My name is Yvonne Lorkin and I’m a chronic hair twirler. Sitting on the mat or at my desk at school, I’d be twirling my hair. Watching tv at home, I’d be twirling my hair. Waiting for someone to pass to me at netball, I’d be twirling. Reading books, at the movies, shopping, eating, the hair was a-twirl. I got teased but I couldn’t help it. So, as a teenager I thought the solution was to chop it all off. That’s when I started gnawing at my fingernails. I’ll get to the wine part soon.
Eventually I got older and a little bit pregnant and everyone told me to stop dying my hair because it might be bad for the foetus. Another baby arrived not long after. The hair had grown mousy and longish and I twirled. Breastfeeding and hair-fiddling wasn’t a good look, so I consulted with my hairdresser about chopping it off and whacking in some colour again. “Yvonne. You’re not 20 anymore” he said. “Natural is the way to go. Age gracefully and all that”. So (seriously, I will get to the wine stuff soon) naturally I said “Yes, I’ll take that on board” then went down the road to a different hairdresser and got a bleached-to-icy-white buzzcut.
A decade or so later, the day that I went to see Madonna perform in Auckland, I threw a couple of hundred dollars and 45 minutes of my time down at Loxy’s salon in Ponsonby and got the best hair extensions money can buy. I’m on the wrong side of 40 and I’m happily twirling my hair again however ridiculous it might look.
Sometimes you might cop flak for constantly returning to your comforts where wine is concerned. You feel safe, secure in one particular style that you can rely on and that’s a great thing. But don’t let it stop you from hitting the ‘risk’ button because that’ll give you a thrill that’ll keep you alive. The two wines I’ve highlighted this week come from a tiny company called Gibson Bridge in Marlborough. Howard Simmonds was a successful Auckland builder, timber merchant and developer. He could’ve stayed doing that his whole life, but he and his wife Julie decided to take a leap into something different. Upsticking from the city, shifting south to Renwick and planting a 2ha vineyard on the outskirts of town has been the making of them, a retirement project of epic proportions. “I didn’t’ want to look forward to reaching the age of 70 or 80, unable to do things, just sitting around waiting for the newspaper to arrive” he says. I concur Howard. I may not be able to afford a vineyard, but I might just go see my hairdresser again…
Gibson Bridge Barrique Ferment Marlborough Pinot Gris 2013 $46.99 (4.5 stars)
Howard and Julie Simmonds have made it their mission to turn out tiny amounts of stylish, complex wines with truckloads of character. Only 1800 bottles of this gris were produced and it’s crafted in a dry, toasty style which amps up the interest. Fresh tropical and quince characters on the nose, lead to musky, chai spices and a long, lean finish. Sip with Greek shrimp saganaki.
Gibson Bridge Reserve Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2014 $28 (4 stars)
If you thought that gewürztraminer was always going to be blousy, sweet and musky; then prepare for an eye-popper in every sip. Dry, tangy, yet lean and lithe on the palate with an edge of lychee, manuka honey and a sprinkling of dusty, chalkiness on the finish. It’s a style of gewürztraminer grown on the banks of Gibson Creek, which opens loads of different food pairing possibilities. Fried herrings with lime pepper crust?
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Riverby Estate Marlborough Noble Riesling 2014 $35 (5 stars)
The glossy coppery-topaz colour of this wine is exactly the type of sparkly-type of thing that lures women like me into all sorts of potentially un-ladylike activity. It smells like that glorious mélange of mixed peel, currants, raisins and sultanas soaking in masses of melted butter and booze that is ones traditional Christmas cake batter, with a toffee apple edge to it. Fresh, luxuriously balanced sweetness and caramelized characters on the finish – it’s a seriously sexy sweet treat.
www.riverbyestate.com/winesorder
Johner Estate Gladstone Viognier 2015 $26 (4.5 stars)
One thing I’ve been treating myself to, as my family scoffs its way through our enormous 10+kilo Christmas ham, is some really excellent viognier. Viognier has the spicy floral aromatics of say, pinot gris, combined with the tropical, toasty richness of chardonnay, which makes it absolutely divine with any type of swine. This is one which really made an impression with its orange zest, apricot and jasmine aromas, succulent, spicy mouthfeel and long, nutty, freshly toasted finish – it’s delicious.
Champagne Bertrand Senecourt Beau Joie Sugar King $114.90 (4.5 stars)
If the slick, metallic black, Fifty Shades of Grey, B&D-style packaging doesn’t tickle your fancy then brace yourself for a massive palate tease as soon as you sip. Despite the label implying it’s going to be a lolly-fest, this Champagne is actually more balanced and creamy than I expected. Macadamia nuts, rising brioche dough and hints of apple and lemon make this a treat for every sense. Definitely one to break out with scallops, crayfish or oysters. Love it.
