New Zealand's Giesen Wines wins international trophy for organic syrah

The brothers Giesen know a thing or two about quality and have a passion for organics. It is wonderful therefore, to see their 2019 Clayvin Single Vineyard Syrah be recognised as the Champion Organic Wine at the International Wine Challenge held in the UK each year.

The Clayvin is a renowned certified organic vineyard in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys.

To win a trophy a wine must first pass three rounds of blind judging to win a gold medal to go on and be judged one final time against other gold medal winning wines to win a trophy. Only one trophy is awarded in each category.

This from Giesen:

Giesen Wines Win Big at 2022 International Wine Challenge in London

Giesen has been awarded the Champion Trophy for Champion Organic Wine at the International Wine Challenge. The 2019 Clayvin Single Vineyard Syrah is from the renowned Clayvin Vineyard in Southern Valleys, Marlborough, a vineyard that has historically set the standard for premium wines from the region.

The recent trophy win adds to the haul for this spectacular wine. It has already won the Marlborough Syrah Trophy and 1 x gold medal, with 96 points awarded at the 2022 International Wine Challenge. Across a global field, there were only 22 Champion Wine Trophies awarded.

Described by the judges as “Fragrant, lifted aromas of spice, violets, plump ripe blackberries and black pepper. The palate is elegant and quite rich with fine tannins, polished damson fruit and black cherries with a suggestion of bacon on the finish.”

Giesen Group Chief Winemaker, Duncan Shouler said, “we’re delighted to have won this prestigious international award for our Clayvin Organic Syrah. The Clayvin vineyard is an important part of our company DNA and enables us to create some very special organic wines, which will continue to evolve over the next decade.”

“The viticultural and winemaking teams meticulously manage every last detail of this special site, and it means so much to have the Syrah recognized on a global stage, against many worthy international competitors.”

The Clayvin Vineyard (Credit: Giesen Wines)

Planted in 1993, the Clayvin vineyard is a living tribute to Marlborough’s viticultural history. Certified organic and employing biodynamic principles, it is planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. This incredible site features 30-year-old vines, dense clay soil, and high-density plantings to reduce the vigour of the vines and receives the utmost care and attention.

Clayvin vineyard’s location, soil, high-density planting, differing rootstock and clones are harnessed with precise organic vineyard management, which creates wines with a sense of place. 

2019 was an exceptional vintage in Marlborough. The Clayvin vineyard enjoys slight elevation, however, there are pockets in the vineyard that can hold cooler air. Cooler flowering conditions suited Clayvin Syrah vines with the viticultural team targeting low yields of approximately 2.5 tonnes per hectare. The grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted.

The winemaking process sees the Clayvin Syrah fruit held on skins before warming to encourage a wild ferment. It is matured in a selection of new and used 225L French oak before racking and blending. The result is a remarkable cool-climate Syrah

The International Wine Challenge sets the international benchmark for quality. The competition looks to single out the best of the best through a rigorous judging panel that sees each entrant tasted by a minimum of 12 wine experts across two rounds of judging. The wine is tested against its faithfulness to style, region and vintage by experts, industry leaders, commercial decision-makers, buyers, and masters of wine to find the highest quality of wine each year.

Full results of trophy winners can be found at: https://www.internationalwinechallenge.com/trophy-results-2022.html

Hans Herzog Estate Releases New Zealand's first Blaufränkisch

If there is a wine brand synonymous with producing a large variety of wines that most New Zealanders have never heard of - it’s the innovative and brilliant Hans Herzog Estate in Marlborough.

The organic, single vineyard winery grows small quantities of Corvina, Vermentino and Saperavi to name but a few and this year they have introduced the never-before-seen-in-New-Zealand - Blaufränkisch.

This from Hans Herzog Estate:

Hans Herzog Estate introduces “Blaufränkisch” grape variety to New Zealand!

Blaufränkisch (Blahw-fran-keesh) also known as ‘Lemberger’ (Germany, US).

Single estate vineyard, certified organic.

Hans & Therese Herzog

Hans Herzog Estate, one of the country’s most beloved artisan wineries, famous for cultivating an eclectic array of grape varieties, releases New Zealand’s first Blaufränkisch. In his quiet and gracious way, Hans Herzog continuous to push the boundaries of New Zealand’s wine industry with new blends and new grape varieties.

The culmination of many years of dedicated and painstaking work in vineyard together with a never-ending passion and perseverance manifests itself in this small batch production of New Zealand first release of the noble Austrian grape variety Blaufränkisch with Vintage 2019. Parents (Blaufränkisch & St Laurent) and off-spring (Zweigelt) – all wines from an extraordinary pedigree, growing together in one vineyard.

The 2019 Blaufränkisch is from a purposely tiny yield of 800g per vine for a natural concentration. A highly refined wine, elegant and ethereal with smooth, soft tannings and savoury acidity, beautifully balanced. Crafted to perfection, demonstrating its heritage: single vineyard, hand-picked from the lowest yield. Untamed with long skin contact for intricacy and texture, natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts in French Barriques, no fining, no filtration. Matured on its fine lees for 18 months in barrel and 18 months in bottle for a hand-crafted wine, very much in the mould of a fine red Burgundy with an impressive and persistence finish.

With an authentic hands-on approach, Hans Herzog himself runs the organic 11.5-hectare vineyard, one of the warmest sites in Marlborough. A man driven by passion, wisdom, and years of experience, unfettered by commercial considerations, creating age-worthy wines of complexity, concentration, and balance.

The Real Review's prestigious "Top Wineries of New Zealand" list has been published for 2022

Wairarapa’s Kusuda Wines has taken the top spot in The Real Review’s Top Wineries of New Zealand list for 2022.

Credit: Kusuda Wine

Each year Bob Campbell MW and Huon Hooke blind taste approximately 10,000 wines. From that they produce the renowned “Top Wines” list for both New Zealand, Australia and more recently, Great Britain.

In simple terms making the list is a big deal. It is a coveted acknowledgment of consistent quality in winemaking. This year’s winner is boutique winery Kusuda Wines from Martinborough, Wairarapa.

Originally from Japan, owner and winemaker Hiroyuki KUSUDA emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 2001, so that Hiroyuki could pursue his dream of making the finest pinot noir.

This year’s top five wineries:

Kusuda (Martinborough)

Destiny Bay (Waiheke)

Craggy Range (Hawke’s Bay)

Church Road (Hawke’s Bay)

Felton Road Wines (Central Otago)

For the full list go to The Real Review

New World Wine Awards welcomes entries for it's 20th year awarding top quality, affordable wines

The New World Wine Awards is arguably the most significant wine award in New Zealand when it comes to wineries and consumers alike.

The competition, now entering its 20th year awards wines - both local and international - that cost $25 or less. Giving New World customers a trusted recommendation at an affordable pricepoint.

This from New World

Time to raise your glass!

Entries open for 20th annual New World Wine Awards

The New World Wine Awards are now open for entries for 2022, popping the cork on the competition’s 20th year and toasting two decades of seeking and celebrating top-quality, affordable wines.

NWWA CoChairs Jen Parr & Sam Kim

The competition has attracted a strong following from wineries and wine drinkers alike for its unique approach, which combines the rigour of an international wine show with the opportunity for the Top 50 Gold medal-winning wines to be stocked in New World stores nationwide.

The Top 50 winners will receive extensive promotional support that helps put their brand and Gold medal-winning drop in the spotlight, as well as dedicated displays in more than 140 New World stores.

“The New World Wine Awards have carved out a fantastic opportunity for both local and international wineries looking to boost their brand awareness at the supermarket, where wine-lovers are often on the lookout for trusted recommendations,” says Co-Chair of Judges Sam Kim.

“We have meticulous judging processes and precise standards in place to ensure every Gold medal wine measures up as a perfect example of its variety or style, while the $25 price cap and minimum volume requirements for entry deliver results that a wide range of consumers can engage with and explore,” continues Kim.

As the country’s most customer-focused competition, the long-standing under $25 and minimum volume entry criteria (4,000 bottles for popular varieties) are designed to focus on affordable and widely available wines, with entry classes always expanding in response to emerging trends and developments in the local wine industry.

This year, the minimum volume requirement for niche and emerging variety wines has been reduced to just 1,600 bottles (from 1,800) to enable even more producers to enter these often small batch wines and provide the chance for customers to try something new.

In keeping with the wider industry trends, the award’s focus on zero alcohol wines continues with a dedicated judging round to help find the best examples from this growing segment of the wine aisle.

One thing that hasn't changed though, is the popularity of the Awards and what a medal can mean for winning wineries.

Mikela Dennison Marketing Manager from te Pā says winning a spot in the Top 50 in 2021 for their te Pā Chardonnay 2020 has had massive benefits for the Marlborough-based winery including selling out of their award-winning wine.

“The New World Wine Awards would have to be the Aotearoa-New Zealand wine show that best supports our brand awareness and sales results. Winning Gold for our te Pā Chardonnay two years in a row, and then winning the trophy for ‘White Wine of the Show’ last year has seen the wine sell out each time, which is a fantastic outcome.

“The awards also create a domino effect for other wines in our portfolio too, such as our te Pā Reserve Collection and Montford Estate wines.

“The content creation, media, and social media opportunities that come with winning a medal or trophy in the Awards, all assist in getting our brand out to New World’s passionate and relevant shopper community, and the in-store activations and signage are the cherry on top,” she finishes.

Last year more than 1,100 wines were submitted to be swirled, sniffed, sipped and assessed, and a similar number is expected this year.

Co-Chairs Sam Kim and Jen Parr will oversee an independent panel of 15 wine experts who will judge the entries both individually and in panels over three days in Blenheim, in the heart of New Zealand wine country.

Judging is ‘blind’, meaning no brands are known, to ensure results are based only on the quality of the product in the glass on the day, and entries are scored using the world-recognised 100-point scale.

Opportunities for select New Zealand varieties that retail Over $25 are included in the competition. These wines will be judged alongside Under $25 entries in their class, and judges will not know the price bracket of any entry.

Entries close on Friday 8 July, and judging will take place in August, before the results are announced later in the year.

All entry details can be found online at www.newworld.co.nz/topwines.

Lovers of travel & wine rejoice - direct flights from NZ to South Australia have resumed

If you’re a wine lover then you probably know that South Australia is New Zealand’s closest wine mecca. The region produces 50% of all bottled and 80% of premium Australian wines.

Getting there just got that bit easier with Air New Zealand recommencing direct flights from Auckland to Adelaide this week.

This from South Australia Tourism:

Air NZ direct flights boost to South Australia

South Australia’s tourism industry is set to be bolstered with a surge in the number of international flights into Adelaide, helping bring more visitors from some of the state’s key markets in time for the school holidays.

Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission: Tasting Australia, Kangaroo Island

The first Air New Zealand flight in 11 months arrives in Adelaide from Auckland this morning, restarting the airline’s direct flights from South Australia’s once $45 million Kiwi market.

Australian Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison MP said it showed how important South Australia is as a destination for Kiwis.

“The South Australian Tourism Commission has worked hard to make sure South Australia remains top of mind for Kiwis wanting a holiday. Nearly 50,000 Kiwis have visited southaustralia.com since the SATC’s brand campaign launched on 13 March 2022, up 80 per cent on the same period last year.

“Total visitor expenditure in our state in March 2022 reached 84 per cent of pre pandemic levels, which was a great result for our post-COVID recovery.

“With the return of direct flights from Air New Zealand, we can now welcome even more of our friends from across the ditch, tempt them with our great wineries, vast outback, beaches and the Murray River.”

“We look forward to showing them around more of SA. “

Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Brenton Cox, said it was great to see the return of Air New Zealand as people rediscovered the joy of exploring the world.

“We know there is significant pent-up demand for South Australians wanting to head overseas again as well as visitors coming to our State, and Air New Zealand has recognised the strength of our market,” Mr Cox said.

“Flights will arrive in Adelaide late morning and depart around lunchtime, so they are very family-friendly timeslots.”

Adelaide Airport has reinforced its message to travellers to arrive up to two hours before domestic flights and three hours for international flights for what will be an extremely busy period.

Credit: Safari Global: Hardys Wines, Fleurieu Peninsula

“Our security and customer care teams will be at full capacity to help facilitate customers from kerb to gate - we anticipate that check-in and security queues will be longer than people may have been previously used to,” Mr Cox said.

“We thank our customers in advance for their patience, understanding and kindness.”

Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer, Leanne Geraghty said: “We’re thrilled to be restarting our Adelaide to Auckland direct services once again. With services running three to four times a week, we look forward to welcoming South Australians back into Aotearoa and know New Zealanders will be excited to get back over to Adelaide to soak up all the beautiful city has to offer.”

Innovative NZ distillers Scapegrace to open NZ's largest distillery in Central Otago

The team at Scapegrace are never shy of a challenge - so it’s exciting to see them taking on their biggest physical project to date. A distillery on the shores of Lake Dunstan.

Undoubtedly the team will apply their usual commitment to excellence to this exciting new development.

This from Scapegrace:

Award-winning, New Zealand craft spirit producer Scapegrace Distilling Company, is proud to announce the arrival of its biggest release to date; a new $25M distillery in Central Otago.

Said to be New Zealand’s largest ever distillery, the development will in-time produce the entirety of its current portfolio of super premium gin and vodka, alongside its soon-to-be released single malt whisky, with plans to expand into other products further down the line.

Located on Lake Dunstan the property is poised to entertain locals and tourists alike in the coming years. The prominent, 36 hectare Central Otago parcel overlooks both Lake Dunstan and Mt Pisa, boasting uninterrupted views of the historic Bendigo mountain-scapes.

Founded almost 10 years ago by Wanaka based brothers in law Daniel Mclaughlin and Mark Neal along with Richard Bourke, the trio had an enduring vision to produce superior spirits from New Zealand which could be sold in all parts of the world. Fast forward to the present, where the brand is now distributed to 35 countries and has picked up countless international accolades.

The Central Otago property provides the perfect climate and water quality for producing whisky. “The 45th parallel (half way point between equator and south pole) runs directly through our distillery site, giving us extremes in hot and cold temperatures – an optimum environment for aging whisky. Naturally the pristine water quality is also ideal for distilling gin & vodka, pulling from glacial run-off from the Southern Alps.

Mclaughlin continues, “4 years ago we also acquired an award-winning single malt whisky distillery and we’ve been quietly putting down whisky since and we’ll soon be launching Scapegrace Single Malt Whisky.

Scapegrace marketing director and co-founder Mark Neal “We made the decision early on to create a world-leading distillery with sustainability at the forefront, so together with the experts at Cheshire we have factored that into every decision we’ve made”. When mapping carbon footprints Scapegrace decided to switch from traditional fossil fuel boilers to electrode boilers. The distillery building structure itself is to be constructed from timber rather than steel, while the team have decided to look at re-purposed stainless steel tanks, rather than investing in new units. “Each decision is an incremental step forward in our quest to eventually become carbon neutral and create a property that enhances the region”, says Neal.

This approach has been applied across the entire project. With a goal to not only enhance its product offering but also foster the community and give back to all who visit the property, the Scapegrace team is already planning a regenerative planting programme that will see $150,000 worth of native Kanuka replanted on the site. Plans are also underway for a walking track through the property allowing locals and visitors alike to pour through the site and enjoy the historic setting including remnants of historic gold mines that will remain as a point of interest for visitors to the property.

The Distillery is planned to open to the public approximately November 2023.

Greystone is NZ’s first Net Carbonzero certificated, certified organic & regenerative winery

The team at Greystone never fail to impress with a stunning range of organic wines. These are the wineries REALLY making a difference, certified organic, practicing regenerative farming and now they’ve gone a step (and not a small step) further by achieving Net Carbonzero Certification.

Immensely proud of Nic & the Greystone team

This from Greystone:

Net carbonzero certification for innovative North Canterbury winery

Greystone Wines is now Toitū Envirocare net carbonzero certified as part of bold plans to reduce its environmental impact.  

Greystone marketing manager Nik Mavromatis says the certification is part of Greystone’s innovative and holistic approach to wine growing and making.

“We’re the first winery in the country to be net carbonzero, 100% certified organic with BioGro and practising regenerative viticulture,” says Mavromatis.

“It was a lot of work to get to the point of being carbonzero but wine is the canary in the mine for climate change so we need to try everything we can. If we don’t then we probably only have twenty years left of making wine on this planet,” says Nik.

To achieve Toitū certification, Greystone had to create an emission inventory across the entire company, including travel, how much diesel and petrol they use and measures to counter that.

Greystone company cars are now hybrid, its new Fendt tractors are 50% more fuel-efficient and only carbonzero electricity is used in their strawbale winery. Even the glass bottles have been switched to lighter-weight options across their production.

Greystone viticulturist Mike Saunders says they have also embraced regenerative viticulture, which involves looking at every inch of the farm and vineyard to increase diversity while aiming for a more balanced ecosystem. 

“It’s a practice that requires fewer manufactured inputs, working with nature, rather than against it,” says Saunders.

Saunders says a cover cropping programme is helping build organic soil matter and reducing the company’s environmental impact.

“We've planted a mix of 16 species, including sunflowers, oats, lentils and beans in between the rows of vines. By retaining living cover crop roots we can sequester, transfer and store carbon between plant and soil,” says Saunders.

Plants that fix nitrogen levels are among those planted, creating a natural fertiliser, while irrigation usage is being decreased by maintaining ground cover.

Saunders says another aspect of the move to regenerative viticulture is the total integration of livestock into the vineyard. 

The team re-trained a trial block to a high-wire system where they can now run sheep in the vineyard every day of the year. 

“We drive our tractors through these vineyard rows nearly 30 times a year - that’s 200 km every time. Integrating sheep can reduce this by 50%, significantly reducing our use of tractors, cutting down compaction, reducing diesel use and improving nutrient cycling. We even have Pekin ducks living on-site to eat the grass grubs,” says Saunders. 

Greystone’s entire 50-hectare vineyard, located in the North Canterbury wine region, is certified organic with BioGro New Zealand. The company has clocked up numerous awards, with the award-winning Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir produced using an age-old outdoor winemaking method that sees grapes handpicked and fermented outside in the vineyard rows where the fruit is grown.  

Better late than never (thanks Covid) Ben McNab wins 2021 Young Winemaker of the Year

After several postponements the Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year 2021 has finally been crowned. Ben McNab from Wairarapa’s Palliser Estate. Ben is the first young winemaker of the year to hail from the Wairarapa. Congratulations Ben!

This from NZ Winegrowers:

Ben McNab wins delayed 2021 Young Winemaker of the Year competition

Congratulations to Ben McNab from Palliser Estate in Wairarapa who became the 2021 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker.  The 2021 National Final was postponed several times due to the pandemic but finally went ahead on 22nd June 2022 at Amisfield winery in the Pisa Ranges near Cromwell, Central Otago.

Credit: NZ Winegrowers

The other two finalists Jordan Moores Valli in Central Otago and Peter Russell from Matua in Marlborough also excelled themselves with Peter Russell winning the Fruitfed Supplies Speeches and Jordan winning the Villa Maria-Indevin Wine Judging section.  All three were delighted and relieved the competition could finally go ahead.

This was the very first time the Young Winemaker National Final has been held in Central Otago and also the very first time someone from Wairarapa has won the prestigious competition. 

Originally planned as a spring then summer competition, it eventually took place in winter with the snowcapped mountains adding a dramatic backdrop for the day.  The finalists undertook a wide range of challenges covering everything needed to be a top winemaker.  This included laboratory skills, wine industry knowledge, CAPEX, wine judging and an interview.  They also had to prepare and deliver a presentation entitled“What can the wine industry do to reach carbon zero by 2050?” They offered the judges some very well thought out suggestions and plans.

The Awards Dinner was held at another stunning Central Otago setting  - The Canyon at Tarras Vineyard.  The finalists poured their wines under the stars to welcome the guests, including the NZ Winegrowers Board, before moving inside to deliver their speeches.  They each spoke about their favourite wine varietal and how its future looked.

Although a long, tough day, there was a lot of joy as wine industry members  from around the country could come together again in such a beautiful setting and support the future of the industry.

This programme supports emerging Young Winemakers helping them upskill, widen their network and giving them a platform to share their ideas for the future.

The competition is made possible by all the generous sponsors: Tonnellerie de Mercurey, Booster Wine Group, Crown Sheet Metal, Fruitfed Supplies, Hillebrand, Indevin, Laffort, Programmed Property Services, Visy, Winejobsonline and New World.

Apart from being crowned the 2021 Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year Ben won an amazing prize package which includes a travel grant to visit the Tonnellerie de Mercurey (cooperage) in Burgundy, be an associate judge in the New World Wine Awards and review wines in DrinksBiz magazine.

Ben had competed last spring in the 2021 North Island Regional Competition which takes place in Hawke’s Bay. The 2022 competitions will run throughout September with the 2022 National Final set for November.

Excise on wine set for biggest increase in 30 years

Think you’re paying too much for your bottle of wine? Well the good news is, thanks to the largest excise increase in 30 years - you’re about to start paying more. From July 1st excise on alcohol will increase by 6.9%.

Credit: NZ Winegrowers/Nautilus

NZ Wineries are already struggling to keep up with the increased cost of - everything - so this just isn’t something they can afford to absorb.

This from NZ Winegrowers:

Increased excise tax means higher costs for wineries and consumers 

Excise on wine is set for its biggest increase in 30 years, following the government’s decision to lift excise by 6.9% from 1 July says Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers.

“Like every business, wineries are already facing big cost increases, so there is no way the excise increase can be absorbed by them. This excise increase will need to be passed on to consumers.”

The increased excise tax will most strongly impact the 300 members of New Zealand Winegrowers who only produce wine for New Zealanders to drink.

“We asked our members to tell the government the likely impact of the largest hike in excise for years. The response from many was that excise is their largest cost after wages, that the increase would impact on jobs, and would threaten on-going investment and the survival of their business, especially given the other cost increases they are seeing imposed,” says Philip.

With this latest increase, the excise rate on table wine will be $2.49 per bottle, charged to the winemaker, and before any retailer mark-ups. For a winery selling in the domestic market that is more than they pay on average for grapes, and is the equivalent of $30,000 tax per hectare. 

“At a time when the government has rightly highlighted concerns about cost-of-living increases, further fuelling inflation by boosting excise seems to make little sense.”