The Best of the Best

                                     New Zealand is so much more than Sauv Blanc

WineKnows' trip to New Zealand just ended.  We visited the country's four major wine regions (Hawkes Bay, Martinborough, Marlborough, and Central Otago).  Nearly 150 wines made from more than a dozen varieties were tasted.  Pinot Noir (PN) and Sauvignon Blanc (SB) led the pack in terms of the most tasted wines.

40% of the wines in my Top Ten are PN, but that's not surprising as New Zealand is rapidly evolving into one of the Pinot capitals of the world.  I'm not a fan of the classic Kiwi style of grassy SB, so it's no wonder that only one SB made it to my list (this one was made from warmer climate grapes and had the tropical profile I prefer).  The surprise was the Chardonnay which made a strong impression garnering two of the top ten spots.  Two aromatics also made my list:  Viognier and Pinot Gris.

TOP 10 (listed alphabetically)

• Ata Rangi PN (2017):  from the estate's prime vineyards, this one is complex layers of spice, earth & fruit.

• Decibel Viognier (2018):  intoxicating melange of luscious florals & citrus, it's one of the few bottles I brought home.  If you can find it, buy it (or save it for me to buy).

• Dry River Chardonnay (2014):  stunning rendition of tropical fruit & citrus.  

• Elephant Hill Salome Chardonnay (2017):  burnt pineapple mixed with limey mineral nuances.

• Greywacke SB (2019):  luscious nectarine + lemon/lime + good finish.

• Mt Difficulty Hanock Farm Single Vineyard PN (2016):  ethereal mix of raspberry, violet, spice & earth, all with a gorgeous finish.

• Palliser Estate PN (2018):  elegant mix of savory & fruit with a winning finish.

• Te Awanga Wild Ferment Pinot Gris (2018):  white & yellow peach mixed with grapefruit.  Lingering finish.

• Te Whare Ra Single Vineyard PN (2015):  voluptuous mix of cherry, chocolate & spice with a fab finish.

• Valli Bendigo PN (2018):  Grown in Otago's warmest region, this one is full bodied & screams black cherry & spice.  Silky tannins & an elegant finish.

Note that all the above wines should be available in the US.

A big "cheerio" for the Kiwis!

New Zealand Beyond Sauv Blanc

 

NZ's top level Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Bordeaux blends are world-class

Sauvignon Blanc (SB) is the flagship varietal of New Zealand.  Both SB and New Zealand catapulted to fame, hand in hand, in the 1990’s.  There is something inherently and unmistakably likable about this SB.  The varietal’s citrus and tropical notes, mixed with zesty aromas and tastes of freshly mowed grass, make it a compelling wine for easy summertime drinking.  SB’s bracing acidity also make it a perfect food-friendly wine.   Although many wine geeks cut their teeth on this well-priced New Zealand SB, it should be noted that the country is no longer a one-trick-pony.  It is now producing several world-class wines.

While SB today accounts for nearly 75% of New Zealand’s vineyard plantings, the remaining 25% has seen a significant change since the millennium.  Pinot Noir is the new darling child of New Zealand.  The second most widely planted grape, Pinot Noir, has skyrocketed to fame in just the last ten years.  Top bottles of Kiwi Pinot can be magnificent gems.  With red Burgundies now commanding astronomic prices, many are turning to New Zealand’s well-crafted wines for a Pinot fix.

Chardonnay, the most planted wine grape prior to the SB explosion, is now the third most planted grape in New Zealand.   Like Pinot Noir, the country’s top examples of Chardonnay are also superlative, and considerably easier on the wallet than a white Burgundy, or for that matter a top Chardonnay from Napa.

Bordeaux-style blends are also ratcheting up the New Zealand ante for outstanding wines that can compete on the world stage.  Unique terroirs such as the Gimlett Gravel soils of Hawke’s Bay are giving these Cabernet-Merlot based wines some important bragging rights. 

The harvest in New Zealand is now underway.  How about hosting a southern hemisphere harvest party as a way of warming up cold February?   Refer to my blog of January 24 for first-class wines from the North Island.  For the South Island, consider these stunning wines which are all imported into the US:

• Fromm Clayvin Chardonnay ($50)
• Fromm Pinot Noir ($40)
• Greywacke SB Wild Ferment ($30)
• Valli Bannockburn Pinot ($45)

New Zealand Wines You Gotta Try in 2020

                            Hawke's Bay Gimlett Gravels are from milleniums-old rivers

Looking for interesting new wines for 2020?   I'm on my way shortly to New Zealand and I’ve got ten don’t miss wines from the country's North Island---all of which are imported into the USA.  These carefully chosen “gotta trys” come from two different wine regions. 

The first district, Hawke's Bay, is one of the country’s warmest grape growing areas.  Hawke's temperatures make it a popular spot to grow red varieties, although a good amount of Chardonnay is also produced here.  The wine area is composed of sub-regions, the most famous of which is the Gimlett Gravels.  These deep, free-draining gravels have only a thin layer of topsoil over them.  Most of the Hawke's Bay red wines listed below are from this special terroir.

The other quality wine district on New Zealand’s North Island is Martinborough. This area is a much smaller and cooler, and the focus here is Pinot Noir.  In fact, New Zealand has long been known for its signature varietal, Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot, however, has now gained a huge momentum and is rivaling Sauv Blanc.  The country’s best Pinot is from Martinborough.

Below's your list for 2020, listed alphabetically by producer.

Ata Rangi (Martinborough)

• Pinot Noir:  scored consistently high by international critics, this is one of the best examples of the magic of New Zealand Pinot.  $55

Elephant Hill   (Hawke's Bay)

• Airavata Syrah:  Airavata is the powerful God of Elephants in Hindu.  This wine is a powerhouse with a long, silky finish.  K&L in San Francisco has it for $50.
• Hieronymus:  A blend of Merlot and Malbec with a small amount of Cab Sauv mixed in.   Only made in exceptional years, this one is a near-perfect wine.  $50

Palliser (Martinborough)

• Sauv Blanc:  along with the cooler variety Pinot Noir, this winery also produces a terrific white that is a great price for $20 bucks a bottle.

Sacred Hill (Hawke’s Bay)

• Helsman:  A huge wine made from a blend of Cab Sauv and Merlot with a little Cab Franc sprinkled in.  $42
• Deerstalker’s Syrah:  Knock-out aromas & a great finish.  $42

Te Mata Estate (Hawke’s Bay)

• Sauv Blanc Cape Crest:  This elegant barrel fermented wine has a little Pinot Gris & Semillon included.  $25
• Elston Char:  an opulent example of what this varietal can do.  $35
• Coleraine:   one of the area’s highest Parker scoring wines, it's a medium bodied wine with silky tannins.  60% Cab Sauv,28% Merlot & 12% Cab Franc.  $77

Trinity Hill (Hawke’s Bay)

• Homage Syrah:  one of the iconic red wines of the Gimlett Gravels.  $75

Coming with us to New Zealand in February 2020?   Wine-Knows will be visiting all ten of these producers and you can taste the best of the best in person!

New Zealand is on a Roll!

                                Wine-Knows 2020 winery lunch...salmon screams for Pinot Noir!

The Kiwis (as the New Zealanders refer to themselves), long known for their explosive Sauv Blancs, have another blockbuster for wine lovers.  Pinot Noir, now the country’s second most planted variety, is quickly moving to the forefront as New Zealand is establishing an international reputation for producing world-class Pinots.

Forty years ago, the finicky Pinot grape was not even on New Zealand’s wine radar screen.  The varietal grows in cooler climates such as France’s Burgundy, California’s Central coast, and Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  This South Pacific island nation’s maritime climate was a perfect match in many ways.  Oh, yes, and it didn’t hurt that the soils were found to be similar to Burgundy, the pinnacle for the Pinot cult.

In addition to weather and soil, the Kiwis have another advantage with Pinot Noir.  An important part of New Zealand’s terroir is its intense light.  This is due to a hole in the earth’s ozone layer near New Zealand which permits stronger ultraviolet rays.  While this is problematic for human skin, it creates lusciously ripened grapes.  Unlike Burgundy, where capricious Pinot does not often ripen adequately, New Zealand’s sunlight guarantees consistency.

Pinot Noir is currently grown in several wine districts in New Zealand, however, the grape’s first success was in Martinborough---located just outside of the country’s capitol, Wellington, on the north island.   The south island’s Central Otago wine region (home to the world’s farthest southern vineyards) is also turning out some fabulous Pinots.  

Wines made from Pinot Noir are typically higher in price than other varietals.  Here are three highly rated Kiwi Pinots that offer amazing value for their $30 price tag:

             1.  Mount Brown

             2.  Wild South

             3.  Jackson’s Vintage Widow

Ratcheting up to the $50-60 range, here are some Kiwi Pinots that may cause you to re-think Burgundy:

             1.  Ata Ranghi

             2.  Fromm Clayvin

             3.  Felton Road Calvert

Wine-Knows will be visiting all three of these latter wineries on their harvest trip to New Zealand in 2020 (March).  Come experience these unique wines and explore this gorgeous country.

Can You Taste the Earth Move?

                    Burgundy's Grand Cru hills were created by earthquakes

Some of my favorite wines from around the world are from soils that were created by cataclysmic earthquakes.  The most famous earthquake vineyards are probably those in Burgundy.  Millenniums ago a tremendous earthquake in the area created Burgundy’s Grand Cru vineyards.  The limestone of the Cote’d’Or (the “golden hill”) was forced out of the bowls of the earth by such a seismic event.

Not far from Burgundy are Alsace’s vineyards---they were also created by an earthquake.  The small wine town of Ribeauville sits almost on top of one of the main fault lines.   In fact, there are two main fault lines that criss-cross with several smaller ones in Alsace.  This may be a reason why there is a huge difference among wines that come from vineyards that are relatively close together---different soils have brought to the surface from varying fissures in the earth’s crust.

Further south in France are the earthquake vineyards of Gigondas located in Provence.  But, earthquake vineyards aren’t limited to Europe.  New Zealand was created from powerful underwater earthquakes that caused the seafloor to push up.  Located at the intersection of two of the world’s major tectonic plates, both islands of New Zealand are earthquake in origin.

Let’s not forget the American continents.  The San Andreas fault in California is responsible for the soils of the Central Coast and Napa/Sonoma.  Chile has produced some of the largest earthquakes in the world (a 9.5 in 1960 and the more recent 8.2 in 2014).  The movement of this same tectonic plate millenniums earlier created the Andes, the world’s longest chain of mountains.  Both California and Chile are known for wines created from these earthquake vineyards.

While there is no scientific evidence that fault-line vineyards directly affect the quality of the wine, there is thought that geology does play some kind of role.  For example, it is known that shifting faults lines not only juxtapose different types of bedrock in the soil, but that they affect ground water and can form valleys.  Indirectly, this can effect micro-climates which do have a profound effect on the wine.

Kiwi Sauv Blancs

                           Sauv Blanc is the star of the show in the Marlborough wine district 

New Zealand has been historically a world leader when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc (SB) wines.  The classical Kiwi style is easily recognizable---a kind of in-your-face pungency of grass and citrus.  (One critic has even said that if you don’t like New Zealand Sauv Blancs, it’s because you were forced to mow the lawn as a kid).   

The Sauvignon Blanc grape is native to France.  The Loire Valley, known for its gigantic castles, is also famous for its SB.  In Bordeaux, the grape is mixed with Semillon to create an unctuous white Bordeaux.  But, it’s on New Zealand’s south island that the varietal morphs into something quite different from its heritage.   

Some of New Zealand’s most spectacular SBs come from the Marlborough wine region on the south island.  Producing >75% of all of New Zealand’s wines, this area’s flagship grape is SB.  Marlborough is a river valley that empties into the sea and its sandy-gravely soil makes for perfect drainage.  The low fertility of the soil also encourages concentration of flavors via lower yields.   The heavier soils produce the more herbaceous SBs, while its stonier soils left over from the river’s erosion impart more lush and tropical flavors.   Some scientists, however, think that a hole in the ozone layer over this region influences these bold fruit flavors.

                      Stony soils washed down over centuries by the river exert a strong influence

As in all wine, the weather plays a major influence.  New Zealand’s geography ensures that no vineyard is more than 80 miles from the coast.  This means maritime climates that are moderated by the sea---never too hot, but never too cold.  Such climactic factors ensure a long and steady growing season that allows grapes to ripen slowly.  Also, this allows for the development in balance between acids and sugars, one of the hallmarks of a well-crafted wine.

In my opinion the best renditions of Kiwi SBs are those that have tamed the grassy profiles to merely subtle background notes.  Dogpoint offers a well-made SB full of melon and passion fruit mixed with citrus and mineral flavors.  Often available at our local Costco for $20, it consistently delivers big in the quality/price department.  Greywacke (owned by the original winemaker at Cloudy Bay) also delivers a tremendous product in the same price range.  This one offers a superb rendition of well-integrated citrus, tropical, herbal, and mineral.  

Wine Knows will be visiting both of the above wineries on its 2020 harvest tour.  Currently we have 7 seats available:  www.WineKnowsTravel.com.

The World’s Southern-Most Vines

New Zealand is a country of magnificent beauty.  Luckily, one if its most stupendous settings is a wine region on the south island.   Anchored by the charming city of Queenstown, this area offers breathtaking natural beauty…in every direction.   Imagine crystal clear alpine lakes, dazzling river gorges cut by millennium-old glaciers, wild verdant forests, and jagged snow-capped peaks.   For years Queenstown has been popular among extreme sports enthusiasts (hang-gliding, mountain-biking, white-water rafting …even bungee-jumping was even invented in the area).   Now, its audience has expanded to include wine and food lovers.

The Central Otago wine region (as the wine district is called) is home to the globe’s most southern commercial wine region.  Located on the 45th latitude, it is further south of the equator than South Africa, Australia, Chile or Argentina’s wine areas.  In the 70’s it was thought to be too cold to make wine in this region, but all of that has radically changed.  Queenstown’s surrounding vineyards are now making some show-stopping wines.

Vineyard plantings in area of the Central Otago district expanded in the 1990’s after research showed that this region could produce world-class wines.  In 1996 there were only 11 wineries.  Today there are more than 130.  Varietals that thrive best in cool climates have been planted.  Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 80% of the current vines, along with Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc, and Riesling.

Here are my favorites from Central Otago, all of which are available in the US.  These are well-crafted wines, and many offer fairly good value.  Listed in alpha order:

• ·        Felton Road Pinot Noir or Chardonnay
• ·        Maude Point Pinot Noir or Riesling
• ·        Mt. Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir
• ·        Two Paddocks Pinot Noir
• ·        Valli Pinot Noir (Bannockburn, Gibbston or Bendigo vineyards are all good)

Why not buy a bottle and soak up some of the area’s stunning scenery in your glass?  Or, buy all of the above and host a wine tasting party of wine made from the world’s southern-most vineyards?   A third option is to join Wine-Knows on its last trip to New Zealand for the harvest in March 2020.   Come experience up-close-and-personal the majestic splendor of this exquisite area.   Learn about and enjoy these extraordinary wines from the pros.  www.WineKnowsTravel.com

Southern Hemisphere Harvest

While the US is still entrenched in our last days of winter with dormant vineyards, south of the equator countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Chile have already picked their white varietals and are waiting for the late ripening reds, such as Cabernet, to finish the final step of their evolution.  

So why should wine aficionados be interested in countries on the opposite side of the globe?  The southern hemisphere offers some stunning varieties that we don’t grow in the US.  For example, Argentina's luscious Torrontes is a charming white that would bode well for drinking this summer. Chile's red Carmenere grape makes an interesting addition to a winter's table and comes with a fascinating historical story as the "lost grape of Bordeaux" as an added bonus.  Once thought to be extinct, the Carmenere grape was rediscovered not long ago in Chile where it had been mistakenly masquerading as Merlot for a couple of centuries.

Another reason to look to our southern neighbors is that even familiar grape varieties can make dramatically different wines due to differences in terroirs of the hemispheres.   For instance, Sauv Blancs from New Zealand serve up a completely different flavor profile that ones from California.  The Kiwi’s version is grassy and herbaceous, in contrast to Cali's version which often is citrus (think grapefruit), or tropical fruits from those grown in warmer climates.

Below are my DO NOT MISS wineries of the Southern Hemisphere.  

Argentina

• Catena Zapata
• Zuccardi Family

Australia

• Debortoli
• Tornbreck

Chile

• Los Maquis
•  Montes

New Zealand

• Dogpoint
• Greywacke

Bucket List Wine Destinations

There are hundreds of wine producing regions in the world, but some are far more compelling than others to visit.   Here are my “Top 10” (listed in alphabetical order by country) which I have based on the following two criteria:  quality of wines and natural beauty.   If you've not been, they are serious contenders for any wine lover's bucket list.

Mendoza, Argentina

                Wines from this area have the highest levels of antioxidants of any wine.

Located at the base of the breathtaking Andes, Mendoza is home to the world’s highest vineyards....and some killer value Malbecs and Torrontes.  

Yarra Valley, Australia    

                                   The Yarra is reminiscent of Napa in the early 1970's

What's not to love about a stunning, bucolic valley of boutique family wineries?  Located a few hours drive from Adelaide, the Yarra should definitely pull at the strings of your heart for a grape escape.

 Wachau Valley, Austria

                                 Storybook villages & Gruner Veltliner await you in the Wachau

The Wachau Valley is a UNESCO world heritage wine region along the banks of the stunning Danube River. 

Burgundy, France   

            The Cote d'Or ("golden hills") produce some of the world's priciest Pinot & Chars

Burgundy is mecca for oenophiles.   It's also home to the world's most famous annual wine auction (the Hospice de Beaune), and one of the world's most famous wine societies (Tastevin du Chevaliers).

Champagne, France  

                There are hundreds of miles of limestone cellars---this one is at Veuve Clicquot's

Much of Champagne was a quarry for Paris' magnificent buildings, resulting in a plethora of underground caves...perfect for storing and aging the region's famous bubbly.

The Rhone Valley, France   

                This Hermitage is ground zero for some of the Rhone's most famous wines

The Rhone Valley is composed of some serious wine real-estate:  L'Hermitage, Chateauneuf du Pape and Cote Rotie.  Provence, also part of the Rhone, is another reason to pack you bag!

Queenstown (Otago), New Zealand   

                                  One of the many out-of-this world vistas in the region

They say that the Otago wine district has some of the world's most beautiful landscapes and I agree.  Think majestic alpine lakes, drop-dead gorgeous vistas and some beautifully crafted whites and reds.

Douro Valley, Portugal  

                              The entire Douro wine region is protected by UNESCO

The Douro Valley is a jaw-dropping area of vertical slopes that were terraced by back-breaking work hundreds of years ago.  Formerly known for Port, the Douro is now producing some world-class table wines at a terrific quality price ratio.

Piedmont, Italy

                  Every hilltop in Piedmont boasts a castle & village for as far as the eye can see

It's hard to believe that the home of Barolo and Barbaresco is also the home of such magnificent scenery.  Piedmont has it all, including one of the world's most famous culinary items, the white truffle.

Tuscany, Italy  

                  Tuscany's scenery has been captivating the hearts of wine lovers for centuries

It's hard for the countryside to compete with such formidable tourist sights as the cities of Florence or Pisa; however, Tuscany steps right up to the plate serving up mesmerizing delights for the eyes and soul.