Published NZME Regional Newspapers Tue 29 Mar 2016
Back in the early 2000’s when I said goodbye to my loved ones, packed up my corkscrew and set out to seek my fortune in this wine writing caper, things were already on the turn. There was change in the air, confusion and wonder. The rules of old were being peeled away like the paper on top of the margarine tub and hurled into the trash, where they clung desperately to the plastic bin liner, only to be quickly swamped by muesli bar wrappers, bits of bacon rind and old tea bags. (Now I could be overthinking this, but I suspect somewhere in that opening paragraph lies the reason why, with my attempt at injecting extra drama to the subject, there could be valid grounds for me not having found said fortune as a writer. Yet.)
The first casualty of this new order was chardonnay. Chardonnay stood at the intersection of the new millennium like a Lada Niva. A perfectly capable, but for many, a tad square wine that was pathetically blitzed when the lights turned green, by the 3ltr V6 Toyota Camry of new varieties, pinot gris. (Now see that is literary gold right there)
Everyone was told pinot gris was the trendy thing to drink, and there was a bucketload of it on the market. But I have to be honest in that during those early days, I was less than impressed with the wines. Many were dull, flabby and lacked character. So I kept drinking chardonnay. Today, thankfully, chardonnay is back in favour and in the last decade there’s been an exponential shift skywards in the quality curve of kiwi pinot gris. The vines are getting older, more comfortable in their own skin, and our winemakers are so much more confident with what they can achieve with the fruit. Our pinot gris wines are now known for being remarkably clean, pure, packed with pear, apple and spicy, punchy personality and that makes me a happy girl.
Petane Station Esk Valley Pinot Gris 2015 $27 ★★★★½
Hot off the bottling line, winemaker Philip Barber has created a pale gold, pear and peach-laden pinot gris that has absolutely lovely layers of dried pineapple, caramel, anise, rockmelon and fig. Yes, you heard me correct – there’s THAT much in this wine. Pronounced ‘Pea-tarny Station’, it’s deliciously dry and textural on the finish and has a huge future ahead of it (if you’re disciplined enough to squirrel a bottle or seven away for a couple of years). www.petanestation.co.nz
Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 $19 ★★★½
The aromas of this wine remind me of old school eskimo lollies from the pick’n’mix bins at the supermarket. Soft cornflower florals, pear, hints of apple and sweet confection. On the palate however it’s a different story, with the team at Sacred Hill producing a clean, tangy, quince-forward style that boasts zippy acidity and solid length of flavour. Widely available. www.sacredhill.com
