Tag: hawkes bay

Moana Park Hawke’s Bay Blanc de Blanc NV  $24.99 While the print on the label did remind me of a B&B bedspread and the brown writing is all a bit 1990’s wedding invitation, once that cork is popped, it’s all modern class and style. Scented with almond, lemon shortbread and cream, there’s an underlying bagel dough note leading to a…

Te Mata Estate Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2018 NZ$29 An ultra-fresh pinot noir that pushes fruit and spice out to the edges of the mouth, youthful yet intensely savoury cherry and hedgerow fruit focus, it’s a lovely thing to drink and demonstrates great potential for Hawke’s Bay pinot noir.  The tannins have great cling and chew and it has excellent…

New Zealand is well-known for producing fresh vibrant Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines; both cool climate grapes.  But with global warming warmer climate grapes like Chardonnay, Merlot, and Syrah are also successfully grown and produce quality wines in New Zealand.  Recently I attended a New Zealand trade tasting, and many of my favourite wines were Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot…

Did you know that Sauvignon Blanc has been grown in New Zealand for over 40 years?  It all started in Marlborough on the South Island in 1973 and has spread north and south.  Before there was Sauvignon Blanc growing in Marlborough there were sheep grazing.  New Zealand still has a lot of sheep; many more than there are people, but…

It is always a treat to sit down for a meal with a wine maker and have them tell you about their wines they are drinking with you, and enjoying with paired dishes.  Such was the case recently when I, and a few other media people, sat down with Grant Edmonds, winemaker of Sileni Estates from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand…

Better known by the tremendous success of its white wines, particularly Marlborough’s Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand’s red wines are mostly off the radar for the global market, with the visible exception of Pinot Noir. The “heart break grape” has made its home in Martinborough, at the southern tip of North Island, and in Otago, in the southern end of South…

New Zealand, a land with maritime and mountain plateau climates nearby, each producing wines from the same grapes with different styles, flavours, and aromas.  Unique terroir.    For such a small island, they produce a significant amount of wine.  The vineyards cover 34,270 hectares in 2012; growing at least 25 different varieties of grapes (more than Pinot Noir and Sauvignon…

In Part 1 of my Review of the New Zealand Wine Fair 2012, I talked about New Zealand’s sustainability goals, and provided tasting notes on the New Zealand wine makers’ upcoming varietals to the rest of the world of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Syrah. But there is also Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and more to try during this tasting. …

This Part 2 of my review of my picks from the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.  Part 1 covered the wines of Spain.  Part 2 is the rest of the world. Again, there are so many wines at the tasting, and so little time, I’m sure I missed many great wines.  If you tasted some that I didn’t list, please…

It was a beautiful, sunny day for the New Zealand Wine Fair in Vancouver. The event was held at the new Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre. There were 33 different wineries present at this year’s event, and they covered all areas from both the north and south island. Many of the wineries present do not have representation in Canada, but…