Tag: Nga Waka

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Cellar Club 40th year celebration Wine Trip

Cellar Club members celebrating the club's 40th-anniversary wine trip to Wairarapa Feb 2021
Cellar Club members celebrating the club’s 40th-anniversary wine trip to Wairarapa Feb 2021

It was a brilliant day weather-wise, to travel via train, then bus to Martinborough. The three vineyards that were organised for us to visit, thanks to Gayl’s marvellous efforts, were Nga Waka, Tiwaiwaka and Grava/Alana.

We were divided into three groups, with each group assigned to two of the three vineyards to taste at – for ease of the smaller cellar tasting rooms, and the exuberance of the people attending.

Each of the vineyards was fully welcoming and at the Grava tasting room, if you asked, you could taste the Alana version of the wine being tasted, which was great if you were tasting with a partner.

Grava/Alana

At Grava/Alana where Lunar are the new owners, the vineyards brands are kept very separate. Grava has its vines on the Lake Ferry Road which has gravelly/alluvial soil and Alana’s wines are made from vineyards further in around Martinborough. The wines tasted were:

  • 2018 Sauvignon Blanc – 12 months in oak/12 months in barrel fermented
  • 2020 Alana Pinot Gris
  • 2016 Riesling [also tasted the 2016 Alana Riesling]
  • 2017 Alana Pinot Noir
  • 2018 Pinot Noir
  • 2017 Late Harvest – Sauvignon Blanc harvested mid-May

Nga Waka

At Nga Waka – where the new American owners are stuck in Nevada – the wines tasted were:

  • 2020 Sauvignon Blanc – planted in 1988/89, the first wines made in 1993
  • 2019 Chardonnay – fermented in oak barrels for 10 months
  • 2019 Rose – from Pinot Noir grapes
  • 2018 Pinot Noir

Tiwaiwaka

At Tiwaiwaka the tastings were conducted under the branches of a lovely oak tree. The wines tasted were:

  • 2020 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Blend – an excellent surprise to start with 2019 Semillon
  • 2018 Rose
  • 2020 Chardonnay
  • 2018 Pinot Noir
  • 2019 Cabbage Tree Pinot Noir – the second favoured tasting for group B
  • 2019 Merlot

Orders were good for all vineyards and many have been delivered directly to members already, with the delivery of the smaller lots being arranged by Wayne and Murray in the coming days.

The bus driver, Craig, was brilliant and was always where he was needed.

Coney’s

Tim Coney welcoming members for a tasting & celebration lunch
Tim Coney welcoming members for a tasting & celebration lunch

Our tasting and lunch at Coney’s was entertaining, with one of the owners Tim Coney regaling us with his stories of the vineyard, his band and his love of opera (which is where the musical names for the wines come from), and life in general in the Wairarapa.

To accompany the wines each table as served with a small platter of food. The wines tasted during this session were:

  • 2020 Rallentando Riesling
  • 2018 Riesling
  • 2020 Ragtime Riesling
  • Piccolo Pinot Gris
  • 2019 Foxy Lady Syrah Rose’
  • 2016 Reserve Pizzicato Noir – a gold medal winner made to go with food
  • 2015 Que Sera Syrah
  • 2020 Ramblin’ Rose Pinot Noir
  • 2020 Sticky Fingers Riesling Dessert – double gold award-winning wine

The lunch was well-received when served. The train trip to the Wairarapa and back was an added highlight for everyone, with many having never travelled that line before.

Thanks to Gayl and Wayne for your efforts in making this event such a memorable occasion.

Finally, if you are interested in viewing the various photos taken on this wine trip, they are on the club’s gallery page.

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Wairarapa Wine Trip – Timetable

The Cellar Club
40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – TRIP TO MARTINBOROUGH
13 FEBRUARY 2021
Timetable

  • Meeting place - Wellington Railway station
    Meeting place – Wellington Railway station

    9.45 am, Saturday, 13 February, Wellington Railway Station – meet the rest of the group on the departure platform (see the departures board at the station). The train departs Wellington Station at 9.55 am so please be on the platform by 9.45 am so that we can form into a group and hopefully commandeer our own carriage! Tickets (one way or return) can be purchased at the station ticket office or on the train. The cost is $30 same-day return or $15 one way. Tickets bought on the train require payment in cash only. Gold Cardholders can use those.

  • 10.55 am, the train arrives at Featherston station where we meet the bus.
  • On arrival in Martinborough the bus will drop us off for wine tastings at Grava/Alana, Tiwaiwaka and Nga Waka wineries from 11.15 am. Grava/Alana will provide tastings of five wines and a sticky for $10, refundable with a purchase. Tiwaiwaka has a flat fee of $10 to taste seven wines. As Nga Waka has no on-licence, they are unable to charge for a tasting. The time available before going to Coney’s means each group will go to two wineries. Group A will go to Grava then Tiwaiwaka, Group B to Tiwaiwaka then Nga Waka, and Group C to Nga Waka then Grava.
  • 12.50 pm – the bus will start pick-ups at Nga Waka, with Tiwaiwaka and Grava pick-ups shortly afterwards. Please be ready!
  • It’ll then take us to Coney’s for a leisurely lunch from 1.15 pm. We will start with a wine tasting (charge included with lunch cost) which will be accompanied by small taste plates. This will be followed by a lunch that includes two mains plus sides together with petit fours for dessert. A limited amount of wine will be provided with the meal. Please note that if you order any wine over and above that supplied, or tea or coffee this will be at your own expense.
  • The bus will leave Coneys in time to connect with the train at Featherston where it is due to depart at 5.25 pm.
  • 6.25 pm – scheduled arrival time at Wellington Station.

Some additional points to note:

  • To ensure we keep on schedule and as a courtesy to others please make sure you are ready for the bus on time. It does take a few minutes to get everyone on board and settled before it can move on.
  • Please also see the “Important things to know” sheet for further details.

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Wairarapa Wine Trip – Saturday, 13 February

Less than a fortnight to go now and it was evident at the club barbecue that our members are really looking forward to this fun day out.

We ask all who are intending to come to double-check that your name is on the attached list. If you’re not intending to come, there’s no need to read any further.

There are three sections to this newsletter – please read all of them so that you’re up with the play.

We’ve allocated the groups along the lines of the seating at our dinners. If you’d particularly like to be in another group, you’re welcome to arrange your own swap.

However, please ensure overall group numbers remain the same and let Wayne know about the change.

If anyone has any special dietary requirements for our meal at Coney’s, please email Wayne asap.

While we encourage you to only drink as much wine as you can comfortably handle, please be aware that Nga Waka, Tiwaiwaka and Grava have small cellar doors and our groups will fill their tasting rooms. If there are significant numbers of people who are skipping a tasting at any one time, we’d ask that you make way for any members of the public who want to have a tasting.

And please also give these wineries your support – particularly Nga Waka seeing it’s unable to charge for tastings. There’s been quite a lot of discussion in various media about the difficulties faced by wineries who don’t have an on-licence, which is a pre-requisite to charge for tastings. for background, see the Stuff.nz article  Wineries unable to profit from tasting tourism call for law change.

We look forward to seeing you soon and wrapping up the club’s 40th birthday celebrations in style!

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