Munros Road Clevedon Arneis 2022

December 20, 2023By Yvonne

Munros Road Clevedon Arneis 2022 $27 Fans of crispy, dry whites ahoy! From the folk at Clevedon Vineyard located on the slopes of Clevedon Valley comes this rather smashable sip for the summer. And here’s an extra for experts. Did you know that Clevedon Vineyard was the very first place to grow Arneis, an Italian … Read More

Forrest Marlborough Arneis 2022

October 4, 2023By Yvonne

Forrest Marlborough Arneis 2022 $28 Holy flower power winefans! Here’s a very tasty and very sunshiny southern rascal which hurls all sorts of stunning citrus blossom florals nostrilward and washes waves of lemon, apple and mineral-laced loveliness around your tongue & gums. Initial impressions trick you into thinking it’s going to be a lightweight, yet … Read More

A Little Maison Noire Magic – BayBuzz Magazine Christmas Issue 2022

December 2, 2022By Yvonne

Santé to Maison Noire by Yvonne LorkinNovember 29, 2022 Photo: Florence Charvin “My perfect Christmas present?” asks artist Esther Smith. “Easy. A trailer load of mulch.” Not exactly what I was expecting when asking Esther and her husband, winemaker Guillaume Thomas of Maison Noire wines, what their Christmas wishes were for 2022. But as I quickly … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2022

November 22, 2022By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2022 $25 Just 170 cases were made of this lusciously lemony, apple and apricot-laced, peach-packed Italian favourite made in Hawke’s Bay. Guillaume Thomas has created a juicy, multi-layered white wine with a splash of sweetness that’ll wake up even the most tired tastebuds with its nectarine and honeysuckle intensity. Hints … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2021

October 31, 2021By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2021 $24 Wow! This grape is best known for being a Northern Italian stallion. However, when Frenchman Guillaume Thomas got hold of some and decided to grow it in the ancient soils left by the Tuki Tuki River in Havelock North, it’s become a Hawke’s Bay hero well and truly. … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2020

August 18, 2020By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2020 $22 Guillaume Thomas has been crafting some of the best local Arneis I’ve ever tasted, and clearly this Italian variety (nicknamed Little Rascal due to its fussy, tricky nature) thrives in the lime and clay soils of his tiny vineyard on the Waimarama Road.  Crammed with creamy nectarine, peach … Read More

Coopers Creek The Little Rascal Gisborne Arneis 2015

December 30, 2019By Yvonne

Coopers Creek The Little Rascal Gisborne Arneis 2015 $20.90 Reviewed in Dish Magazine April 2020 – paired with Chermoula Fried fish with tzatziki Holy tzatziki Batman!  This smorgasbord of spice is complimented by the delicately citrussy Coopers Creek ‘The Little Rascal’ Gisborne Arneis 2015 ($20.90). Indigenous to Piemonte in North-West Italy, and now grown by … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2019

September 21, 2019By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2019 $22 Hailing from northern Italy and nicknamed ‘little rascal’ because of it being notoriously tricky to grow, Guillaume Thomas has given it a very happy home in the limestone and clay soils behind the Te Mata Peak range on the way to Waimarama Beach.  Chock full of floral intensity, … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Late Harvest Arneis 2018

October 29, 2018By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Late Harvest Arneis 2018 $22 Arneis created in a dessert wine style is not something you see every day – especially not here in New Zealand.  It’s rare to even find arneis in its normal, dry form, let alone fashioned into a tantalisingly sweet, mandarin and quince-like triumph such as this.  … Read More

Mediterranean Mecca

March 7, 2012By Yvonne

Mediterranean Mecca  view pdf of newspaper column… Nestled amongst panel beaters, plumbing firms and various other trade-oriented whatnot down the industrialised end of Tuam Street in Christchurch is a veritable oasis for anyone yearning for a Mediterranean wine and food fix.    The wine shelves at Mediterranean Foods are almost back to their bulging best following … Read More