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Napier’s iconic National Tobacco Company factory on Ossian St in Ahuriri has gone from one vice to another. It is now home to a brewery, urban winery and, more recently, The National Distillery Company.
Blair Nicholl is doing the seemingly impossible, turning Hawke’s Bay-grown grapes into wine and gin.
It is there that Blair Nicholl is doing the seemingly impossible, turning Hawke’s Bay-grown grapes into wine, then into gin.
A bartender by trade, he has seen firsthand the “ebbs and flows” of the wine and craft beer industries.
He says that New Zealand is one of the biggest wine exporters to the United States and could soon be the powerhouse of the spirit industry.
“It’s what the New Zealand spirits industry has got ahead of them if we band together.”
Nicholl’s foray into distilling came when he, best friend, and business partner Ricardo Reis made a gin using botanicals found in women’s luxury beauty products for a Wānaka event in 2018. Their gin caught the eye of Cardrona’s head distiller, who invited them for a tour.
Bloody Syrah is available exclusively direct from the National Distillery Company.
They relocated to Napier, where Nicholl began distilling from his kitchen. A chance opportunity brought them to the building that had been on his vision board for ten years.
Like the dynamic duo, the owners were from Kāpiti and eager to see what these “Kiwi blokes with a dream” could do.
In early 2020, Nicholl and Reis found themselves in New York – dressed in jandals and T-shirts despite the cold – promoting their gins alongside New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
“We stood out because we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we’re deadly serious.”
Interest was growing in their product, and they would soon go on to win many accolades and awards in spirit-making competitions, beating big brands such as Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray.
A bartender by trade, Nicholl has seen firsthand the “ebbs and flows” of the wine and craft beer industries.
But when Covid-19 hit, the pair “thought the National Distillery dream was over,” Nicholl says.
Bloody Syrah is available exclusively direct from the National Distillery Company.
With no means to sell alcohol, he and Reis began making hand sanitiser using grapes from Clearview winery, owned by long-time friend Tim Turvey, where the pandemic had also brought production to a near halt.
While it allowed them to keep the business going, it was terribly boring for a creative like Nicholl.
Then he got the idea for what became known as Bloody Syrah: a gin made from wine.
“I’m all about trying things that people haven’t done before or say can’t be done.”
“Wine is my first love. It’s something I’m extremely passionate about,” Nicholl says.
But he thought he could go a step further.
Using grapes from the coastal vineyard, Nicholl and Reis made a syrah, aged it in barrels, and played around distilling it into a clear, neutral spirit. Then they added the gin botanicals, distilled it again, put it back into oak, and left it for 12 months, turning it amber.
“We were trying to capture white pepper, and intense berry and earthy tones – the type of syrah that Hawke’s Bay is famous for.”
They bottled about 130 all up, corked and waxed, also like wine. The label draws inspiration from Penfolds, one of Australasia’s oldest wineries, and includes a dedication to Turvey.
Nicholl isn’t sure if his syrah gin is a world first, but it might well be, and it is certainly something he is happy to cross off his bucket list.
“I’m all about trying things that people haven’t done before or say can’t be done.”
At 44% alcohol by volume (ABV), Nicholl describes Bloody Syrah as the “cognac of gins”.
“Sit on one of these at a dinner party, and you only need one or two to be the life of the party. As long as Tim Turvey and myself aren’t there,” he laughs.
Plus, a handy guide for deciphering your methodes from your Champagnes.
Photo / Babiche Martens
If the bubbles that have dominated most thoughts of late are the ones we’ve been living in, there’s hopefully something we can toast, even if it’s just the passing of 2021.
There’s good news on the fizz front, as there has never been a more delicious and diverse array of sparkling wines to enjoy in Aotearoa.
Here’s a selection of the best from my blind tasting of bottles from across the world. Their corks are definitely worth popping, to cheer the spirits if our parties must be virtual, or celebrate with on the return to fully social occasions.
STYLE GUIDE: WHAT’S IN A STYLE? Sparkling wines are made in a wide variety of ways that dictate their flavour, quality and price. It can be confusing, so here’s a rough guide to styles and terms you might see on a bottle that suggest the kind of wine you might find within.
Traditional Method Most of the highest quality sparkling wines, including Champagne and cava, are made by the traditional method, also known as methode traditionnelle. It’s an elaborate system that adds to the cost of the wine, but is widely regarded to create the most complex flavours and finest mousse (bubbles).
A second bubble-inducing fermentation is triggered in the bottle, followed by a period when the wine remains in contact with its yeasts. These impart complex bready and nutty flavours to the wine depending on how long it remains on these yeast “lees”.
The yeasts are then removed by a lengthy process of “riddling” that gradually shifts the yeast into the neck of the bottle, which is then frozen. The frozen plugs of yeast are removed, the bottle topped up and then re-stoppered in the wine’s “disgorgement”.
Some examples state a disgorging date, which provides an idea of a wine’s maturity — recently disgorged can mean fresher flavours, and older more toasty notes.
Bottle Fermented (Transfer Method) If it’s traditional method, most wineries trumpet this. So if you see “bottle fermented” on a label, this suggests the wine has likely been made by the slightly simpler transfer method. Sparkling wines made in this manner can still be very good, but are cheaper to produce than the traditional method. This is basically identical to the traditional method up to the point of riddling, when the bottles are instead disgorged into pressurised tanks, where they’re filtered. They’re then re-bottled in a new bottle.
Tank Fermented Less likely to appear on a label, but influencing the final flavour, is the Tank Method. Also known as the charmat or Martinotti methods, or cuve close. The wine’s second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank rather than a bottle, and the final fizz bottled under pressure. You don’t get the yeasty character of bottle-fermented methods, but this is often preferable for more aromatic grapes and fresher styles, such as the prosecco that’s made this way.
Methode Ancestral (Pet-Nat) Undergoing a revival currently is the methode ancestral, responsible for the petillant maturels (pet-nats) that have burst onto the natural wine scene in particular. Likely the oldest way of making sparkling wine, the wine is bottled while still undergoing its first fermentation. This finishes in-bottle, producing its effervescence.
Some winemakers choose to leave the yeast in the bottle, leading to a cloudy appearance and the possibility of drinking a bottle at different stages on its path to dryness. Others filter or disgorge and rebottle for a clearer and more consistent end product.
Champagne (NV and Vintage) Champagne can only come from the eponymous region in north-eastern France. Its name, synonymous with luxury and celebration, is protected in law and cannot be borrowed by wines from elsewhere. Its wines have to adhere to strict criteria, which includes bottle aging of 15 months for non-vintage wines (NV) and three years for vintage.
Its chilly climate makes it a challenge to ripen grapes, which has led to the practice of blending wines from multiple vintages, with vintage wines being made with only the best grapes in the best years.
The practice of making and labelling sparkling wines as “NV” has been adopted beyond Champagne and tends to suggest the tier below a winery’s more premium “vintage” release.
Styles and Sweetness Various terms originating in Champagne indicate the grapes used, and consequently suggest the style of a sparkling wine. Blanc de Blancs is made from 100 per cent chardonnay, which tend to be lighter and racier. Blanc de Noirs is a white sparkling wine made from just black grapes, which tend to be fuller bodied.
There are also descriptors highlighting levels of sweetness. The most common is Brut for dry to off-dry, with the likes of Demi-Sec, meaning sweet and Doux, lusciously sweet.
A growing movement towards near bone-dry styles means seeing more bottles sporting terms such as Ultra Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature and Zero Dosage, which signal the driest of the dry.
Detergent is the enemy of effervescence, so always rinse your sparkling glasses in warm water to get rid of any residue. Photo / Getty Images
WHAT’S IN A GLASS?
Wisdom on what makes the best glass from which to drink sparkling wine has shifted over the years. Certainly, the wide-rimmed shallow coupe popular in the early 20th century has fallen out of favour, for good reason.
These may work to some extent for softer, sweeter styles, but the wine’s large surface area in these means bubbles swiftly dissipate and they go flat quicker. The narrow shape of the iconic flute fares far better for retaining effervescence, but also suppresses aromas.
Current thinking on the foremost stemware for fizz, particularly the more complex traditional method wines, is a tulip-shaped glass with a wider middle and a narrow top. Similar to a white wine glass, it provides a slightly larger wine surface area than the flute and has a shape and greater space above the wine conducive to funnelling aromas up beyond its rim.
It’s also supported by findings of the rigorous research currently being conducted on bubble behaviour, by the likes of Champagne physicist Dr Gerard Liger-Belair at the University of Reims in Champagne.
The Comite Champagne, which represents independent Champagne producers, now officially recommends a tulip-shaped glass in which to enjoy its members’ wines. Something like Riedel’s egg-shaped Veritas Champagne Wine Glass fits the bill ($113 for 2 stems from Kitchenware.nz). However, the flute still works fine for simpler fruit-driven styles, such as prosecco.
You can enjoy fizz from a standard white wine glass. However, it’s still optimal to use a glass that’s been designed for sparkling wine as this will contain a “sparkling point”. Bubbles attract and carry aromatic compounds to the surface of the wine and need somewhere to start.
In sparkling glasses they’re directed from a single point etched on the bottom of their bowl, rather than forming randomly off the likes of fibres left in a glass from tea towels.
Whatever glass you choose, there are further ways to ensure you maximise your bubble count. Detergent is the enemy of effervescence, so always rinse your sparkling glasses in warm water to get rid of any residue. If you dry them manually, make sure it’s with a lint-free cloth to avoid unruly effervescence!
FRANCE’S FINEST
THE BEST SPARKLING WINES OF THE SEASON: FRANCE’S FINEST
1. Taittinger Millesime Brut Champagne 2014, $125 This Grand Cru-dominant blend is made only in the best vintages and aged five years on its lees to gain added complexity. The result is a Champagne with great intensity and finesse, with elegant and crisp notes of red apple and citrus, hints of apricot, mineral and blossom, over a subtle hazelnut base. Stockists: Countdown; Glengarry; Vineonline; Fine Wine Delivery; Vintners.nz
2. Paul Launois Monochrome #1 Grand Cru Extra Brut Champagne NV, $82 This stylish Champagne is an exciting new find: from third-generation growers Julien Launois and his wife Sarah, who started making wines in 2015 from their small family estate in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The Monochrome #1 is an impressive ultra-dry 100 per cent chardonnay, with a pure and poised palate of crisp apple and lemon, hints of almond paste, acidity and an intense flinty minerality. Stockists: Barewine.co.nz
3. Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut Champagne NV, $68 A 100 per cent pinot noir Champagne that offers great value. Its attractive notes of apple and stonefruit are underpinned by rich toasted brioche and hazelnut notes. All this is supported by a fine and fresh line of lemon and mineral salts and a fine mousse. Stockists: Black Market; New World; Dhall & Nash
4. Marion-Bosser Premier-Cru Brut Rosé Champagne NV, $90 Marion-Bosser’s impressive grower Champagnes are made by the mother and daughter team of Bernadette and Elodie Marion in the Premier Cru village of Hautvillers. Their elegant and fresh rosé Champagne combines delicate raspberry and redcurrant fruits with a suggestion of apple and almond pastry. Stockists: Threefrenchvines.com; Winedirect.co.nz; New World
NZ’S FINEST
BEST LOCAL BUBBLES
5. No 1 Family EstateReserve Marlborough Blanc de Blancs NV, $96 It’s perhaps no surprise that one of the top wines in this year’s sparkling tasting is made by a 12th-generation Champagne winemaker. Daniel Le Brun crafts this exquisite Reserve example in Marlborough, which layers white flowers, white fruits and citrus over subtle nutty, biscuity nuances, wrapped in a creamy mousse. The release is limited to just 1000 individually numbered bottles. Stockists: Glengarry; No1familyestate.co.nz
6. Koyama Waipara Methode Traditionnelle Brut Nature NV, $45 A delicious bone-dry pinot noir-dominant blend made in tiny quantities by Takahiro Koyama, in which rich notes of gingerbread and toasted breadcrust are counterpoised by a powerful line of lemony acidity. Koyama has had a growing focus on sparkling wine with his original label and at Mountford Estate, which he now also runs, and this is a fine addition to Aotearoa’s sparkling scene. Stockists: Great Little Vineyards; Hamilton Beer & Wine Co; Star Superette; By the Bottle; Natural Liquor
7. Mumm Marlborough Brut Prestige NV, $40 A decidedly Champagne-like local traditional method wine, from a collaboration between the Champagne House of Mumm and Pernod Ricard NZ, makers of the likes of Brancott Estate. It expertly juxtaposes richness with freshness in its notes of crisp apple and lemon curd, savoury praline undercurrent, and long nutty finish. Stockists: New World; Countdown; West Liquor; Liquorland; Super Liquor; Glengarry; Moore Wilson’s
NZ’S FINEST
8. Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Methode Traditionnelle Central Otago Rose NV, $43 Refined strawberry and redcurrant meld with hints of rose-like florals, creamy notes and an appealing savoury dimension. A complex and compelling rose which finishes with a dynamic wave of freshness and lingering minerally note. Stockists: Glengarry; Fine Wine Delivery; Farro Fresh; Quartzreef.co.nz
9. Hunter’s MiruMiru Marlborough NV, $29 Hunter’s has been making its MiruMiru for two decades from the classic trio of Champagne varieties — pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier — over which time it’s established the wine as consistently offering great quality and value. Its latest release over-delivers once more with a lovely lemony freshness to the fore, joined by white fruits and more complex toasty, yeasty elements. Stockists: Fine Wine Delivery; The Good Wine Co; Wine Direct; First Glass Wine & Spirits; Primo Vino
10. Morton Estate Brut Methode Black Label NV, $20 Ridiculously good value for a traditional method sparkling wine, Morton’s pink-tinged crowd-pleaser ushers in baked apples, juicy lemons and a touch of toastiness. Rumour has it, its price may be rising soon, so stock up for the festive season and beyond. Stockists: New World; Pak’nSave; selected specialist liquor stores
EURO-FIZZ
EURO-FIZZ
11. Borga Prosecco Extra Dry, Italy NV, $25 Light, bright and bone dry, this is a lovely expression of prosecco from a family-run estate in the Treviso region of Veneto. Its crunchy green apples and mouth-watering lime join hints of stonefruit, perfumed with a touch of jasmine. Stockists: Caro’s
12. Vilarnau Barcelona Cava Organico Brut Reserva, Spain NV, $25 There’s plenty of richness to this organic cava, with its notes of spiced honey cake, baked apple, stonefruit, toasted nuts and bread characters, offset by crisp lemon. Full of flavour, gorgeous packaging and great value. Stockists: Caro’s; First Glass Wines & Spirits
13. Ramon Jane Tinc Set Escumos Brut, Spain 2019 $33-35 A biodynamic pet-nat made with wild yeasts and no added sulphur from local grapes in the cava country of Spain’s Penedes. It’s ultra-dry, pure and savoury in style, with brisk citrus and restrained apple and pear, laced with white pepper and herb, an underlying vegemite-savoury richness. Stockists: Star Superette; Cahn’s Wines & Spirits; Fine-O-Wine; By the Bottle; Cult Wine; Planetwine.co.nz
14. Sartori Prosecco Rosé Brut, Italy NV, $25 Following the popularity of prosecco and the fashion for drinks pink, prosecco rosé became an official denomination in Italy last year for bubbly made from the traditional white prosecco grape Glera and a dash of Pinot Nero (pinot noir) for colour. While some “ro-secco” can be on the sweeter side, the Sartori is a more serious dry style that’s fresh, citrusy and moreish with strawberry scented with rose. Stockists: New World; Dhall & Nash
15. Privat Reserva Brut Nature Rosé Cava, Spain 2018, $32 This very appealing bone-dry organic cava is made from a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay. It combines green apple and fresh lime notes, with more complex nuances of honey and toasted breadcrust. From: Hamilton Beer & Wine Co; Regional Wines; Stvincentscave.com
We all know it’s winter here in NZ, but did you know it’s also a very important time in our vineyards? The following article is taken from The Sisters’ latest wine newsletter. It gives you a great insight into what goes on in a Marlborough vineyard over winter to prepare for the next harvest – repeated with permission.
In the Vineyard
Winter a time for rest and repair
Buy your The Sisters wines from Countdown, select New World, Pak n Save, and online via Black Market.
After the frantic period of harvest in late summer and autumn and the excitement of grapes coming in and winemaking getting underway, winter seems a very still, quiet time. While this is true for the most part, important things are happening in the vineyard.
Row upon row of vibrant green, busy vines gradually change during autumn and early winter as the canopies begin to shut down, and the leaves change colour. Once brown, they fall to the ground, and the bare vines head towards dormancy.
And winter means pruning. This involves cutting off the canes (branches) that produced this year’s fruit and laying-down new fruiting canes that will bud come Springtime. There are many ways to prune vines, and methods are chosen based on the grape variety and the amount of fruit desired.
Generally, the more fruit it produces, the harder the vine must work and the more challenging it is to get it all ripe before the end of the growing season. This can lead to quality issues as grapes need to be ripe to produce flavoursome fruit with the right balance of natural sugars and acidity.
Once pruned, the vineyards are quiet, although buffeted with winter weather. It’s a period of rest and repair as their roots grow and strengthen, looking for the all-important nutrients from the soil, building up their resources in preparation for the growing cycle to start again in the Spring.
MONIQUE FORD/STUFF Wine emojis to help you choose a bottle.
If you feel lost as to what wine to serve at your Moroccan-inspired dinner party this weekend, one website is on a mission to help – using a database of unique, and very cute, specialised emojis.
When lockdown forced Wellington’s Noble Rot Wine Bar to close in March 2020, three wine experts used the downtime to create a database of wine profiles. The ultimate goal was to simplify the wine-buying process for the average consumer.
Two years later, Wine-oji, is a website featuring 221 emoji-like images designed to help anyone pick the perfect bottle of wine, whether they know what wine they enjoy or not.
Noble Rot owners Josh Pointon and Maciej Zimny, with head sommelier Jessica Wood, launched Wine-oji last December. Wood says the response has been “amazing” from consumers and producers.
But what exactly is Wine-oji, and how does a collection of wine-related emojis help someone pick a bottle of wine?
MONIQUE FORD/STUFF Wine-Oji was an idea born out of lockdown.
The website is a colourful, busy and interactive library of images used to describe flavour profiles, production methods and ideal food pairings for wines.
The list is pretty extensive. Images are allocated to primary aromas, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as floral notes such as jasmine and honeysuckle or earthy tones of oak and wet stone.
Secondary aromas, which come from the winemaking process, oak ageing, oxidation and bottle ageing include popcorn, butterscotch, oak, berries and fruit and tar and rubber, among others.
Wood says while the library of wine emojis is fun, the interactive “find your perfect match” section is where customers can hone in on exactly what they are after in a wine.
“You can search any winery or flavour,” she says. Users can also simply search for the food they plan to eat and find the perfect pairing.
“If you’re cooking snapper tonight, you can type snapper, and it will bring up all the wines that have any of those Wine-ojis allocated to the profile.”
MONIQUE FORD/STUFF The initial idea began when Wood realised she was fielding questions from customers at Noble Rot about what certain wines taste like.
She says the site also allows people to open their minds a bit to try new wines.
“[You can find] things you’ll actually like, rather than based on wine that’s discounted heavily at the store, or because you tried it before, or like the label. It’s actually all about your experience of the wine.”
The initial idea began when Wood realised she was fielding questions from customers at Noble Rot about what certain wines taste like, and what wines pair best with certain foods.
And so the idea of creating a database of flavours, profiles and distributor information began to form.
“We … started composing a list of the key aromas and flavours, and structural components of the wine, that we could then build into a bit of a library. That became the new language – the language of Wine-oji,” she says.
The creation of the images was hugely important, Wood says. They brought in a local graphic designer to help create the library. They needed to be well-designed, but they also had to appeal to people who are not wine experts.
MONIQUE FORD/STUFF People need no previous knowledge of wine to use the emoji wine website.
“They had to be easily recognisable, quite quickly, by the average consumer.”
“There is a huge problem in that people don’t know what wine they like, or what wine they should buy. There’s never really been an understanding of their flavour profile or their taste preferences.”
“We were thinking, how can we translate to people quickly and instantly what’s in their bottle of wine using images rather than words?” she says.
The resulting database is something Wood insists people need no previous knowledge of wine to use.
“You just need to know if you like something or not,” she says.
Using the interactive section of the site, a search for “lemon” results in 33 bottles of wine. Of those, two are Pinot Gris and 12 are Chardonnay. The selections can be further filtered by wine type or vintage.
For each bottle, the full Wine-oji profile can be viewed. There are eight sections: aroma, flavour, sweetness, acidity, body, oak, finish and food. Each is illustrated with the relevant Wine-ojis.
MONIQUE FORD/STUFF Wine-Oji will give you the nous to have a good nose for wine – no experience required.
My 2019 Main Divide Riesling, for instance, had an acidity rating of 4½ lemons out of 5. Its sweetness is only worthy of one lollipop, however, and in terms of the body, my chosen riesling shows 2½ bodybuilders out of a possible 5.
My chosen wine also pairs well with prawn skewers, pad thai, Moroccan couscous and snapper ceviche.
And after two years of creating an extensive database of wine-related imagery, what are Wood’s favourite Wine-ojis?
She has a few, including lily, jasmine and ginger. She is also a fan of the food pairings.
Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family-owned, producing internationally recognised wines exclusively from its Hawkes Bay vineyards. The Chambers family, the original owners, sold the property in 1919.
TMV Te Mata Vineyards was established, and the property had two other owners until it was acquired by the Buck and Morris Families in 1974 – the two families behind the modern interpretation of this historic NZ estate.
Te Mata Estate is committed to improving its performance in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability through the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) programme, established in 1995 as an industry-initiated programme directed by NZ Winegrowers. Te Mata Estate’s vineyards were amongst the first to be accredited in 1995, as was the winery in 2005.
This evening was going to be presented by Te Mata vineyard but is now being covered by Eurovintage with Keith Tibble and Brett Newell hosting the evening for us.
Indictive wines for the evening, still being worked on at the time this newsletter went out:
Starting with Estate Range Sauvignon Blanc
Premium Sauvignon Blanc
Two premium reds – Awatea and Bullnose ranges
Estate Range – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
The above selection is indicative only as it will depend on the availability of stock at this time.
This will be both a surprising and informative evening with great wines to taste across Te Mata’s different wine ranges and looks to be an experience that you wouldn’t normally get anywhere else.
The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is an Ontario government enterprise and one of the world’s largest buyers and retailers of beverage alcohol. Through more than 660 retail stores, catalogues, e-commerce, special order services, close to 400 LCBO Convenience Outlets, which provide cost-effective, convenient and socially responsible access for rural consumers, and as a wholesaler to almost 450 Grocery stores, the LCBO offers more than 28,000 products annually, from more than 80 countries to consumers and licensed establishments.
Wines described in the series may not be available in New Zealand. Try to think about an alternative you may drink instead.
The LCBO has a responsibility to the buying public to help ensure the products they sell are safe to drink and authentic.
This series is an exciting part of exploring the world of wine that despite some tried-and-truisms, it’s always evolving and changing. Here are some fresh ideas to shake up your sipping this year.
It’s easy to be intimidated by traditional wine rituals and rules instead of following your own intuition and palate to discover what you really enjoy.
Fortunately, today almost anything goes, including many old myths, which are being busted by the modern wine industry. For instance, are you convinced that cork is better than cap? Unless you’re cellaring wine for years, screw-tops and pop-off caps now preserve the product of many coveted wines, including countless Ontario VQAs.
Still, pairing only red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat? Sommeliers aren’t; most will now happily recommend white Burgundy or creamy Chardonnay with steak, or a Pinot Noir with poultry (or rosé with everything).
If you’re drinking red wines at room temperature, the current consensus is that many of them are better served cool. Try putting your reds in the fridge for 30 minutes and, correspondingly, taking your whites out half an hour before serving to take off the big chill. There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy wine, but here are 10 new ideas to help you discover what’s new, exciting and worth trying.
1. Rethinking ABV
Popular “fruit-bomb” big red wines can be as high as 15% alcohol by volume (ABV). A new crop of complex, flavourful reds with slightly less alcohol is emerging, among them South American wines like Trivento Fair Trade Malbec, with tons of black fruit and a touch of spice, at just 12.5%. Jackson-Triggs Merlot has full-bodied fruit and rings in at 12%. Though many white wines (including the cool-climate whites Ontario is known for) are naturally a touch lighter in alcohol, look for off-dry German Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs such as 11.5% Remy Pannier Sauvignon Blanc IGP Val de Loire, calorie-reduced whites like Skinnygrape Chardonnay with just 7.5% ABV, or Italian bubblies such as Moscatos (typically under 10%) or 6.5% Viticolitori Acquesi Brachetto D’Acqui Sparkling.
2. Bring on the funk
Savvy wine drinkers know that “noble rot” (describing the botrytis fungus that can destroy crops or produce coveted dessert wines) or “barnyard” (animal or vegetal wine aromas, courtesy of the Brettanomyces yeast that can be a virtue or a fault) can actually be desirable qualities. Likewise, unfiltered or slightly oxidized wines — once worthy of being returned — today might be just what the winemaker intended. Though so-called low-intervention or natural wines can be wildly unpredictable from year to year or batch to batch, these authentic and rustic-tasting wines are growing in popularity. Experiment with reliably consistent Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon and Bonterra Chardonnay from their organic California winery. The Mendocino County vineyard eschews pesticides for natural solutions, from using birds and sheep to control weeds and insects to planting diverse cover crops like crimson clover and lavender to attract bees and nourish the soil. Can you taste any traces of that care in the bottle?
3. The return of sweet
Once upon a time, sweet wine was taboo; today, sweetness can be a treasured quality in wines that have acidity, tannins or other balancing qualities. The ticket to finding them on LCBO.com or shelf labels: look for “MS” (medium-sweet) or “M” (medium) wines and a style descriptor that includes “fruity.” Try trendy wine from the ancient region of Georgia: United Stars Alazanis Valley Off-Dry from the Kakheti region is a red made with acidic Saperavi grapes. Tropical-smelling, just-tart-enough Ironstone Obsession Symphony California makes a mouth-watering break from minerally and dry whites.
4. Sustainability
From fewer chemicals and less water-intensive growing to environment-friendly packaging (the LCBO’s lighter-glass “Canada bottle” is a global game-changer), wine is going smaller-footprint. Get on board with Organic Chardonnay from carbon-neutral delivery Cono Sur or Ciao Sangiovese Organic in a light, recyclable Tetra Pak. Ontario’s Tawse and Southbrook make naturally grown organic and biodynamic wines — and, like most Ontario VQA wineries, are committed to the Sustainable Winemaking Ontario program.
5. Rosé with everything
It’s not just for summer sipping anymore. Rosé’s wide range of drier styles has been discovered by wine lovers, and its versatility with every course is beloved by diners. Since colour or even the country of origin doesn’t always dictate the taste, read the label for clues about grape varietal. Grenache/Garnacha rosé will be off-dry, and great with big Mexican, Indian or Thai flavours. Pinot Noir grapes give an elegant acidic balance to dry rosés that complement many poultry and fish dishes. Sangiovese or Syrah rosés have spice that bounces well off fatty and creamy dishes, from meats to pasta. Many rosés are blends of a few grapes — experiment to find your favourites.
6. Reading the label
The pretty front label has everything you need to know — and now there’s often a wealth of new information on the back, too.
A Ageing and barrel maturation information.
B Serving and food-pairing suggestions.
C Indication of the region or terroir where the wine was made.
D Notes on the winery’s philosophy or practices.
E Importer or distributor, which might share your taste in other wines.
F Detailed information about the grape varietals.
G Contact information, from an e-mail or URL to a QR code
7. A cheat sheet
Sometimes you need to parse the shelves or a wine list with a quick but savvy eye. Voilà! A shortcut guide to trendy regions and wine styles, and fresh rules of thumb for tasting without fear.
Colour and country:
When in doubt choose whites (like Albariño) from Spain, rosés from France and reds from the U.S. (California for bolder varietals and blends, Oregon for Pinot Noir)—a highly simplified matrix that rarely disappoints.
Stellar whites:
Namecheck white wines from Portugal’s Douro region and look out for Aligoté, a staple grape in white Burgundy blends now in the varietal spotlight.
German and Austrian cool:
We all know German Riesling and Austrian Grüner Veltliner are a food pairer’s friends: watch for Austrian Riesling as the next big thing.
Egg is the new oak:
The use of big, egg-shaped concrete ageing-vats rivals barrels and stainless tanks — labels and websites often “eggs-claim” it.
Regional shortcut:
The Loire Valley in central France is a current wine world darling for whites like Chenin Blanc and light reds and rosés featuring Gamay.
Catchphrase:
Vin de soif is a French (and sommelier) catchphrase for a light, quaffable wine that’s great with or without food.
8. High-tech wine
Winemakers use drones and tablet-controlled wind machines and watering in the vineyard: time to plug into wine-tech at home. Apps like Vivino and Wine Ring expand your cellar memory, The Sonic Decanter and Ullo reportedly pour better-tasting wine and the Coravin revolutionizes single glass pours without oxidation.
9. Everyday bubbly
The time-and-labour intensive traditional method for bottle-ageing Champagne justifies its price. Winemakers’ new embrace of the Charmat tank-ageing method (long used for Prosecco) means Moderately priced bubbly can now help you toast a small work victory or Taco Tuesday. From Ontario, try Lily Sparkling Wine VQA from Colio Wine or Pelee Island Secco VQA.
10. Wine in cocktails
Aromatized (vermouth) and fortified (like sherry) wines have long been essential ingredients in sophisticated drinks. Wine is now a full-fledged star of the cocktail bar, in sangria or Champagne cocktails, spritzes or Whisky Sours with a Red-Wine Float.
Roy Kellahan grew up in Johnsonville in Wellington, in an era when it was affectionately known as Cow Town.
Roy Kellahan, a well-known equestrian enthusiast and entrepreneur, at his Johnsonville riding school.
In the 1940s and 50s, stock drovers moved sheep and cattle along the main road to the stockyards, many of the youth had horses as their mode of transport, and the main social entertainment was seeing a movie at the Empress Theatre on a Saturday afternoon.
Kellahan was born with a passion for horses, and all things Western and Spanish.
At age 10, he surprised his parents by buying his first horse – a lame old mare from the Johnsonville pound, called Betsy.
He would later admit he had not considered how he would look after Betsy.
“In my frantic haste to buy a horse, I didn’t give a paddock a second thought. That would come after I got the horse. During that night, the Kellahan household didn’t get much sleep. The mare was tied to the base of dad’s bean trellis on a long rope, where she could graze on the back lawn.
Roy Kellahan was well known in Johnsonville.
“She somehow managed to pull the trellis down and walk over the still-wet concrete foundations of a new tool shed dad was building and eat a large quantity of carrot tops from his veggie garden. An article appeared a day or so later in the local paper which read ‘Boy brings home unexpected guest for dinner.”
At 16, Kellahan started his first riding school from his parents’ house in Bannister Ave, and the direction of his future was established. From small beginnings, he developed what was to become a successful trekking and riding school based in Ohariu Valley.
The equestrian enthusiast and entrepreneur died in February, aged 81, after a long illness.
His commitment to the horse world meant over the years he brought into the area more than 2000 horses – mostly good strong station hacks from Gisborne, providing quality horse trekking including his famous Moonlight Treks.
Kellahan in the Festival of Wellington, at the Basin Reserve in 1961
Kellahan built and ran Wellington’s first indoor riding school in Ohariu Valley, alongside a fully stocked equestrian saddlery shop and licensed cafe, and manufacturing equestrian horse care products.
He generously let Riding for the Disabled use the indoor facility free of charge, for many years.
Ohariu Valley is now home to many people with horses, embracing the lifestyle he helped establish.
With the help of four friends, Kellahan built the recreational Spanish-themed Country Club.
A facility considered 20 years ahead of its time, it was frequented by Wellington families at the weekend and international corporates during the week.
Roy Kellahan, Rodney Scanlan and Beni Paroli, with a restored buggy in 1959
The club featured two restaurants, tennis courts, a swimming pool, boardroom, billiard room, squash court, sauna, wine cellar and, of course, horse trekking and operated, successfully, for over a decade.
The sale of alcohol was problematic and they began a lengthy battle with bureaucracy. After an eight-year campaign, eventually, the law changed, enabling private clubs to legally serve liquor.
Over the years Kellahan had many friends with whom he shared his love of European history, art, architecture, music, food, wine and culture.
He attributed his passion to his parents giving him a recording of Bolero to play on the gramophone when he was just 10 years old.
Childhood friend Rodney Scanlan said Kellahan was a character.
Marguerite Smith and Roy Kellahan ran a soap business in Porirua.
“By the time Roy was walking he was into mischief – never one to sit still. There were always adventures to be had and that never changed.
“His achievements are the result of hard work, the ability to take risks and being willing to face any challenge thrown at him. Rarely has anyone packed so much into their life.”
He was regarded as a gentleman with a highly developed sense of fun and a strong dislike for injustice, bureaucrats and gorse – a good Kiwi with a mix of culture and a bit of mad cowboy thrown in.
In 2020, he married his partner of 40 years, Marguerite Smith, in unusual circumstances.
As a young girl Smith had been told by her grandmother she would have a long life and a short marriage. Engaged in 2010, she was afraid to take the next step due to a fear that the prophecy would come true.
Roy and Marguerite Kellahan married after a 10-year engagement in 2016. Roy was in the Mary Potter Hospice and was only expected to live a few more days.
In 2016, Kellahan was diagnosed with a rare aggressive form of lymphoma. He was only given days to live and they were married in a ceremony, at the Mary Potter Hospice, in June 2020.
As well as the wedding, the couple had another cause to celebrate – after 10 years they published his autobiography, A Long Ride from Johnsonville.
Marriage proved a good tonic for Kellahan, who rallied and, against all odds, lived another 20 months.
He is survived by Marguerite, his four children and four grandchildren.
By Marguerite Kellahan, with additional reporting from Nicholas Boyack.
If pouring a glass of wine seems like hard work – then you need to buy one of these amazing wine chairs.
Matt Thompson from Detroit loves to put his woodworking skills to good use. In 2017, the Michigan man built a lawn chair that delivers beers via a chute.
Then in 2018, Thompson Woodworks did it again, this time with a lawn chair that pours glasses of wine with the pull of a lever.
Being able to chill a glass of wine quickly is the wine equivalent of building a better mousetrap. My partner doesn’t understand why this is important – thinking, ‘what kind of person is so desperate for a glass of wine they can’t wait 60 minutes!’ Answer – EVERYONE!
My usual go-to method has been whacking a bottle of wine in the freezer. Yes, this can be relatively quick, but it’s not as quick as our new method. Plus, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve frozen the forgotten wine because I was side-tracked by the gin and tonic I had while waiting!
Wait no more – because The Wine Wankers have invented the Tea Bag Method! [Yes, there is a serious wine group called this – go, Ed]
But before we explain, let’s look at man’s previous attempts to chill wine quickly
Frozen Grape Method toss frozen grapes into your glass of wine to cool it down (Con – the grapes can add an unwanted flavour once they defrost in your wine)
Ziploc Bag method placing half your bottle of wine into a zip-lock bag and submerged this into an ice bath for six minutes (Pro: brilliantly quick. Con: too much fussing around with ingredients and props)
Ice + Salt + Water in Bucket Method submerge it in a bucket of salted ice water (Con – no one has that much ice in their freezer, plus it still takes 10 minutes)
The Wet Towel and Freeze Method wrapping the bottle in a wet dish towel and popping it in the freezer – of course, you’ll have to detach the tea towel from the bottle!. (Con – the wet towel acts as an insulation device, so it takes longer than simply whacking it in the freezer)
Add Ice Cubes To Your Wine Method (Con – waters down your wine – and no one wants that)
Introducing The Wine Wankers Tea Bag Method
Step 1 – fill your wine glass half full of ice so you only use the right amount of cubes Step 2 – pour the ice cubes into a small plastic bag Step 3 – fill your wine glass to the very top with room temperature wine Step 4 – leave it for 3 minutes – giving it the occasional tea bag dunk to mix the wine Step 5 – remove the bag, clean it and re-use it for another time (I hate single-use plastic – and so should you!) Step 6 – your wine will now be chilled to perfection. Cheers!
Drink up NZ’s rich history with a trip to one of our venerable vineyards, writes Jo Burzynska.
Sauvignon Blanc has the wow factor in Marlborough. Photo / MarlboroughNZ
On September 25, 1819, the Anglican missionary Reverend Samuel Marsden recorded planting the first grapevines in New Zealand in the grounds of the Stone Store, Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. Sadly these never produced wine, allegedly being gobbled by local goats. Nevertheless, the promise that Marsden perceived for wine in Aotearoa has now been amply proven, and can be experienced alongside its history at vinous milestones that span the length of the country.
Bay of Islands – Vine Zero
Marsden Estate in Wiroa Road, Kerikeri. Photo / Supplied
Greater wine-growing success was achieved with the arrival of British wine enthusiast, James Busby to the Bay of Islands. He made New Zealand’s earliest recorded wine from vines planted in his grounds at Waitangi in 1833, described by French explorer Dumont d’Urville as “delicious”. While the wine industry followed more suitable climes and moved south, good wines still hail from this historic region. Head to Marsden Estate in Kerikeri, established 176 years after its namesake planted his vines. Select six wines to try at its cellar door, or grab a glass to savour in its subtropical – and goat-free – vineyard gardens or at its restaurant.
Gisborne – Organic Trailblazer
Millton, New Zealand’s first biodynamic vineyard. Photo / Supplied
Long before the New Zealand wine industry promoted its wines as the riches of a clean green land, James and Annie Millton were walking the talk. The couple established the country’s first organic and biodynamic wine estate in 1984 with the planting of their first vineyard near Manutuke where earlier settlers had planted grapevines in 1871. They now combine classic wines like their chardonnay with edgier examples in the skin-fermented whites of the Libiamo range influenced by the younger generation of Milltons. Sample these at their cellar door, set in beautifully landscaped grounds complete with olive grove.
Hawke’s Bay – Oldest Winery
Mission Estate Winery in Hawke’s Bay. Photo / Mission Estate
Christian orders helped spread the vine as well as their religion around the world, and it was Marist missionaries that transplanted vines from Bay of Islands to Hawke’s Bay, and in 1851 built the country’s oldest winery, Mission Estate. Its cellar door, housed in an imposing former seminary building, offers seated tastings that include insights into its history. Visitors can then wander through its underground cellar and extensive gardens that look out to sea, with an option to dine in its recently refurbished restaurant.
Wairarapa – Pinot’s First Place
Guests enjoying the sun at Ata Rangi vinyards, Martinborough. Photo / Pete Monk
New Zealand’s potential for Pinot Noir can be traced back to Wairarapa, where in the early 1880s Frenchwoman Marie Zelie Beetham and her husband William, planted the country’s first pinot vineyard near Masterton. Temperance put paid to that endeavour, but pinot noir grows once again at one of their vineyard sites, now Lansdowne Estate. Martinborough pioneers, such as Ata Rangi’s Clive Paton, then founded the modern pinot industry in 1980s. Ata Rangi continues to produce some of the country’s finest examples, which can be explored, along with its history, through intimate tastings held in their charming old winery cellar door.
Nelson – South Island Pioneers
The Neudorf Winery, Nelson. Photo / Supplied
In the early days of New Zealand wine, most vineyards were planted in the North Island as it was considered grapes couldn’t ripen further south. However, in the 1970s some brave souls started to plant vines on the mainland, including Tim and Judy Finn who founded Neudorf in Nelson when nobody knew what varieties might thrive there. Now they make some of the country’s top chardonnay and pinot noir.
These can be enjoyed at their cute cellar door overlooking their first Home Block vineyard, where picnic fare can also be selected from the “baby deli”.
Marlborough – Sauvignon Country Roots
Sauvignon Blanc has the wow factor in Marlborough. Photo / MarlboroughNZ
Our flagship Marlborough sauvignon blanc is a fairly new phenomenon. Planted there in 1973, on what is now Brancott Estate Vineyard, it went on to wow the world when Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc won the UK’s prestigious Sunday Times Vintage Festival in 1986. Hunter’s still excels at sauvignon, as well as sparkling wines, which are shared in its farmhouse tasting room set in tranquil native gardens. The next generation continues to innovate, with the experimental Offshoot range that includes a naturally sparkling sauvignon “pet-nat”. Marlborough’s earliest history can be encountered at Auntsfield Estate, the site of the region’s first commercial vineyard and winery founded by David Herd in the 1870s. Take in the historic sites, such as the restored 1873 rammed earth cellar, on a vineyard tour and taste the impressive wines made by the Cowley family who re-established vines on the property.
Canterbury – Humble Beginnings
Take a trip around New Zealand’s oldest vineyards and wineries. Photo / Graeme Murray
An important chapter of Canterbury’s contemporary wine history started three decades ago in a Christchurch garage. This belonged to neurologist Ivan Donaldson, whose winemaking hobby resulted in Pegasus Bay, which went on to become a flagship winery of the region. Knowledgeable staff at its Waipara cellar door can talk you through its exciting range of wines. These can also be partaken of in the winery’s fabulous gardens or inside by the fire as part of a picnic of local fare from the mini deli it launches in December.
Central Otago – Natural Succession
Looking down over its sloping vineyards to Lake Wanaka, the views from Rippon vineyard are iconic. Photo / David Wall
It’s rare for a family to spend over a century cultivating their land, never mind close to 40 years in the wine-growing industry in New Zealand – and even rarer in Central Otago, where the wine industry only took off in recent decades. However, Rippon has long and strong ties to their special land, now managed biodynamically by second-generation winegrower Nick Mills. The views from Rippon Hall, where its cellar door is situated, are iconic, looking down over its sloping vineyards to Lake Wānaka and the mountains. Rippon’s site-expressive wines are equally spectacular.
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.”
Continent Winner – The Best Vineyard in Australasia 2021 – #11 Craggy Range & #15 Rippon
During this morning’s ceremony in Germany, Havelock North’s Craggy Range winery was announced 11th overall, making it the highest-ranking Australasia.
This puts the winery in high-calibre company, alongside estates such as Chateau Margaux of Bordeaux, Opus One of Napa Valley and Champagne Billecart-Salmon; a result Craggy Range Director Mary-Jeanne Peabody described as ‘incredibly humbling’.
“It is my parent’s dream to sit alongside the great wineries of the world, and this shows us that we are heading in the right direction,” she said.
Close behind in the list was Rippon Valley; the Wānaka winery claiming 15th place overall.
The World’s Best Vineyards is by no means the only list of note, however, what makes it unique according to Craggy Range’s Marketing Manager David T. Peabody is the breadth of criteria one must excel at.
“It is not about a single wine in a particular year, this is about consistently being recognised as world-class,” he said.
