Bald Hills Friends and Lovers Central Otago Rosé 2019

20 December 2019By Yvonne

Bald Hills Friends and Lovers Central Otago Rosé 2019 $30 Crafted from two clones of hand-harvested, whole bunch pressed and cool-fermented pinot noir (Abel and 115) and showing gutsy raspberry, cherry and creaming soda, it’s a style that’ll bring the grins and satisfied slurps and have you longing for lashings of smoked salmon and sriracha … Read More

de la terre Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016

19 December 2019By Yvonne

de la terre Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 $40 Ex- Church Road winemaker Tony Prichard has sourced the fruit for this beautifully balanced blockbuster from his tiny, Hill Country Estate vineyard, up on Te Mata Peak. The super-ripe, ultra-clean grapes were 100% handpicked and 100% barrel fermented with a mixture of wild and inoculated yeasts … Read More

Moana Park Hawke’s Bay Blanc de Blanc NV

12 December 2019By Yvonne

Moana Park Hawke’s Bay Blanc de Blanc NV  $24.99 While the print on the label did remind me of a B&B bedspread and the brown writing is all a bit 1990’s wedding invitation, once that cork is popped, it’s all modern class and style. Scented with almond, lemon shortbread and cream, there’s an underlying bagel … Read More

Vin Padro Poesia DO Catalunya Garnacha Blanca 2018

12 December 2019By Yvonne

Vin Padro Poesia DO Catalunya Garnacha Blanca 2018 $18.99 Padró is a winery in Bràfim, a Spanish town in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia.  Founded in 1898 by brothers, Joan and Daniel Padró Valldosera, five generations on, we’re finally seeing Padró in New Zealand.  Made from white grenache, I love the ripe, white peach, and … Read More

Nautilus Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019

9 December 2019By Yvonne

Nautilus Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $23 If you were an invader from outer space holding a deadly piece of artillery to my face and demanding to be told what was the best sauvignon blanc in the country in 5 seconds or be incinerated – (hey, far-fetched, but freakier things have happened at sea) – … Read More

Junction Red Card Central Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015

4 December 2019By Yvonne

Junction Red Card Central Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 $19 Four years on from harvest and this little chardonnay is still going strong.  Lighter to medium-styled, it’s leaning into the creamy, cashew-like end of the spectrum, yet still showing peach and hints of citrus in the background.  Soft, juicy and very easy to sip, it’s a … Read More

Opawa Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019

3 December 2019By Yvonne

Opawa Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $20 Named after the Opawa River whose flow shaped the vineyard soil profile (and a local, native wetland area), the team at Nautilus Wines (led by Brett Birmingham) have designed this range of wines to bring real personality and value to lovers of Marlborough wines.  Being part of the AMW … Read More

Misha’s Vineyard Cantata Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018

3 December 2019By Yvonne

Misha’s Vineyard Cantata Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018 $30 The good folk at Misha’s Vineyard have explained that a ‘Cantata’ is taken from the Italian word ‘cantere’, which means ‘to sing’.  It’s a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment apparently, and rather more complex than “I Wanna Be Sedated” (which was a great song by … Read More

Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Reserve Old Vine Semillon 2018

2 December 2019By Yvonne

Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Reserve Old Vine Semillon 2018 ($29) Paired with Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Nicoise Salad in Canvas Sat Dec 7th 2019 No sooner had I read this recipe, I hurtled to the supermarket to get the ingredients because I had the perfect wine.  The Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Reserve Old Vine Semillon … Read More

Spade Oak Voysey Series Gisborne Pinot Gris 2019

2 December 2019By Yvonne

Spade Oak Voysey Series Gisborne Pinot Gris 2019 ($18.50) Paired with Chickpea and Eggplant Salad – Canvas Sat Dec 7th 2019 Pair the earthy awesomeness of this vegan dish with a wine real vavoom.  The Spade Oak Voysey Series Gisborne Pinot Gris 2019 ($18.50) is crafted from the Italian clone of pinot gris, known as … Read More