It’s hardly going to rip anyone’s knickers when I say that one man’s nectar is another man’s engine cleaner and a wine that has you spiralling into nirvana with every sip, might very well send your neighbour speeding to the spittoon. Even bottles featuring masses of shiny gold medals may only taste good to those that like that particular ‘style’. I remember being told years ago that I should drink pinot gris because it was the trendy thing. So I bought a bottle covered in bling, but when opened it was sweet, flabby and dull as dishwater to me. I thought that’s what all pinot gris tasted like, so I avoided it for a long time. I had no idea that there were plenty of deliciously dry, snappy-fresh pinot gris styles out there that would have suited me just fine. I have a mate that hasn’t sipped sparkling wine for years and I asked her why. “I just can’t stand the smell” she replied. I dug deeper. “What is it about the smell that you hate?” “I remember it was like a wet dog, sleeping on an old sack in a mouldy cardboard box” she said. Ick. Turns out she’d been forced to drink a couple of glasses of badly ‘corked’ bubbles at a shindig years ago and assumed that’s what all sparkling wine would be like. Neither she (or anyone else in the room) picked up that it was a faulty bottle. She’s been missing out on the good stuff ever since. Wine is all about personal taste and there’s no debating that. But while certain wines may not spin your wheels, there are some basic ways to tell if the wine you’ve opened is actually faulty or not. Firstly if it’s a white wine (i.e. chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot gris, gewürztraminer, viognier etc…) then it should be pale-ish in colour, maybe golden at best – not bronzey brown. Secondly, if it smells like rotten eggs, burned rubber, cooked cabbage, musty, or like cardboard, vinegar or nailpolish remover, then it’s to be avoided. If it smells like sticking plaster or cow poo, then chances are it’s loaded with brettanomyces yeast which is also awful. Don’t tip the wine out, take the bottle back to the shop for a full refund or replacement. Life’s too short to drink bad wine.
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Tohu Rewa Marlborough Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blanc 2014 $29 (4 stars)
With its pale, lemon-gold colour, sexy, meringue-like mousse and finely-tuned, tiny beads, this wine looks like money in the glass. It stacks up in the taste stakes too. Soft lemon and panetone loaf aromas, biscuity boldness and its fresh, creamy finish make this chardonnaycentric fizz one of my favourites.
www.glengarrywines.co.nz
Hãhã Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 $27.99 (3.5 stars)
If you’re all about juiciness in your wine, then this is the sip for you. Soft tamarillo, cherry and rhubarb flavours combine to create a spicy, fruit-fest in your mouth. Savoury elements add a hint of earthy complexity to the wine, and fine-grained tannins give a hint of chew to the finish. www.hahawine.co.nz
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Odds-and-sods nature events meant lower yields in Marlborough’s 2017 sauvignon harvest, yet from what I’m seeing in wines like this, less is definitely more.
Ara Single Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $15.99 (4 stars)
Steady yourself for some serious citrus intensity here from the very first sip. Freshly-juiced lime, bashed lemongrass and passionfruit compete for attention on the nose, while layers of lemon and green apple wash across the palate. Piercing acidity, a squeak of white pepper and a strong, mineral spine, make this a must-feature in your fridge this Summer.
www.glengarrywines.co.nz
Hunter’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $21 (4.5 stars)
I really love the elderflower, lemon pith and passionfruit aromas and its plethora of deeply punchy and pungent flavours. Hunter’s are an absolute aristocrat when it comes to creating darn delicious sauvignon blanc, because they’ve seen it all and been through everything nature could possibly throw at them, so they know how to ensure that only the best makes it into the bottle. Ripe, robust and really, really delicious.
www.hunters.co.nz
Jules Taylor Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $19.99 (5 stars)
Bright, herbaceous and with honkingly good length of flavour, it’ll come as no surprise upon your first sip why this wine walked away with a gold medal at the 2017 Air New Zealand Wine Awards. Classic passionfruit, lemonade and lime curd characters’ jostle with jalapeno, blackcurrant leaf and peapod notes to create a glass of niceness indeed.
www.advintage.co.nz
