As I type this column, the ferocity of Ex-Cyclone Gita is about bearing down on Marlborough, the engine room of our wine economy. In fact Marlborough grows the fuel which drives our industry, turning out 77% of New Zealand’s total wine production. Yet across New Zealand, tropical cyclones seem to have become all the more normal at this crucial time of year and they’re the most frustrating thing for any wine producer to deal with. It’s hosing down with rain and the grapes need to come in. The signs for 2018 had, until this week, been looking great. “Marlborough has never seen a summer like this one” says Greywacke winemaker Kevin Judd. “For the first time in forever, December was beautiful, still, warm, dry and even-tempered, meaning you could actually plan an outdoor event! Then two fronts rolled in and I swear I’ve never seen so much lightening over the region” he adds. Yet at the end of January, the grapes were gorgeous and clean and growers just needed the weather to stay dry because it looked as though harvest would occur couple of weeks earlier than normal. Exciting stuff. Then Gita happened. It happened not just to Marlborough, but Nelson, southern Wairarapa and Canterbury. When heavy rain occurs during harvest, thirsty grapevines soak up that extra water with gusto, meaning the flavours in the grapes could become dilute and that zesty zing of flavour may lose its punch. With too much rain, grapes can also start to swell and even split, and then the added worry about spoilage, mould and mildew kicks in. Even if the fruit is still ok, it’s not ideal to harvest in the rain as water can get into the harvesting bins, not to mention the soggy ground can make it frustratingly tough for tractors, harvesters, trucks and people to navigate their way around the vineyard. So by the time you read this, the storm will be over and let’s wish those grape growers in affected parts of the country all the best for the remainder of the 2018 harvest.
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Loveblock Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2014 $21.99 (4.5 stars)
I love the burst of lychee and honeysuckle and sweet citrus you get as soon as you drop your nose into the glass. Crafted by Kim and Erica Crawford from fruit grown with buckets of love in the middle of the Awatere Valley, this certified organic wine is absolutely heaving with luscious stonefruit and magical, musky spices. It’s a smash-up of sensational flavours that work stunningly well with spicy food. Prawn gang panang? Oh yes! www.glengarrywines.co.nz
Alpha Domus Aviatrix Sparkling Cuvée NV $20 (4 stars)
I first tasted this deliciously unusual, sparkling semillon outdoors on the Alpha Domus lawn, on a scorchingly hot Saturday during the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine Festival. The brainchild of owner Paul Ham’s daughter Beatrix, I was wowed by the aromas of barleygrass, dried lucerne, citrus and biscuit dough. On the palate it is bracingly fresh, yet it has generosity and fruit concentration. A hint of marzipan makes it extra magical. Sip with orange salad with olives and mint.
www.alphadomus.co.nz
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Something red, something white and something sticky – welcome to your triple sip treat for the week…
Elephant In the Room Palatial Pinot Noir 2017 $17.99 (3.5 stars)
Crafted from fruit sourced from South Australia, this is a slippery, spicy and seriously succulent little pinot noir with buckets of berry notes that literally leap up the nasal passages and leaves masses of cherry and truffle flavours plunging across the palate. Sweetly-styled and slippery.
Widely available.
Hihi The Full Monty Gisborne Chardonnay 2017 $15.99 (3 stars)
Aromas of crème brulee, roasted peach, sweet pineapple notes and a lick of luscious oak to round out the spicy notes. Creamy and nutty and plush – it’s a fruit fest on the palate and a total crowd-pleaser.
www.winecentral.co.nz
Gibson Bridge Botrytis Pinot Gris 2014 375ml $38 (3.5 stars)
Deep amber-coloured, this sticky treat is so named after the sixteen rows of pinot gris grapes that were left on the vine to succumb to the noble botrytis rot. It’s toffee’d and toasty and nutty and has roast apricot, fig and quince characters on the palate. If you have any cavities in your teeth, prepare for 200g/l of residual sugar, but it’ll be worth every wince.
www.gibsonbridge.co.nz
