Give Gewürztraminer A Go!

Gewürztraminer, like Riesling it is a wine varietal that winemakers love to make and love to drink....so why does no else like to drink it? Seriously, this gorgeous aromatic wine makes up less than 1% of the New Zealand wine market, so you can be pretty sure that winemakers are not making it for the money, they are definitely making it for the love of it.

The Gewürztraminer grape is pink and it loves a cold climate like we have here in NZ. It is a highly aromatic wine with telltale scents of Lychee, Turkish Delight or Rose Water. Imagine all of the exotic scents of a Moroccan bazaar. The texture is usually quite rich & mouth-filling (a bad one will feel soapy in the mouth) and while the driest you will get a Gewürzt is off-dry it never seems that sweet because of its tendency to have high acidity

Gewürztraminer goes exceptionally well with spicy or intensely flavoured food, think Thai, Indian even Mexican and of course with Moroccan food given the synergy between the flavours, just remember to serve it really cold.

My favourites right now are Matawhero Gewürzt 2016 from Gisborne, it is clean and fruit driven with smells of rose petal, clove, lychee and star anise 2016, as Matawhero is a boutique winery this is a wine that you can mostly get in liquor stores and should cost you as little as $22. This wine is vegan with residual sugar of 7 grams, so off dry, and will also go beautifully with a strong tasting cheese like a Blue.

From my old friends in Marlborough, Allan Scott comes the Generations G:Wizz. The Generations range is a single vineyard range which is a tribute to family, something that is extremely important to the Scott family and just another reason to love this awesome winemaking team. This crispy wine is medium sweet with residual sugar of 15 grams but very well balanced with delicious lychee flavours and goes perfectly with Asian food like dumplings. A wonderful wine available widely for only $26.

Misha’s Vineyard “The Gallery” Gewürzt from Central Otago is a wonderful wine with flavours of Turkish Delight, peach and orange zest. The word I use to describe this wine is a word I find I use frequently when I describe the Misha's vineyard wines - elegant. It's gorgeous and the 13 grams of residual sugar make it to my palate medium in sweetness. Pick this up from liquor stores for about $32 and serve with Thai or Indian food.

Gewürztraminer has come a long way since the bad old days of dodgy overly sweet wine, so I gotta ask yet again, at least once, give Gewürztraminer a go!

Click the link below to hear my chat with Wendyl Nissan on RadioLIVE to hear more

Rosé 2.0 for 2018

Wow - Rose is such a juggernaut and it is not showing any sign of slowing down. It's next to impossible to pick one off the shelf so the lovely peeps at SipNZ are making it a little bit easier with their Rosé  Directory, they have taken 42 wines from 10 regions covering different styles, sweetness & prices and put them all into a database, all you have to do is go to sipnzwine.co.nz put in your preferences and bam - a Rosé recommendation - I love it. 

Rosé Day is Feb 5th so if you're keen to have a bit of fun and find out what you're Rosé personality is you are you can take the Rosé personality test (I'm the socialite - haha), the thing that made me most happy about this is it actually did recommend for me one of my all time fav Rosés - "Isle of Beauty" by Two Rivers. Whoop! 

Everyone but everyone is now making Rosé and I have been sent so much I could bathe in it. Actually. Not that I'm complaining I adore Rosé it just makes it really hard to pick a top three! So here are three I love that are doing something a bit different. 

There are so many reasons to love the Waiana Estate, Indian Summer Rosé 2017, firstly it's in the kind of bottle that gets my motor running. A tall elegant bottle with a beautiful dappled punt (This gal loves a punt!), it has a beautiful pale colour & it is the typical Provençal style of Rosé that I adore - bone dry with less than a gram of residual sugar. This Hawkes Bay beauty is made from Merlot and Malbec grapes and will set you back a mere $22

All the way from Otago the family owned, single vineyard winery Wooing Tree have created a Rosé that is typically Central in that it is 100% Pinot Noir but also because behind the typical strawberries & cream we love from Rosé there is also hints of nectarine and stone-fruit - oh so central and lovely, crisp & dry at 2.9 grams of residual sugar. Pick this one up for $27 or $25 on special.

I've done these in order of sweetness rather than price this time around and the sweetest of the three is the Spade Oak Voysey Rosé 2015 (a slight aged Rosé - interesting) from Gisborne is only $18 and is off dry with 8.5 grams of residual sugar. It's delicious and oozes Raspberries! Yum! The great thing about this wine is that it's made from the Spanish grape Tempranillo, a grape varietal that loves meat so this is the perfect BBQ wine this remarkable summer season we've been having.

Click the audio below to hear my chat with Wendyl Nissan on the Long Lunch about why I love these Rosés so much and keep an eye on my social media for more great Rosés this summer.

My Top 10 Wines of 2017

What a year it has been! I have had the most amazing time writing and talking about wine on the RadioLIVE Long Lunch with Wendyl Nissan. It has been such a great year and I cannot believe how many amazing wines I have tasted and how many new wineries I have discovered.

I have to take a moment to say thanks to everyone who has listened or read my recommendations. The huge amount of engagement I get from wine lovers throughout New Zealand is humbling & I'm really grateful. Also massive thanks to the wineries who send me wines to try. The hard work & passion that goes into creating these beautiful wines is remarkable, I take my hat off to each and every one of you, as, despite what people may think, making wine is not an easy task. But you amazing wine makers live and breathe it every day and the end result is something quite spectacular.

So what better way to round out the year than a good old fashioned "Best Of", everyone loves one of those don't they? Well maybe they don't but I do, so let's have a look at MermaidMary's Top 10 wines for 2017. When I started this task I thought it would be relatively easy & it really hasn't been, not because I can't find ten but because I can't narrow it down to just ten! It's like picking best friends, I have too many wonderful options to choose from!

So here it is my agonisingly chosen top ten (in no particular order). These wines are all special for me for different reasons but first and foremost because they are great wines.

1. JK14 - Malanotte: I discovered that the John Kirwin had this own wine label JK14 (a combo of his initials and All Black Number) at Winetopia 2017, the JK14 Malanotte was the first wine I tried and to be honest it ruined me for anything else at the event. All of the wines in the range are Italian as John's wife is from Treviso in Veneto, Northern Italy.  This wine collection has been put together with so much love each of the bottles is named after someone dear to the family and tells a story. As for the Malanotte only two wineries in the world make Malanotte and they stand side by side in Veneto, Italy. The people of the area believe that Malanotte is the wine that Jesus had the Last Supper. Well if it's good enough for Jesus! This wine is superb & it comes with a sense of humour as the front label on the bottle states: “Approved by Jesus Christ….we’re pretty sure!". The whole JK14 range is available at www.jk14.com and the Malanotte is about $60, a more expensive drop but trust me when I say it is worth every penny.

2. Two Rivers "Isle Of Beauty" Rosé: Rosé is an absolute juggernaut and it seems like everyone is now making rosé, it would most definitely appear that pink is the new black! The sheer volume of rosé I have been sent this year is overwhelming - at one point i was pretty sure I just about manage a rosé bath! Picking just one in one way has been difficult but in another was pretty simple as for me Two Rivers “Isle of Beauty” Rosé 2017 just stood head and shoulders above everything else for a number of reasons, one the wine is the dry style that I love (I genuinely think that winemaker Dave Clouston is a genius) but also the fact that the bottle is one of most beautiful bottles I have seen in quite a while, tall, thin, elegant with a beautifully dappled punt (that's the dent thing in the bottom of a bottle of wine). Gorgeous.  "Isle of Beauty" is vibrant salmon in colour and quite simply a joy to drink. Pair with friends, sunshine and laughter. Available in liquor stores for $20.

3. Soho Wine Company "Carter" Chardonnay 2016 : Getting to know the team at Soho Wine Co has been such a 2017 highlight. For starters the company is run by the awesome kick ass girlboss Rachael Carter but also their range of wines is really superb. My fav wine from the team at Soho had to be “Carter" 2016 their black label Single Vineyard Chardonnay. Chardonnay is my favourite white wine and this gem from Waiheke and is named after Maximus Carter Rachael's beloved Dalmatian who has since passed, she named the Chardonnay after Maximus as they are both of an excellent Pedigree. Couldn't think of a better tribute to a beloved pet. Pick up a Carter in liquor stores nationwide for $40

4. Element Syrah 2015: I love discovering new wineries and one of my favourite discoveries of 2017 was Element Wines. Element are a teeny tiny 2.66-hectare vineyard in the renowned Gimblett Gravels area of Hawke's Bay and they make some pretty spectacular wines. Winemaker Dom is all about a balanced & harmonious way of growing & Element don't use herbicides, pesticides or other associated nasties. This Syrah is a deep Purple and it smells of violets & blueberries & boysenberries. At first glance you think this is going to be a super grunty but in fact it's smooth and soft silky & delicious. This wine was one of my most exciting finds of 2017 & frankly I think Dom is selling this wine way too cheaply at only $25. You can only buy online at www.elementwines.co.nz but at those prices why wouldn't you buy a case! Buy up now before Dom takes my advice and puts the price up!

5. Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2016: For Chardonnay lovers the Clearview Chardonnay really needs no introduction, this wine has definitely built up a cult following and each vintage it sells out. The winery don't make any more of it as a result of it's popularity so when it's gone, it's gone so each year we all have to sit and wait with baited breath & eager anticipation for it to come around again. But come around it does and each vintage is as good as the one before and we all breathe a sigh of buttery oaky relief (between sips). This The Chardonnay is that perfect balance of fruity, creamy & toasty without too much of anything taking over. It will also cellar beautifully for the next 10 years for those of you out there with the willpower not to devour it now! It is a more expensive drop with a retail price of $47, but hunt it out for as low as $42 as it really is worth it (and so are you!). 

6. Supernatural Wine Company - Green Glow: Natural wines are becoming such a massive trend & the thing that I love most about natural wines is you can't judge the wine by the varietal. A perfect example of that is the Green Glow by the Supernatural Wine Co, This wine is a Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand's first skin fermented Sauv B) but it is not a Sauv as you or I know it. But that's the beauty of it. For me it's about judging a wine for what it is, rather than what you want it to be. If you taste this wine expecting a typical Sauv Blanc then you will definitely be disappointed as this wine is not typically anything. This wine is full bodied and refreshing with lots of stonefruit and a herbal quality which makes it unique and truly wonderful. Leave your preconceptions about Sauv behind & enjoy this wine chilled but not cold. I cannot wait to see what the Supernatural Wine Co do next as these guys are most definitely one to watch!

7. Villa Maria – Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - When I originally talked about this wine I described it as "so beautiful and so special it deserved the shedding of a tear"  This wine is a 2007 vintage but was only just been released and it's rare to find a 100% Cab Sauv in New Zealand but rarer still to find a ten year old at finding it for $63 seems almost unbelievable. I know that seems like a lot of money, and in fact it is but if you wanted to invest then this is the wine to do it with. Beautiful smells of ripe blackcurrants and even coffee, the taste is so fine yet quite powerful and it's a wine that will aged beautifully. If you have a child born in 2007 this is the wine to buy, cellar well and share with them on their 21st birthday.

8. Te Whare Ra - Syrah 2015: It's no great secret that I love the wines of Te Whare Ra in Marlborough. This organic & biodynamic winery is run by husband & wife team Anna & Jason Flowerday. Anna is quite simply one of my favourite people (and not just in the wine world) with her unbelievable passion for making wine and her no bullshit attitude when it comes to pretty much everything. She's such a cool chick. It's almost impossible for me to pick a favourite from their range but if I had to it the Syrah has the edge - most likely because of just how much I love Syrah. As this is cool climate Syrah (and that's not something you see a lot of) with amazing depth and complexity with all of the peppery deliciousness of a great NZ Syrah.

9. Rockburn - Pinot Noir 2015: When it comes to absolute quality you can never go wrong with a wine from Rockburn, Central Otago. They consistently make remarkable wines & I have been a fan for as long as I have been in New Zealand. Their 2015 Pinot Noir is everything that a great Pinot should be teaming with flavours of both red and black cherry,  with smooth tannins and a long delicious finish. It's so elegant & this wine would be such an amazing gift for a vegan friend (or any friend at all). All Rockburn wines are vegan & organic and multi-award winning. This retails at $50 but I have found it for as low as $40 in New World which is a steal!

10. Allan Scott - "Generations" Gewurztraminer 2016. Another winery that I'm known for being a fan of and this year the team at Allan Scott released the "Generations" Geurtztraminer. I am passionate about more people trying aromatics and this is a good example of a great accessible aromatic wine with layers of delicious lychee and spice with a medium body and off dry sweetness. This wine is dangerously moreish and a treat at only $26. Another reason why I love this wine is because the Scott family are the nicest family of passionate people you could ever hope to meet. They've been great supporters of me so their wines feel really special.

So that's that! This Mermaid's round up of my favourite wines of 2017. To be honest I could have easily picked 30 wines choosing just ten was tough!

Looking forward to trying even more wines in 2018 and bringing them you via the RadioLIVE airways and here.

Happy New Year

MM

x

No Pain Like Champagne

Champagne has been around for centuries and it is thought even that the first sparkling wines were actually made by accident, as a result of wine being bottled before it had finished fermenting, this meant that the ferment continued in bottle & created bubbles which made the wine sparkling. It wasn't until the 16th century that wine was deliberately made sparkling & even then they weren't aware of how to regulate the second fermention. This combined with that fact that the glass bottles weren't strong enough to withstand the intense pressure of the bubbles meant that bottles of Sparkling Wine would explode, in fact back in the day being a cellar master was an extremely hazardous as not only would one bottle explode but it would start off a chain reaction with as much as up to 90% of bottles in any one vintage being lost. This unexplained phenomena earned sparkling wine the nickname of "The Devils Wine" as people believed the only explanation was that the wine must be possessed.

Although he wasn't the original creator of Champagne (as most people think) the Benedictine Monk Dom Perignon was a pioneer in perfecting the subtle art of making champagne. He also helped to establish the set of strict wine-making rules that still Champagne houses still must adhere to today. 

The amount of rules that a sparkling wine must adhere to in order to be called a Champagne is extensive! I'm not even going to start down that track as I would break the internet! I think the one that most people know is that Champagne must come from the appellation of Champagne in Northern France. To give context Champagne is about the same size as Waikato, a relatively small area but the business of Champagne is worth a whopping 4.74 Billion Euro with approximately 312 million bottles being produced annually. Champagne makes up 30% of France's wine exports. Needless to say it's a massive business!

One of the key things to remember about Champagne is the difference between non-vintage and vintage Champagne. Every year a non-vintage Champagne will be made but vintage Champagnes are only made on the very best years years. So how do you know? Easy. If your Champagne has a year on it, then that's a vintage, it is the best wine that a house can make, it's the most prestigious, the Champagne that has been aged longer and if cellared correctly will age excellently & most definitely a more expensive Champagne that one without a year on the label.

Great Champagne should have vibrancy and the bubbles should be lively on your tongue & appear both light and mouth filling at the same time. One that definitely fits the bill is Lanson, made in 1760 Lanson is one of the oldest Champagne houses and has a subtle toasty characteristic with honey flavours and delicious fruits & citrus. This time of year Champagne is the cheapest that it will be all year round and you can get this wine for as low as $60 this time of year - an absolute bargain considering you are buying a Champagne that has been around since 1760. I'm such a fan of this Champagne, it is an amazing drop that is completely underrated considering the quality & history.

A better known Champagne is Perrier Jouet - is is so hard to dislike this Champagne not only because it is absolutely delicious but also because it looks so beautiful. PJ always focus on beautiful design & this year's box is a gorgeous festive green and gold. This Champagne is available also for as low as $60 at Christmas (which is crazy inexpensive) and oozes lime, honeysuckle, vanilla & apples. Wow!

I loved the idea of Bollinger even before I tasted it as I was a fan of Ab Fab back in the day - does anyone else remember the catch phrase of Eddie & Patsy "Boli Darling, Boli Sweetie" then an old boyfriend bought me a bottle for a romantic picnic for my birthday and I realised it was also one hell of a Champagne! So many different apple flavours as well as stonefruit, pear & even walnut - can you believe you can get a Champagne as complex & delicious as this is available for as low as $80....I honestly wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes! Also Bollinger is one of the last remaining independent Champagne houses that is still family managed.                 

There is no doubt about it Champagne is a pretty special drop & I am a firm believer that ever so often you have to treat yourself to something special! Click the link to hear my chat with Annabelle White on the subject :)

Pinot Noir that make great gifts for Christmas

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!

Wine in a can....yup, that's a thing...

I can hear the audible gasp of horror from wine snobs at the very thought on wine in a can but actually it's been a thing for a while now, in fact it's been around since 2004 – Francis Ford Coppola (yes, thee FFC, he also owns a winery) introduced "Sofia" a Blanc de Blanc, which is a white sparkling methode traditonelle made entirely from Chardonnay grapes in a can. So canned wine has been around for a while in the US and it's popularity is massive, last year alone sale doubled to $14.5 Million, mostly driven by millennials who much prefer cans with cool designs rather than boxed wine which is considered low rent & bottled wine which is considered alienating. Wine in can isn't going anywhere and now New Zealand, it's coming to us! 

Let's be honest, the wines that you get in a can is never the top level, most prestigious wines, but they are the average price, consistently good wines that most people drink, so their popularity makes sense.

From a practical point of view light & air are the two biggest enemies of wine, putting wine in a can automatically this takes away both of those problems, also as most of the cans are either 250mls or 330mls it makes having a "glass or two" much easier as you don't have to open a whole bottle and worry about whether it will keep until the next time you want a glass or two. 

The final reason I think canned wine is a good idea is - have you seen an NZ summer? We have such an outdoor and active lifestyle and once the sun shines we spend our time on boats, at the beach, up hills hiking and going camping to name but a few activities. Cans are light, portable, easy to chill down and the rubbish you have to carry with you is a lot lighter than a bottle. This is a vessel made for summer days. 

The one downside to a can is you need to have access to the aromas of the wine in order to get the full experience - so I still recommend you put it in a glass (I'm currently crushing on these portable Goverre glasses and hope Santa gets the memo) to get the full aromas etc. When someone comes up with a rip-lid wine can, that would be perfect! 

There aren't that many people doing wine in a can in NZ but I have found a few which taste pretty good. Firstly my old friends at  Allan Scott, have made a Green Hopped Gooseberry Bomb Sauvignon Blanc and which they call a Craft Wine as it's not just wine but a wine that has had some brewing techniques applied (Winemaker Josh Scott is also a brewer).  This wine is a jump out of the glass, grassy, gooseberry Sauvvy, lovers of "typical" Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc will not be disappointed. At $8.99 for 330mls (Just over two glasses of wine or 3.3 standard drinks), this is a great drop and it's also 11.5% so lighter in alcohol which I think is a responsible choice on behalf of the Scott Family as it does appeal to a younger demographic. For now, this is the only one in the range but an Allan Scott Craft Wine Riesling & Pinot Noir are coming soon! Watch this space...

Originally in a bottle Joiy, a sparkling Prosecco style wine in also now available in cans. Joiy is made from a combination of Riesling grapes from Waipara (north Canterbury) and the Clare Valley in South Australia. It's medium sweet and to be honest I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this wine despite it being sweeter than my usual taste. It's easy drinking with light bubbles & it went down a treat with the snacks I brought to a picnic just last week. It comes in a (rather pretty) slimline 250ml can and is 10% alcohol and $5.99 at Farro stores nationwide

Misty Cove released their wines in a can last year it looked like it was a bit of a struggle for them as the format is so new to this market - but trojans that they are they didn't give up but went back to the drawing board, changed the format and added another varietal, I'm glad they didn't give up as the revised range looks awesome and tastes pretty good too.

There is a Sauvignon Blanc (The Charlatan) and a Chardonnay Sparkling (The Hustler) but one I'm featuring here is the Pinot Noir which they call "The Embezzler". It's a Marlborough Pinot Noir & exactly what you would expect of a mid-range, fruity, easy drinking Pinot. They have JUST canned this a few weeks ago - the cans I got were hot off the press but keep an eye out for this range everywhere you buy alcohol as I expect to see it all over very soon. Also slimline 250ml cans and each for $6.49. 

Wine in a can, it's here and it's most definitely here to stay. I predict A LOT more wineries following the suit of these awesome early adopters & hats off to them for being so innovative. It's not easy being the first one to try something new.

The one glaring omission from everyone range is a rosé! Let's have one of those next please wine in a can makers!

The 2018 Air New Zealand Wine Awards

The Air NZ Wine Awards have been running for 31 years now which makes it one of the longest running sponsorships in New Zealand, (The All Blacks and Steinlager sponsorship has run for an equal amount of years)

Every year this event grows from strength to strength and this year there was 1,300 entries, and each entry (yup, every, single, one) is blind tasted by 3 senior & 2 associate judges. The way that it works is firstly they pick and publish the medal winners and then only the winners of Gold medals go forward to be considered for a trophy. Honestly to earn a gold medal is an achievement in itself & they are prestigious! For example of the 149 Sauvignon Blancs that were entered only 9 were gold & on the red side 164 Pinot Noir's were entered and 19 won gold. So gold is not easy to achieve & a genuine mark of quality. 

Each year the awards are held in a different location - this year it was the beautiful Hawke's Bay - and 17 trophies are awarded with 2 supreme trophies which are essentially “Wines of the show” being the top awards on the night. 

As mentioned, all of the gold medals are already incredible wines so depending on your taste you will not be disappointed with a Air New Zealand trophy winners - the three below are just some of my picks of the bunch and also ones that I could get my hands on at short notice after the event in time for the Long Lunch the following Friday. 

I will admit to feeling a tad smug when the Dashwood – Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 won not just an award, but THREE awards last weekend, one of them being the O-I NZ Reserve Wine of the Show - AKA one of the top top awards. I recommended this wine a few months ago and I am so proud to see how well it has done. This wine is a beautiful, plummy, fruity (very) easy drinking Pinot and an great expression of the amazing region of Marlborough. They also serve it in business class on Etihad Airlines. This wine is an absolute STEAL at $18 and my friends in retail tell me it's selling by the caseload...get yours now, you will know it by it's red label featuring a beautiful Pohutukawa. This wine also won the Dish Magazine Champion Open Red Wine Award & JF Hillebrand NZ Chamption Pinot Noir Award - what an over achiever!                                                                               

Also from Marlborough the Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Valley Marlborough 2017 won two awards last weekend. The New World Champion Open White Wine Award and the Label and Litho Ltd Champion Sauvignon Blanc Award. This is another very affordable wine at $22 with aromas and flavours packed with citrus, apple, even feijoa and tropical fruit. The palate is crisp, well balanced and refreshing. This is a great one to have in the fridge this summer and is a wonderful example of what great looks like in the world of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and just why it's so beloved the world over. 

My final pick is a Hawke's Bay Syrah because, well because I bloody love Hawke's Bay Syrah! Man oh man what a wine is the Coopers Creek Reserve Syrah 2016, it's deep red is almost purple and it is so deliciously well structured with dark ripe fruit with just a hint of floral and oak. This wine I have no doubt will age so well but I advocate for treating yourself and drinking it now? Why? Because it's absolutely delicious. It is a little bit pricer at $59, but have a hunt around and it will be on special from time to time as low as $49. Trust me, it's worth it. This Hawke's Bay beauty took out the Champion Syrah Trophy and boy is it....        

For more info on the rest of the trophy winners go to the Air New Zealand Wine Awards page and to hear my chat with Carly Flynn on the long lunch click the link below....

Lighter Options Wines - Let's keep our standards low!

As the silly season rapidly approaches I think it's apt to approach the sometimes tricky situation of standard drinks vs standard pour - as a lot of people don't realise that the two things are actually quite different.

One standard drink is actually only about 100mls of wine and a standard pour in a bar or restaurant is 150mls. That means one glass of wine is actually one and a half "standard" drinks. Ok but what does that mean? Don't worry, I'm here to break it down for you.

The measurement of a standard drink is simply based on what your body, specifically your liver, is capable of processing and your body (yes, everyone's body) is only capable of processing one standard drink every hour. I know we all know someone who we believe is capable of handling a lot more (or a lot less) than that, but the science says that 10mls of pure alcohol = 1 standard drink = a processing time of one hour. For wine, as I mentioned, that equates to (more of less) 100mls of standard strength (13-13.5%) wine per hour.

So next time you head out for a wine and you think you're ok to drive as you've only had a couple of wines, remember that two wines is actually three standard drinks. This is the one and only time I advocate for keeping your standards low!

So at a time of year when there seems to be a party, end of year celebration, catch up or something else every other night of the week and if you're not catching up with friends for a BBQ (Hurrah summer is here) you're playing host yourself, I think it's a good idea to look at some of the lighter wine options out there, if you don't feel like abstaining (which remember is also an option!). Grab some of these to bring around to friends houses or have them in the fridge if mates are coming around. Remember - good friends - provide the beverages, great friends - don't let mates drink and drive!

But wait a moment I hear you holler - lower alc wine? Ewh! Isn't that stuff awful!? Ya know what, I will agree that once upon a time it most certainly was, but not anymore. There is a real commitment by the wineries, particularly the big wineries to make great quality, lighter option wines and ya know what's even better about lighter alcohol wines? They're usually lower in calories too, and at a time of year when calories abound, how can that be a bad thing?

I don't recommend anything I don't think is good and these wines are good, they're also not expensive and widely available in supermarkets nationwide. Pick up a few mid strength beers like Mac's Mid Tempo or Steinlager Mid while you're there and everyone will be happy.

I wasn't kidding when I said these wines were good quality - the Stoneleigh Lighter Sauvignon Blanc 2017 just won a gold medal at the New Zealand International Wine Show and that's saying something. This wine is 9.6% alcohol and is off dry and is what I would describe as a typical Marlborough Sauvvy - and I mean that as a compliment! This wine is full of fresh citrus and passionfruit with that capsicum quality we have all come to know and love in our Sauv. We all know a Sauvignon Blanc lover so grab one of these for only $16 to have in the fridge when they pop round. Enjoy chilled with any kind of seafood.

For those with a sweeter tooth the Villa Maria Private Bin Lighter Pinot Gris 2016 from Marlborough will definitely hit the spot. This wine is 9.5% and smells like flower blossoms and tastes like ripe pears with just hints of spice. Super moreish and the medium sweetness makes is perfect with thai food or if you're serving up some spring rolls to share. $14 and widely available.

You just cannot have a list that talks about summer without including a Rosé and my favourite of the lighter styles is the Wither Hills Early Light Pinot Noir Rose 2017. Summer defined this wine is watermelon pink with the smells and flavours we have come to know and love in our Rosé - strawberries and raspberries. Yum. Pack this one in the picnic basket as I think it pretty much goes with anything and that's not too shabby for a wine that will only set you back $15. This wine is 9.5% and is the driest of my picks.

Hope you enjoy these wines and remember, lighter in alcohol is still alcohol and alcohol like all drugs should be treated with respect and used in moderation.

Lets make some awesome choices this silly season, lets look out for each other this summer and make sure we all get home safe while having tonnes of fun!

Click the link below to hear my chat with Carly Flynn on the Long Live Lunch

Riesling - The Wine Lovers Wine

Riesling is one of the oldest German grape varieties and it is without question the wine lovers wine, I have yet to meet a sommelier, wine maker or wine expert who doesn’t adore it, yet the general public tends to be really suspicious of it. So why? To those in the know they see Riesling as a complex, aromatic, delicious wine which ages exceptionally well, however the general public seems to believe that all Rieslings are sweet and nasty. I think we should place the blame firmly at the feet of Blue Nun which was indeed very sweet and ever so nasty!

Despite the stereotype, not all Rieslings are sweet, in fact quite a few of them are dry or off dry. Also as Riesling tends to have high acid and where you have higher acid you have a lowered perception of sweetness. Riesling also goes with pretty much any food, but goes especially well with spicy food like Indian or Thai.

Cork dorks like myself, well we just go crazy for Riesling, and even more so when it's been aged. The smell of a good quality aged Riesling is unmistakable, it smells like Kerosene or petrol, as strange as it may seen, that's a good thing for Riesling lovers....ok, I can see how that might take a bit of convincing but in the meantime lets more onto my top Riesling picks.

My first pick is from Central Otago and is the driest of the three with 7.4% residual sugar, the Bannockbrae Dry Riesling is from a small boutique winery in Bannockburn and has flavours and aromas of : Lime, honeysuckle, crisp granny smith apple and stonefruit. This wine has so much going on but all of it is good! I recently enjoyed this with Thai Food & it was perfection & only $22. Contact Bannockbrae directly to order.  

A little bit sweeter at 11.5% residual sugar the Johner Estate 2016 Riesling from the Wairarapa has all the hallmarks of a Riesling that will most definitely age well, it's also made by German winemakers The Johners and it has to be said if there is a country that knows its Riesling, it is most definitely the Germans. This wine has smells like orange blossom but flavours of peach and lime with just a hint of honey. Drink it now at $24 a bottle or buy a case and cellar some to see how well it will age & improve.

Misha’s Vineyard “LimeLight” Riesling is from Bendigo in Central Otago and is the sweetest of my picks at 33grams of residual sugar, which makes it technically medium but one of the best quality. All of Misha's wines are single vineyard & hand harvested and I have yet to find one that isn't delicious.  Available widely for $28 this Riesling has flavours  of lime, lemon zest and flint, making it quite a typical expression of the New Zealand style of Riesling. Another wine with great balance of sweet and acidity making it destined to age well.

I really hope that some of you try some of my picks and realise there is nothing to fear when it comes to Riesling! If you're not sure of the sweetness level, do ask the retail assistant for their help. A well trained staff member will know what's what. Also don't be afraid to try something a little sweeter if you are having spicy food as the spice in your meal will offset the sweetness in the wine.

Click the link below to hear my full Riesling chat on RadioLIVE with Leah Panapa