TW Wines Gisborne Verdelho 2014 $25 (3.5 stars)

March 3, 2018By Yvonne

Anita Ewart-Croy is a bit of a verdelho vixen if I do say so myself. Extremely rare in New Zealand, it’s a variety that’s the signature white grape of Portugal and it’s used to make those awesomely ageworthy, luxuriously sweet Madiera’s. Anita however, turns the Tietjen Witters fruit into a dry and mineral-focused style with … Read More

Yvonne Lorking Canvas Column Sat 3 March 2018

March 3, 2018By Yvonne

Fact. I bought my first ever bottle of wine on March 3 1990. It was a rosé from Vidal Estate and I hung onto that bottle of Manuka Blush for dear life as I pedaled my Ten Speed home. Occasion. Momentous. Jackson Estate Alayna Marlborough Pinot Rosé 2017 $22.99 Produced as a salute to the … Read More

Holdfast Estate Rosé 2017 $27

March 3, 2018By Yvonne

At the age of 16, Lachlan (Lockie) McLeod decided Dargaville needed wine in its life, and so he set about training himself how to grow grapes and make wine, and paying for it by working as an apprentice builder. Crafted by merlot grown on Awakino Point, this bottle of niceness from Northland erupts with ripe … Read More

Jackson Estate Alayna Marlborough Pinot Rosé 2017 $22.90

March 3, 2018By Yvonne

Produced as a salute to the beauty of ballet and the fine art of photography, this pinot noir rosé is fruity and lithesome, flowing with raspberry and watermelon and you’ll even find a ribbon of cherry and soft pepper sneaking through. It’s a pure, plucky and crunchy style that’ll have you pirouetting in seconds. Sip … Read More

Allan Scott Scott Base Central Otago Rosé 2017 $26

March 3, 2018By Yvonne

Ultra-pale and yet it definitely does not pale in the flavour stakes. Bursting with aromas of creaming soda, raspberry and cherry blossom, it’s shimmy-shakes across the palate clad in red berry and soft spicy, pink peppercorn layers. Fresh, frisky and fruity. Sip with: Watermelon panzanella. www.allanscott.com

Yvonne Lorkin Wine Column week beginning Sat 3rd March 2018

March 3, 2018By Yvonne

When I first really started to get into wine it was back in 1993. I was at University in Christchurch and I got a job waitressing at a restaurant on Cashel Street. It was called Bardelli’s and it was the place to be seen. A dark, broody, moody space it was and with the entire … Read More

Gibson Bridge Botrytis Pinot Gris 2014 375ml $38 (3.5 stars)

March 2, 2018By Yvonne

Deep amber-coloured, this sticky treat is so named after the sixteen rows of pinot gris grapes that were left on the vine to succumb to the noble botrytis rot. It’s toffee’d and toasty and nutty and has roast apricot, fig and quince characters on the palate. If you have any cavities in your teeth, prepare … Read More

Hopes Grove Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $45

February 25, 2018By Yvonne

If you’re looking for a violet and bay leaf fest on the nose then you’ve come to the right place. Grown in the limestone-laden soils of Hawke’s Bay’s lesser-known sub-region of Paki Paki, this is a lighter-styled, peppery syrah showing hints of smoke, black tea, boysenberries and leather. It’s just a puppy right now, so … Read More

Maxim Wines Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2016 $29.99

February 25, 2018By Yvonne

Organically grown syrah from the Gimblett Gravels was handpicked, destemmed into an open top fermenter, fermented with wild yeast then left on its skins for 20 days before being pressed straight into 33% new oak barrels where it slept like a baby for a year before bottling. But is it any good? Oh lordy yes. … Read More