Behave Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 $42 ★★★★ Classic aromas of baked berries, cherries and earthy, musky notes lead the way to a super-soft, almost creamy palate that’s generous and gentle. There’s a subtle dusting of spice around the edge of some sweet fruit and stretchy tannins. Nice stuff. www.odysseywines.co.nz
Author: Yvonne
Hazards of the Job
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Sat 12 Sep 2015 About two years ago I almost lost my left eye in a champagne cork accident. I was opening a bunch of bottles to write my notes for the Christmas issue of Dish magazine and I forgot the golden rule. “Always keep your hand firmly on the cork … Read More
Oh September
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Sat 5 Sep 2015 It feels like I’m only just getting my head around secondary cuts in the slow cooker, constantly wiping the dogs feet before she comes inside, digging out the spencer and woolly tights every day and then you’re on my doorstep with your promises of all things bright … Read More
Wine is Bottled Poetry
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Sat 29 Aug 2015 So we’ve all heard how famous artists are often asked to design wine labels, well here’s something a wee bit different. Sam Hunt, New Zealand’s favourite poet, and the owner of the best set of black stovepipe pants this side of Castor Bay, has partnered with wine … Read More
Are you New Zealand’s next wine professional?
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Sat 22 Aug 2015 If you have the skills to pay the bills in the wine department, then have I got a competition for you. Auckland’s upcoming Wine and Food Celebration (Sept 13-15) sees the return of the New Zealand Sommelier of the Year, Junior Sommelier of the Year and the … Read More
Malabarista Tempranillo & Garnacha 2012
Malabarista Tempranillo & Garnacha 2012 $14.95 ★★★ Made at the Palacio de la Vega winery in Spain’s Navarra region, this toasty wee wine is scooping up ‘Best Buy’ accolades all over the place and it’s easy to see why. “Malabarista” means ‘juggler’ in Spanish and the winemaking team behind it designed this savoury, spicy blend … Read More
El Burro Kickass Garnacha 2013
El Burro Kickass Garnacha 2013 $16.95 ★★★½ Kickass by name and kickass by nature (if ‘by nature’ means you’re looking for a bright, vibrantly fruity, berry-driven red that also has a sniff of cocoa and cured beef and boasts a plush, toasty finish) According to the importer, it gets its name from the donkeys or … Read More
Coto de Hayas Garnacha Centenaria 2012
Coto de Hayas Garnacha Centenaria 2012 $29 ★★★★½ Inside this bottle is 100% Grenache crafted from 100 year old vines grown in Spain’s Campo de Borja region – and it’s darn lovely. This wine oozes exotic earthiness, where clove and caramel characters merge with prune, cherry, vanilla and pepper. I really like the gum-tingling grip … Read More
Sam Hunt Gisborne Chardonnay 2013
Sam Hunt Gisborne Chardonnay 2013 $21.95 ★★★★ There’s a subtle, creamy lift on the nose, while waves of green nectarine and grapefruit wash across the palate with every sip, which is nice considering there are lines from Hunt’s poem Wavesong printed on the bottle. Just a tweak of toasty oak adds to the experience and … Read More
Sam Hunt Hawke’s Bay Merlot Malbec 2014
Sam Hunt Hawke’s Bay Merlot Malbec 2014 $24.95 ★★★ “Winter is a warm hearth…” is a line from Hunt’s poem Rainbows and that’s exactly where I’d imagine you should enjoy this wine; either that, or with juicy, fatty snarlers sizzled and oh-so-slightly charred on the BBQ. Dark magenta-black in the glass and showing pepper, prune, … Read More