson is also an important fishing port, and for fresh fish you can’t beat Guyton’s with stores on the Nelson waterfront next to its factory, and in the Richmond Mall next door to the highly recommend Rodrigos Sourdough Bakery, and on its other side, the best retail selection of Nelson wines at Fresh Choice.

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3. Neudorf’s mud brick barrel store.

4. Cyclists on the Great Taste trail catch the ferry from Rabbit Island to Mapua Wharf. 5. Many cellar doors are accessible by bike along the Nelson Tasman Great Taste cycle trail. 6. A massive sculpture at the entrance greets visitors to Gravity. 7. Sculptures adorn many vineyards. This is at Dunbar Estate. 8. Summer lunch in Forsters’ shady courtyard overlooking the vineyard.

The compact Nelson Farmers Market is in the city on Wednesday mornings, but on Saturdays, and in Motueka on Sundays, there are general markets which include some local produce.

Nelson Tasman Great Taste cycle trail winds its way from the centre of the city along the shoreline to Richmond and on to Rabbit Island where you can catch the ferry across the inlet to Mapua wharf.

The trail continues to Motueka and Kaiteriteri then along the inland route, some of it beside or on a road, to a tunnel near Wakefield and back to Richmond. Everywhere there are detours to various cellar doors, breweries and other eateries.

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Feature | Seifried

SOUTH ISLAND LONGEST ESTABLISHED VINEYARD GOING STRONG IN NELSON 18

WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Legendary for doing everything themselves, Hermann and Agnes Seifried have not let up on their work ethic even though Seifried Estate is now the largest producer in Nelson and the three Seifried offspring are fully involved, Anna Seifried tells Charmian Smith

Seifried | Feature Hermann Seifried, now in his mid-70s, is still first in the gate in the mornings and last to leave at night, putting in a solid 60-plus hours a week, according to his daughter, Anna Seifried.

Hermann’s appetite for work is legendary in wine circles. An experienced Austrian winemaker, he came to Nelson in 1971 to make apple wine for the NZ Apple and Pear Board, but two years later was planting his own vines in the Moutere Hills, the first commercial vineyard in the region, and, the Seifrieds claim, the first in the South Island still in existence today. Their inaugural vintage was 1976.

He and his New Zealand wife, Agnes, did everything themselves, grafting their own vines, planting their vineyards, making and selling their wine, and even constructing tanks and other equipment.The many naysayers who kept telling them it couldn’t be done only

spurred them on faster, Anna said.

vines, they grow all their own grapes, apart from two contract vineyards, and have just planted a new one.

“Mum and Dad are very much considered pioneers of South Island wine growing. They got stuck in and did things. The machinery that wasn’t available was made on site.

In the early 1990s the winery and cellar door moved from the Moutere Hills to a large, purpose-built complex on the plains near Rabbit Island and a restaurant, Harvest Kitchen, opened alongside the new cellar door. Now, almost 50 years after its inception, Seifried Estate is the largest winery in Nelson, and the three Seifried children, Chris, Heidi and Anna have all been involved for almost two decades.

“Dad engineered the tanks and self taught himself to weld.

And an engineering friend from Motueka made their first grape harvester which is still in use in a boysenberry farm not far from here.”

That propensity for doing everything in house continues.

“We are one of - if not the only winery in the country who oversees every step of the process ourselves.

We have our own nursery, vineyard development, we look after the grapes, we harvest, we process the grapes here, we bottle on site, we load containers and then we have a sales team in New Zealand.”

“I don’t know what else I would do that would be as interesting and broad, changeable and exciting as wine,” says Anna.

With a post-grad in wine marketing from Adelaide University, she worked in Australia for a few years until her parents offered her a position in sales

With 340ha of producing

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1. Agnes and Hermann did everything themselves - here they are grafting there own vines in 1973.

2. Agnes and Hermann in their cellar door, 1979.

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Feature | Seifried and marketing. If she didn’t take it they’d recruit someone else and if she wanted to come home later there might or might not be a job for her, she said.

about what the foreign currency is doing, how’s that relates to whatever’s affecting sales in different markets. But other than that we operate independently.”

“It wasn’t quite that blunt, but I came home and the deal was I had to do a harvest, get my hands dirty, so I spent the first six months in the winery. Then I spent the next two years shadowing Mum as she started handing things across to me. She did everything before.”

Finding seasonal staff has always been a challenge that has worsened since Covid closed the country’s borders. A big reliance for seasonal staff has been on backpackers on their working holiday visas, as well as groups of RSE workers who would come for a period, and overseas winemakers and cellar hands would to help over the harvest period.

Agnes is stepping back a little, but she is still at her desk - or computer at home - every day looking after RSE (Recognised seasonal employment) and immigration. Hermann now spends much of his time managing the vineyards.

Anna’s older siblings, Chris and Heidi, are both winemakers, Chris looking after the operations side and Heidi, also a part-time dentist, looks after the laboratory and compliance.

“Fortunately - I think for us in terms of our family dynamics we’ve always got on very well.

The three of us are all quite close in age. Mum and dad were working all the time so us three kids entertained ourselves in the vineyard or making huts out of old wine cartons in the warehouse.

“I think we are all have the same work ethic, born of the same ink. It works very well.

Seifried’s in good hands for the next 20-30 years - I hope,” she said.

“We get together about once a week, often on a Sunday night for a family dinner. We all sit down and talk about what is happening this week and who’s coming and who’s away and anything of note that’s happening.

“Conversation is constant, not necessarily about winemaking but when you are really living and breathing wine, then if you are not talking about how the grapes are looking or what they are doing or how that new tractor’s performing, you are talking

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Four of their RSE workers have been with them over two years now because they were not able to return home, and another half dozen are shared with a Hawkes Bay apple firm.

“If labour wasn’t such a problem, if we had people who could help us, the sky’s the limit.

But at the moment our thinking is about harder and smarter and faster. We have quite a lot of technology already.”

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Seifried Estate wine is widely available in retail which has been a saviour during Covid, she said.

The epidemic has also made them rethink their need to travel overseas to visit their markets.

“We’ve had two years at home now and it has certainly made us reflect on the need to return to such frequent travel. While there are definitely advantages to be face-to-face, it has shown some inefficiencies with business activity that can often be done over Zoom” About 50% of their wine is exported, most to the UK, but in the last couple of years, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine had grown into important markets. However, the war between Russia and Ukraine has obviously disrupted that.

Besides the grape varieties widely grown in Nelson such as chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc, the Seifrieds also produce a floral gewürztraminer, a savory syrah, würzer (a fragrant cross between

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Seifried | Feature gewürztraminer and müller thurgau planted on their oldest vineyard Redwood Valley), the Austrian white grüner veltliner, and a dark, rich zweigelt, also an Austrian variety. There’s also the iconic Sweet Agnes riesling, a late harvest riesling that’s left on the vines until the grapes have almost dried, intensifying the sweetness and stone and citrus flavours.

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But it’s their crisp, juicy, tropical sauvignon blanc that’s doing best for them at the moment, Anna says.

“It’s been doing very well in front of the judges, and you can often find it for as little as $16 in retailers. We really strive to make wines that represent value for money, and that we are proud to put our name on,”

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3. Two winemakers in the family: Heidi and Chris Seifried.

4. Hermann Seifried.

5. The Seifrieds.

From left, Hermann, Agnes, Anna, Chris and Heidi.

6. In good hands for the coming decades: the Seifried siblings, Anna, Chris and Heidi. 7. Living and breathing wine: The Seifrieds, clockwise from top right, Hermann, Agnes, Anna, Chris and Heidi. 8. Chris Seifried checks the barrels. 9. Heidi Seifried-Houghton in the laboratory.

10. Seifried Estate’s Cellar door today.

11. Hard at work, Anna and Chris Seifried.

Seifried has several tiers of wine, from Old Coach Road and Seifried Estate which are widely available in supermarkets, to the single vineyard Aotea range and Winemaker’s Collection which they consider the pinnacle of the vintage, but are still under $50. seifried.co.nz

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WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR Wine & Time

Wine & Time

THE LATEST FROM NEW ZEALAND WINE WORLD

RED IS THE NEW WHITE, PINK PERSISTS & SPARKLING SHINES NEW WORLD WINE AWARDS REVEAL TRENDING STYLES AT 20TH ANNUAL COMPETITION

W

hile Sauv and Pinot still have our heart, it appears Kiwi wine lovers are starting to explore new styles and become more adventurous in their tastes.

There have been some notable shifts in the entries to this year’s New World Wine Awards, which begin judging today, including a jump in new Red wine varieties and globally-trending styles like Rosé and Prosecco.

More than 150 wineries and wine distributors from around New Zealand and the world have entered the 20th annual competition, which focuses on finding the top drops under $25 dollars. Each is vying for a spot in the Top 50 winning wines, which will then be available to New World shoppers nationwide.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

“As the country’s most consumer-focused wine competition, entries to these awards can be a great indicator of what wine-lovers and winemakers are getting excited about,” says Co-Chair of Judges for the New World Wine Awards, Jen Parr.

“This class is home to local favourites like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, two varieties that love to grow in the sunny Hawke’s Bay and surrounds.

However, we’ve also seen an increase in ‘New to New Zealand’ varieties like Grenache,

RED IS THE NEW WHITE

Malbec, Petit Syrah and Tempranillo.

This year, for the first time in the Awards’ 20-year history, the Single Variety Red Wine class has eclipsed the iconic Sauvignon Blanc class to become the largest in the competition.

“These are what we call ‘emerging wines’ – meaning they are well-established in other parts of the world, like Spain, France or Australia, but still quite new to New Zealand shores and palates.

“There are more than 180 Single Variety Red Wines to taste our way through, 30 percent more than usual,” says Co-Chair of Judges Sam Kim, who joins Parr in leading the independent panel

“We had some stunning wines come through in this class in 2021 and we are really excited to begin tasting this year’s entries to find the stand outs that winelovers are waiting for.”

of judges.

Ben McNab wins delayed 2021 Young Winemaker of the Year competition

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ongratulations to Ben McNab from Palliser Estate in Wairarapa who became the 2021 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker.

The 2021 National Final was postponed several times due to the pandemic but finally went ahead on 22nd June 2022 at Amisfield winery in the Pisa Ranges near Cromwell, Central Otago.

The other two finalists Jordan Moores Valli in Central Otago and Peter Russell from Matua in Marlborough also excelled themselves with Peter Russell winning the Fruitfed Supplies Speeches and Jordan winning the Villa Maria-Indevin Wine Judging section. All three were delighted and relieved the competition could finally go ahead.

This was the very first time the Young Winemaker National Final has been held in Central Otago and also the very first time someone from Wairarapa has won the prestigious competition. Originally planned as a spring then summer competition, it eventually took place in winter with the snowcapped mountains adding a dramatic backdrop for the day. The finalists undertook a wide range of challenges covering everything needed to be a top winemaker. This included laboratory skills, wine industry knowledge, CAPEX, wine judging and an interview. They also had to prepare and deliver a presentation entitled “What can the wine industry do to reach carbon zero by 2050?” They offered the judges some very well thought out suggestions and plans.

The Awards Dinner was held at another stunning Central Otago setting - The Canyon at Tarras Vineyard. The finalists poured their wines under the stars to welcome the guests, including the NZ Winegrowers Board, before moving inside to deliver their speeches. They each spoke about their favourite wine varietal and how its future looked.

Although a long, tough day, there was a lot of joy as wine industry members from around the country could come together again in such a beautiful setting and support the future of the industry.

Apart from being crowned the 2021 Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year Ben won an amazing prize package which includes a travel grant to visit the Tonnellerie de Mercurey (cooperage) in Burgundy, be an associate judge in the New World Wine Awards and review wines in DrinksBiz magazine.

Ben had competed last spring in the 2021 North Island Regional Competition which takes place in Hawke’s Bay. The 2022 competitions will run throughout September with the 2022 National Final set for November.

Tonnellerie de Mercurey From oak selection and purchase of forests and terroir to stave processing and aging in their Champagne based mill , the custodianship of all wood type and age selections continues to the final barrel’s artisan coopering and toasting at their Tonnellerie in Mercurey, Burgundy.

This programme supports emerging Young Winemakers helping them upskill, widen their network and giving them a platform to share their ideas for the future.

The competition is made possible by all the generous sponsors: Tonnellerie de Mercurey, Booster Wine Group, Crown Sheet Metal, Fruitfed Supplies, Hillebrand, Indevin, Laffort, Programmed Property Services, Visy, Winejobsonline and New World.

PROUD NAMING RIGHT SPONSOR OF

NZ YOUNG WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR +64 3 314 2100

mercureynz@bellhill.co.nz

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23

Wine & Time

PET ~ NAT Words by Joan Gestro

(Some content curtesy of Decanter Magazine.)

R

iding the wave of the natural wine movement, this gently refreshing, often hazy fizz comes in an array of styles to discover and it’s making its mark on wine lists everywhere.

Pet-nat as a style has experienced a new lease of life and has an air of light-hearted enjoyment and fun around it, tied into the (re) emergence of natural wine.

Electric pink, burnished orange, pineapple yellow, ochre, coral, deep ruby, blood red: The possibilities are endless. But always effervescent. Pet-nat­, the now widely accepted shorthand for ‘petillant naturelle’, is a style of sparkling wine with deep historical roots. It’s thought to be the oldest method of making sparkling wine, predating Champagne, hence it’s alternative name: methode ancestrale.

(In traditional-method sparkling wines, the addition of sugar after the second fermentation determines the final sweetness.) Mostly are bottled using a screw on top.

INSIDE THE BOTTLE.

The price points for a PET-NAT is often more approachable compared to Champagne, so it offers vibrant bubbles that can be enjoyed at any time, no matter the occasion.

Spring’s Here!

Time to Wine Down.

There is no official definition or legal status for petillant naturel wines – it is very much an informal label. PET-NAT can be made from any grape variety, in any region of any country in the world.

Fruitiness, freshness and extreme drinkability are usually the desired result. This is aided by the bubbles being more gentle compared to traditional-method (fermented in the bottle) sparklings and by generally modest alcohol methods.

Haziness is a signature trade, and you can expect to find some cloudiness and fine sediment in most, as they are generally unfined, unfiltered and often not disgorged. You might find a little residual sweetness in some pet-nats, as fermentation doesn’t always fully finish in the bottle.

In general, PET-NATs are not meant for ageing and should be enjoyed young, shortly after bottling when the aromatic and fruity flavours are at their biggest and brightest. Flavour and aroma profiles will vary hugely depending on region, climate and grape, but PET-NATs should always be refreshing, fun and frighteningly easy to drink. In the best there is an energy and wildness that lifts the soul.

You can’t make Champagne outside the Champagne region nor Franciacorta outside Franciacorta in Lombardi, northern Italy. But you can make PET-NAT anywhere. By its very nature its inclusive and experimental, and at the moment it’s the right price point to be accessible.

The unpredictability of what you’ll find in the bottle is part of the fun; and when PET-NAT is done well, it is uncomplicated and joyous. A vibrant, animated, exciting PET-NAT, enjoyed with friends, can be one of life’s simplest but purest pleasures.

HUNTERS.CO.NZ | WINE@HUNTERS.CO.NZ | @HUNTERSWINESNZ

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Leading the way in production and innovation of Pet Nat in New Zealand is Senior Winemaker James Macdonald from Hunter’s Wines in Marlborough. Please indulge in his recently released Offshoot 2022 Pet Nat Sauvignon Blanc and 2022 Red Nat Pinot Noir.

Wine & Time

TOI TOI AND COOPERS CREEK MERGE T wo well-known New Zealand wine brands, Toi Toi and Coopers Creek, with a combined history of over sixty years, have recently merged their operations. The companies, who have co-operated on many projects over the last decade, have recognised the shared philosophies of the two founders, Kevin Joyce of Toi Toi and Andrew Hendry of Coopers Creek, and banded together under the same umbrella company, Marlborough Wine Ltd (MWL).

The enlarged operation will capitalise on those shared values -family ownership, creating enduring partnerships, conservation of the environment and quality production from NZ grape regions that are recognised as growing the best expressions of each variety. From a business point of view, many synergies exist; established vineyards and winemaking teams; an experienced local sales team, who are excited at the prospect of representing the Coopers Creek range; and closing the gaps in the export markets. Toi Toi are strong in Australia and the USA and Coopers Creek in both Europe and Asia. This will ensure a truly global representation for MWL. Andrew Hendry will continue to run the Coopers Creek division to provide continuity.

The Toi Toi brand was launched in 2006 by Kevin and Sara Joyce. It has grown today to be one of NZ’s top wine brands, with both Sara’s Rose and it’s Clutha Pinot Noir from Central Otago becoming hugely popular with consumers. Kevin says “Our

Left..Kevin Joyce Toi Toi with Andrew Hendry,Coopers Creek.

focus has always been on producing exceptional wines from the best regions and Coopers Creek produce some of the best wines in the country.

Joining forces with them is a natural progression which we are all very excited about.”

Coopers Creek has earned a reputation for innovation, introducing and pioneering the production of many promising new varieties that have proved ideal for New Zealand’s cool climate conditions over the last twenty years. These have included Albariño, Arneis, Fiano, Grüner Veltliner, Marsanne and Vermentino. This reputation extends to the range of Chardonnay styles it makes, currently five, including the famous Swamp Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay, its flagship white wine since the late 1980s. What has made Coopers Creek unique amongst New Zealand wineries is the depth and breadth of its wine portfolio. As a modestly sized, family-owned producer, Coopers Creek, like Toi Toi, has been making quality wines from many regions including Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Kumeu and Central Otago.

LIME ROCK PINOT NOIR Cameron Douglas review below.

V

ery attractive bouquet filled with scents of fallen leaves and red berries, there’s a fine chalky mineral quality as equal in power as the fruit. Aromas of barrel and bottle age layer in scents of nut and lees, violet and old rose with a whisper of leather and five spice.

Delicious on the palate, silky smooth in a medium weighted expression. Fine tannins and medium acidity, core flavours of red berry and nut, soft smoky wood and old rose. A love wine, ready to drink from 2022 through 2028+.

94 Points Excellent RRP from $39.00

The Cellar Door at Coopers Creek’s home vineyard in Huapai will continue to operate, but with the range of wines offered being extended to cover MWL’s stable of wines. Also, in great news for its many fans, the popular Summer Sunday Jazz concert will continue to run from early January through to Easter.

For more information contact: Kevin Joyce 021 935 849 Andrew Hendry 021 257 8203

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25

Wine & Time

VISIT TO LOCAL WINERY WITH FATHER LEADS STUDENT FROM CHINA TO STUDY AT EIT A trip to a Hawke’s Bay winery with his wine-loving father was enough to convince Kevin Wang to enrol in the Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science at EIT.

“I feel like being here in New Zealand for six years now has definitely changed the way I think, and it has made me more confident.”

However, for Kevin it has been all about the wine.

Born and raised in Beijing, China, Kevin moved over to New Zealand with his twin sister, Helen, as teenagers to attend school, first in Auckland and then at Havelock North High School in Hawke’s Bay.

“I prefer winemaking to growing because I am not really a vineyard person. I think the most enjoyable thing about the degree for me, is that it is a really practical major. Instead of having lectures all day, we do experiments in the lab, make wine in the school winery, as well as taking care of the vines.”

Kevin, 20, says wine is not prominent in the Chinese culture, but the trip to Church Road Winery with his father Ping sparked his interest.

“We wanted to explore the region and ended up at Church Road Winery which I found really interesting. I thought ‘why not try this’ and that is how I decided to come to EIT.” “In China wine is not really a big part of the culture, but it is a good potential market because there are so many people there. I thought that because I am bilingual it would be to my advantage to study wine here and then bring it back to China one day.”

With his sister deciding to study hospitality in Taranaki, Kevin enrolled in the degree programme at EIT’s School of Viticulture and Wine Science in 2020.

“When I realised that I wanted to study wine, I went to the high school career advisor, and he told me there were two options – EIT or going down south to Lincoln University. I felt it was better for me to just stay in Hawke’s Bay and study here.“ It proved to be the right decision as Kevin is poised to get his degree at the end of the

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

“I have really enjoyed studying at EIT. The lecturers are really good, and I don’t feel like they are our lecturers as it is more like talking to friends.”

Kevin Wang is enjoying living in Hawke’s Bay and studying at EIT’s School of Viticulture and Wine Science.

year. It has been a tough time to be an international student, with COVID-19 closing New Zealand’s borders. While he has missed being able to travel home to see his parents, Kevin has loved studying and also gets to see Helen from time to time.

Recently Kevin featured in a marketing campaign by Education New Zealand, the government agency dedicated to helping Aotearoa New Zealand realise the social, cultural and economic benefits of international education.

“I was really surprised to be asked to represent China in the marketing campaign, but I think I am proof that students from China can develop their skills in another country and get involved in the Kiwi culture.”

A highlight of the degree was getting work experience during vintage at the place where it all began – Church Road Winery.

While he is finishing up his degree, Kevin is working part-time at Trinity Hill’s Cellar Door and hopes to continue working there after graduation before heading overseas to gain experience in France and Italy.

There is also a trip home to visit his parents on the cards.

Sue Blackmore, the Head of EIT’s School of Viticulture and Wine Science, says: “The School staff want to congratulate Kevin on doing a great job as an Education NZ ambassador.”

“We are also looking forward to welcoming back students from outside NZ’s borders to enrich the experience for all our students.”.

EIT is now part of Te Pūkenga. Te Pūkenga will bring together New Zealand’s Institutes of Technology, Polytechnics, and Industry Training Organisations to build a network of on job, on campus and online learning.

Wine & Time

SARAH JESSICA PARKER PARTNERS WITH KIWI WINEMAKERS FOR LATEST ‘INVIVO X, SJP’ DROP Invivo and SJP release a fourth vintage of awardwinning Sauvignon Blanc, sharing images of their recent tasting and blending session to celebrate, captured exclusively by fashion photographer Nigel Barker

CHANCE TO WIN A

LIEBHERR WINE CABINET Award Advance Series Undercounter Dual Zone Wine Fridge 39 Bordeaux Bottle Capacity

A

UCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: The Kiwi cofounders of Invivo, Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron, have once again partnered with superstar Sarah Jessica Parker to create the latest ‘Invivo X, SJP’ wine.

Stainless Steel Reversible Triple Glazed Door with Recessed Handle 4 Beechwood Shelves LED Controls and Temperature Display

The partners in wine came together recently at the Baccarat Hotel in New York to create the fourth vintage of their award-winning New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

During their first in-person meeting after two years apart, famed fashion photographer and longtime friend of Invivo Nigel Barker was on-hand to capture the special moment.

“I feel fortunate that I was able to meet my Invivo X, SJP partners Tim and Rob in person after two years apart and together blend our fourth vintage of Sauvignon Blanc,” says Sarah Jessica Parker, Cofounder of Invivo X, SJP. “We were looking to build on the quality of our previous vintages and are thrilled with the result. Each of the base wines had great personalities so combining them to create something special took some work at the blending table. Our final 2022 Sauvignon Blanc blend is tropical and has wonderful fresh citrus aromatics with a full and round mouthfeel and long finish. We are eager for our customers around the world to try it.”​​

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CURRENT RRP $2649

HOW TO ENTER… Send your Name and Email to… colin@affinityads.com Draw will be early 2023

Cabinet supplied by AWARD APPLIANCES.

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27

Wine & Time

AN INTERESTING TASTING OPPORTUNITY IN WAIPARA 2020 DRY RIESLING Price: $29

2020 GEWÜRZTRAMINER Price: 30

Straw colored in the glass. Rich and rather exotic on the nose with peach and rock-melon. The palate is full and textural with a creamy feel supporting a range of citrus fruits. Long fresh palate perfect for food pairing. Alc 14.20% RS 7 g/l

Light lemon in color. Gently floral showing lychee, Turkish delight and subtle vanilla bean on the nose with fresh stonefruits and musk balanced by ripe fruity acidity. The perfect wine to enjoy with cheeses or lightly spiced meals. Alc 13.5 % RS 18 g/l

2020 SAUVIGNON BLANC Price: $29 Cameron Douglas 92 Points Dec 20

2020 CHARDONNAY Price: $32 Cameron Douglas 90 Points Feb 21

Pale in the glass. Aromatically intense with typical Waipara Sauvignon characters of feijoa, thai basil and background stonefruits. The palate shows ripeness and intensity with yellow peach, passionfruit, lime and lemon verbena. A beautiful wine to pair with seafood and light meals. Alc 13.5% RS 4 g/l

A rich fruitful wine with lots of tropical aromatics of pineapple, guava and mango with citrus, and elements of butter and biscuit base with Almond skin. The palate is long and mouth filling, showing a subtle oak presence and balanced wine. Perfect for drinking now, or will cellar happily for 8-10years... Alc 14.5 % 2020 CHARDONNAY RESERVE Price: $50 Golden in color, this wine shows off its time in barrel. Aged in American bourbon barrels for 13 months this wine displays sweet vanilla, white peach and apricot with a smoky charred undertone. The palate is luscious with toasted butter and caramel characters interlaced with charcoal. Drink now or cellar for 5 years.

2020 PINOT NOIR Price: $36 Cameron Douglas 93 Points May 21 Fresh, fruity varietal and youthful bouquet of PN. Aromas of fresh red and black cherry, plum and mineral. Layers of wood spices, toasty barrel and mineral add complexity and charm. Very

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

youthful on the palate with a tense firm texture, chalky tannins and acidity then reflections of the boquuet with red berry fruit flavors. Needs some time in cellar to integrate and harmonise with best drinking from late 2022 through 2028. Alc 13.5% 2018 PINOT NOIR Price: $38 Aromas of red & forest fruits with rose petal, iron filings and earth.

The palate is vibrant, Moorish & long with flavors of wild raspberry, cranberry & vanilla with delicate mineral acidity. Bottled unfined & unfiltered. Enjoy now or through to 2025. Alc 12.5% 2020 PINOT NOIR RESERVE Price: $70 Cameron Douglas 92 Points May 21 This 2020 Pinot Noir was fermented in specially imported American oak barrels from Jack Daniels distillery. Smoked red berries, baking spices and toasty French oak aromas lead to flavors of dark cherry and raspberry compote, damson plum and clove. Firm tannins and acidity need time to integrate and resolve into harmony. Fruit flavors stay strong on the palate adding power and length. Best to cellar this wine till 2023 then drink through 2028+.Alc 14 % wine to pair with seafood and light meals. Alc 13.5% RS 4 g/ l

These Prices are for Takeway Bottles only.

Wine & Time

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29

Wine & Time

PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD

"BEST AUSTRALIAN WINERY" WINEMAKER’S NOTE Good winter rain allowed soil profiles to be full, giving the vines a great start to the growing season.

Remarkably cool summer followed, providing perfect conditions for healthy vines to produce fruit with high natural acidity and concentrated flavours.

One of the better vintages of the last decade.

and Sevenhill. Made exclusively with free run juice, our aim is to capture the flavour of the individual sites with minimal winemaking influence being evident.

A warm dry growing season, followed by 60mm in January and one of the coolest February’s on record resulted in small crop levels with a high concentration of flavour. As a single vineyard wine, this is an excellent showcase of the unique expression of Shiraz grown on our Polish Hill Rever Estate.

A combination of inoculated and spontaneous natural fermentation on skins for an average of 14 days in open vats. Gentle cap

management using compressed air to protect aromatic qualities of the wine.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION Fruit Source: Estate Grown Variety: Shiraz Vintage: 2020 Region: Polish Hill River, Clare Valley Fermenation: Spontaneous and inoculated ferments, Maturation: 12 months in French barrique, both new and seasoned Alc/Vol 14.5% pH 3.52 TA 5.87 g/L

Appearance: Brilliant pale straw with green hues.

Variety: Riesling Vintage: 2021 Region: Clare Valley Fermentation: 100% free run juice, neutral yeast, stainless steel on lees for 3 months prior to bottling Alc/Vol 11.5%

TASTING NOTES Appearance: Dark cherry red.

Aroma: Complex and inviting. A mix of black cherry, brambly red fruits, mulberry and blueberry. Aromatic spices develop with time in the glass.

Palate: The mix of red, blue and black fruits are hallmark Eastside. Presenting plush and juicy on the mid palate, the acid structure elevating the red fruit. It ‘rolls’ over the palate seamlessly from front to back.

Pikes Wines is grounded by family. From brothers to sons, since 1984 when the Pike family first stepped foot on Polish Hill River soil and decided to make wine together.

Our site is unique, with tough acidic soils overlaying ancient dark grey siltstone of the Kadlunga Slate formation, which has lay beneath Polish Hill River for 650 million years.

Our wine style is elegant and refined, yet approachable. A style

WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

TASTING NOTES

Fruit Source: Estate & Growers

ABOUT PIKES

30

pH 2.93 TA 8.22 g/L

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Fruit sourced from our own estate in Polish Hill River, and growers’ vineyards in Watervale, Leasingham, Mintaro

WINEMAKER’S NOTE

RS 4.6 g/L

Aroma: Bright expressive aromas of perfume, citrus blossom and fresh lime dominate with a talcy/mineral note evident. All the hallmarks of an excellent vintage.

Palate: Crisp acid driven wine, plenty of fresh lime and other citrus flavours. More delicate than recent years, the balance of palate weight,

acid and barelythere sweetness creates a seamless and lengthy finish.

Delicious.

Summary: This release marks the 37th vintage of Pikes Riesling and is one of the best of the last decade. Refined, concentrated yet delicate, and perfectly in balance.

A true reflection of the cooler vintage, this wine will stand the test of time. Drink now or cellar for 10+ years. Perfectly matched with freshly shucked South Australian oysters.

Careful selection of oak provides a fine grained, savoury tannin structure that merges with the bright acid core to create a long, balanced finish.

Summary: Clare Valley Shiraz is produced in a spectrum of consistent wines from the variety, the best of which are balanced and approachable. The ‘Eastside’ is delicious to drink upon release and will reward cellaring for next 7-15 years. Try with smoked brisket.

that has been forged over many years by geology and geography, viticultural learnings, and a hands-off winemaking approach. A style that celebrates this special place we call home Pikes Tasting Room 233 Polish Hill Road, Sevenhill, South Australia 5453 T 08 8843 4370 | W pikeswines.com.au Tasting Room: 10am - 4pm Daily Slate Restaurant: 12pm - 3pm, Thur-Sun

Wine & Time

AUSSIE SHIRAZ COMING TO AN OUTLET NEAR YOU

2019 SHIRAZ BAROSSA

The Pepperjack range is a tribute to the Barossa’s rich heritage. Our winemaking team has respect for traditional winemaking techniques, yet is also dynamic and imaginative. Pepperjack winemakers are conscious of modern wine styles and create wines that reflect our passion for this special region.

A

fter crushing and destemming, the parcels of fruit were fermented separately in traditional style fermenters. The wines were gently pressed, racked and transferred to seasoned and new oak for 12 months maturation, before blending and bottling.

GRAPE VARIETY Shiraz (96.3%), Cabernet Sauvignon (3.0%), Other (0.7%) WINEMAKING & MATURATION This wine is matured in a combination of seasoned and new oak barrels for 12 months.

COLOUR Rich, dark red with a

dark purple rim.

NOSE The nose shows rich concentration of black and blue fruits, ripe blackberries, dark chocolate and rich mocha note. Hints of spice and integrated oak.

PALATE The palate is rich and plush with good structure. There are concentrated layers of blackberry, plum and blueberry fruits with soft layers of tannins to give length and finesse while finishing soft and full of flavour.

VINEYARD REGION Barossa (100%) VINEYARD CONDITIONS The 2019 Barossa

vintage started dry and continued that way. The Barossa experienced lower than average rainfall for the entire growing season while also have the coldest September which delayed budburst. A warmer October and November allowed vine growth to catch up. A dry winter, frost events in late September and early November along with windy conditions at flowering contributed to lower than average yields across the district. December and January were warmer than average and January experienced 11 days over 35 ºC. Thankfully February was cooler allowing

for ripening and flavour development to occur at a similar rate through to harvest.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS Harvest Date: MarchApril 2019 pH: 3.56 Acidity: 6.1 g/l Alcohol: 14.5% Residual Sugar: 0.0 g/L Peak Drinking: This wine can be enjoyed now but will also improve with careful cellaring.

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31

Feature | NZ Organic Wine Awards

T

he Aotearoa NZ Organic Wine Awards is an independent wine show committed to discovering and promoting New Zealand’s best organic wines.

2022 is our ninth year of operation. Once again the number of entries has grown, signifying the huge momentum NZ Organic wines have.

The New Zealand Organic Wine Awards is not affiliated with Organic Wine New Zealand, or Wine New Zealand. We are however members of OWNZ and strongly support the work that they undertake. Furthermore we resolutely agree with OWNZ’s stance on certification for organic vineyards. All wine submitted to the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards must be produced from 100% certified organic or in-conversion grapes.

We thank our sponsors Riedel New Zealand and Fisher and Paykel. Without your support the awards would not be possible.

Our judges remain impressed with the exceptional standard of

wines entered to the awards.

I’m heartened to see the continued growth of the organic wine sector in New Zealand. The momentum is well and truly with us, and long may it continue.

Our entry rates increased for the ninth consecutive year, however the rate of growth has slowed. This could be as a result of fewer wineries reaching the end of certification and becoming eligible to enter. Numbers of wineries and vineyards undertaking certification tends to be in clusters, presently there are a large number of vineyards early to mid-certification and respectively fewer achieving certification within the previous 12- 18 months.

Winery entrants were up 4%, and total wines entered up 8%.

A number of wineries that have previously entered wine have chosen to expand their entry to encompass more wines. This could be to capitalise on a good vintage, build on existing success, or as more vineyard is converted to organic. This continues the

trend we have experienced in the previous three years awards.

A few previous entrants chose not to enter, in the main, timing was the issue. The entry is around harvest time and small wineries are very busy, as well as a time many wineries have lower stocks of wine. Our plan is to bring forward the awards for 2023, which will launch in January.

The dominant region (in the form of champion wines) shifted this year from North Canterbury to Central Otago, claiming 5 of the 8 available champion accolades.

For 2022 we issued 8 Champion, 31 Gold (excluding champions), 56 Silver and 68 Bronze. Organic Wine growing allows for greater expression of terrior, vintage as well as characteristics not typically associated with a varietal, we believe this impacts the judging of top performing wines, particularly when judging complexity elements, which increase the score, pushing more wines into to the ‘gold bracket’.

It is also worth noting that the entry standard for the Aotearoa

We believe organic viticulture creates the potential for a winemaker to craft a superior wine.

Our goal is to increase the market share of New Zealand’s organic wines domestically and internationally.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

NZ Organic Wine Awards | Feature Organic Wine Awards tends to be higher than many other awards, owing to the fact that many ‘Premium NZ Wineries’ are also organic.

This logic correlates with over-representation of organic wineries in lists such as Real Review Top Wineries and the NZ Fine Wines selection. We did award less gold medals in 2022 than previous years, however this is likely due more to refinement and maturity of our consumer based judging model than a change in the quality of the wine.

We uphold a strict threshold for gold, silver and bronze medal wines, to ensure that consumers can be assured of a top quality wine from a gold medal winning wine, as well as from silver and bronze. Many great wines are not awarded a medal, however we want to assure our consumers the very best of what New Zealand’s organic wines have to offer.

PINOT NOIR Once again Pinot Noir was the largest varietal category, increasing almost 15% on previous highs.

8 Gold medals were awarded to Pinot Noir’s, 5 from Central Otago, and 3 from Marlborough.

The gold medals were awarded to wines vintages between 2017 and 2020. Our Champion Pinot Noir for 2022 is Amisfield’s Breakneck Reserve Pinot Noir 2019.

SAUVIGNON BLANC 6 Sauvignon Blanc’s were awarded gold in 2022. SB entry volumes were consistent with the last two seasons. Of the 6 gold medals, 5 are from Marlborough wineries and 1 from Nelson. The champion Sauvignon Blanc is Tapi’s Sauvignon Blanc 2021.

RIESLING The volume of Riesling entries are the higest we have seen, ending the downward trend for Riesling entries. 4 Riesling’s were awarded Gold medals this year.

The Champion Riesling was Amisfield’s Dry Riesling 2020.

PINOT GRIS The volume of Pinot Gris entries dropped slightly this year, continuing the downward trend of the past few years for entries in this class. 3 Pinot Gris’ were awarded gold,all heralding from Central Otago. This year’s Champion Pinot Gris is Quartz Reef’s Bendigo Pinot Gris 2021.

CHARDONNAY Once again, Chardonnay was our third largest varietal class, close to rivalling Sauvignon blanc numbers. 6 Chardonnay’s were awarded gold. The Champion was Seresin’s Chardonnay 2021.

ROSE Rose entries were consistent with last years entry numbers.

The concentration of entries was focused in Central Otago. We awarded 3 gold medals and the champion rose is Amisfield’s Pinot Noir Rose 2021.

SYRAH Syrah entry volumes were up slightly on previous years.

Gold medals were issued to 4 Syrah’s, from Marlbrough and Nelson regions. The 2022 Champion Syrah is Giesen’s Organic Syrah 2019.

RESULTS NZ ORGANIC WINE AWARDS ‘RIEDEL WINE OF THE SHOW’: TAPI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 When it comes to wine of the show, our judges like to select a wine that stands out from its varietal class. The Tapi 2021 Sauvignon Blanc achieves this as a standout wine amongst a highly competitive varietal class.

Tapi are a lesser known brand in NZ, based in Marlborough, with wines predominantly available in Australia.

NZ ORGANIC WINE AWARDS ‘SUSTAINABLE WINERY OF THE YEAR’: WRIGHTS VINEYARD AND WINERY The Sustainable Vineyard of the Year accolade recognises where a winery has excelled above and beyond SWNZ requirements,

and organic certification, including social responsibilities to sustain and improve the local environment.

Wrights continually seek to improve their practices, and seek out new initiatives. Their current projects include native planting, composting, on-premise vegetable gardens for use at the cellar door, sponsoring and support of local community initatives and activities. Wrights are a shining example of how a winery can add benefit to the local area, both economic and social, whilst running a healthy, organic vineyard.

NZ ORGANIC WINE AWARDS ‘RIEDEL WINERY OF THE YEAR’: AMISFIELD A second time champion of the Aotearoa Organic Wine Awards, Amisfield first received the Winery of the year accolade in 2020, and follow up in 2022.

Receiving three champion accolades, for Pinot Noir, Riesling and Rose. Amisfield push the boundaries both in their onsite resturant and in the winery, the rewards for these efforts are evident.

CHAMPION WINES The below wines have been awarded champion status as the highest scoring wine within their varietal class.

• Champion Pinot Noir: Amisfield Breakneck Reserve Pinot Noir 2019 Champion Sauvignon Blanc: Tapi Sauvignon Blanc 2021 • Champion Riesling: Amisfield Dry Riesling 2020 Champion Pinot Gris: Quartz Reef Bendigo Pinot Gris 2021 • Champion Chardonnay: Seresin Chardonnay 2021 • Champion Sparking: Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Vintage Rose 2016 Champion Syrah: Giesen Organic Syrah 2019 • Champion Rose: Amisfield Pinot Noir Rosé 2021

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33

Feature | Rudi Bauer

LEAVE WHAT YOU HAVE IN BETTER SHAPE

C

ertainly some such wines have a sense of “somewhereness” or their own “turangawaiwai” - a Maori concept, taken up by

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

About a quarter of Central Otago vineyards are now run organically or biodynamically, and this, it seems, enables a wine to be able to speak of its terroir, to express its place to the aware taster.

New Zealand winemakers, of “a place to stand” or how a person’s sense of themselves is shaped by where they come from.

rabbit proof fence surrounding the lush vineyard.

When Rudi first developed Quartz Reef it was a stony, weedy desert just as it still is beyond the

“I was so overwhelmed by the site, a lack of water, too many weeds and lots of wind, the 3

Initially, against his principles, he applied herbicide.

Rudi Bauer | Feature W’s hit me hard. Also it was very difficult to work the land because there were so many rocks in the soil.”

However, biodynamics was always on his mind.

“I was nine years pregnant with the idea but I just didn’t have the confidence and I felt too scared to fail,” he said.

However, in 2007, encouraged by some friends, he made the call and converted the whole 30ha vineyard.

“There was no tiptoeing. It was a big breakthrough to have three people with the same philosophy and understanding and it gave me the comfort to make the change.”

The goal was not just to eliminate the use of chemical sprays and fertilisers but to promote the health of the soil and in turn the health of the vines and quality of the wines.

At the time, he explains, the soil had no fitness because the rabbits allowed little to grow and there was no organic matter. The composts and other preparations since applied to the soil have made the vines more resilient.

“If you work within the biodynamic guidelines you leave what you have in better shape and you increase your awareness. We need to understand this is a northern hemisphere philosophy and not everything applies to the south.

Ideally what we aim to do now is to incorporate native plants that can achieve the same thing.”

So what actual change did it make to the vines and wines?

“It’s tricky to put the finger on the pulse. Not only do the vines get older, we as people have more knowledge,” he says.

“I used to say that with Quartz Reef wines the structure was a bit like stainless steel - the strength of it, but now stainless steel has been replaced with titanium, which is much smaller, much slimmer, but has the same strength, so you are no longer seeing these beams. You see very fine lines and this is reflected in

more finesse and also I think a more precise expression of the land itself.”

It takes time for a vine to get its roots down, for the winegrower to get to know the different soils within their vineyard and their effects on the grapes and resulting wine. Quartz Reef’s vines are now 21 years old and Rudi is producing a single block pinot, the gold label Royal series named after Austro-Hungarian emperors.

“We always have isolated the various blocks, but this seems to be unique in its own right and now we need to learn a bit more about it,” he said.

The soil at the steeper end of the vineyard is different from the rest and produces a different wine. A “rock salad”, he calls it, with several types of large rock in the sandy loam left by a glacier several thousand years ago, whereas the soil in the rest of the vineyard is finer gravels and clay.

The first single block releases from the glacial soils is Franz Ferdinand 2015 ($120). It’s more assertive and powerful, though still with the dark fruit, spice and chocolate, balance and length characteristic of the other pinots, but perhaps with more innate strength and harmony.

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Feature | Amisfield

TRULY ORGANIC A s part of that process they have converted their 92ha vineyard, planted on the slopes above Lake Dunstan in the late 1980s, to organics over the past few years.

Winning the Vineyard of the Year award at the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards in 2020 - Amisfield Lowburn Terrace riesling and Breakneck Reserve pinot noir were also champions of their varietal classes - was a matter of great pride and confirmation they were on the right track, he said.

The vineyard, spread over 92ha of slopes and gullies, offers several different aspects and soil types which can contribute to differences in the fruit grown there. With organic viticulture the blocks are expressing their individuality more, offering different characteristics in the fruit which, with care, can be conveyed in the wine, he said.

“As the blocks are converted to organics, they start to shake off the uniformity and start showing their individuality.”

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

One block that differentiated itself early, even before the organic conversion, was Rocky Knoll, a rocky hump with both north and south facing slopes that not only produces fine grapes but also has its own indigenous yeasts, different from in the rest of the vineyard.

Another is Block 7 on the gentle slope near the winery which was the first to be converted to organics about 7 years ago. The award winning Breakneck Reserve pinot was made from this block.

“The flavours in the fruit [of Block 7] are clearer and more vibrant which is exciting. It shows we are definitely on the right track,” says Greg.

Assistant winemaker Ben Leen says organics is giving them a different relationship to the place.

“The differences between the blocks is more apparent in the grapes. It’s less monolithic as a consequence. The nuances are more apparent,” he says.

Amisfield | Feature The whole team was involved in solving some of the problems that arose during conversion. It was spread over several years to minimise the dip in production that vines go through in their first year of so of the new regime.

While conventional and even sustainable growers spray herbicide under the vines to keep down the weeds, organic growers have to solve the weed problem in a different way. The Amisfield team cultivates under the vines to remove weeds, but they are also moving the irrigation lines from along the vine rows to the centre between the rows. Not only does this deprive the under vine weeds of moisture, it provides water to the inter-row plantings during dry summers and also encourages the vines to extend their roots out and down towards the moisture, which is good for their health and the flavour of the grapes.

Inter-row planting of a variety of companion plants such as clover to fix nitrogen, and others that attract beneficial insects, encourage the soil microbiota and aerate it with long roots, is an important aspect of organic viticulture.

Viticulturist André Lategan has dug a “rootarium” between two rows. This hole, about a metre or so deep and lined with glass, allows them to observe vine roots spreading as they reach for the moisture.

Before conversion the vines had no competition, but under the organic regime they are competing with the companion plants which makes the vines stronger and more resilient to pests.

Instead of commercial fertiliser, compost is now used.

“Walking the block and spreading compost by hand enhances your affinity with the place and you pay more attention,” says Ben. “Now Block 7 has density and concentration you can see other blocks are about to get. There’s an unquantifiable dimension to the organic vineyard,” he says.

“It takes more care and attention and costs more but the results are not only in the wines but also philosophically. I feel more of a vigneron, closer to the growth of the vines. It feels good to walk though the vineyard - it feels right now. When I saw a sprayed weed under the vine it didn’t feel right,” he said.

WINES There’s so much more to try than pinot noir in Central Otago, especially at Amisfield.

Compare the fragrant, lively dry riesling and the awardwinning intense, crisp and luscious Lowburn Terrace.

Three sauvignon blanc, the fresh, gooseberry sauvignon blanc, the richer, minerally fumé style and the intriguingly complex, honeyed noble sauvignon.

Chenin Blanc is a special rarely found except at the cellar door - fragrant and fresh with hints of crisp apple don’t miss it if it’s available.

And of course you can’t miss the spicy, red-fruited pinot noir - there are usually several vintages to compare at the cellar door, and if you are lucky they may have one of the reserves open as well.

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Feature | Akaroa Pairing

AKAROA SALMON

WINE MATCHES AKAROA Harbour is home to AKAROA SALMON.

A

karoa Salmon have been farming in the cold, clean waters of Banks peninsula for nearly 40 years. Over that time, they’ve mastered the art of raising King Salmon without any antibiotics, hormones or other nasty chemicals. If you’re over that way you can get their salmon straight from the wharf as the boat returns- the freshest salmon possible to pair with your favourite tipple.

Here are Vic Williams wine matches with Akaroa Salmon.

HERB AND SPICE CRUSTED BAKED An easy way to cook salmon for a group, simply place on the table and share Ingredients ■

1 salmon fillet around 800g, skin removed

■

2 ripe tomatoes

■

1 small red onion finely diced

■

A little salt and pepper to season

Slice tomatoes and lay them on a baking dish roughly the same shape as the salmon fillet.

Sprinkle over the chopped onion and season with a little salt and pepper.

Season the base side of the salmon then place onto the onions and tomatoes rounded side up.

 Serve with a salad, new seasons vegetables etc.

SALMON STEAKS WITH VIETNAMESE STYLE CARAMEL



Serve with steamed rice.

This style of cooking combines the refreshing fragrance that gives Vietnamese food its fame, the use of caramel probably introduced by the French Colonialists.

The sauce can be made ahead of time and the dish finished as required.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

4 salmon steaks or fillet pieces The Caramel ■ ■

5 tablespoons white sugar 5 tablespoons water plus 2 cups water

Akaroa Pairing | Feature The crust ■ ■

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

2 slices toast bread 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika (plain or smoked) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chilli flakes ½ cup chopped fresh green herbs such as parsley, fennel, dill, thyme, mint etc.

2 teaspoons salt flakes A good grind of black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil

In a food processor make breadcrumbs with the bread. Place them in a bowl. Add and mix in the spices, salt and pepper, then the herbs. Lastly add enough of

the olive oil until the mix is a sandy texture.

Place the mix evenly over the salmon, pat down a little, gently to keep them in place. Keep aside, and heat oven to 200˚c.fan bake.

Place the salmon in the middle of the oven Cook for 10 minutes, turn oven down to 150˚c.cook another 10 minutes, turn the oven off, open the door to cool and leave the salmon tto rest until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, using two flat spatulas transfer the baked fillet to a serving platter.

NAUTILUS MARLBOROUGH ALBARINO 2021 Albarino, widely grown in Spain’s Galicia grape-growing region, is little-known in New Zealand, but local viticulturists and winemakers believe it has exciting potential. This impressive example has an appealingly herbaceous edge that ties in nicely with the breadcrumbbased coating on the salmon, while its oily texture is echoed by the fish itself. Lively but nicely integrated acids give each mouthful a moreish zing that perfectly complements the fish.

■

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Method

■

1 small red onion diced

■

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Place the sugar and 5 tablespoons of water for the caramel into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly until it begins to colour, firstly to a sandy colour then to a deeper brown. As soon as it reaches a golden syrup colour, take off the heat and pour in the water. Bring back to the boil then keep aside.

■

■

3 garlic cloves fresh garlic crushed and diced 3 tablespoons Vietnamese or Asian fish sauce

■

1 tablespoon soy sauce

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4 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

■

1 teaspoon salt

■

½ red chilli finely sliced

■

■

2 tomatoes, blanched, skinned, seeded and finely diced 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To garnish ■ ■ ■

A handful of fresh coriander 4 spring onion greens sliced 8 cherry tomatoes or one diced tomato

DE LA TERRE RIDGELINE VIOGNIER 2017 Checking the ingredient list for this Asian-inspired dish suggested that it should be partnered with either Gewürzrtraminer or Pinot Gris, both of which often feature a hint of ginger in the bouquet and on the palate. Both worked well, but we found the happiest symbiosis when we poured a glass of Tony and Kaye Prichard’s tastefully balanced Viognier. Gently floral on the nose, the wine expands on the palate to suggest ripe Beurre Bosc pears edged by a savoury note reminiscent of Chinese five-spice powder. One of those traditional spices is cinnamon, a suggestion of which can be spotted in the wine’s finish. This lovely wine brought the match to a whole new level.

Fry the onion in the oil until nicely coloured, add ginger and garlic, fry a little more then add all remaining ingredients including caramel, cook rapidly for 5 minutes.

Keep aside.

Heat a little oil in a pan, place in the steaks, cook them a little, then turn them and pour over the sauce, simmer to complete the cooking, around 5 minutes.

Sprinkle over the garnishing coriander, spring onions and tomato.

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Feature | Akaroa Pairing

AKAROA SALMON BARBECUED WITH SUMAC AND PEPPER These are Middle Eastern inspired flavours, all preparations of the recipe can be prepared in advance. Perfect for a summer evening.



SERVE with cous cous, labna and pomegranate molasses dressing.

Ingredients Vic Williams has been writing and broadcasting about wine and food for more than 40 years.

For three consecutive years Vic joined a panel of international wine and food luminaries including Britain’s Robert Carrier, the USA’s Fred Ferretti, Thailand’s Ken Hom and Australia’s Terry Durack and James Halliday to judge Hong Kong’s best restaurants, and for 15 years he was New Zealand wine consultant for Cathay Pacific Airways. At home, he acted as Cellar Director for the New Zealand Wine Society for the 28 years from its inception until its closure in 2019.

Vic’s contribution to the wine and food scenes in New Zealand has been rewarded with a Lifetime Achievement award from the hospitality industry’s Lewisham Foundation and the Sir George Fistonich medal as a ‘Legend of New Zealand Wine’ from the International Wine Show.

BUY DIRECT FROM AKAROA SALMON

4 x 150-170g salmon fillets 2 teaspoon sumac 2 teaspoon crushed peppercorns (black or mixed) 50m good olive oil Labna ■ ■

■

¼ tsp sea salt 150g Greek unsweetened natural yoghurt 1tablespoon lemon juice

Cous cous ■

1 cup cous cous

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30ml olive oil

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1 cup onion and carrot cut into fine dice

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3 garlic cloves crushed

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Rind of 1 lemon finely grated

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250ml boiling water

■

¼ cup chopped parsley

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50g butter

A few salad greens or green

HOT-SMOKED AKAROA SALMON WITH GAZPACHO AND AVOCADO The gazpacho can be made a day in advance so an easy one to put together.

Ingredients

■

½ telegraph cucumber 3 teaspoons New Zealand olive oil

■

40g Hot Smoked Akaroa salmon

■

■

2 ripe Hass avocados

■

Gazpacho ■

■

2 teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar or good wine vinegar

1 red capsicum, charred and peeled

■

1 teaspoon Spanish paprika

■

½ a teaspoon of salt

4 small tomatoes blanched and peeled (250-280g)

■

Couple of pinches of white pepper

■

A pinch of cayenne pepper

A slice of lemon and a few freshly picked garden herbs Blend the capsicum, tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, vinegar and paprika to a smooth consistency, pass through a fine sieve and add ½ a teaspoon of salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper. Adjust to your own taste.

To serve place some gazpacho onto plates, then using a teaspoon scoop out small avocado portions, and place natural broken pieces of the smoked salmon onto plates. Garnish with fresh herbs (chervil is excellent) along with a slice of lemon.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Akaroa Pairing | Feature vegetables of your choice, I have used snow peas in this dish.

Break up with a fork mixing in the butter, check seasoning.

Dressing

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses mixed with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Labna

Mix together the yoghurt, lemon juice and salt Salmon

Sprinkle a little salt over the skin side of your salmon fillets and keep aside Cous cous

Heat the olive oil, add the diced vegetables, garlic and salt, cook until softened, take off heat, add cous cous, mix in boiling water and lemon rind, cover with a lid or cling film and leave for 5 minutes.

To finish and serve

Place the salmon skin side down on your barbecue plate, sprinkle the sumac and pepper spice mix onto the flesh side. When the skin is crisp, around 5 minutes, turn the fillets over for just 30 seconds or so.Take off the heat.

Warm the cous cous and spoon onto plates, place a salmon fillet onto each, then add a few small spoons of labna and a generous spoonful of dressing. Serve the snow peas or vegetable of your choice and sprinkle over a little more sumac and pepper mix to spice the dish up a little.

TE KAIRANGA JOHN MARTIN PINOT NOIR 2020 We like to partner red wine with salmon whenever the opportunity presents itself, as it definitely does here. It doesn’t work if the wine is tannic, but open a bottle of something fleshy but softly spoken and all the right boxes are ticked. This instantly appealing Pinot has the variety’s classic dark berry and spiced cherry aromas in abundance, but it is the richly textured taste profile that seals the deal. Enjoy!

TE MATA CAPE CREST SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020

 Serve as a light lunch or an appetiser dish around the festive season.

Capsicum, tomato and cucumber are three fresh-faced, upfront ingredients that play nicely with our most famous wine style, Sauvignon Blanc. So far so good, but factor in the mouthcoating attributes of the salmon and oiliness of the avocado and we realise we need something extra. Enter Cape Crest, made predominantly from Sauvignon Blanc but also containing Semillon and a little Sauvignon Gris. The big point of difference, however, comes from the wine’s fermentation in new and used French oak, and it is the resulting faint smokiness behind the rich, fruit-filled primary aromas and flavours that help make it a standout with the salmon.

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Feature | Truffles

Truffle hunting getting started.

TRUFFLES:

HUNTING THE FABULOUS FUNGI There are black flecks in my glass of bubbly, nothing to worry about, though, as they’re meant to be there, a striking and unusual way of highlighting truffles.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Truffles | Feature

I

t’s winter in Canberra, celebrated with the region’s annual festival when restaurants, vineyards and truffières celebrate the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum).

The rather ugly lumps, a bit like dirty puffballs, are known as black diamonds not only for their high prices but their ability to lift food from commonplace to Cartier.

Trying them for the first time at Mount Majura Vineyard, it’s appropriate that I am given truffle-enhanced brie and darkflecked honey. After all, the cheese originated in France, where the best European black truffles are grown in the Périgord region.

Two truffle-decked Italian dishes – risotto at Contentious Vineyard and onion-potato Frico at Agostinis in the Canberra’s East Hotel – are reminders that Italy is another of Europe’s important producers, although their white or Alba truffles (Tuber magnatum) are considered a bit inferior by T. melanosporum growers.

Black truffles grow exceptionally well in parts of the Southern Tablelands near Canberra, on the roots of oak, hazelnut and holly trees.

Dismiss thoughts of tossing spores on the ground around an oak tree in your back garden and making your fortune.

Australia and New Zealand have hundreds of native ectomycorrhizal fungi, some edible but no substitute for the European types that give us the prized delicacy.

As a result, it is necessary to buy trees certified as inoculated with truffle spores, to ensure the local fungi don’t beat off the moneymaking ones.

Trees must be grown in very alkaline soils, so growers may spread tonnes of lime each year to get the right pH level.

Hot summers and cold winters are essential for the formation of truffles, which is why they do so well in this.

The next requirement is patience, as it takes at least three years to get saleable truffles.

Having flagged the idea of making $3500 a kg from truffles, I concentrate on enjoying a truffle hunt, preceded by the Blessing of the Truffle Dogs at Tarago Truffles.

Owned by Denzil Sturgiss, his wife Anne and son Matthew, Tarago’s hunt gives in-depth insight into truffle farming and harvesting.

Walking through a chemical bath to keep bugs out of the plantation precedes the search.

Even the 20 or so dogs have to have their paws washed, a proceeding most take a very dim view of.

The canines are not, as I expect, rare French or Italian breeds but allsorts that share the ability to sniff ripe truffles as much as 30cm underground.

I spot a couple of Jack Russells, a chocolate Labrador and several “bitzers”, most of them rescue dogs.

Table of TePuke truffles.

I fall in love with them all and reflect that they never would have ended up in animal shelters had their former owners realised their latent talent and that a welltrained truffle dog can be worth $A10,000.

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Feature | Truffles

FLAVOURS OF PLENTY FESTIVAL INCLUDING TASTING THE FABULOUS FUNGI….TE PUKE TRUFFLES

O

ff to Te Puke; Our group visited three impressive businesses; each offering great tastes and entertainment. 1st stop Mystery Valley where the golden-green oil being pressed made me salivate, expectantly went along to an oil and duka tasting- came away with a few purchases, as you do.

Our next adventure; Te Puke Truffle farm. Jed, the very highly priced truffle hunting pooch, was set loose in the orchard to do his stuff, by owner Colin. Jed, tail wagging, set off sniffing for a truffle, which can be easily mistaken for an ugly clump of mud, nevertheless fetching eye watering prices! Jed sitting on his haunches at each fruitful spot awaits his treat from ‘his staff.’’

Chef comes with enviable talent with a French accent… ooh la la.

The food, was to die for!

Mystery Valley Produce has its home in New Zealand’s sunny Bay of Plenty. David and Patsy bought their small property in 2006. All produce is grown with the application of natural homeproduced compost and the minimum application of sprays.

In 2014 they upgraded a shed to make it a fully compliant and registered food production facility, and bought an olive press, an Enorossi Oliomatic 250.

‘It has been both exciting and fraught to press our own olives and to press for other people. We owe much gratitude to Bert for his patient advice and to Olives NZ for their pressing courses.’ David says.

97 Mystery Valley Road, Te Puke Bay of Plenty, Pongakawa 07 533 1553

Te Puke Truffles.

Complimentary truffle tastings everything from salt to cheese, butter to popcorn. Since 2015, owners Maureen and Colin, have been harvesting some of the best quality truffles in New Zealand. Do go to their lifestyle farm for a once in a lifetime experience and hunt a truffle.

We loved watching the action as truffle hunting dog Jed sniffs out a black Perigord truffle at the height of the truffle season which only lasts from late May through to end July. The truffière is a short 5-minute walk from the house.

Te Puke Truffles - 298 Maungarangi Road, Paengaroa.

The Trading Post: We headed off to The Trading Post for a Degustation at a beautiful little French bistro just a 5-minute drive from the truffle farm. The wine match was prepared by Florent Souche sommelier at Hippopotamus Restaurant in Wellington.

Delas Pays d’Oc Viognier with the Olive & tomato Bread.

Albarino Martin Codax with the Octopus salami.

We were treated to warm homemade bread smothered in truffle butter and came away with a few truffle goodies. A must to visit.

Cotes du Rhone Perrin Natures Blanc for the Parsnip velouté with truffle.

Our long-awaited stop; Degustation at The Trading Post.

FRV100 Terres Dorees for the Calisson dessert (Maison Vauron)

Wine match prepared by Florent Souche sommelier at Hippopotamus Restaurant in Wellington. The resident French

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Madiran Origines 2017 Aydie for the Lamb confit.

The Trading Post French Bistro, 1 Hall Road Paengaroa, RD9 Te Puke 3189 info@ thetradingpost.nz

Feature | Distilled by Design

Distilled by Design

Hogarth - Gin Alley.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Distilled by Design | Feature

Gin: Mothers’ ruin to the gin palace A very brief history of gin

By Gilbert Peterson and Dee Harris

G

in at the beginning was a drink to calm the nerves and warm the soul, but it was also said to have medicinal properties helpful to those suffering from conditions like gout, gallstones, and kidney infections.

Gin originated in Holland in the 1300s, as far as history can tell us, first known as Genever. It was made from malt wine with a 50% ABV (alcohol by volume) and herbs added to make it more palatable with the juniper berry coming to be the primary preferred herb of flavour.

During the Thirty Years War from 1618 to 1648 which involved a large number of European countries fighting mostly over religious differences between the Roman Catholics, Protestants, and other Christian doctrines, British troops who had taken up fighting on the side of the Spanish were introduced to gin dispensed to help keep them warm in damp weather while fighting in the Low Countries. The soldiers called it “Dutch Courage.”

It seemed effective in calming down jittery soldier nerves before a battle.

there into a uniquely British concoction. King Charles I bestowed sole rights to members of the Worshipful Company of Distillers to distil the spirit in London and Westminster. Not only did it become an alcoholic drink of choice but had the major side benefit of using up surplus corn and barley. By 1680 King Charles III – often referred to as William of Orange - further encouraged distilling by allowing anyone who posted a public notice and waited 10 days, to make gin and offer it for sale.

The making of gin was cheap, and it produced an inebriation much to be desired especially

by the poor with very little else to look forward to. Gin became so popular it was sometimes paid as part of a worker’s wages.

Inevitably drunkenness became a huge problem.

And lethal ingredients such as turpentine and sulphuric acid were often added to the distillation process to keep production costs down.

A clue to its popularity in Britain was a sign in a gin shop proclaiming: “Drink for a penny, dead drunk for two pence, clean straw for nothing” - the straw being in a back room where a dead drunk could collapse for the night.

TAKEN TO BRITAIN About this time gin found its way to Britain and developed

The Salisbury, Harringey by Danny Robinson.

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Feature | Distilled by Design

NZ’S OLFACTORY LIBRARY

To celebrate and itemise the range of possible olfactory enticements, Kate Galloway and David Ramorteau of Hastings Distillers have created an olfactory library somewhat similar to that used with perfume making, They categorised gin flavours into nine subsets with over 300 different botanicals, which demonstrate the level of sophistication that New Zealand gin distilling has achieved in recent years.

MICRO SUCCESS

In March this year a tiny distillery in Thames owned by Daniella Seuss and Paul Schneider went up against many large producers to take out the Best in Country award with two of their flagship gins: Awildian Coromandel Dry Gin and Coromandel Mānuka Gin, proof indeed that micro distillers can produce exceptional gin.

NOT ONLY IN NEW ZEALAND

Gin Palace, Barton arms, Birmingham.

Gin acquired the name “Mothers Milk” as well as “Mothers Ruin”; mothers would quieten their babies with it, or on occasion abandon them in order to drink themselves into a stupor. Some children were born deformed due to the high toxicity of gin in their mother’s bodies, and if not the mother, the father might become alcoholic to the extent he was unable to contribute towards his family needs.

ENTER SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Eventually various taxes and regulations were imposed to address public drunkenness and help maintain gin quality. A tax was charged per gallon with a license fee charged to make it. Between 1729 and 1751 eight Acts of English law were passed to regulate gin but it wasn’t until the late 1700s that beer took over as the drink of choice by the lower classes, and by the 1830’s beer was being sold free from licensing laws while gin went upmarket and entered the realm of the gin palace.

By the 1920s gin was the desired drink in the “cocktail age”.

Cocktails based on gin were staple on cruises and at dinner parties as it became the preferred and

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

desirable drink of the socially elevated classes.

Over the centuries gin has enjoyed periods of greater, and lesser popularity, but by 2018 the sale of gin in the UK had overtaken whiskies and liqueurs.

IN NEW ZEALAND British migrants coming to New Zealand over the years helped popularise the tonic locally though until recently gin most of our gin was produced in Britain and imported. But entrepreneurial Kiwi gin makers became intrigued to explore what our unique botanicals could add to the taste sensation; unique flavours feted in gin began to pop up in many micro distilleries.

Now New Zealand has around 100 distillers making gin. Most produce very small batches, but with a keen interest in finding innovative ways to add to the flavour. The broad flavour categories include juniper, savoury, spice, floral, earthen, herbal and citrus, but within these categories are a myriad of flavour distinctions, and to a batch of gin a wide variety of flavour enhancing botanicals may be added.

Gin making has become a newfound art around the world where, even up alongside the biggest brands such as the well-known British names such as Beefeater, Bombay and Gordons, a range of New Zealand made international gins compete to take the honours; brands such as Reefton, Scapegrace, and Rifters; and alongside them to boot, Larios of Spain and Malfy from Italy.

GIN CLUB

In support of all this popularity gin clubs have been popping up, where many of the smaller producers’ blends can show off their product tastings and what have you. Some micro distillers are selling their gin at their local farmer’s markets, and many are available online.

The gin tasting experience is also on offer at some restaurants, with lavish bars – reminiscent of the pretentiously decorated gin palaces and pleasure boats of the 1920s perhaps but without quite so much of the ostentation.

Today gin has become an established lifestyle drink, associated with entertainment, travel, an adventurous sensory experience that only a swanky gin cocktail in an even swankier setting can put out on offer.

In the Next Edition of Wine New Zealand we’ll profile several of New Zealand’s top gin makers: What are their stories? What led them to begin with gin, their successes to date, and ambitions for the future.

Distilled by Design | Feature

KIWI GIN: CHOOSING THE BEST FROM THE BEST

By Gilbert Peterson

W

LITTLE BIDDY Reefton Distilling Co intertwines not one but several intriguing tales, a backdrop to a gin taste founded on the history of the town and the distillery itself. Their signature gin, Little Biddy, is in tribute to a diminutive, pipe smoking gold prospector, Bridget “little Biddy’ Goodwin, who lived thereabouts over a century ago with her two blokes. You can taste the historical auhenticity.

Picture Little Biddy, if you will, preferring her frequent gin tastings right there, made with local water divined by twin brothers, the distillery’s local brand ambassadors Nigel and Steffan MacKay. “If we could bottle them we’d be the most successful distillery on the planet,” says Patsy Bass, the company’s founder.

Other features giving Reefton Distilling Co an edge she says, are “our people and our drive to astonish.” Besides “the West Coast is so proud of ‘their’ distillery, that it feels like we have the whole region cheering us on.”

There’s a third tale, naturally enough, how Patsy Bass, a coaster herself, initiated this gin making enterprise in the west coast town. Developing a distillery far from New Zealand’s big population centres represents quite a risk.

ith the best will in the world, tasting every one of the most luscious gins now made in New Zealand– from about 100 distilleries! – would clearly be a challenge. So how do you choose? Which one should you make your own signature brand? Your go-to beverage of choice, to offer to friends to impress them? Is there a way to narrow the field? There just might be.

It’s a given our kiwi gins, made with pristine kiwi water and carefully selected local ingredients are among the world’s best. The international accolades prove it. But any one of them will cost well north of $70 to find out, so let’s consider another way to identify the best of the best.

What I did first was an online search then narrowed it down to some I most liked the sound of. Searching forever is exhausting and reading the reviews less than fruitful - virtually all are favourable, and perhaps rightly so. But what I did was make my choice based on the stories the distillery told.

It might seem a bit fey to choose a tipple by the story told about it but think for minute about how the stories tell of the passion and intensity a distiller brings to their task. A compelling, engaging story signals their heart is totally into the making of their beverage. Their gin would surely be well worth my investment.

The first-round turned up a top three: Little Biddy from Reefton Distilling Co on the West Coast, Dancing Sands at Takaka, and Curiosity Gin from The Spirits Workshop in Christchurch.

Patsy with Little Biddy Gin - Snow.

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Feature | Distilled by Design homecoming. It’s always been in my blood.”

She says a top gin distiller needs to have a great palate “for creating and identifying sensational flavour profiles, and innovation for coming up with new and exciting flavour profiles that are market relevant.”

Science and/or food training qualifications too are hugely valuable to understanding the distillation and other processes required to refine spirit to hit the ‘magic’.

When Covid closed the borders, Patsy said, Reefton did exceptionally well with record numbers of visitors. She adds it is only since the borders re-opened we’ve seen visitor numbers drop off. “But we anticipated this.”

“We wanted to create employment in my small, rural hometown, and offer another reason for people to visit and to stay,” Patsy says. “They say ‘once a Coaster, always a Coaster’ and I still had family and friends here, so it was a warm

Dancing Sands Cellar Door.

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Looking to the future Patsy says “We are just finishing the commissioning of our new, larger distillery on the edge of town. And our Moonlight Creek single malt whisky will be going into cask in the next few weeks which is an enormous milestone for us.” Reefton Distilling Co has as well several new exciting products coming to market in the coming months. (www.reeftondistillingco.com)

DANCING SANDS Dancing Sands in Takaka is pure romance, a love story involving the business couple themselves as well as with Golden Bay itself, a magical place, where water from Te Waikoropupu Springs is said to be the clearest, purest in the world, where the beaches are beautiful, and a place which Dancing Sands co-founder Sarah Bonoma says, “keeps us focussed and constantly inspired.”

Dancing Sands takes its name from the Springs and its water from the aquifer beneath the town. “Water quality is vitally important,” she says.

Sarah and co-founder Ben are indefatigable innovators.

Who would have thought to add manuka, saffron, chocolate or wasabi root growing in the nearby river, to gin? They did, and keep on winning international awards, upwards of 50 so far.

At first Ben and Sarah only wanted to set up their own business. By pure chance Ben found a still for sale to see them leave Wellington and the corporate world behind. When they first went to Takaka, they took

Distilled by Design | Feature along their 10 day old daughter, and with her the new venture was born.

“A reset for both of us,” Sarah said. “We have certainly never worked harder than in the last six and half years. We love what we do.”

Sarah admits the early Covid years were rough, but “with hindsight it’s been positive,” she says. “New Zealanders supported local tourism; now it will be interesting to see whether there is a return to the pre-Covid pattern of busy summers and quiet winters.”

To make fine gin Sarah says a lot of patience is required. “You need to be willing to try and fail.

Some recipes work; many don’t.

It’s the same for running the business. You need tenacity,” an attribute she is quick to confer on partner Ben. “It’s a wonderful community here in Takaka,” she says. “There’s always somebody in our team (of seven) who knows somebody who knows how to do things.”

Looking ahead Dancing Sands has a new 700 litre still on the way. Sarah says that will allow them to return to making vodka and rum again as they did in the earlier years.

“New Zealand produces some amazing food and beverages,” she adds, and we aim to match them with quality over quantity. (www.dancingsands.com)

CURIOSITY GIN At first the intention of the four colleagues who set up The Spirits Workshop in Christchurch was to make fine malt whisky from the world’s best barley grown in Canterbury utilising the best local water.

The four chaps would meet at monthly board meetings and once that wrapped up, they would savour a dram or two, lamenting the lack of a locally made single malt to assist the fellowship. So they pooled their resources, acquired a still, and began making their own. But fine whisky requires at least five years

Botanical Foraging.

to mature. Meanwhile in the UK a massive explosion in gin’s popularity was underway and our lads thought, while waiting for the whisky, why not make gin?

and New York and locally.

Anthony notes with satisfaction that, along with the Distilled Spirits Aotearoa Association, they founded the local spirits Awards.

Says Antony, the company’s chief executive, “we could make an instantly variable product and wouldn’t have to wait five years to enjoy it.”

He is also quick to mention the success of Gindulgence, the local gin festivals running at least annually in Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington and Auckland.

Auckland’s turn again comes around again in the first weekend of November.

Curiosity Gin was underway. To start with “we were distilling it in my kitchen,” Antony said. “In 2016 we were the 8th Kiwi gin maker in the market,” he said, and making their own base spirit from grain.

“We still do for two of our gins,” he says, though at least 99% of all New Zealand gin makers buy in their base spirit, ethanol. Antony says distilling your own base spirit adds 10 times the cost per litre.

But when we first started we got the branding all wrong, he says. “After rebranding and relaunching in 2019 sales went up 1000% in one month! The bottle has to catch your eye.”

Their success has been matched internationally with Gold Medals in San Francisco

“Giving people the opportunity to taste the product is important,” he says.

Today The Spirits Workshop employs five full time staff with several others part time. www.thespiritsworkshop.co.nz.

All of our three Kiwi gin heroes distribute nationwide – there’s a stockist near you - Liquorland, Super Liquor, Glengarrys, Henrys and so on.

The stories our gin distillers tell do indeed differentiate between the products they make, and you can see much more about each of them on their websites.

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Food | Food & Wine Events

FoodHuka & Wine Events | Food Lodge | Feature

Food & Wine Events Marlborough Wine group region Major eventS ➽

Wine and Food Festival

eventS For the reSt oF neW ZealanD ➽

(February)

➽

Young winemaker of the year

(January- February)

➽

(September)

➽

Cellarbration (October)

➽ ➽

➽

hokitika Wildfoods Festival (March)

➽

bluff oysters Food Festival (May)

Wine Show (October)

north Canterbury Wine and Food Festival (Waipara valley) (March)

Cellar door of the year (October)

Central otago pinot noir Celebration

➽

hawkes bay Wine and Food (June)

➽

Wellington on a plate (August)

➽

Whitianga Scallop Festival (September)

➽

toast Martinborough (November)

➽

Waiheke Wine and Food Festival (Date unknown)

➽

Craggy range (November)

➽

taste of auckland (November)

➽

pinot noir new Zealand Christchurch (February 2022)

➽

Wellington Wine & Food Festival (February)

➽

north Canterbury Wine & Food Festival (March)

➽

Wairarapa Wines harvest Festival (May)

➽

ripe Festival Wanaka (March)

These are mostly annual events with dates being as accurate as possible.

Please Google for updates as they are posted by organizers of events.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022 www.winenzmagazine.co.nz

49 53

Bright, round and fruity with a creamy smooth finish Toi Toi Gisborne Chardonnay From our sun-soaked vineyards in Gisborne, comes a generosity of flavours including Golden peach, citrus and fig. Beautifully complemented by the creamy round finish Chardonnay lovers adore. Bring our wine to your sense of occasion.

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Advertorial | Te Pūkenga

TE PŪKENGA

A NEW ERA OF LEARNING FOR INDUSTRY Like strands of harakeke being woven together, our work-based training organisations, institutes of technology and polytechnics are joining together to become Te Pūkenga.

T

e Pūkenga will be Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest tertiary education provider. It will create better ways of learning for industry, focused on where our workforce needs to be, now and in the future.

As one, national network, Te Pūkenga will provide flexible, career-focused learning that fits around the learner’s life – on-thejob, on campus and online vocational training.

WORKING FOR EVERYONE Te Pūkenga will be the cornerstone of a cohesive, sustainable vocational education system that helps improve wellbeing for all New Zealanders, and supports a growing economy that works for everyone.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

It will help New Zealand move to a vocational education system that puts learners in the centre.

CLOSER TO INDUSTRY Te Pūkenga will work closely with industry and business to understand their needs. Directly aligning the training we provide with the needs of employers and their staff.

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encouraged to stay connected with their whanau, culture and communities as they work and learn.

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Feature | Low Alcohol Wines

A NEW FACE FOR THE NEW ZEALAND WINE INDUSTRY; WINES WITH LESS, LITTLE OR EVEN ZERO ALCOHOL Research and Words Martin Gillion

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

“A

rose is a rose is a rose” wrote Gertrude Stein in 1913 in one of her disjunctive, modernistic poems, ‘Sacred Emily’ She was a widely followed, Paris-based, American poet, dramatist, art collector and confidante of the of ‘glitterati’ of her day. Her salon was frequented by the likes of Picasso, Hemingway, Scott-Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Henri Matisse and the like.

The most quoted line from the poem, ….‘a rose is a rose is a rose’ …. has been reprised throughout the years as an expression of the immutability of things, especially those that are precious or beautiful or both.

By contrast, many things these days seem to defy any idea of immutability; the ‘techie’ community brings us countless examples. Has anyone seen a cassette recorder lately?

Most definitions of ‘wine’ require the fermentation of grape

Low Alcohol Wines | Feature juice or other fruit juices, as a prime requirement and many would query the notion of calling a liquid with no discernible alcohol a wine in any shape or form!

But as one store owner remarked, “The wines are not necessarily cheap. Technology and winery management costs add to the price rather than making it less expensive.”

ingredients for some of the world’s most celebrated wines.

Their wines often rejoice in their modest sweetness and match it with threads of mouth-watering acidity.

The difference seems to be that the low/zero alcohol product began as a fully fermented wine and thus is entitled to the nomenclature.

But while technology lies behind the ability to produce low/zero alcohol wines, the underlying process is not new.

Winemakers have always controlled and managed alcohol levels.

And indeed winemakers such as Marlborough’s John Forrest have emulated such practices to produce outstanding wines in the German style.

So is a rose still a rose even if it has had the perfume removed artificially?

Irrespective of what we purists may think, there is no denying the increasing popularity of wines marketed as ‘low alcohol’ (usually under 1%) or ‘alcohol removed’ wine with similar alcohol levels.

There are now separate sections for low/zero alcohol wines in local and international shows and New World supermarkets have established separate presentations for them in their stores.

Super ripe Chardonnay cannot reasonably handle the 15 -16% alcohol that modern yeasts and improved processing can produce. And at 16% - around the time even super developed yeasts die - even the most sturdy Shiraz struggles.

Some measures that control alcohol are natural.

Speak to a producer of German Riesling and you will be told that cool climate viticulture, lower sugars and smaller crops are the prime

In some cases lower alcohol, early harvested wines, are blended back into the latercropped versions thus achieving lower alcohol wine with similar characters. Many of these are marketed as ‘lighter’ and will carry around 9% or 10% alcohol.

But recent times have seen the growth of sophisticated techniques to produce wines where the alcohol has been greatly reduced or eliminated almost entirely. It is these wines, usually branded as ‘zero’ alcohol or ‘alcohol removed’ that are becoming increasingly popular.

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Feature | Low Alcohol Wines However the arrival of these has been no rush of blood to the head.

In 2007 more than twenty NZ wineries joined a $17m government and industrysupported project dedicated to assessing the practicality and appeal of low alcohol wines.

The results have been more than encouraging, not only in New Zealand, but also, most importantly, in offshore markets such as the USA and the UK. Marlborugh’s Giesen Estate is one of the most advanced in their production of alcohol removed wines and both winemaker Duncan Shouler and marketing manager Angela Flynn point to a yearly growth of more than 500% in the US and comment that the New Zealand market is indeed promising.

“The style has gained enthusiastic acceptance from some sections in this country,” says Angela. “And it is significant that the New World Wine Show has created a separate category for low alcohol wines and has supported them with considerable in-store marketing.”

There seem to be a number of reasons for this low alcohol enthusiasm.

In a recent NZ Listener feature Paul Little posited that social mores have changed and being unable or unwilling to consume quantities of alcohol at social gatherings has become more acceptable.

And of course admonishments from the medical profession concerning the dangers of foetal damage in pregnancy when alcohol is consumed has changed some behaviours.

Most importantly people have learned to measure their alcohol intake if they aim to drive.

But wineries deciding to go down the low alcohol highway is not without risks.

The technical requirements are complicated and not cheap.

A spinning cone installation (see box out) requires a serious investment and currently Giesen

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Group is the only New Zealand winery that has installed one. It’s a move that Duncan says gives them complete control over the whole process. “Much in the way we control all that happens in the traditional wine making procedures.”

Vintech Pacific’s Napier site hosts the only other spinning cone facility and undertakes the process under contract.

Other wine producers rely on the reverse osmosis process (see box out) to reduce alcohol percentages; a process that one winery technician told me was especially useful in reducing alcohol rather than eliminating it.

Reverse Osmosis plants are less expensive and more transportable but they still require investment in in a market that is still yet to settle.

But the real boost to low alcohol sales comes from the quality of the wines being produced.

The effects of the 1970

‘Claytons’ advertising campaign’ where the non-alcoholic ‘Claytons Whisky’ was promoted as the “drink you have when you’re not having a drink” has largely dissipated, having morphed into a sceptical tag line that applies to any modest purchase that was an imitation of the real thing.

As Giesen’s Alison Flynn commented, “Our low alcohol wines aim to give as true a representation as possible of the fully fermented wines from which they are made. They will not be identical but will retain tastes, textures and flavours of their ‘parent’ wine and need to be respected in their own right.”

So to counter Gertrude Stein’s claim that, a “rose is a rose is a rose” we can look to Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ where the heroine proudly proclaim her love for Romeo even though he came from the wrong vintage. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” she said.

Low Alcohol Wines | Feature

HOW TO GET ALCOHOL OUT OF WINE

R

EVERSE OSMOSIS is one of the technologies used to decrease or adjust the alcohol contained in a wine.

Colin Ford of Vintech Pacific –a company supplying and servicing winery technology in New Zealand -comments that reverse osmosis is mostly used to adjust the palate by altering alcohol levels by .5 – 2% Under pressure the wine is passed through very fine membranes that remove only the water and the ethanol as both have the smallest molecular structures.

The water and ethanol are distilled or separated with another membrane. The alcohol is dismissed and the water with no alcohol is blended back in to the original wine thus lowering the average alcohol balance but retaining colour, flavour and tannin.

SPINNING CONE technology is used in a number industries

where it is desirable to separate volatile aspects from each other.

It is expensive, complicated, looks like a small petro-chemical plant and is not portable or transportable. But it is the most gentle way of separating alcohol from wine.

Very basically it is a type of distillation but relies on undertaking the process in a vacuum. The liquid (wine) is then vaporised without the use of high temperatures (perhaps just 35 degrees) and rapidly spinning cones within the vacuum create a vapour-thin film of wine to enable separation. Within 20 seconds or so the alcohol is removed to within .5% Colin comments that the technology involves considerable investment. “Perhaps between $1– 2 million not counting the extra costs of winery management,” he says.

Currently Giesen Group are the only winery with spinning cone technology installed but Vintech Pacific have their own plant in Napier which runs on a contract basis Colin’s more technical explanation is available at https://www.vintechpacific. co.nz/memstar-reverse-osmosis.

So how do the wines taste?

A

s tastings go this was an entirely un-scientific and un-professional tasting by the two of us prior to our dinner.

It was designed more to see what differences might be apparent between the low alcohol version and the ‘parent’, full alcohol wine.

No scores, stars, gongs or medals were awarded.

Giesen Estate kindly supplied the wines.

The Riesings from the 2021 vintage were both chilled and appeared identical when poured.

We found little difference in taste with both retaining freshness, nice acidity and flavours. The full alcohol version seemed to have a bouquet that was little more lifted.

Most people, ourselves included, would not notice a difference when poured for us in a social situation The 2021 Giesen Merlots appeared almost identical in the glass but the full alcohol version seemed to have a little more depth of colour and bouquet. Taste-wise there seemed to be a little more acidity in the low alcohol version.

We both agreed that for a red wine we would look for more depth of flavour and acknowledge that this would require an increased cost whether low alcohol or not.

Giesen Group Spinning Cone Machine JTP©

Giesen Duncan Shouler Spinning Cone vertical JTP©

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61

Advertorial | Vintec

VINTEC

A

s wine lovers, we understand how important temperature and the right conditions are for the enjoyment of wine. In many cases when wine is not served nor stored in the right conditions, there can significant changes in flavors, aromas and overall taste, completely striping the wine from the characteristics that were once intended by the winemaker during the production.

That’s why our products are designed to recreate the perfect storage conditions found in the best natural underground cellars – designed for wine lovers, by wine lovers.

In addition to products that care for wine, we have launched recently OENO by Vintec, our newly developed cellar management app powered

by Vivino. OENO allows wine lovers to keep track of their collections effortlessly while also understanding how to best enjoy their wines.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

THE EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE PRODUCT We also know the wine journey of any wine lover goes beyond the product, with education and unique experiences that inspire, engage and build knowledge.

The platform we use to provide experiences and content is the Vintec Club, a private club for Vintec cellar owners who get access to exclusive wine tastings and dinners, special benefits, and unique opportunities from the wine industry.

The Vintec Club is also a public platform for wine content available for all wine lovers.

With weekly new content being produced in partnership with renowned wine experts from all around the world, the club also organizes occasional open events and opportunities for the wider community who can register as a guest, free of charge. We are eager to share our passion with like-minded wine lovers!

Get to know us better: The Vintec Club OENO by Vintec* – Download now from the App Store or Google Play. *Only available at the moment in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and United States, but soon in your location!

Travel | Northland

Wave and Waka sculpture, town basin.

Photo: Whangarei District Council

PAIHIA AND RUSSELL

THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH HOTEL, RUSSELL

Our Stay at the Duke PART 2

By By Joan Gestro

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

The Church Missionary Society established a mission in 1823 and New Zealand’s first printing press in 1835. The restored Treaty House at nearby Waitangi was an attraction, a road was built from Õpua. The Rev. Henry Williams was mpressed by the tranquil bay and exclaimed in a mixture of Mãori and English, ‘Pai here!’, meaning ‘Good here’. When the Colony of New Zealand was founded in that year, Hobson was reluctant to choose Kororareka as his capital, due to its bad reputation; As the settlement was notorious for drinking, fighting and prostitution, gaining the name “Hell Hole” instead, Hobson purchased land at Okiato, and renamed it Russell in honour of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord John Russell. Duke of Marlborough Hotel.

We were so looking forward to our next stop; Paihia, with dinner at Zane Grey.

Zane Grey Restaurant on the wharf Wonderful spot, restaurant, bar inside or out on the huge deck with lots of comfortable couches and armchairs. No expense, is spared here. With views over the harbour, we had a wonderful meal on the wharf.

A definite must do! A 20-minute ferry ride from Russell, the ferries are very frequent.

The restaurant and bar were named after the legendary fisherman - Zane Grey. A bestselling American author, Grey indulged his passion for fishing with many visits to New Zealand.

Northland | Travel He first visited our Far North shores in 1926 and caught several large fish, including a mako shark.

Grey then established a base at Otehei Bay, Urupukapuka Island in the Bay of Islands, which then became a destination for the rich and famous.

OUR VISIT TO HISTORIC WAITANGI On 6 February 1840 Waitangi was the site for the signing of a treaty between Mãori and William Hobson, representing the British Crown. More than 40 Mãori chiefs signed a treaty with the British Crown, but to this day, remains controversial.

Waitangi The Waitangi Treaty House and grounds, together with an additional 1,000-acre land block was gifted to the nation in 1932 by the governor-general, Lord Bledisloe, and his wife.

His intention was to create a national historic site to mark the country’s foundation document. The first Mãori to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, Ngãpuhi chief Hõne Heke Põkai soon became disenchanted with the consequences of colonisation. He expressed his outrage by repeatedly attacking the flagstaff on the hill above Kororãreka (Russell) 1844. The British reerected it, but it was levelled twice in January 1845 with a fourth attack on 11 March

signalled the outbreak of war in the north.

We were planning on going to this historic area but two days before our journey began, national news reported that it had been cut down once again. We went up to the site, the flagstaff was temporarily held in place by three steel rods and the site closed to tourists. As we were exploring the area, to our great surprise and delight, we actually heard Kiwis calling. Comfortable in their habitat, not in the least afraid of human intrusion. That was special!

Explore the two new contemporary museums, the carving studio, the Treaty House, traditional Mãori waka taua (war canoes) and enjoy a full programme.

Paroa Bay Winery Perched high above the idyllic Bay of Islands, it is the Moana (ocean) and Whenua (land) who inform and inspire the menu at Sage Restaurant. From the end of the fishing line cast into the sea to the orchard doors of their suppliers and onsite gardens. Focus is on locally grown and sourced ingredients which combine seamlessly into a uniquely creative brand of New Zealand cuisine.

With a broad-ranging menu that features some of the freshest offerings from the ocean — all sustainably fished and line-

Fish and chips at Mangonui fish shop.

Museum of Waitangi.

caught — and some of New Zealand’s world-renowned natural produce, the chefs work to strike the perfect balance between creative flair and allowing their ingredients to be savoured as they are.

With all dishes thoughtfully matched from wines directly from their own cellar door, the culinary experience is full-circle.

It is a considered and intuitive approach that pervades.

Sage Restaurant It is the connection between the breath-taking surroundings and the menu that sets Sage apart — one of the most beautiful natural environments on the planet.

Paroa Winery have a new wine maker on-site working on the latest harvest to produce a vintage due out by the end of the year. Watch this space!

MANGONUI We loved Mangonui, it’s a quiet sleepy little town, great browsing through the shops and a great restaurant by the seafront. We had salad loaded with tender prawns, fillet steak with wine to match, served by a most informative and attentive waiter.

The iconic Mangonui fish shop, on the wharf, often thought of as the best fish and chips in the country, we, of course, totally agree! As we can speak from experience, lunching on the best fish; lightly battered, cooked to perfection, very succulent indeed. The fish shop is built out onto the water, relaxing, lovely spot, we’ll be back to the famous Mangonui Fish Shop. Be aware of the hungry, cheeky seagulls.

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Travel | Northland

feel Tãne Mahuta’s strength and ancient presence, and its overwhelming size made us look like dwarfs. A moving and spiritual experience!

Hokianga

Cape Reinga Lighthouse.

CAPE REINGA We were looking forward to taking selfies under the Lighthouse at the farthest extremities of New Zealand, and casting our eyes, once again, on the meeting of the waters of the South Pacific and Tasman Sea. A very spiritual sight to behold, as we had already witnessed this place on a previous trip in good weather, therefore, we can vouch for that.

A visitor to this place is in for an amazing treat. As the weather was prohibitive on this trip, we settled for the spiritual experience of just being amongst it.

THE WEST COAST

Dargaville Museum tells the fascinating stories of the Kauri Coast: from early Maori life represented by the 16-metre pre-European waka, the replica gumdiggers camp, shipwreck relics, to the masts of the ill-fated Greenpeace protest ship, the Rainbow Warrior.

TAANZ bonded for your protection and member of IATA

Waipoua Forest and Tãne Mahuta Our walk in Waipoua Forest, on the main highway to the Hokianga, not far into the walk, suddenly brought us face to face with Tãne Mahuta... ‘Lord of the Forest’.

When you catch your first breathtaking view of this magnificent tree, you can almost

We were on the last leg of our Far North, Twin Coasts experience. We caught the car ferry to Opononi, on the Hokianga harbour, where Opo the dolphin lived and died.

Opo was a bottlenose dolphin who became famous throughout New Zealand during the summer of 1955/56 for playing with the children... Her death was reported nationwide, and she was buried with full Mãori honours in a special plot next to the Opononi War Memorial Hall.

At Opononi Point there once was a generous expanse of soft sand where light planes used to land; In 1920, Fred Ladd’s plane landed on the beach near here.

Typical of much of the Hokianga erosion is taking its toll and the quantity of sand is now much reduced. One can still see sand dunes on the distant hill around the harbour.

We can post no compliments about the food the local pub offers.

The Copthorne Hotel and Resort

Dargaville Museum

The hotel’s lounge bar is a nice place to enjoy a drink. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi in public areas, spa services, and laundry facilities. There’s also the convenience of self-parking.

With a stay at this 4-star Omapere hotel, you’ll be 1.3 km (0.8 mi) from Pakia Hill Lookout, the sand dunes, from where you can slide down to the beach to your heart’s content. and 3.2 km (2 mi) from Opononi Beach.

State highway 12 Omapere 0800 358 888

The world-renowned Dargaville Museum is a fascinating mustsee attraction. Located in Pou Tu o Te Rangi Harding Park with its magnificent views overlooking the district, town and the Northern Wairoa River.

Our tripping around the Far North, was a bit of a whirlwind. If you are time rich, I would suggest, take a little longer and enjoy the peace away from the madding crowd. Bon voyage!

On the highway to the West Coast, heading to Dargaville, we came across a pie cart that sold Paua pies... we immensely enjoyed a first, we could have easily eaten a second, thought of our waistlines and decided... no!

We were served by a delightful wahine and also filled our water bottles from a freshwater tap at the back of her van. Great service by the roadside.

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WineNZ Magazine | Spring 2022

Tane Mahuta.

The new Continental GT Convertible.

From the definitive grand tourer, the world’s finest convertible is born.

From $395,000 + options, discover more at bentleyauckland.com or call (09) 975 8070.

Visit us at 119 Great North Road, Grey Lynn.

MAG17698

Continental GT Convertible: fuel consumption, mpg (l/100km) – Urban 13.0 (21.7); Extra Urban 28.5 (9.9); Combined 19.8 (14.3). CO2 Emissions 333 g/km.

The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2018 Bentley Motors Limited. Model shown: Continental GT Convertible.

17698 Bentley Continental GT Conv Ad_A4.indd 1

4/12/18 1:29 PM

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