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Chateau Margaux dates from 1812; the property, now owned by Corinne Mentzelopoulos, has been a wine estate since the 18th century.
When her father died in 1980, Corinne Mentzelopoulos inherited a business empire that included 1600 grocery stores, 80 buildings in central Paris, a hotel that was once the home of Louis XIV-and a run-down vineyard the family had purchased almost on a whim three years earlier.
Today, the vineyard has made her a billionaire. It’s Chateau Margaux, one of just a handful of properties that can claim the prized Premier Cru designation bestowed by Napoleon III in 1855 upon Bordeaux’s very best terroirs for making wine.
Turning vision into reality – a business strategy for Hawke’s Bay Wine
Ngaruroro WCO – cautious optimism
In every issue we profile Hawke’s Bay Wine companies and personalities, wine from our region and associated sectors. We offer up a number of informed viewpoints, cover the news and present a range of wine-related feature stories.
(These are some excerpts from an article which actually canvassed 10 things you might want to know about wine. I have picked out several that I found more interesting. The rest, in fact, we didn’t want to know.)
What is orange wine if it’s not from oranges?
The new rosé? Orange wine is having a moment. Photo: Edwina Pickles
Orange, some say, is the new rosé, occupying the demilitarised zone between red and white. The colour crosses a spectrum – from pale apricot to enraged Trump, all the way to amber – but what’s really different about orange wine is the way it’s made. Traditionally, red wines are made from the juice of red grapes plus grape skins. Whites are made without skins.
Orange wines are made from white grapes but get the red-wine treatment – the juice is macerated with the skins, a technique dating back 8000 years to wine’s birthplace, Georgia. The resulting texture, tannin and colour means these “skin-contact” wines have more in common with reds than whites; styles vary from fruity, floral or earthy to sour and funky.
What is natural wine and why are people so excited about it?
Natural winemaking is a broad church in which wines are generally (purists say must be) made from grapes grown without commercial chemicals. Processing takes place with minimal “intervention” – so, for example, the wine may not be filtered to remove cloudiness. Additives, such as sulphur dioxide – used for centuries to keep wine tasting fresh – are shunned or kept to a minimum. It’s a departure from the kind of large-scale industrial winemaking that values hygiene and consistency over quirks and imperfections.
As with conventional wines, quality varies hugely. There’s no regulation of what’s called natural, so if you’re going that way to avoid chemicals, look for certified organic or biodynamic wines – they’re more likely to be what you’re paying for. When made by winemakers of skill and integrity, the best natural wines celebrate quality, individuality and character – hallmarks of all great wines, regardless of whether they’re pitched as natural.
What’s better – Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio?
The wine world can be daunting. Photo: Jennifer Soo
Same grape, different name – one name is French, the other Italian, with “gris” and “grigio” both meaning “grey”. In Europe the French approach to making gris produces a highly perfumed wine with plenty of mouthfeel; grigio from Italy is often (not always) a crisper, lighter wine. “Better” is in the eye of the beholder – good news is they’re all food-friendly styles. So in short, no difference in the grape, just the name.
Why might some wines contain traces of eggs, fish or milk?
Egg whites with fish bladders and milk: a dish that might make guests at a Game of Thrones banquet actually welcome the post-dinner massacre. Yes, it’s medieval stuff – each of these has been used for centuries to “fine” wine. Fining is a process in which one or more of these proteins is dropped into unfinished wine to bind with components that taste bitter, astringent, or are likely to make the wine hazy. They are then removed. Traces, as the label states, may remain. If any of the above have been used you’ll find them listed on the label as allergens. The fish bladder derivative also goes by the name isinglass and is rarely used in Australia but egg whites and milk products are still common.
How long will a wine keep after it’s been opened?
Like fish and houseguests, opened wine smells less appealing after three days. Aim to finish an open bottle over no more than two nights. As a rule of thumb, red wines stay in condition for longer than whites (some robust reds taste better on day two). Exposure to air changes the aroma and flavour of opened wine, so reseal a bottle you’re not planning to finish in one go.
A bottle that’s mostly full will last better than one with only a glass or two left. It’s about the proportion of air to wine – more air in the bottle means faster deterioration. Store an opened bottle upright, not on its side. If you keep a clean, empty half-bottle handy, decant unfinished wine into that – it will stay fresher than in a full-size bottle. Otherwise, start scouting wine-saving devices.
(This last item may not reflect editorial opinion, surely once the bottle is opened it deserves to be finished in one sitting. The person I live with frequently draws my attention to the week that passes between a tasting and when the committee downs the tasting leftovers, but members may not understand the deterioration that has occurred during that time and the generous effort made by committee members to get rid of these leftovers on their behalf.)
We all appreciate Grant Taylor’s knowledge, expertise and sense of humour. But I’ve never heard a harvest described the way Grant has in the latest edition of the winegrower magazine. He describes the anticipation of a first harvest after he has taken over managing a vineyard in the Waitaki Valley.
Belinda Feek | NZ Herald reporter based in Hamilton | belinda.feek@nzherald.co.nz | @ought2bee
A top Kiwi wine brand has ditched its award-winning Marlborough grapes for some of its wines – in favour of those from Australia.
A Kiwi wine reviewer has slammed one of the country’s best-known wine labels for its decision to start using Australian grapes in some of its wines.
Montana has ditched its award-winning Marlborough grapes for those from across the ditch to keep it cheap for consumers.
And many consumers looking for a well-priced New Zealand wine will not be aware of the change unless they check the back of the bottle.
At this stage, the move is just for its Montana Classic 2017 sauvignon blanc and Montana Classic 2016 pinot noir. Wine aficionado Bob Campbell wrote about his disgust in the move in his latest column online.
He dubs the move legal but “deceptive” and says the Montana brand is “as Kiwi as Buzzy Bee, Jaffas and Fred Dagg”.
An image of a Montana Sauvignon Blanc from 2010 proudly boasts that it’s from Marlborough. The company is using grapes from Australia for its 2017 wine.
Montana’s classic range has been selling for $9.99 recently, a price Campbell believed now justly depicts the quality of the wine.
Campbell said that although he is yet to taste the drop, there was a reason for the price difference.
“Australian sauvignon blanc is, by and large, inferior.”
Campbell told the Herald Montana wine was close to his heart as he was working for it in 1973 when it planted its first grapes.
“I began my wine industry career in 1973 as an accountant with Montana so I guess it’s kind of personal. I might be overstating the case but it’s just that, to me, Montana and Marlborough are inextricably linked.”
The sauvignon blanc was due to be released this month, he said.
He described Marlborough sauvignon grapes typically producing “punchy, aromatic, zesty, tropical” flavours, as opposed to Australian grapes having “much less” character.
He’d been in touch with Pernod Ricard, which had confirmed the company had been trialling Australian grapes for two of its wines last year. It was also keen to keep delivering good wines in the under-$10 category.
Pernod Ricard New Zealand managing director Kevin Mapson said increased demand and the rising costs of New Zealand grapes meant it was increasingly challenging to produce New Zealand-sourced wine that could be sold for under $10.
“By sourcing grapes from Australia, we can continue to make wines of the quality that Montana consumers expect at the same price point. This sourcing transition only applies to the Montana Classics and Montana Affinity ranges. All the other Montana ranges will continue to be made from New Zealand grapes,” Mapson said.
He said the company had worked hard to minimise the change in style but said it was true Australian sauvignon blanc was less “aromatic” than that from Marlborough so would seem more “subdued” but disagreed the grapes were inferior to New Zealand’s.
Mapson said the company had adhered to all the legal requirements for labelling so consumers were aware of the country of origin and were communicating the change to trade customers.
Over time most of the Montana Classic and Affinity wines would be made from Australian grapes, he said.
But he maintained the company was committed to its Kiwi heritage and had recently invested in the Montana Reserve range and that, along with its Montana Festival Block and Winemaker Series, would all continue to be sourced from New Zealand grapes.
Marcus Pickens, the general manager of Wine Marlborough, said they were aware of the move and it would be discussed at their next board meeting.
He said there were rules in New Zealand around the labelling of wine, which Montana would be aware of, as there was evidence it caused confusion for customers.
NZ Wine Growers Association declined to comment.
When Montana wines made with Australian grapes will hit the shelves:
Montana Classic pinot noir 2016 – December 2017
Montana Classic sauvignon blanc 2017 – January 2018
Montana Classic chardonnay 2017 – August 2018
Montana Classic merlot cabernet – August 2018
Montana Affinity sauvignon blanc 2018 – November 2018
“Winning the title of ‘WineWorks Champion Sparkling Wine’ at New Zealand’s most prestigious wine competition for the Aotea by the Seifried Family Méthode Traditionnelle NV is an exceptional feat in its own right. But for this Nelson winery, gaining such recognition with their first endeavour at a traditional style bubbly is cause for celebration. In 2010 winemaker Chris Seifried and his new bride, Susan spent four weeks in Epernay, in the heart of Champagne where they worked with Seifried family friends at Chateau Bauget-Jouette. It was an opportunity for Chris to see and learn everything he could about making Champagne, a style he had always enjoyed but never ventured to learn.
Inspired to make his own Nelson style of Méthode Traditionnelle, Chris and Susan returned to New Zealand in time for harvest 2011, and along with his father Hermann, and sister Heidi, they identified two of the family’s own vineyards that he felt would offer the fruit characters he was after. In early March 2011, the hand-selected fruit was harvested from the family’s Brightwater and ‘Cornfield’ Vineyards, both on the Waimea Plains. Made using 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, the stony, free-draining soils produced bright, exuberant fruit. Chris credits Hermann and his vineyard team for bringing in fruit that he could work with, “the challenge for the vineyard crew was to ensure full flavoured fruit, with all the character and texture, but without excessively high sugar levels”.
Made using traditional winemaking methods, and four years bottle ageing prior to disgorging, the wine has smooth biscuity notes and a delicate dry finish. Chris says that crafting a traditional style bubbly had its challenges. ‘The aim was to produce bright flavoursome fruit, but the trick when it comes to bubbly really is the bead – and getting a balance of a fine bead, with a rich dry doughiness.’
The Aotea by the Seifried Méthode Traditionnelle NV was released in late 2016, in time for the family’s 40 years of winemaking celebration roadshow, which took place in Dublin, London and Nelson last November. A celebration where Chris acknowledged his parents work as pioneering modern winemaking in New Zealand’s South Island. “With this wine, we celebrate Mum and Dad’s vision, and the arrival of the next generation, our children, who are growing up in the vineyard and winery. We hope that they too will share the passion for crafting great wines.”
Chris’s eldest child Amelia, was born just six weeks after the grapes for the Méthode Traditionnelle were harvested, and just 15 hours after Heidi Seifried-Houghton, Chris’s sister (who is also a winemaker in the family business) gave birth to her first child, Josef. Now recognised as Seifried’s most fruitful harvest ever, the 2011 vintage not only produced the first grandchildren, but also the grapes for this champion sparkling wine.”
In every issue we profile Hawke’s Bay Wine companies and personalities, wine from our region and associated sectors. We offer up a number of informed viewpoints, cover the news and present a range of wine-related feature stories.
As the California wildfires raged, with Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties being the hardest hit, the focus of authorities rightfully remained on rescuing people trapped in or near the inferno and attempting to control the fire. But the impact on California’s Wine Country continues to grow, with several wineries damaged or destroyed. That won’t have an immediate impact on wine lovers, but it could dramatically affect the supply and even the taste of Napa and Sonoma wines for years to come. Alex Andrawes, a wine broker in Texas and owner of PersonalWine.com has extensive contacts in Napa. One of his friends “said he could hear the wine boiling in the barrels before the roof fell in.”
Fires burning in California – Oct 12 2017
The lasting impact of the Napa fires could affect all wines coming from California, whether they’re caught in the fires or not. “The smoke taint thing will be global — both valleys,” he says. “No pockets spared, I fear.” With the first wildfire still burning, the list of wineries that suffered damage may increase.
Authorities haven’t yet put together a complete list of wineries burned by the wildfires. Napa Valley Vintners, which has heard from 160 member wineries, says at least five of its members have reported total or very significant losses, with 11 more reporting some damage to their winery or vineyards. Several members have not yet been able to access their properties to assess the damage. The group is still not naming which wineries have been impacted yet and says it’s too early to estimate the economic impact of the fires on Napa’s wine industry. Here’s where Northern California’s wineries stood in the later stages of the fires:
Napa County wineries
Signorello Vineyard cellar door destroyed by California fires, Oct 2017
Signorello Vineyard – While the winery itself was completely destroyed by flames, early indications are that the vineyard might have survived. That’s potentially good news since replanted vines take several years to mature.
Stags’ Leap Winery – While the fires certainly impacted the winery, the extent of the damage is still unknown at this time.
White Rock Vineyards – One of Napa’s oldest wineries (founded in 1870), White Rock initially said all employees were safe and it planned to assess damage on Oct 10th. Unfortunately, it later confirmed the winery was a total loss. The state of the vineyard is unknown.
William Hill Estate Winery – Footage of the winery’s sign burning that went viral, it turns out the damage to the actual winery is mostly cosmetic. Officials say vineyard damage was minimal.
Darioush – The Stag’s Leap District winery suffered some landscape and vineyard damage, but said the winery structure was sound, despite some reports that were more dire.
Hagafen Cellars – While the winery building and tasting room survived, the crush pad at the back of the winery was burned and all agricultural equipment and 1 acre of the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was burned. “What this all will mean for vintage 2017 is yet to be determined. Much of our wine is already inside and resting in barrels. As for vintage 2018, I am reasonably certain that we will continue, repair the damage, replace the equipment needed, etc.,” the winery said.
Helena View Johnston Vineyards – The Mercury News spoke with the owner’s brother, who told them “all is lost” at the organic winery.
Segassia Vineyard – The Patrick Road fire damaged this Atlas Peak winery. The extent of the damage however, is still being determined.
VinRoc – This small-batch family winery, which makes no more than 1,000 cases per year, reportedly suffered a “total loss”. Proprietor and winemaker Michael Parmenter told local media “everything gone except our (wine) cave.”
Sonoma County Wineries
Paradise Ridge Winery sits destroyed in the foothills above Santa Rosa, California, in the wake of the Tubbs Fire, Monday evening, Oct. 9, 2017. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Paradise Ridge Winery – The winery reported a total loss. In a Wednesday morning post, though, it said all employees were safe and vowed to rebuild.
Ancient Oak Cellars – This Russian River Valley winery suffered heavy damages, with the tasting counter, two onsite redwood barns and the owner’s house being destroyed, the company said. There was some good news the next day, though, as the owners informed “although we have not been allowed on the property yet, we were able to look from afar and we *believe* that our vines may have been spared. It’s too early to know for sure, but we see green, and not all scorched black as we feared.”
Sky Vineyards – There’s reportedly some fire damage here, but the facility is still standing. As of now, though, the extent of the damage is unknown.
Nicholson Ranch – There’s some damage here, but the winery said on its Facebook page that the wine was secure in its cellars. ” We have some damage to fix,” it said. ” We are cleaning up and hoping to have the power back on this [week].”
Chateau St. Jean – Despite reports it had burned to the ground, this Kenwood winery’s main structure is still standing and appears unharmed. Damage to outer buildings and the vineyard is still being assessed.
Mayo Family Wineries
Gundlach Bundschu Winery fires burn in the background, Oct 2017
Gundlach Bundschu Winery – According to reports on Twitter, the property suffered some fire damage, but said its winery and structure were still intact. The family home on the property, however, was lost.
Mendocino County Wineries
Frey Vineyards Winery – Alison de Grassi of Visit Mendocino told the Mercury News that the winery, which focuses on organic and biodynamic wines, was destroyed by the fires.
Oster Wine Cellars – Visit Medocino’s deGrassi also listed Oster, another Redwood Valley staple, as a total loss.
Golden Vineyards – The vineyards at this Hopland winery are “scorched but they are not ruined,” according to owner Julie Golden (via the Mercury News).
The beer and wine aisle of a 365 by Whole Foods Market grocery store is pictured ahead of its opening day in Los Angeles. New Zealand sauvignon blanc has found a ready market in the US.
New Zealand’s wine export values continue to rise thanks to strong United States demand, reaching $1.66 billion for the year, up 6 per cent on the year before.
While the percentage increase is lower than the average yearly growth of 17 per cent for the last 20 years, the industry was still on track to reach $2b worth of exports by 2020, chairman of New Zealand Winegrowers Steve Green said.
The latest NZ Winegrowers annual report shows to the end of June this year, the US market is worth $517 million, up 12 per cent. New Zealand wine became the third most valuable wine import into the US, behind only France and Italy.
NZ wine, a 2017 snapshot.
Green forecast next year’s export volumes would be “more muted” because of the smaller harvest of 396,000 tonnes, down 9 per cent on 2016, but wineries were confident quality would remain high.
While the US provided the best returns, more litres of wine (74 million) were exported to the United Kingdom for a much smaller return of $389m. Traditionally more bulk wine has been sent into the UK market. Behind the US and the UK came Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and China.
Former US ambassador to New Zealand Mark Gilbert, along with many of his countrymen, has a nose for a good wine. He attended a tasting of New Zealand and French pinot noir last year.
The most exported variety was sauvignon blanc, followed by pinot noir and chardonnay.
The recently passed Geographical Indications (Wine and Spirits) Registration Act would offer improved protection of New Zealand’s regional identities. The industry had also launched the sustainable winegrowing New Zealand continuous improvement extension programme to enhance the reputation of wines.
Of a total growing area of 37,129 hectares, sauvignon dominates at 22,085 ha, an increase of 685 ha from the year before. The second most popular variety was pinot noir, with 5653 ha, followed by chardonnay at 3203 ha and pinot gris (2469 ha).
Marlborough is overwhelmingly the largest region with 25,135 ha planted in vines, followed by Hawke’s Bay (4694 ha), Central Otago (1896 ha) and Canterbury/Waipara (1425 ha).
The number of wineries was 677; they reached a peak of 703 in 2012.
New Zealanders drank 40 million litres of imported wine during the past year, most of it Australian (29m litres), with the next two most popular French and Chilean.
The November Kaikoura earthquake damaged an estimated 20 per cent of Marlborough’s tank capacity, but by harvest time all of the lost capacity had been restored or replaced.
Green said the industry consulted with members on possible changes to export tasting requirements, with responses suggesting a rethink of export requirements was needed.
“We continue to believe more needs to be done in our export legislation to ensure that the same standards apply to every bottle of New Zealand wine, no matter where it is bottled,” Green said.
NZ Winegrowers were concerned at the Ministry for Primary Industries’ plan to take part of New Zealand Winegrowers’ wine export certification service contract in-house.
“We fought hard to retain the status quo, which has served our members well, and are disappointed with the level of industry consultation in MPI’s decision making process. If the service changes, we will be seeking guarantees from the government that the current speedy issuance of export eligibility statements will be protected, at no additional cost to members,” Green said.
In June the New Zealand Grape Growers Council and the Wine Institute of New Zealand finished as entities, replaced by a unified New Zealand Winegrowers.
New Zealand is now the only major wine producing nation with a single industry body, representing and advocating for the interests of its entire grape and wine industry.
The industry and the Government are working through a Primary Growth Partnership on research into lighter wine production and marketing. Last year retail sales reached $33.5m. The programme runs through to 2021, by which time $16.97m would have been spent on the partnership.
Organic wine production continues to flourish with more than 60 New Zealand wineries now making fully certified organic wines, and more still in the organic conversion process.
Goodbye Winter. Can’t say we’re sorry to see the back of you, what with the wind and the rain and the flu; when all’s said and done, there’s only so much a warming glass of red wine will fix.
However, we turn our gaze and our palates to the more benign months with a glowing shimmer of anticipation. It’s reboot and refresh time, and what better way to kick things off than with a quick A-Z of things vinous for your general edification. From A for acidity to Z for Zinfandel, there’s bound to be a little bit of something in there to intrigue and interest many of you.
What else? We feature Zephyr wines, the appropriately-named vehicle for the impressive winemaking skills of Ben Glover. Bach Brewing, only three years old but already so weighted down with medals. An exciting new offering from Gisborne’s Matawhero winery, the Irwin Chardonnay. Belvedere vodka – Polish know-how 600 years in the making. The under-the-radar genius of Champagne Moutard.
Wine industry recognises viticultural excellence at 2017 Romeo Bragato Wine Awards
A Cabernet Franc from Canterbury has come out on top at this year’s Bragato Wine Awards.
Grown by Lindsay Hill, in the Waipara West vineyard located in Canterbury, The Boneline Cabernet Franc 2016 won the coveted Bragato Trophy for Champion Wine of the Show. The wine also picked up the O-I New Zealand Trophy for Champion Emerging Red Wine.
“This Cabernet Franc was a pleasure to judge, but equally an absolute joy to taste, savour and discuss,” said Chair of Judges Ben Glover. “This wine is certainly all about a single site… A real treat”.
Fourteen trophies in total were awarded and the geographical spread was diverse, with four going to Marlborough; three each going to Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Otago; and one going to Nelson.
The Bragato Wine Awards recognise the grower for viticultural excellence and acknowledges that growing excellent grapes is the foundation of making wines of true quality. For the first time in the competition’s 23 year history, all wines entered in 2017 had to be single vineyard wines.
“By making the shift to a single vineyard show, we’re allowing our industry to express the Turangawaewae of their distinctive sites,” said Mr Glover.
The Bragato Wine Awards are held each year as part of the New Zealand Winegrowers Romeo Bragato National Conference. The Champion Wine of the Show was announced at the Conference Dinner last night. For more information visit www.bragato.org.nz.
(New Zealand Winegrowers Media Release – 28 August 2017)
The inaugural Women in Wine NZ launch event sold out. The first New Zealand Winegrowers’ Women in Wine NZ event, sponsored by Plant and Food Research, drew a capacity crowd with all 165 tickets snapped up. The event took place last week at the ASB Theatre in Blenheim, and marks the official launch of the Women in Wine NZ initiative.
New Zealand Winegrowers is keen to support women in the industry and encourage more to take up roles of leadership and governance, said Jeffrey Clarke, Acting CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers. “This first event is a great way to kick-start Women in Wine NZ. Having such a strong turnout for the first event just goes to show how much our members value the initiative. ”
New Zealand Winegrowers teamed up with three speakers who shared personal accounts of their professional journeys to date:
Sandra Taylor, CEO, corporate sustainability expert and writer (US)
Jeni Port, Journalist (Australia)
Nadia Lim, NZ MasterChef Winner 2011, co-founder of My Food Bag (NZ)
The speakers discussed the challenges they have encountered along their careers and offered insights into how they overcame them. Women in Wine NZ is not just about networking, and is open to anyone involved in the industry – regardless of gender or role, said Mr Clarke. “We are an innovative industry and it is proven that diversity – gender, experience, perspectives and backgrounds – contributes to the development of new ideas. If we want to continue moving forward, initiatives that foster a more diverse and engaged industry will only drive our success.”
