5 rules for first time wine investors
Arneis - Time for rascals
Let's hear it for spring!
Hawke's Bay - The sub regions
Joe Babich - son of the patriarchBuying Guide
Full Bodied Reds Tasting
Mon, Oct 17, 2011
It’s pretty hard to define what a full-bodied red is. Suffice to say we expect wines under this classification to be relatively robust with firm tannins. In the best examples we probably expect well-rounded flavour that lingers in the mouth and the presence of tannin to provide ‘grip’.
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Features
The Mills Family - Taste of the land
Tue, Oct 18, 2011
Nestled below Mount Roy, Rippon Vineyard has a picture-postcard vista up Lake Wanaka towards Mount Aspiring. Rippon and neigbouring farm Barn Pinch are the remnants of the once extensive Wanaka Station, land that has been in the current owner’s family for four generations.
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Austria - Cool, calm and collected
Tue, Oct 18, 2011
Syria was supposed to be the starting point… Chaotic souks in Damascus and Aleppo, the Roman ruins of Palmyra and the ancient Crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers.
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Syrah Rise to Fame
Mon, Oct 17, 2011
The emergence of Syrah as a major player in our full-bodied reds repertoire has simply been amazing.
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A Wine Travellers' Guide to the Hawke's Bay
Mon, Oct 17, 2011
Hawke's Bay offers a wide range of wines, fresh produce, stunning cellar door destinations and some of the country's best vineyard restaurants. So here's the WineNZ wine travellers’ tourism guide. Where to eat, stay, play, explore, and taste.
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Alexandra's Judge Rock
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
In world terms New Zealand is truly a nation of boutique wine producers and you can’t get a winery much more on the boutique side of things than Judge Rock in Otago’s Alexandra.
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Regulars : Off the Shelf
Yealands Estate Viognier 2009: $23
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Viognier is one of the wines that has found a small but loyal following but which still struggles to get universal acceptance. It’s hard to figure out why since it provides some interestingly different textures and flavours without the searing acidity of many of our wines. Perhaps it is the fact that consumers are unsure of how to pronounce it (say vee – on – yay), a handicap that has always dogged Gewürztraminer. But really it deserves consideration since we are producing some excellent examples of which this is one.
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Maude Pinot Noir 2009: $30
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
O tago’s Sarah-Kate Lynch and Dan Dineen, with distinguished backgrounds in winemaking at Australia’s celebrated wineries Tempus Two and Tower Estate, have settled in Otago where they make wines from Sarah-Kate’s parents vineyard at Maungawera under the Mount Maude banner as well as their own Maude wines sourced from a number of sites around the Central Otago region. One of these is the Maude Pinot Noir 2009.
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Montalcino Sticking to its Knitting
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Montalcino, that special region in Tuscany that gives us both the acclaimed Brunello di Montalcino as well as the lesser rated but ever popular Rosso di Montalcino has been in a bit of a lather of late. Some producers suggested that the Rosso’, previously a 100% Sangiovese wine like it’s bigger and more famous brother, be allowed to include up to 15% of another variety with Merlot seen as the most likely candidate.
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Marlborough Wine Weekend - 28 - 30 Oct
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Each year the nation’s predominant wine region hosts the Marlborough Wine weekend where more than 300wine-lovers get to savour the delights that the region can provide. There are tours of the major valleys, gourmet brunches and lunches, master classes for the more seriously inclined, as well as the chance to experience the other attractions that the region can offer.
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Wine Amphora off the Albanian Coast
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
It’s not unusual for archaeologists to find wine amphora as part of the cargoes retrieved from ancient shipwrecks. Wine was obviously a treasured commodity even before the time of Christ and the fact that it was often used as a purifier of contaminated water does not detract from the fact that it was also well regarded as an important facilitator for social interaction. The orgy scenes of Greek and Roman frescoes are only too clear.
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Pinot Noir 2013
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Pinot Noir 2013 celebration will be held on Wellington’s waterfront in the week beginning the 28th January 2013.
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Grove Mill Cellar Door Closes
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Those of you who like to browse the wineries of Marlborough will be saddened to see that Grove Mill have closed their cellar door as an economy measure in response to a $3.2 million loss posted for the year to September. The owners, The New Zealand Wine Company, are in the process of raising more capital.
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100 Must Try Wines Michael Cooper $34.99 (Hachette Livre)
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Michael Cooper is well known for his annual Wine Buyer’s Guide as well as for his scholarly work on the ‘Wine Atlas of New Zealand’, the latest of which was published in 2008.
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The Twelve Wine Bar - Sky City
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Some time ago twelve eminent New Zealand wine producers formed ‘The Family of Twelve’ an organisation aimed at supporting each other in teamed promotions overseas. All twelve were producers with high standing and an awarded portfolio.
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The Big Picture Wine - Auckland
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
The Big Picture, a multi media wine experience on Auckland’s Waterfront, has widened the scope of the presentation for the Rugby World Cup.
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Passion and Patience - A Wine Story
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
There are plenty of books out there explaining the processes involved in making wine, but to my knowledge there has not been a video or DVD that has been made to explain to the interested public, the intricacies of the process and the decisions that have to be made to produce wine in the glass. Not until ‘Passion and Patience’, a 60 minute DVD made by winemaker Shane Cox of Corazon Wines and directed by Ben Naden, that does just that.
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Buying Guide : Perfect Pairing
A Dash of Inspiration
Wed, Oct 19, 2011
Allyson Gofton is one of New Zealand’s most respected food writers and food personalities. She has won many awards for her accessible approach to food, her recipes, and columns. Here are two of her favourites with wines to match.
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Regulars : Ask An MW
Ask a master of wine
Tue, Oct 18, 2011
Jane responds to readers’ wine queries and adds some some comments from her own experience.
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Buying Guide : New Wines
Heron's Flight Unplugged Sangiovese 2010 and Unplugged Dolcetto 2011: $25
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Dave Hoskins of Heron’s Flight in Matakana has long been a champion of the Italian varieties Sangiovese and Dolcetto and is in fact the only New Zealand wine producer to specialise in Italian varieties.
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Matua Valley Single Vineyard Series
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Throughout Matua’s individual vineyards in Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago the company has identified a number of specific sites where the fruit is demonstrably better and where the quality is exceptional.
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Lindauer 'Summer' Sparkling Pinot Gris: $16
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
It’s been 30 years since Lindauer was first launched onto the New Zealand market and to celebrate the occasion the company has distributed a few special 30th Anniversary bottles of the Special Reserve Brut Cuvée, a wine that consistently punches well above its weight in the Sparkling wine section of the market. It’s hard to think of a New Zealand wine brand with such universal recognition over such a long period.
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Cooper's Creek 'Bell Ringer' Albarino 2011: $20
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Simon Nunns, winemaker at Coopers Creek, has earned a reputation for being willing to experiment with varieties that are a little different to the New Zealand palate. Already the company has pioneered the introduction of Grüner Veltliner from Austria, Arneis from Northern Italy and Montepulciano from a little further south down the Italian peninsula. Now the company has released a new addition to its Select Vineyards Range, Albarino, a white grape that flourishes in Galicia in the north west of Spain as well as in Portugal’s Monção and Melgaço regions. It is the first time the wine has been made commercially in this country.
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Villa Maria Reserve Malbec 2009: $60
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Although Malbec hails from the Bordeaux regions of France, Argentina, where they can produce dark fruited wines, often with an attractive, earthy character is the world champion of the variety. Often at a very reasonable price.
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Ara Single Estate Pinot Gris 2011: $22
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
The ARA vineyards on the vast terraces overlooking Marlborough’s Waihopai River have been producing premium Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir for a number of years under their Pathway and Ara labels.
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Regulars : From the Editor
It's Wineshow Time!
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
In a country of 4 million people, with just 33,000ha of grapes planted (Bordeaux alone has 120,000ha) we have no fewer than 9 wine shows!
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Regulars : New Releases
Rapaura Springs Marlborough Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011: $20
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
The Rapaura Springs range of wines is produced by Spring Creek Vintners, an independent contract winemaking facility conveniently situated at Spring Creek, Marlborough that has been operating since 2005 offering a full range of specialised wine making services in their state-of-the-art winery.
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Bannock Brae Goldfields Pinot Noir 2009: $30
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Catherine and Crawford Brown describe their winery as a ‘Mum and Dad’ business which is dedicated to producing the finest Pinot Noir wine possible – and they have definitely succeeded.
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Maui Sauvignon Blanc 2011: $18
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
The Maui Sauvignon Blanc 2011 has recently hit the headlines by winning the Sauvignon Blanc Trophy at the prestigious New Zealand International Wine Show. It is produced by Tiki Vineyards in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough. They believe great wine is created in the vineyard and is an expression of place, people and time.
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Remarkable Wines Gibbston Pinot Noir 2009: $40
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
The Remarkable Wines Gibbston Pinot Noir first came to prominence when the 2006 vintage won the prestigious Bouchard Finlayson Pinot Noir Trophy at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) in London. This Competition draws over 8,000 entries and is judged by over 40 Masters of Wine and is hugely respected worldwide. This success was followed up by an IWSC gold medal for the 2007 vintage.
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Peter Yealands Chardonnay 2010: $20
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Since 2008 there has been a new major player in Marlborough and indeed one that has impacted on the entire New Zealand wine industry. Yealands Estate was created by Peter Yealands, a high profile entrepreneur.
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Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2011: $21
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Lawson’s Dry Hills is renowned throughout the world and our own Michael Cooper in his Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2011 comments that the Marlborough winery is “consistently among the region’s best” producer of Sauvignon Blanc. They have consistently produced some of Marlborough’s most distinguished wines.
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Brown Brothers Prosecco NV: $20
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
For those who don’t know, Prosecco is an Italian grape variety grown for sparkling wine. About a year ago the growth in demand for affordable, ‘any occasion’ sparkling wines saw Australian wine company Brown Brothers add a new Prosecco to its range – Prosecco NV. This wine is now available in New Zealand.
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Regulars : Wines for the Cellar
Creating a Balanced Wine
Tue, Oct 18, 2011
The second in a series in which Jo Burzynska helps you create a balanced cellar.
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Regulars : Wine Online
Searching for Wine Online
Tue, Oct 18, 2011
While there is no doubt that Google does a fantastic job of helping us find information on pretty much anything we are looking for – when it comes to finding wine specific information it does not always find exactly what we need – often it ends up buried underneath a pile of irrelevant links. Fortunately, specialty wine search engines exist that can fill in where the broader focused Google struggles.
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Wineries to Visit - new website
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
There is a new site called wineriestovisit.co.nz which lists wineries around New Zealand that open to visitors for tastings, wine sales, meals, weddings, accommodation, functions, tours, etc.
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