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Yvonne’s picks …
(Lemongrass and Chilli Beef)
When beef is boosted by a whack of chilli and lashings of lemongrass, step away from the cabernet and pick up a bottle of the shiny new and ludicrously lush Church Road Grand Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 ($37) instead. Winemaker Chris Scott was finally let loose on some super-ripe fruit grown in Lowburn, on the shores of Lake Dunstan, and the result is scented with dried lavender, thyme and raisined cherries, old leather and dusty, carpenter’s workshop characters. Gently spiced and juicy to drink, it’s smooth enough to soothe the heat in any dish.
glengarrywines.co.nz
(Ginger Pork with Eggplant)
In the words of the great Annie Lennox, “Stop what you’re doing, get down upon your knees, I’ve a message for you that you better believe … believe … believe.” That message is that the Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Gris 2020 ($27) is a crunchy-crisp, nashi-and-quince-scented sensation that slices across the tongue and gums like a ginsu knife of goodness. Deliciously dry, every sip sends a tsunami of quartzy minerality around the mouth and its spicy finish washes this punchy pork dish down perfectly. Ginger Pork + GP pinot gris = PG. There’s no fighting destiny.
astrolabewines.co.nz
(Cantonese Chicken Stir-fry)
Holy jalapeno Batman! One thing’s for certain. The second someone pours a glass of the Two Rivers Convergence Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($22), you’ll be able to smell its crazy punchy pungency from across the room. Or possibly across the street. Who knows —soon you may be overrun by sauvignon blanc zombies clawing at your windows with an unslakeable desire to have what you’re having. With basil, sweet pea, capsicum and nettle-infused niceness on the nose, plus buckets of white peach and passionfruit saturating the palate, it’s delicious with this saucy stir-fry.
tworivers.co.nz
