Soljans Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Malbec 2016 (NZ $22) In 1927, Bartul Soljan and his wife Rakelina sailed to New Zealand with their children, found land out in Henderson, broke it in, planted vines, and in 1932 established Soljan’s Family…
The New Zealand Winegrowers would love us all to know more about New Zealand, their Māori culture, and their wines. Below is one of the articles by the New Zealand Winegrowers about the Māori language and some of their wines. …
McArthur Ridge Southern Tor Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 (NZ $29) Shiny-new and showing a tonne of potential, this Central Otago-grown pinot noir has classic blueberry, rosehip and cherry aromatics and buckets of raspberry on the front palate. It’s refreshing…
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2018 NZ$24.95 Paul Dawick and Tim Preston are the crack team of talent behind Mills Reef, and Merlot is their monster truck when it comes to wines that plough across your tastebuds and leave…
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 (NZ $24.95) Green peppercorn, violet and blueberry aromatics stand shoulder to shoulder with bright plum and cherry flavours and then they hold hands and do the Gay Gordons (remember primary school folk-dancing?) with…
New Zealand is well-known for Sauvignon Blanc, but are there any other grape varieties we should know about? Yes! I attended a webinar with David Keck MS (USA), John Szabo MS (Canada), Ronan Sayburn MS (UK) and Cameron Douglas MS…
The first wine you probably tasted from New Zealand was probably Sauvignon Blanc, and probably it was from Cloudy Bay from the Marlborough region. People know this wine style and recognize it as being from New Zealand. But are consumer…
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2019 (NZ$29) Returning to his dry-style roots not seen since 2013, winemaker Gordon Russell has taken fruit for the first time from Ian and Linda Quinn’s Two Terraces Vineyard located west of…
What is greywacke, and why would a winery in New Zealand give itself that name? First, greywacke is a sandstone that contains a significant amount of silt and/or clay. According to the University of Auckland in New Zealand, greywacke “…comprises…
Selaks 1934 Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 (NZ $16.99) Created in homage to the year that Marino Selak sold his first vintage of wine, this new range boasts a chardonnay that I’m certain will become a ‘best value classic’. I say…