Published NZME Regional Newspapers Sat 22 Aug 2015
If you have the skills to pay the bills in the wine department, then have I got a competition for you. Auckland’s upcoming Wine and Food Celebration (Sept 13-15) sees the return of the New Zealand Sommelier of the Year, Junior Sommelier of the Year and the Young New Zealand Wine Professional of the Year competitions.
Experienced sommeliers can enter the major award while the junior competition is open to sommeliers younger than 30, who are ambitious and wish to be the best but need more time and experience.
The young wine professional is chosen from people younger than 30, working with New Zealand wines in sales, marketing, retail and cellar door positions.
New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier, Cameron DouglasMS will judge the competitions where entrants undergo blind tasting and a written exam. Those in the sommelier competitions will also take part in a service and selling test and a wine list exercise. The Sommelier of the Year wins a trip to Paris and the French wine region of Champagne as guest of sponsor Louis Roederer, while the junior winner takes a helicopter tour of Central Otago as a guest of Misha’s Vineyard, plus participate in tutoured tastings of Central Otago’s subregions and enjoy a special dinner courtesy of the Rees Hotel. The young professional winner gets free flights and accommodation in Blenheim for the Herzog Harvest Weekend in April 2016.
The competition is the brainchild of New Zealand School of Food and Wine director Celia Hay who says the aim is to create a challenging competition with great prizes to inspire existing and new talent in the industry.
So if you can tell the difference between your chardonnay and chambourcin, know how to pour a flute of fizz without it frothing everywhere and can suggest what to sip with sirloin – then you could be the next kiwi wine star! Entries close on 31 August and further details are at www.event.foodandwine.co.nz
Interesting Varieties from Afar…
Pirramimma McLaren Vale Petit Verdot 2012 $32 ★★★★
Petit Verdot is one of just six permitted varieties allowed in Bordeaux, but it’s a rare find outside of France, and even more so as a single example. With aromas of dusty tobacco leaf, white pepper, cherry and dried herbs, followed by blueberry and fruitcake spice flavours that soak across the palate, this is a delicate yet grippy red that’s just perfect to pair with peppered venison. www.wineandmore.co.nz
Fantini Farnese Sangiovese 2013 $19 ★★★½
Prepare yourself for really unusual aromas of smoky ham hock, vanilla, nutmeg and pepper, which all merge into a rich, leathery palate. Smooth and savoury, it’s an interesting, meaty sip sourced from Italy. www.atouchofitaly.co.nz
Real Compania De Vinos Tempranillo 2013 $16 ★★★½
Super-fruity and packed with dark berries, cocoa nib and smoky, coconut and coffee notes, there’s a gentle, spicy, velvety mouthfeel in this Spanish sip which finishes with solid, chewy tannins. www.winesale.co.nz
Get amongst some great examples of our classic varieties to recalibrate your tastebuds to what really matters. Beautiful fruit and clever winemaking make things all good with the world…
Greenhough Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $28 ★★★★
I love the clean-cut, snappy, summer fragrance of lucerne fields, white pepper and passionfruit and the rush of rich citrus, crushed basil leaves and watercress on the palate. Beautifully balanced and lengthy, it’s a delicious example from sunny Nelson. www.greenhough.co.nz
Craggy Range Te Muna Road Riesling 2014 $25 ★★★★½
Crunchy green apple, mandarin and lime flavours leap out of the glass in this ultra-tangy riesling. Vibrant, zesty acidity, a twang of lemon in the mid palate and a cleansing, chalky-dry texture on the finish will awaken even the most jaded of tastebuds. Terrific stuff. www.craggyrange.com
Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013 $39 ★★★★
This’ll probably sound really weird, but I love that this pinot smells like moss-covered tree trunks in the rain, lush and earthy, with a layer of black tea, cherry and baking spices. Fresh and juicy to drink, with pleasantly drying tannins, this well-crafted pinot has lovely fruit density and suppleness on the finish. www.rockburn.co.nz
