Central Otago Pinot Noir is the perfect Christmas gift as it not only is good quality but it also has the perception of good quality and lets be honest, at Christmas no one wants to look cheap!
Also, Pinot as a light red wine pretty much most foods, Turkey, Ham, Smoked Salmon, Duck, Semi Soft Cheeses, fruit & nut cakes - yup that's right all of the delicious foods and treats that we usually serve at Christmas.
As a final point to seal the deal about Pinot Noir being perfect for Christmas, as a kiwi Christmas is kind warm, that did you know that Pinot can be chilled? Not too much, but about 15 degrees, so just a little warmer than a Chardonnay. Chill in the fridge for up to an hour
The following wines are my top 3 suggestions for Pinot Noir gifts for Christmas, each of these can be cellared for up to 10 years from vintage date if cellared properly, each one costs between $40-$50 which is a great pricepoint for a gift. It’s important to remember with Pinot Noir that vintage matters! So the wines that I am recommending aren’t just the wines themselves, but the specific vintage.
From Bannockburn, the warmest & driest sites in Central Otago Akarua Pinot Noir 2015 is a Pinot Noir that has intense black fruit flavours and the complexity that you can expect from this exceptional sub region. The flavours are a combination of red and black fruit with just a hint of spice & earth. Such a remarkable wine for only $43
If you can’t find Akarua I also recommend the Pinot Noir from Mt Difficulty & Felton Road also from Bannockburn
For the wine loving romantics out there (like me) you just cannot go past Michelle’s Pinot Noir 2016 from Invivo, this is a power packed Pinot full of lush concentrated flavours of dark cherries & the most subtle hint of vanilla from the cooler sub-region of Gibbston Valley. This vintage won a Gold Medal & Trophy - No.1 Pinot Noir at the NZ International Wine Show 2017. A stellar vintage of a great wine available for only $40. Oh did I forget the romantic piece? Well Invivo winemaker Rob Cameron named this wine, the winery’s premium wine offering after his own wife Michelle - you gotta love that! It has to be said if you could find a Pinot Noir loving Michelle, there truely is no more perfect gift than this drop.
If you can’t find this wine then pick up the Pinot from Gibbston Valley Wines
Last but not least is the Mount Michael Pinot Noir 2015 from Lowburn, Mount Michael is a boutique winery run by Anna Robbie who is the youngest winery owner in New Zealand at only 28 (go Anna!). All the Mount Michael wines are hand picked from Single Vineyards and this delish drop has an abundance of berries flavours with just a hint of that mushroomy, savouriness that makes it a great wine to pair with food & is available for $42
As it is a boutique winery I know it may be harder to find so if you can’t I also recommend Lowburn Ferry wines and of course, my eternal favourite - Rockburn
All amazing Christmas gifts to share with your loved ones this Christmas!