While up in the Hawkes Bay for FAWC during Queens Birthday weekend, as well as attending the Fun Do evening [read Fondue!], we visited the Abbey Winery and Brewery – an excellent choice too!
Abbey Winery and Brewery lies in the Bridge Pa Triangle of Hawkes Bay on the old Ngaruroro riverbed. From these red meal alluvial soils, Abbey Cellars produces world-class wines from a wide range of varietals. As a single estate winery, they use only what they grow themselves to create their wines.
When you go there, you can enjoy a flight of four wines [75ml each] for $15. Our choice was:
- 2018 Reisling – diesel on the nose; lime on the palate; dry on the back of the mouth; better at room temperature than chilled as it opens up on your taste buds.
- 2020 Rose’ – Malbec and Franc mixture – jubes on the nose; smooth red berries on the tongue; dry after taste but not unpleasant; pleasant pink colour
- 2019 Envy Carmenere [originally planted in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, a member of the Cabernet family of grapes] – named for its crimson colour [really dark red], 12 months in French Oak; dry on the nose, slightly smokey too; dry to taste with leather coming through; black pepper at the back of the throat – food makes this wine really smooth to drink
- 2019 Temptation Malbec – 12 months in French oak, smooth, dry on the nose and at the back of the throat, cloves on the tongue; dark red colour – add food, and you get black pepper at the back of the throat, and the nose intensifies
This place was well worth the stop, both for the wine tasting, wine purchase and the food.
I would recommend putting it on people’s itinerary when up in the Bay.
Editor
