Want to try something new, and not already a member? Come on your own, grab a friend, workmate or partner and join us for our next tasting. Take a look and see who's presenting. Scroll down to view the website.
Please read the steps being taken by your committee so we can all comply with the current COVID Level 2 requirements for the evening:
Please remember to either scan the QR code on your phone or sign in – this Is a mandatory government requirement
Please remember that you are required to have a face covering on when you enter and exit the premises
The tables will be set up 1 metre apart – please do not move any tables
The number of people at each table will be reduced to 4 – please do not add more – you are required to sit 1 metre apart
Please bring your own glasses for the evening
The tastings will be served as per normal, but due to the regulations the pourers will need to be masked and gloved – please make this as pleasant as possible for them
NB: please if you are feeling unwell, do not attend, thank you
Renowned sailors, the Butterworth Family (Brad & Warren), is the new custodian of Julicher vineyard, planted in the iconic soils of Te Muna. The J-Knot on every bottle, the strongest knot you can tie, is a tribute to their vineyard’s founder, Wim Julicher.
Wim Julicher originally planted the Te Muna vineyard as an Olive Grove, but the site’s unique aspect made it far too cold for the olive trees. Luckily, it creates the perfect amount of pressure for the divine struggle required to produce world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The Butterworth Family has a viticultural heritage dating back to the founding days of the New Zealand wine industry – the original 1890’s vineyard property is still in the family today.
The wines for our evening are from their Te Muna (Butterworth formerly Julicher vineyard and Layline ranges:
Nelson’s Tohu Wines are the toast of the New Zealand wine industry after taking out a coveted ‘Best in Show’ prize at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
Over the course of two weeks of rigorous wine-testing in London in June, Tohu’s Whenua Matua Chardonnay stood out from amongst the 18,000 wines judged, to win one of the 50 Best in Show accolades.
As the only New Zealand winery to receive a Best in Show award, it was a major achievement for Tohu – the world’s first Māori-owned winery.
French wines dominated the Best in Show category with 15 awards, along with nine from Spain and seven from Italy.
Decanter organisers said while New Zealand was more well-known for its Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Chardonnay had been quietly building its success in recent years. At the 2021 awards, Chardonnays from less-expected places like Canada and Germany also received Best in Show awards.
Tohu Wines’ 2018 Whenua Matua Chardonnay received one of the 50 Best in Show accolades at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
The Whenua Matua Chardonnay 2018 is a single-vineyard wine grown in the rich clay soils of the Upper Moutere region. The only other time a Nelson winery has won best in show for chardonnay was in 1992 when Neudorf Winery won for its 1991 Chardonnay, also grown in similar Moutere-clay soil.
Tohu winemaker Bruce Taylor said the Chardonnay was all about showcasing a single vineyard.
“Whenua Matua translates as ‘significant lands’ and the changing angles and orientations of the vineyard blocks lend themselves to the complexities of winemaking.
“The wine is selected from the very best barrels of our hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed 15-year-old Chardonnay vines.
“These single-vineyard wines hold great structure, exceptional varietal characteristics, texture and complexity.”
Owned by the Kono food and beverage company, Tohu Wines was established in 1998 and around 200,000 cases of wine are produced at its winery in the Awatere Valley.
Kono chief executive Rachel Taulelei says the company is immensely proud of winning the Decanter Best in Show award.
Tohu Wines also received a Gold Medal for its 2020 Sauvignon Blanc at the Decanter Awards.
“The chardonnay is a special release for us and follows on from our 23-year celebration last year. Each wine in the Whenua series is an expression of the uniqueness of our tūranagawaewae, our standing place, and our connection to the land.
“To be acknowledged and singled out from thousands of wines in such a prestigious wine competition is confirmation that care for the land and its bounty is tōtika, a beautiful balance.”
An update for members who ordered wine from our August tasting – yes it does seem a while ago now – these are in hand. The Level 4 lockdown in Auckland has meant they could not be dispatched to us, but now Auckland is in level 3 we are working with Keith to organise distribution from the warehouse, and we hope deliveries will be next week.
Greetings, we hope this finds you all coping well with the COVID situation and changing levels and news.
At this time, we intend to have our October 13th Cellar Club Monthly tasting – with Butterworth Estate from Martinborough (formerly Julicher) presenting to us.
However, we will have to confirm details after the PM’s announcement due to be on October 4th for any changing alert levels country-wide which may affect this.
Please bear with us and keep your wine glasses crossed!
For your information and to remind you of some of the detail for our next tasting:
Butterworth Estate, Martinborough
Renowned sailors, the Butterworth Family (Brad & Warren), is the new custodian of Julicher vineyard, planted in the iconic soils of Te Muna. The J-Knot on every bottle, the strongest knot you can tie, is a tribute to their vineyard’s founder, Wim Julicher.
Wim Julicher originally planted the Te Muna vineyard as an Olive Grove, but the site’s unique aspect made it far too cold for the olive trees. Luckily, it creates the perfect amount of pressure for the divine struggle required to produce world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The Butterworth Family has a viticultural heritage dating back to the founding days of the New Zealand wine industry – the original 1890’s vineyard property is still in the family today.
The wines for our evening are to be confirmed closer to the date.
Love a natty or a wine spritzer? Pop a piquette next
Emma Gleason | March 3, 2021
Little Crush by Garage Project
Light, low in alcohol, and made from waste-optimising practices, piquette ticks every box for what we’re wanting to imbibe now. More mellow than a pét-nat, a little bit murky with a subtle fizz, a handful of recent releases suggest that winemakers and drinkers alike have rediscovered the beauty of this humble drop.
Piquette is made from pomace — the grape leftovers from winemaking — and water, which is then left to ferment, resulting in a highly drinkable, crisp, aromatic, sparkling beverage.
It’s a method with centuries of history throughout Europe, dating back to the classical period, and more recently was enjoyed by field workers at lunch. As with many old-fashioned practices, piquette feels grounded in a more sustainable way of living. The process harnesses a by-product of the wine industry, helping to minimise waste.
Its earthy flavour and dash of fizz may make it the next favourite tipple for natural wine fans, and piquette also possesses a lightness that will appeal to those of us partial to a wine spritzer.
Low in alcohol (most available in New Zealand are between five and seven per cent), piquette gives you less of a buzz, which, in our opinion, is sometimes a nice thing. Piquette also has fewer calories.
All of this makes it unsurprising that this modest, delicious drink is appealing to local winemakers.
Kindeli by Alex Craighead Wines
Alex Craighead Wines launched its 330ml cans of Kindeli piquette in June 2020 (wine-in-a-can has a dear place in our hearts). “It was really interesting from an experimental point of view,” founder Alex Craighead tells Viva. “It also sits really well with me as it is adding another step and product to the lifecycle of the grape.”
Made from certified organic grapes from his biodynamic home vineyard in Nelson, Alex describes Kindeli as something of a hybrid. “We added a tiny amount of cider ferment to give it a natural spritz. Our piquette is literally naturally produced CO2, grapes and a micro-amount of apples.”
What makes piquette wine so special, according to Alex, is the reuse that’s inherent to its creation. “There is so much waste in the world at the moment, so using the same grapes for wine, piquette, then in our vineyard compost blend is awesome.”
There’s a delicious Australian piquette, called Atomic Bomb by BK Wine, worth trying, and is available at, who deliver nationwide.
Another local variety on the market is from Garage Project. I’ve been enjoying its very quaffable piquettes all summer, and reached out to co-founder Jos Ruffell to find out more about their piquette range, Little Crush , which launched late last year.
It was a fruitful idea to come out of the stasis of 2020. “During lockdown we had more time to tinker with some ideas,” Jos says. “Making piquettes was one that just made a lot of sense — and our mate Cosmo said we should make one, so we did!”
With a relatively simple process and light flavour, it provides opportunities for a wealth of creativity and experimentation. “We love that piquettes allow you to create a quite different expression from regular wine,” explains Jos. “You can build up and layer piquettes — adding in more skins from lots of different varieties you typically wouldn’t see together.”
To make them even more unique, we used a variety of grapes not typically used in wine. They give our Little Crush Piquettes bright, juicy flavours you won’t find in a glass of Sauv,” says Jos.
“They’re also striking in colour and minimise waste in the winery — everything goes to use.”
Locally, the piquette market is small — for now. “The early adopters seem to be craft brew fans and natural wine drinkers,” says Alex. However, he predicts it will grow in 2021 as New Zealanders discover the joys of this old, down-to-earth treasure. “They are a great lower- alcohol alternative to wine and low-carb alternative to beer. They work really well as a glass with a light meal or aperitif.”
Jos sees piquette becoming a charming addition to the family of natural wines on offer in Aotearoa. “They are a celebration of the harvest — best drunk fresh and not to be taken too seriously and should be at an approachable price for everyone.”
“They are fizzy, lower alcohol, refreshing and delicious — what’s not to like?”
Our Aussie evening with Keith Tibble (and his Manager Nick), from EuroVintage, was information filled and a great voyage of discovery of the three Western Australian vineyards – Sandalford, Xanadu and Moss Wood.
Our intrigue was sated, and the tasting was a really good experience of the different vineyards and the different categories of wines on offer.
As a reminder the vineyards we were introduced to were:
Sandalford
Xanadu
Moss Wood
Wines presented include:
2018 Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon
2019 Xanadu Exmoor Chardonnay
2018 Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay
2018 Sandalford Margaret River Shiraz
2018 Xanadu DJL Shiraz
2017 Sandalford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon
We had good numbers attend, 44 in total and orders were excellent.
We were to be entertained in September by Gordon Russell from Esk Valley. Gordon is described as one of the Godfathers of the wine industry.
Unfortunately, due to the current situation with the Delta variant of COVID19 this month’s Club evening has had to be cancelled. We can’t meet until we are down to Level 2.
While this is disappointing for us all, for your information and interest, the wines we were going to be tasting were largely from Esk Valley’s new range: Artisanal. Wine f.y.i.:
New Russian law orders French producers to label their champagne ‘sparkling wine’. Photo / Getty Images
Russian oligarchs are facing a shortage of champagne after French producers temporarily cut off supplies to the country over a new law that will force them to label their drinks as “sparkling wine”.
Last week, President Vladimir Putin signed off on legislation stating that only wine produced in Russia could be labelled as “champagne”, while foreign makers would have to rebrand their bubbly.
Neither the President nor Parliament explained why Russia needed such a law.
The “champagne” controlled designation of origin is governed by very strict rules in France, which state that the wine must originate from a small area in the Champagne region, be made with approved grape varieties and mature for a minimum of 15 months.
Moet Hennessy, which produces drinks such as Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon and Veuve Clicquot, told partners in Russia that it would have to halt distribution.
In a letter to local businesses, Moet Hennesy, part of the French luxury goods group LVMH, said stocks of its champagnes would therefore be at an “extremely low level”, exacerbated by a wider drop in imports over 2021.
Later, the company told Bloomberg that it would add a “sparkling wine” mention on the back label of their bottles, and resume deliveries once these changes were made.
Olga Sokolova, a sales director at Vinicom, which imports and distributes foreign wine in Russia, denounced the situation as absurd as she shared the letter from Moët Hennessy on social media.
“This seems like it’s fake, but it’s true,” she said. “From today, black is now white, and white is black.”
Others online were equally damning of the change in the law, with the exiled oligarch and Kremlin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky saying he thought “the whole champagne thing was a joke”.
Vineyards in the Champagne region of eastern France. Photo / AP
Sergei Mironov, a restaurant owner, quipped that Moscow’s next step would be to ban Scots from using the word “whisky”.
Other experts questioned whether Russia had the legal jurisdiction to force foreign products to rebrand.
Vadim Drobiz, director of the Centre for the Study of Federal and Regional Alcohol Markets, told the business newspaper RBK that about half of the 330 million litres of still and sparkling wine imported to Russia every year could be affected.
The new law came as Putin signed a decree stating that the “Westernisation” of Russian culture was one of the primary security threats to the country.
Moscow banned the import of Western cheeses, meats and other food products in 2014, as a response to European and US sanctions over the annexation of Crimea.
The ban motivated local producers to develop their own versions of European goods, such as “Russian parmesan”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree stating that the “Westernisation” of Russian culture is one of the primary security threats to the country. Photo / AP
In the 1920s the USSR created a cheaply produced “Soviet Champagne” as a way of bringing luxury goods to the masses.
In recent years, a growing number of wine-makers have launched in southern Russia.
French media has dubbed the import spat the “champagne war” or the “bubble war”.
Champagne producers have long been extremely protective over their brands. Last week, French wine producers won a legal battle to prevent an ice cream from being called “champagne-flavoured”, according to a German court, after a long battle against the supermarket giant Aldi.
The evening was a splendid celebration of mid-winter for the Club and also of Bastille Day for the venue and their French staff. The atmosphere and service were excellent and enjoyed by all.
We had a selection of three entrees’ each with the soup being served in a demitasse cup, with a small serving of quiche and a separate salad.
For the mains, people had a selection from Beef Bourguignon, Chicken Champenoise, or Whaherou Cerole – all were served with veggies and were very tasty.
For the dessert we each had a trio of petite fours’: lemon pie with meringue on top, a macaron and a lemon Brulee served in a spoon.
Your committee has sent a special note of thanks on behalf of everyone present to Chef Vero and her staff for staging a very enjoyable dinner indeed.
Western Australian Wines – Sandalford, Xanadu and Moss Wood Vineyards
Keith will let us know that Western Australian wine is more than just the Margaret River wine we are aware of. He is featuring three vineyards in the wider area on the night.
Sandalford – establishing estate at Caversham, Swan Valley had its genesis in 1840 and coincided with both European settlement in the burgeoning colony of Perth and the birth of Western Australia’s world-famous wine industry. In one of Australia’s most sustainable wineries at Caversham, Swan Valley, Sandalford creates today’s collection of Prendiville, Estate Reserve, Margaret River Range and Element award-winning wines from its two fertile vineyards.
Xanadu – Just 4km from Margaret River’s town centre and an equal distance from the magnificent coastline, Xanadu is one of the first vineyards to have been established in the region with a long history of crafting outstanding wines that embody all the region has to offer. Established by Dr John Lagan, an Irishman who arrived in Margaret River in 1968 with his wife Eithne and was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the region.
Moss Wood – situated in Wilyabrup in the Margaret River wine region, has the highest concentration of premium wine producers in the region. Planted in 1969 Moss Wood is an important, founding estate of the Margaret River wine region. Clare & Keith Mugford winemakers, viticulturalists and proprietors have been making wine and tending the vineyard since 1984 and 1979, respectively.
This will be an evening to taste Australian wines from entry-level through to upmarket expressions, so come along and taste the variations for yourself!
