We know for sure that there are about 700 wineries in New Zealand, but no-one would have a clue as to how many different brands there are out there. Thousands probably, many completely unknown to you and me.
Not that it really matters. Labels are sometimes nothing more than commercial punts with a butterfly’s life span. Big companies will create a new brand at the merest whiff of a new market segment, then just as quickly snuff it out if expectations aren’t met.
Those New Zealand brands you discover for the first time when you visit an Aussie supermarket are another example of pop-up labels. They are usually the result of bulk wine purchases that are bottled across the ditch.
Then there are the personal, limited-release labels you’ll never see in shops and only at the right parties – the Prime Minister’s annual ‘JK’ Central Otago pinot noir comes to mind.
But also hovering under the radar are some wonderful surprises – off-off-Broadway labels with wines that are lovingly made and every bit as authentic as the best of their mainstream cousins.
Often they’re from tiny estates that haven’t tried very hard to broaden distribution. Or maybe they’re just starting out. Here are three whose wines are worth tracking down:
Lansdowne Estate
Despite the fact it came from nowhere to win the coveted Bouchard Finlayson Trophy for its 2010 pinot noir at last year’s IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) in London, this Wairarapa label has remained enigmatically incognito.
The grapes are grown near Masterton on the site of the region’s very first vineyard, planted by William Beetham in the late 19th century. The vineyard is not irrigated, yields are kept low and a non-interventionist winemaking approach is taken.
The 2010 pinot noir is no longer available but the 2011 pinot noir is delightful and fine-boned, while the panna-cotta-infused 2011 pinot gris has real depth and sophistication.
Lansdowne Estate | Wairarapa
Easthope Family Winegrowers
After leaving Craggy Range, talented winemaker Rod Easthope embarked on a solo career that has seen him make wines for a UK-based online retailer as well as establish his own local label with his wife Emma.
The first wine they produced is an outstanding Wairarapa-made pinot (see below), but also look out for a soon-to-be released 2014 Hawke’s Bay syrah.
Easthope Family Winegrowers | Wairarapa
Mangaorapa Estate
The Mouat family founded the magnificent Mangaorapa Station in southern Hawke’s Bay in the mid-20th century. The recent decision to grow grapes has paid off.
Conditions more often identified with the Wairarapa than Hawke’s Bay have helped produce beautifully scented pinot noir, wild honey-laced sauvignons and enticing pinot gris. The wines are all made off-site by Warren Gibson at Trinity Hill.
Try these:
- Easthope Family Winegrowers Pinot Noir Te Muna Road 2013, $65
Pure sweet berry flavours harmonise with brown tea and minerally savoury elements, against a fine, taut structure. Lovely, lengthy pinot worth cellaring. Buy at easthope.co.nz - Mangaorapa Estate Southern Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2011, $30
The central triumph of this pinot gris is its mouth-coating, caressing texture. Off-dry in style, with mellowing apple and pear notes, it is aging beautifully. Buy at mangaorapa.co.nz