Organic wine icons Claudia and Mike Weersing of Pyramid Valley, have decided to work with a tiny group of special winegrowers around New Zealand to produce these ‘Growers Series’ wines. This vineyard was planted in 1983 by Ivan Sutherland, the legendary viticulturist behind Cloudy Bay and Dog Point and 30-plus years vine age has produced … Read More
Current Columns
Ogier Heritages Cotes du Rhone 2014 $25
This wine is SO delicious and fruity and saturated with cherry cola, raspberry and black forest gateaux flavours, that I want to shout from the rooftops how much I love it! A blend of grenach, syrah and cinsault, its texture is toasty and mouthwatering and edged with peppercorn, blueberries, cocoa and redcurrant characters. It’s fleshy, … Read More
Canvas wine column week commencing 21st Jan, 2017
Righto. Time to sidestep away from your safe old supermarket wines and tip some of these leftfield lovelies down your sipper… Ogier Heritages Cotes du Rhone 2014 $25 This wine is SO delicious and fruity and saturated with cherry cola, raspberry and black forest gateaux flavours, that I want to shout from the rooftops how … Read More
Two Rivers ‘Juliet’ Marlborough Riesling 2015 $19.99
Righto. Hands up who wants a riesling positively erupting with mandarin, apple and lime! Hands up who wants riesling that rocks a splash of sweetness but has crisp, clean, zing-a-ling acidity and a long, racy mouthfeel! Hands up…wait, you’ve got no more hands. Just as well you’ve got tastebuds to enjoy the waves of honeysuckle … Read More
Johner Estate Wairarapa Riesling 2016 $24
Karl Heinz Johner makes wine in opposite hemispheres, with family estates in Baden, (in Germany’s Kaiserstuhl region) AND in Martinborough’s Gladstone sub-region. Riesling is a hero grape for him and he loves the crunchy green acidity, pear notes, baked apple, lime zest and honey characters that Martinborough grapes give so much, he’s decided to spend … Read More
Greenhough Apple Valley Nelson Riesling 2016 $20
Every year I marvel at the amount of intense granny smith and jazz-apple crispness and concentrated, spritzy, lime-laden sweetness that they manage to cram into this wine. Sourced from a tiny, north-facing vineyard on Apple Valley Road (cutest road name ever) overlooking the Moutere estuary, it’s terrifically tangy, taut and ultra-refreshing. It hits that perfect … Read More
Canvas column week commencing 14th Jan, 2017
Riesling is like the video for that Katy Perry song “Hot N Cold”. While one bottle stands demure and sweet at the church, the other’s in her wedding dress, smashing your car to pieces. It’s a beautifully bi-polar variety… Greenhough Apple Valley Nelson Riesling 2016 $20 Every year I marvel at the amount of intense … Read More
Ocone Piedrosso del Sannio Plutone 2015 $22
Plutone is the name of the grape grown by the good people at Ocone for this wine from the Campagnia region of Italy. It’s the first time I’ve tasted it and I’m loving the fresh, spicy, slap in the face florals of this spunky red. Tangy, lush and leafy, it’s got huge vibrancy and life … Read More
Mount Edward Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 $45
Don’t fret if you’re staring at this wine thinking it’s a little less glossy than others. Be happy because winemakers Duncan Forsyth and Anna Riederer, haven’t fined or filtered it, opting instead to keep the wine in its pure authentic state. A state of black tea, cherry and mixed spice intensity. The palate is tightrope … Read More
Ernesto Catena Animal Natural Vineyards Malbec 2013 $31
I was seduced by the rich, sweet choco-espresso note on the nose and the lift of dried herb and earthy, succulence in this little bit of magic from Mendoza, Argentina. It’s deliciously balanced and juicy and I love the layers of liquorice, wild pork and pepper and I also just love love love the label! … Read More