Neudorf Maggies Block Nelson Pinot Gris 2015 $26 ★★★★ The thing that really impressed me was the immediate aromatic hit of baked apple, crushed sea-shells and spice. It’s a lean, dry, ultra-clean style of pinot gris that has tightwire acidity on the palate and a long, chalky finish. I’d be sipping this with slowcooked pork … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Ka Tahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Ka Tahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $15 ★★★ Wow! Super-fruity and loaded with lemon, peach, passionfruit and lime, this is a snappy sauvignon that will really please the crowds. It’s not an intellectual wine by any stretch, it’s just a Make sure you serve it chilled down to enhance the tangy texture. For stockists near … Read More
Nga Waka ‘Lease Block’ Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014
Nga Waka ‘Lease Block’ Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014 $50 ★★★★½ I fell in love with the concentration and intensity of this wine from the very first sip. With so much lush, ripe red fruit and vibrant spices on the nose, you think it’s going to taste over the top and flouncy. However the cocoa, cherry … Read More
Nga Waka Martinborough Chardonnay 2015
Nga Waka Martinborough Chardonnay 2015 $30 ★★★½ It’s been an age since I’ve tasted Roger Parkinson’s chardonnays from his Nga Waka label, so it’s a great thing to get amongst his new releases. The 2015 estate is a tangy, linear yet altogether luscious wine that’s golden in the glass and offers creamy, spicy, roast peach … Read More
Wine Talk: Tropical, fruity wines
Published NZME Regional Papers Tue 12 April 2016 I’ve been spending a lot of time on vineyards around the country over the last few weeks. Harvest is in full swing and it’s an intense time for anyone involved in the wine industry. Winemakers and grape growers are glued to weather forecasting apps on their … Read More
Escape life’s demands
Published NZ Herald Sat April 9th 2016 You’ve spent the week working hard to be all things to all people. Maintaining through the demands of family, friends, your workplace and those pesky SocMed platforms that’ll forget you in a click if you don’t ‘like’, ‘share’, ‘regram’, ‘retweet’ or ‘snap’ something every seven minutes. Good … Read More
Wine & Wilderpeople
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Tue 5 Apr 2016 I’ve just returned home from the local premier of Taika Waititi’s ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’. It’s based on the Barry Crump story Wild Pork and Watercress and stars 13yr old Julian Dennison (he’s skux, look it up), Sam Neill (he’s crusty), Rima Te Wiata (my new … Read More
Appreciating creative powers
Published NZ Herald Sat 2 Apr 2016 How long is it until the next census? In the box that asks to what religion I subscribe, I shall write “The Holy Brethren of Broad City and Caitlin Moran”. These women appreciate the creative powers that tasty wines can impart on ones choreography skills; values that … Read More
Stanley Estate’s Noble Harvest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Stanley Estate’s Noble Harvest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 375ml $27 ★★★★ This is another rather rare style of dessert wine because you don’t often see sauvignon blanc, Marlborough’s signature grape, offered up in such a sweet, silky, luxurious manner. Steve Pellet and Bridget Ennals named their wines after their beloved Landrover ‘Stanley’, who safely carried them … Read More
Misha’s Vineyard ‘The Cadenza’ Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2015
Misha’s Vineyard ‘The Cadenza’ Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2015 375ml $32 ★★★★ I am a huge gewürztraminer hound. I love the stuff, especially when it has a splash of sweetness. So you can imagine my joy when a top-notch wine producer pulls out a rare, dessert-style example. Olly Masters has created a sweet treat that smells … Read More