We had two bites of the cherry in our visits to Villa Maria, appropriately enough given the scale of its operations. A pretty comprehensive tasting of its wines at the Auckland HQ was followed by a whistle-stop tour of the Marlborough with senior winemaker Helen Morrison as expert guide. Here are some highlights: in a
Winemaking at Villa Maria Read More »
From afar most wine lovers will think of Marlborough as a single region. After all, the most common style of Sauvignon Blanc is so distinctive and powerful that the complications of terroir are a long way from the consumer’s mind. But the pleasure of visiting is that you begin to appreciate the differences between the
Postcard from Lawson’s Dry Hills Read More »
Kopke 1935 Colheita white port Some smaller wine countries have so much to offer. Today’s Wines of Portugal tasting had a bit of everything – light and refreshing Vinho Verde with a touch of spritz, lots of new style modern wines with contemporary labelling, profound Douro reds, individual whites (e.g., G. R. Alves de Sousa, Pessoal,
Kopke’s liquid gold Read More »
Winery businesses come in all sizes within the Family of Twelve: Villa Maria at one end of the scale and the small but beautifully formed Fromm winery in Marlborough at the other end. Set up by Swiss wine lover Georg Fromm, this estate has specialised in small-batch Pinots and Chardonnays, with some obligatory Sauvignon Blanc
Postcard from Fromm Read More »
Sauvignon Blanc’s worldwide success has led to interest from other wine regions who reasonably enough want to join the party. From my Italian perspective, this same ‘inward investment’ effect has been seen in regions as diverse as Chianti Classico, Bolgheri for Super Tuscans and Franciacorta for bubbles. Nautilus Estate, owned by the Australian Hill-Smith family,
Postcard from Nautilus Read More »
Sauvignon 2016 was not a dull affair. After the serious stuff, there were trips to wineries, a garden party at Timara Lodge, a train ride to a beach party at Kekerengu and a Gala dinner featuring WOW, World of Wearable Arts. Here are some pictures of the Sauvignon Celebration 2016. Return to New Zealand
Sauvignon Celebration Read More »
The timing of my Family of Twelve scholarship was finally determined by the dates of the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration which was held in Marlborough on the first three days of February 2016. Fully subscribed at over 300 delegates this brought together speakers and wine makers from around the world with a substantial Kiwi presence. Billed
Sauvignon 2016 insights Read More »
Ata Rangi is one of the four original estates of Martinborough which in the 1980s kicked off the Pinot Noir revolution in New Zealand. Clive Paton and Phyll Pattie recount the story of how Clive went to a seminar put on by the mayor and doctor of the town explaining the potential of this dry, inhospitable
Postcard from Ata Rangi Read More »
Martinborough is a small, chic town, close to the south of New Zealand’s north island. It is a magnet for the well-heeled of Wellington, an hour or so away and for the tourist. It combines some historic buildings, such as the Martinborough Hotel where we stayed, with bistros, coffee shops, boutiques and, of course, wine-related
Postcard from Palliser Read More »
Craggy Range is a well-funded, model winery which acts as something of an ambassador for the Gimblett Gravels sub-region of Hawkes Bay, on the east coast of New Zealand’s north island. However, its range extends much further than just Hawkes Bay. Gimblett Gravels as a sub-zone is well named as this is a stony gravel
Postcard from Craggy Range Read More »