Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 $25 Sourced from fruit grown in the Wairau Valley, this is a sauvignon that’ll soothe the throat and clear the nose in majestic fashion. No joke. It’s an ultra-concentrated, herbaceously heaving example that will wow the crowds. Pungent basil, passionfruit, lime, peach and a plethora of grassy goodness … Read More
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Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019 $29 So beautifully balanced it’s like a ballerina tiptoeing in pointe shoes across your tongue on a tightrope. Aromatically it delivers fresh nashi and yellow plum perfume in spades, while the cleansing, juicy, white nectarine notes wash soothingly over the palate and leave a lengthy, textural … Read More
Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019
Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $49.99 The excellent thing about Villa Maria having multiple sites in Marlborough from which to source pinot noir from, is that when it comes to crafting the ‘Reserve’, those soils really are their oyster. The best rows from the best blocks are chosen and made as individual wines … Read More
Villa Maria Braided Gravels Hawke’s Bay Albariño 2019
Villa Maria Braided Gravels Hawke’s Bay Albariño 2019 $29 Reviewed in dish Magazine July/Aug 2020 and paired with Chicken, leek and thyme pie Hand on heart, if you do not do everything you can to nab yourself a bottle of the Villa Maria Braided Gravels Hawke’s Bay Albariño 2019 ($29) to sip and swirl with … Read More
Bayer Northern Young Viticulturist of the Year 2019 announced
Bayer Northern Young Viticulturist of the Year 2019 announced Congratulations to Pietro Aloisi from Ake Ake who became the Bayer Northern Young Viticulturist of the Year 2019 on Friday 7 June. Aloisi grew up in Italy but is now a New Zealand resident arriving here over seven years ago. He has been working in the … Read More
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gisborne Albarino 2015
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gisborne Albariño 2015 $17.99 ★★★★ I really like this wine because it’s bracingly fresh and shows classic white flesh peach, nectarine and lemony characters alongside a squeak of apricot stone, crushed shells, hints of salt and has a vibrant, racy finish. Very tangy and fresh and has a long, mineral-edged finish. … Read More
Northern Hemisphere Niceness
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Sat 26 Sep 2015 There’s a place in Italy called Salento. It’s located in the Puglia peninsula region of southern Italy, the one that looks like the heel of a boot, and it’s exceptionally good at growing a red grape that I’m fast becoming a serious fan of. That grape is … Read More
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gimblett Gravels Grenache 2014
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gimblett Gravels Grenache 2014 $24 ★★★★ Grenache is super-rare in this country, and Villa Maria have just one solitary hectare of vines planted smack bang in the middle of New Zealand’s most prestigious red wine region. This is also the only New Zealand grenache made on it’s own, not blended with … Read More
Positive Chi For Your Tastebuds
One thing I’ve learned is to never drink wine whilst watching Embarrassing Bodies followed by Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. There’s nothing like an unsightly pus-filled lump followed by another, well, slightly worse tempered, foul mouthed, pus-filled lump to put my palate up the Khyber. For me, environment is everything. I’m no frilly hippy and I’m no … Read More
Villa Maria Private Bin East Coast Viognier 2010
Villa Maria Private Bin East Coast Viognier 2010 $14 Textbook viognier aromatics here – orange oil, apricot and mandarin peel, while in the mouth it’s ripe, rich and boasts a lush, oily finish. It’s an in-your-face style with warming alcohol and good length of flavour – and is a great partner with sweet and sour … Read More