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You’ll all remember the article I published on the Granite Belt in the August edition of our Cellar Club Newsletter, of course. The Granite Belt has over 50 wineries, from boutique producers through to award-winning estates – along with breweries and distilleries [for vodka and gin].
Well, I decided it would be a great break to go see what it was actually like.
This holiday was a little tempered when the area in Brisbane had a series of fires start in early November just before we were due to go. So, we tracked them as best we could via the internet, plus were in contact with the locals [via email]. The locals confirmed the fires were out in their area before we departed New Zealand shores.
The damage done by the fires was quite apparent as we got close to the Granite Belt, which is between 900 – 1,000m above sea level. Both sides of the road were scorched in places, and the railway line that [did] run through Granite Belt territory was completely charred. They use untreated timber in Australia and treat the rails with creosote to preserve it! Fuel to burn there.
On the way to the Granite Belt area, we stopped at the Summer Lane Camel Farm. Nice, and a different place to have morning tea, buy gifts and experience camels, if you’ve never had this experience.
On the Friday evening when we arrived in the Granite Belt, our first stop was at Balancing Heart Vineyard, a short drive from the town of Ballandean, with the backdrop of Girraween National Park. We indulged in a tasting flight and one of their woodfired pizzas – well worth it. They were welcoming and had a relaxed approach at the end of the day.
Balancing Heart Vineyard
Blanc de Blanc – blend of their chardonnays
Verdello – soft, pineappley taste, dry on palate
Rosé – cherries on the tongue and nose
While we were enjoying our time at the vineyard, we could walk along the vines and see the naturally occurring balancing rocks. These were throughout the area and are huge! You could slightly smell the smell of ash or burnt wood in the air, but as they’d had four days of rain before we arrived, the odour wasn’t that strong at all.
Well worth a visit, taste wise and visually.
Saturday, and our second vineyard was Ravencroft Vineyard, which is a boutique vineyard and small batch winery, founded by award-winning winemaker Mark Ravenscroft. The new owners had worked with Mark for three years to get a good transfer of knowledge and skill. All wines are made on-site with minimal intervention and additives.
We joined in with other visitors and did a full tasting:
Verdelho 2022 – very gentle on both nose and taste
Vermintino 2022 – really lemony [their crop wasn’t very good that year, so they imported the grapes from Chalmers in Victoria]
Skin Contact Fiano 2022 – smooth with honey and fruit on the tongue [this is a Naples variety]
Reserve Chardonnay 2021 – it had eight months in oak, and was lovely
Rose Sangiovese – dry Italian style, smooth, could alter with food [Tuscany variety] had added Fiano and Vermentino to boost flavour
Nero d’Avola 2022 – light and grassy – would go great with pizza on a Friday night [Chile variety]
Reserve Petite Verdot – aged in old oak barrels, you can taste mushrooms/ earthiness, smooth and dry.
2022 Cherry Bomb – total cherry nose, smooth, dry, nice cherry flavours on the tongue
Pinotage Waagee 2021 – smooth, dry, fruity, lemony bite at the end as it goes down.
Would recommend a visit, to relax in the atmosphere and taste their wines.
That same day, while it’s not a vineyard, it’s well worth going for a meal at Varias Restaurant & Fine Training facility, training the staff of the future. Their menu reads like a tantalising travelogue of the Granite Belt’s finest food producers. We had the two-course option at $59 per head, plus wines of course:
Sparkling Marsaane – pear, citrus and honey esp. honey, went magnificently with the pork belly entrée’
2023 Verdelho – pears on the nose and palate [John’s wine for the whole meal]
Tempranillo 2023 bronze medal Qld Awards – soft tannins, dry finish, white pepper, red fruit, went well with the Main of brisket with broccalini, pumpkin, greens beans and the best road potatoes.
Dessert was Lemon meringue pie with Raspberry ice cream.
This establishment would be the equivalent to the Whitireia & Weltec Hospitality Campus we’ve been to as a Club in Cuba Street. Well balanced and thought-out meals and wine combinations. Located at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism, this restaurant is all about celebrating seasonal produce year-round.
Then on Sunday, we had what was the most comprehensive wine tasting of the week in the Granite Belt, at Ballandean Estate Wines. Ballandean Estate is Queensland’ oldest operating winery family-owned and operated by the Puglisi family since 1932.
This is a single-vineyard, cool climate made-with-love wine establishment, with Shiraz from 50-year- old vines, as well as their ‘Strange Bird’ varietals.
We had booked in for one of their tastings, hosted by their wine educators. Their tasting came six limited release wines served with a gourmet platter, to complement the tasting. The platter turned out to be a meal in itself! When you arrive at the Estate, you go through to their Barrelroom Wine Lounge.
Must add in that they had a disability path, as well as their main steps, into them establishment. Handy if you are disabled, but perhaps mostly handy on the way out?
Ballandean Estate is one of the vineyards in the Belt that grow ‘Strange Bird’ wines. Strange Bird wines are rare, alternative varieties that represent less than one per cent of Australian vines – albarino (also known as alvarine), chenin blanc, cortese, fiano, gewurztraminer, gros and petit manseng, gruner veltliner, malvasia, marsanne, roussane and savagnin. While we didn’t taste all of these, we certainly tried a few.
Monday night we dined at Granite Belt Brewery. On the way up their driveway, driving past the vines, we saw kangeroos grazing the vines, with joeys in their pouches, so special. They weren’t bothered by us, but were keeping an eye on us, as we’d stopped the car for the photo opportunity. The Brewers is Stanthorpe’s premier brewers, crafting delicious beers and ciders since 2012. They use the local water supply, as well as the finest malts, hops and yeast.
It wasn’t a busy night for the restaurant, but it was about half full, and while they were focussed on craft beer the food and wine was fabulous. Everything was of course overwhelmed by the thunder and lightning storm that hit sometime before we were to leave to go back to our accommodation. Driving back-country roads without the sky full of stars to guide you [besides the GPS], was a little dodgy, so the valley-wide lightening was quite helpful!
OTHER things we enjoyed seeing during our stay was their Mt Marlay lookout – don’t walk up to it! There is an 8% gradient to get up that particular piece of road – drive!
Go and find their pyramid – a local farmer got overwhelmed by the number of smaller granite rocks on his property and constructed a 17m high pyramid with them! Quite impressive and good photo opportunity, though you can’t get into the field now, selfie still looks pretty cool.
Viewing their giant thermometer is fun too. The Belt is the only area in Queensland that usually gets snow every winter. They’re fully equipped and operational during their Winters for visitors.
They have their own Granite Belt Christmas Tree Farm, which was so much fun! This runs from Oct-Feb of each year. We were there in the last week of November, and it was packed! As well as rolling up to pick your own tree, getting it cut down, then using their tree wrap machine(!) there was a huge barn set up for all sorts of artificial trees and larger decorations, a smaller building with shop full of smaller decorations, plus morning tea supplies and gelato – we tried Christmas cake gelato and Kinder gelato. Both passed the test. Again, would recommend if you’re there at that time. Go to Sutton’s Juice Factory & Cidery – they are famous for their apple pie, and their steak pies are pretty good to! We indulged in both.
There were two places that we wouldn’t recommend, as the experience we were anticipating simply didn’t happen:
Hidden Creek, whose website we had checked 2-3 times before we got to it, to see if we could breakfast there. According to their website this was ok, but on getting to their vineyard, not so:
Robert Channon Wines was off-hand and disorganised. Not welcoming to the point that even though their vineyard had an ‘Open’ sign out at the gate, no-one was around, facilities were semi- closed and the only person we saw ran away!
Despite the above two businesses, we had a delightful time, met interesting and informative people and tasted some great wines. Would recommend paying a visit to the area if you don’t mind a three-hour drive inland from Brisbane.
By Samantha Maxwell & Hayley Hamilton Cogill Tasting Table | Aug 8, 2022 & others
If you’re a beginner in the world of red wine, walking down a wine aisle at a local wine shop or even your grocery store can be intimidating. Sure, you know that Merlot and Malbec are both red, but your knowledge doesn’t go too far beyond that. If that’s the case for you, don’t worry. We’re here to shed some light on the red wine section. The truth is, the vast majority of red wines come down to a handful of grapes, so if you know about those grapes, then you’ll have a much clearer picture of the wine landscape. That can help you choose the perfect red for that steak dinner or select a bottle for your friend’s housewarming party.
We’re going to cover 10 common types of red wine you’ll find on shelves. Of course, there are countless other varieties out there, but these are the types you’re most likely to see regularly. Get acquainted with these varieties first, then make your way to your local wine shop and try them out for yourself. After all, the best way to determine what kind of wine you prefer is by sipping it yourself. Ready to get started? Here’s every major type of red wine you’d ever need to know.
1. Merlot
If you’re looking for an easy, approachable red wine to start sipping, you certainly can’t go wrong with a Merlot. According to Wine Enthusiast, it’s one of the most popular red wines in the world, and it comes in at number two in red wine popularity in the United States (right behind Cabernet Sauvignon). It’s a versatile grape that can be transformed into fruity or oaky wines alike, serving a variety of taste palettes.
When you get a good Merlot, you’re going to experience a well-balanced wine with moderate tannins, moderate acidity, and relatively high alcohol content. Though individual bottles may vary significantly, you can expect a medium or full-bodied wine. It’s common for tasters to pick up notes of cherry, berries, or plums, or you might get a taste of chocolate or vanilla if you’re drinking an oakier variety (via Wine Folly).
While a wine featuring only Merlot grapes is common on its own, these grapes also commonly find their way into Bordeaux blends. One thing’s for sure: If you bring a Merlot to a dinner party, no one is going to complain. We think this is a great entry point for all those just beginning to get into wine.
2. Zinfandel
Let’s clear one thing up right away: Zinfandel is not the same thing as white Zinfandel. The latter is a sweet or off-dry rosé that many wine drinkers dislike. Of course, if you like it, you should enjoy it, but you definitely shouldn’t confuse it with Zinfandel, which is a red wine with moderate tannins and high alcohol levels, per Wine Folly. This results in a big-bodied wine that pairs well with various Arabic and Mediterranean cuisines. However, the wine itself is originally from Croatia, which has a thriving wine industry. Fun fact: Per Wine Folly, Zinfandel is the only grape varietal in the world that has an annual festival called the ZAP Wine Festival.
While white Zinfandel might be more common on grocery store wine shelves than red Zinfandel, you can usually find the latter without too many issues. This grape is also often found in California red blends (via VinePair). If you’re looking for a bold, robust red that will pair deliciously with all of your favorite foods like grilled meats and mezze, you may find just what you’re searching for in a Zinfandel.
3. Cabernet Sauvignon
Moderately bold, full-bodied, and perfect for pairing with food, it’s hard not to love a good Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an extremely popular type of wine. In fact, it’s the most popular in the world. Like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon is a great variety for beginner red-drinkers, as it’s both easy to obtain and has a widely appreciated taste. You may notice notes of black cherry or black currant if you’re enjoying a fruitier Cab, while an oakier variety may evoke notes of graphite or cedar, per Wine Folly. Cabernet Sauvignon is produced worldwide, from France, Italy, and Spain to South Africa, Argentina, and even China.
One of the reasons Cabernet Sauvignons are so popular is because they age really well. Tannins and chemical compounds referred to as phenolics ensure that Cabs taste amazing even after they’ve been in a cellar for decades (via The California Wine Club). The tannins in this wine are more pronounced in younger bottles, but older vintages tend to be more mellow, thus pairing with a wider variety of foods. If you’re looking for the perfect entryway into the world of red wine, grab yourself a Cabernet Sauvignon the next time you’re out.
4. Nebbiolo
According to Wine-Searcher, while Nebbiolo grapes are produced in many parts of the world, they’re overwhelmingly grown in the Piedmont region of Italy. It has high-quality wines that are known for their intense tannin and acidity. Because of these qualities, they pair well with cheese and other fatty, creamy dishes, as the acidity helps cut through those intense flavors (via “Wine Folly: Magnum Edition”). Taste for notes of cherry, leather, rose, and star anise.
You may find cheaper Nebbiolo varieties on the market, but you should expect to pay around $30 for a good bottle. Due to this price point and its intense, bold flavor, Nebbiolo is generally not a wine that new drinkers start with, but it’s certainly worth a try if you’re looking for something new and interesting. There’s a chance that you won’t be able to find it in your grocery store wine aisle, but most well-stocked wine stores, especially those with robust Italian sections, should carry a wide selection of Nebbiolo. This wine can be consumed young, but it typically ages well rather quickly.
5. Syrah (Shiraz)
This one causes quite a bit of confusion for some new wine drinkers because it technically has two names. According to Wine Folly, the grape originated in France’s Rhone Valley, a legendary wine-producing area. However, since then, it has made its way to Australia, and it’s now the most-planted grape in the country. In Australia, they don’t refer to it as Syrah like they do in Europe. Instead, it’s called Shiraz. If you see different wine bottles with these different names, you’ll know that they’re the same grape, and it gives you an idea about where that particular bottle was produced.
This full-bodied red wine has a moderately high alcohol level, medium-high tannins, and tends to be on the drier side (though not intensely so). It’s excellent when paired with dark meats and intense spices, as those flavors tend to bring out its fun, fruity side. Notes of blueberry and plum are standard, as are tobacco and milk chocolate aromas.
If you’re already a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and want to branch out to try something new, Syrah is an excellent option. These wines share many of the same characteristics, but Syrah is a slightly less common find in the U.S.
6. Malbec
Are you looking for a way to get into South American wines? Then do we have a treat for you: it’s called Malbec! Malbec is grown everywhere from South Africa to New Zealand, but most of its production comes from Argentina, per Wine Folly. VinePair says that it’s been a popular blending grape in France for over 100 years, but Malbec has grown as a wine in its own right over the past few decades. And the stuff from Argentina is generally regarded as some of the best.
If you like juicy, fruity wines, Malbec is going to be perfect for you. Don’t assume that juiciness means it will be too sweet, though. Most Malbec is quite dry. We love that this type of wine is affordable so that everyone can enjoy it. If you’re looking for a good bottle of Malbec, you can expect to spend around $15. You should be able to find Malbec at most shops that sell wine.
While many red wines tend to have a longer finish (meaning the flavor stays with you for a while after you take a sip), the finish on Malbec is relatively short. This means it’s great for pairing with red meats that tend toward the leaner side.
7. Pinot Noir
Burgundy is one of the most legendary wine regions globally, and Pinot Noir is right at home there, according to Decanter. However, it’s also grown in other parts of the world, from Chile to Switzerland, so you shouldn’t worry about tracking down a Burgundy if you can’t find it at first. This light-bodied red is great for those who generally drink white wine but want to branch out and try something new. It’s not very sweet, but the acidity is intense, making it ideal for pairing with foods that you normally wouldn’t think of eating with a glass of red wine (via “Wine Folly: Magnum Edition”). Chicken, for instance, is an excellent pairing with Pinot Noir.
Unfortunately, Pinot Noir can be more expensive than other bottles, which means you’ll want to spend around $30 for a bottle of the good stuff. Pinot Noir is an incredibly finicky varietal for grape growers to work with, per Wine Enthusiast, since it is susceptible to disease and root rot. But even though it is hard to grow, Pinot Noir is a fave for many drinkers, and if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s worth a sip.
8. Cabernet Franc
Never seen a Cabernet Franc in the flesh before? You’re not alone. It’s not especially common to see this wine on its own because it is most often used for blending with other varietals into Bordeaux red wines. However, it is sometimes produced as a single varietal, according to MasterClass. When you drink this wine, expect a medium-bodied red with plenty of acidity that makes it sippable and perfect to pair with tomato-based dishes. You might pick up on notes of strawberry or raspberry as well as bell pepper and chili pepper.
If you’re looking for intense tannins, then Cabernet Franc is probably not for you. While it can often be confused with Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon grapes have a thicker skin than Franc ones, which gives Sauvignon a heavier and more intense flavor. However, if you’re not super into red wines generally, this wine is a great place to start. It’s a fun option to serve at a party if you want to introduce your guests to something a little different than what they might be used to drinking.
9. Sangiovese
According to Wine Folly, Italy, Tuscany grows most of the world’s Sangiovese, a dry, acidic, savory red wine. Because it’s so acidic, it can pair well with spicy and other acidic dishes, making it one of our favorites for a dinner party. It pairs excellently with tomatoes and potent herbs. It can be a great option for vegetarian cooking — as long as the food you’re eating has plenty of plant-derived fats. However, Sangiovese generally isn’t amazing for pairing with sweet dishes, so if you’re looking for a dessert-adjacent drink, it’s usually not the way to go.
Wine Folly refers to Sangiovese as a “chameleon,” meaning that different wines using this varietal will taste different. The variation is huge, so it pays to learn about the specific region you’re getting your Sangiovese from if you’re curious about the details. This fun, interesting wine is a great option for food lovers and those who want to branch out to slightly less recognized varietals that are still widely available.
10. Grenache
Grenache, also known as Garnacha in Spain, is a common grape used in wines throughout the world. VinePair describes the flavor as berry-forward with notes of strawberries and white pepper along with a hint of Fruit Roll=Ups. Umm … sign us up! This varietal was originally cultivated in Spain, and it’s sold both as a single varietal as well as appearing in blended bottles. You may want to consider pairing it with autumnal dishes like roasted veggies, lamb, or even prime rib. However, The Wine Cellar Insider shares that it’s extremely versatile, so don’t be afraid to try some creative pairings if that’s what you’re into.
While Grenache can be quite expensive, you won’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy this wine to its fullest. A $15 to $20 bottle can give you a good idea of what this grape offers and initiate you into a whole new world of red wine. Give it a try the next time you cook a special dinner.
11. Lambrusco
From Italy’s Emilia-Romagna, Lambrusco is a regional designation and a mix of various grapes that grow wildly and flourish quickly (via Wine Traveler). Yes, it can be confusing. Don’t fret, though. You’ll love this type if you like juicy, lively wine with an effervescence. With origins potentially dating back to 160 BC, Wine Folly says Lambrusco tends to be low-alcohol and easy-drinking.
The different varieties range from pale-pink to inky purple, the site says, and are produced either dry or semi-sweet. The wines also tend to have aromas of wildflower, black cherry, pomegranate, and wild herbs. Flavors can be fruit-forward like tart cranberry and sour cherry, or savory with black tea, spice, and olive. Best served chilled, this type of sparkling wine always has a bubbly element as a semi-sparkling frizzante or fully-carbonated spumante.
Regional classifications can help you determine which you’ll most enjoy. Lambrusco di Modena is an uncomplicated and approachable introductory style. Lambrusco di Grasparossa is dark, dry, and structured with blue-and-black fruit flavors, bold tannins, and mouth-watering astringency. If you’re a fan of semi-sweet, fruity, and creamy wines, Lambrusco Salamino and Lambrusco Reggiano should be on your list.
Lambrusco is known for high acidity that pairs with rich, fatty foods, particularly from the Emilia-Romagna province — home of balsamic vinegar of Modena, mortadella, and Parmesan-Reggiano cheese. Pair Lambrusco with parmesan risotto or a charcuterie board with Prosciutto di Parma.
12. Barbera
Slo Wine shares that over 5000 varieties of wine grapes are included in the Italian National Registry! Of which, they add about 350 are actively growing native varieties. Within Italy’s northwestern Piedmont region, Barolo might be best known for its production of powerful, tannic (and often expensive) wine from nebbiolo grapes.
But, it isn’t the only variety grown in this region notable for white truffles, chestnuts, and hazelnuts. The barbera wine grape thrives on low slopes and valleys below the fog line (as in, the less-than-prime locations) throughout the Piedmont province, notes Wine Folly.
Barbera wines are fleshy and food-friendly with a light-to-medium body. With its rich purple color, this wine can confuse your palate. You may expect the wine to be dense and tannic. Instead, barbera is aromatic and fresh with high acidity. The wine site shares the wine’s flavors include juicy wild strawberry, tart cherry, and pencil lead. A young, fresh style of wine also has a structure, texture, and balance that is ideally enjoyed the first few years after release.
Some of the best come from vineyards around Asti and Alba, where the wines are bright and fresh with an easy approachability. Outside of Italy, barbera is grown in California, Australia, and Argentina, typically delivering darker fruit notes with higher alcohol from the warmer growing conditions.
Barbera wine is usually quite affordable, making it the perfect Tuesday night wine for pairing with regional dishes like truffle-topped chestnut agnolotti.
13. Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a tale of mediums: Medium to full-bodied, medium to low acidity, medium to high tannin, medium alcohol, and a lot of flavor. Though various red wine varieties originate in Spain, tempranillo is the country’s signature grape. Foods and Wines of Spain says tempranillo grapes cover 20% of Spain’s total vineyard area. The grape’s native region, Rioja, enjoys high elevations with warm days and cool nights, resulting in balanced, fresh wines with notes of red fruit, soft herb, and leather. In central Spain’s Ribera del Duero and Toro regions, Wine-Searcher finds the wines are more rugged, tannic, and high in alcohol due to the extreme temperatures.
Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano, meaning early, because it ripens quickly, producing thick-skinned grapes on highly productive vines. The variety goes by different names, including tinto fino, cencibel, and tinta de toro, with each showing different characteristics and styles. The best tempranillo wines are from areas preserving the fruit’s natural acidity.
Tempranillo has an affinity for American oak aging, embracing the oak’s vanilla coconut flavors in the wine. As the wine ages, tertiary qualities emerge like dried cherry, fig, and woody herbs. By law, a Rioja Reserva wine must age at least three years, of which one year must be in barrel and six months in bottle (via Rioja Wine). Rioja delivers incredible quality for the price point. Delicious Rioja Reserva wines are available for under $20 from producers like CVNE, Beronia, and LAN.
14. Carménère
As Spain has tempranillo and Argentina has malbec, the signature red wine of Chile is carménère. Though a native Bordeaux variety, its success shines brightest in South America. After phylloxera devastated the vine in France, carménère was considered extinct. However, before the pest spread throughout Europe, vintners took cuttings of the carménère vines to Chile says Wine Enthusiast.
Vinepair adds Chilean vintners had misunderstood what variety they were growing for decades. They thought the carménère was merlot, and treated it as such in the vineyard, harvesting the fruit side by side with early-ripening grape. In the 1990s scientists confirmed they were growing a late-ripening carménère. In 1998, the Chilean Department of Agriculture designated carménère as a distinct variety, skyrocketing production. The sun-loving variety now thrives throughout Chile’s Central Valley.
Carménère wines made from unripe grapes display bitter green pepper, paprika, and Tabasco. These qualities are similar to the carménère parent grape, Cabernet Franc. The wines have moderate tannin, medium to full body, rich concentration, and flavors of black plum, fig, cherry, and woody herb. Though most carménère grapes are grown in Chile, vintners in Italy and New Zealand dabble with small productions, though they too likely began growing the grape confusing it with something else.
15. Tannat
Tannat is believed to originate from the Basque country on the border of France and Spain. Today, it is most widely planted in France’s Madiran region. Wine Enthusiast says tannat’s opaque, purplish-black wine grapes are filled with tannin and thrive in arid, desert-like conditions, like the dry and dusty vineyards of California’s Paso Robles.
Tannat is the signature variety of wine grape for Uruguay, where vintners first planted tannat vines in the 1870s. However, Uruguayan tannat is unlike other versions worldwide, in part, because cuttings came from vines from the Basque country arrived before the phylloxera louse wiped out much of Europe’s vineyards throughout the 1800s (via Vinepair). Chile’s old vine tannat produces wines that have bold tannin with racy acidity, dense concentration and structure, and a rustic yet finessed Old World style.
In addition to its powerful flavor profile, tannat may be one of the healthiest red wines available. The Grape Collective adds tannat has high levels of antioxidants, including polyphenols, procyanidins, flavenoids, and resveratrol, thanks to the number of seeds grown within tannat grapes; most grapes have two or three seeds, but tannat has five. If you haven’t tried tannat and want to start with a good one, we love Bodega Garzon — and we’re not the only ones. Bodega Garzon’s Reserva Tannat has landed on Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 wines of the year multiple times.
16. Mourvèdre
Deep and intense, mourvèdre is a robust, sun-loving grape that creates concentrated, full-bodied wines. The variety originates from eastern Spain, where it is known as monastrell. Cellar Tours finds that Phoenicians are believed to have introduced the grape to Spain around 500 BC before the Romans brought it to France, where it took on its internationally recognized name, mourvèdre. A challenging variety to work with, the late-ripening grape requires a long-growing cycle to fully mature, which pushes alcohol levels to extremes, often exceeding 16%, says Cellar Tours. It becomes a continuous juggling act in the vineyard as picking mourvèdre wine grapes early, before the fruit is ripe, creates intensely tannic wines with astringency.
Blending mourvèdre with other varieties, like grenache and syrah, helps create wines with balance and appealing flavors, such as the bold wines of France’s Bandol. Wine Folly shares that Bandol wines are full-bodied and tannic, with peppery, meaty flavors. Wile the wine grape is integral to red blends, in Spain, mourvèdre, or monastrell, is still showcased on its own.
Mourvèdre benefits from aging to soften tannins, the wine site suggests up to ten years for the Bandol selections. Open and decant mourvèdre wine an hour or so before dinner to introduce oxygen into the wine, helping the flavors open. The meaty and robust wines pair well with hearty dishes like boneless short ribs, roasted leg of lamb, or venison.
17. Portuguese Field Blend
Deep red grapes creates sweet, fortified port wines, and dry, concentrated red table wines.
If you stroll through the slate-filled, steeply terraced vineyards along the Douro River in Portugal, you will see a patchwork of vines known as the Portuguese field blend. The Best Portugal explains this melange of deep red grapes creates sweet, fortified port wines, as well as dry, concentrated Portuguese red table wines. The site says the combination varies, but includes varieties like tinto roriz (the Portuguese tempranillo), touriga nacional, alicante bouchet, touriga franca, and legally upwards of 90 more. All of these are warm-weather varieties that thrive in hot, arid temperatures.
Wine-Searcher reports the effects of global warming in wine-producing regions means thick-skinned, high-tannin, and warm weather varieties that might have been obscure in the past could become the standard vines in the future. The site says varieties commonly included in the Portuguese field blend are heat resistant and adapt well to little rainfall and extreme daytime temperatures.
Although Portugal’s field blend is often best associated with fortified port wines, the blends meld harmoniously as dry Portuguese table wines. Wine Enthusiast shares that in the past these wines left much to be desired; however, when Portugal joined the European Union in 1986, investment from the EU brought about essential improvements and modern technology to vineyards and wineries — white Vinho Verde has famously benefited from a modern update. Leading Portuguese winemakers, like Symington and Esporao, are crafting high-quality, affordable table wines that are powerful and have an easy-drinking, balanced style.
18. Red Meritage
Blend of words: “merit” to indicate quality and “heritage,” referring to the historic art of blending.
Every Bordeaux wine is a blend of select varieties — including cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot — that must come from the celebrated Bordeaux region in France. So, how could every other international winemaker blending these varieties distinguish their wine as a premium product and differentiate itself from various other Bordeaux-style red table blends?
Enter the Meritage Alliance: The Alliance began in the United States in 1988, known then as the Meritage Association, when producers sought a way to discern their New World wine blends. The name is a blend of words: “merit” to indicate quality and “heritage,” referring to the historic art of blending. With the label, premium quality blends of white and red noble varieties denoted higher prestige and the finest wines of the vintage, particularly the red blends from Napa Valley.
The Meritage Alliance is dominated by New World members mainly from California but includes international makers from Argentina, Mexico, Australia, and Canada. For red wines to be classified as a Meritage, the grape blend must contain only cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, petit verdot, carmenère, or the relatively obscure varieties of Saint-Macaire and Gros Verdot. Red Meritage wines can also include no more than 90% of any one variety. Enjoy red Meritage wines with dishes that pair well with Bordeaux wines, including braised lamb, pork belly, beef cheeks, or slow-cooked, sous vide ribeye.
19. Gamay
Best served slightly chilled, highlighting the natural fruit notes.
If you have ever tried a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau wine, you have enjoyed gamay grapes. The quickly produced, grape juice-like wine is released on the third Thursday of November and raced from the Beaujolais region to Paris to celebrate the first wines of the season on Beaujolais Nouveau Day. But, gamay wines are so much more than the youthful nouveau selections.
Like pinot noir in weight and body, gamay has light tannin and high acidity, shares Vinepair. Gamay wines are also usually best served slightly chilled, highlighting the natural red fruit notes. Styles range from light and fresh to well-rounded and age-worthy. One thing is sure, all gamays are approachable, easy to drink, and delicious.
The most famous gamay wines come from Beaujolais, a 34-mile-long area in central France south of Burgundy that encompasses 12 regional designations. Vinepair says wines labeled as Beaujolais are most common, but the 10 cru Beaujolais, like Morgon, Fleurie, and Brouilly, are the most high-quality wines. If you are a fan of light-bodied wines, Wine Folly says wines from Fleurie showcase floral aromas with a delicate softness. If you prefer something heartier, the site adds the Morgon wines are similar in taste to pinot noir from Burgundy thanks to notes of dark cherry, mushroom, and truffle, especially when allowed to age.
Due to gamay’s overall low alcohol, juicy fruit, and fresh acidity, the wine is incredibly food-friendly: Pair with salmon tacos, crispy roast duck, and roasted turkey and cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving.
20. Mencia
Spain’s answer to Pinot Noir
Mencía is Spain’s answer to Pinot Noir. The thick-skinned up-and-coming mencía grape produces aromatic, complex wines filled with notes of wildflowers melding with dried leaves or truffles. These intoxicating aromas lead to flavors of wild strawberry and pomegranate, then finishing with spicy, freshly cracked pepper. Cellar Tours says mencía, pronounced “men-thee-ah,” is a native variety to northwest Spain, specifically Bierzo in Castilla y Leon and neighboring Galicia. The delicate variety presents various challenges in the vineyard because mencía is sensitive to disease, can quickly lose acidity, and delivers high-alcohol levels, adds Cellar Tours. However, when mencía is crafted with care, the expressive wines are some of the most compelling, delicious selections from Spain today.
A region filled with mountains and valleys, Wine Tourism Mag says Bierzo benefits from its location nestled between Galicia’s rainy, humid, Atlantic-influenced climate, and Castilla y Leon’s sunshine-filled, continental climate. Wine Enthusiast adds that Bierzo enjoys a balanced growing season thanks to its higher, cooler elevation compared to the rest of the province, resulting in wines showcasing minerality that’s attributed to the region’s slate and schist deposits — a defining element of these expressive wines.
We love the wine with grilled pork belly or roasted mushroom burgers. Though the popularity of the wines has grown in recent years, mencía remains affordable, with options from Losada, Raul Perez, and Avancia often costing less than $20 — making it a good option for a red wine spritzer.
21. Cinsault
Cinsault should hold a permanent position in your wine rack if you are a fan of refreshing, balanced wines with ripe red-fruit flavors. Cinsault, also known as cinsaut or hermitage in South Africa, is a heat-loving red grape from southern France. It is a vigorous vine, producing a lot of fruit each year thanks to its resistance to drought and love of hot, dry growing conditions. But, just because the vine delivers like the “Giving Tree” doesn’t mean the fruit quality is lacking: Cinsault produces clean, crunchy, bright rosé wine and luscious, dry red wines.
Cards of Wine notes cinsault is often used as a blending partner with Rhone varieties in the wines from France’s Rhone Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon. It is also a key part of South Africa’s regional favorite, pinotage, which is blended with pinot noir, the site adds. But, cinsault can easily shine as a single variety wine thanks to its wild red berry and stone fruit flavors. Henry Jeffreys shares in Club Oenologique that today young winemakers are producing high-quality, single-variety South African cinsault wines from old bush vines. The light-bodied wines are low alcohol, refreshing, and affordable, he adds.
Cinsault Rhone blends are perfect pairing partners for hearty, fatty dishes like Irish stew. Cinsault rosé wines are excellent with seafood and shellfish, grilled vegetables, and summer salads. Pop a bottle of single-varietal cinsault wine in the fridge for 15 minutes before opening and sip solo on a lazy summer afternoon.
22. Chambourcin
Mony Knight. Okahu Wines, Northland. One of the few NZ wineries selling Chambourcin.
Chambourcin is a species of grapevines belonging to the Vitis genus in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. It is a French-American interspecific hybrid grape variety used for making wine. Its parentage is uncertain. The hybrid was produced by Joannes Seyve who often used Seibel hybrids produced in the 1860s. The grape has only been available since 1963; it has a good resistance to fungal disease, and is one of the parents of the new disease resistant variety, Regent, which is increasing in popularity among German grape growers.
The grape produces a deep-colored and aromatic wine. It can be made into a dry style or one with a moderate residual sugar level. Chambourcin is a teinturier a grape whose juice is pink or red rather than clear like most red vitis vinifera cultivars.
The red juice fermented over the red skins can produce a very strongly flavoured wine. Most red wines are served at cellar temperature (55-58 degrees F.) to bring out the flavour but some Chambourcin wines have such a strong flavour that it is recommended that they be served chilled.
Chambourcin has been planted widely in the mid-Atlantic region of North America, particularly in such states as New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. It is also grown in Harrow and Ruthven, Ontario, and in Kelowna, B.C., Canada; several counties in Virginia; Frederick, Washington, Harford, Prince George’s County, Maryland, Calvert County, Maryland, and St. Mary’s County, Maryland; Kent County, Delaware; Monroe County, Indiana; Daviess County, Kentucky; in the Ohio River Valley AVA Ohio; Greenbrier, Calhoun, Roane, and Mineral counties in West Virginia; Allegan County, Michigan; the Shawnee Hills AVA of southern Illinois; the Yadkin Valley and Haw River Valley of North Carolina; Western Tennessee in the Mississippi Delta AVA[3][circular reference]; Missouri; south-central Kansas; Norman Oklahoma; New Zealand’s Northland Region;[4] the Hunter Valley Region of New South Wales and other warm, humid regions in Australia; also in France and Portugal.
Humans have made wine for about 7,000 years, and experts agree that until relatively recently, it may not have tasted perfect. For millennia wine has been the ultimate expression of agriculture. Still, once grapes are transported from the vineyard to the winery, it is up to the winemaker to apply their hand to create the best beverage possible. While cold fermentation is a relatively new technique introduced in the 1950s, many other practices are as old as winemaking. Many terms are casually tossed around by those in the know, so here is a quick explanation of some of the more common winemaking terms you may come across and how wine is fermented will affect the final product.
Cold Fermentation
Of course, wine is made by fermentation: Yeast converts grape sugar to alcohol, and the result is this glorious liquid we love. One of the byproducts of fermentation is heat, which, left unchecked, could cause temperatures to rise to the point that yeast dies and fermentation stops. Fermentation at higher temperatures can also create a wine with lighter aromatics, unpleasant flavours, and a lack of elegance or finesse. A colder, slower fermentation preserves aromatics, fruit flavours and colour. External cooling jackets or pipes filled with cold running water maintain temperatures within the tank, allowing the winemaker to control the fermentation speed.
Barrel Fermentation
Some wines, like the Malbec in Argentina, are fermented in concrete eggs. David Silverman/Getty Images
Wine may be fermented in various containers, including stainless steel tanks, concrete vats or “eggs,” fibreglass tanks, terra cotta amphorae, or wooden barrels or vats. While stainless steel, concrete and fibreglass are considered neutral and do not impart flavour or texture to the contents within, fermenting in a barrel adds flavour to the wood and a buttery or creamy texture. This method leads to a richer mouthfeel and may bring flavours of vanilla, baking spice, coconut or coffee. It can be used for white wines like Chardonnay or Verdejo and red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo or Tempranillo.
Yolanda García Viadero, proprietor and winemaker at Bodegas Valduero in Ribera del Duero, Spain, began using this technique 12 years ago with external rollers that rotate horizontal barrels during fermentation. She told Robb Report, “For fermentation, wood is interesting. The structure is improved, and all the grape characteristics are reinforced and amplified. But at the same time, the texture and flavour are softer.”
Malolactic Fermentation
Sometimes shortened to “malo” by winemakers, malolactic fermentation converts tart malic acid to more creamy or buttery lactic acid. This is easy to remember because “lactic” pertains to milk; a class of bacteria known as lactobacillus are responsible for the conversion. Technically it is not truly fermentation because yeast isn’t involved. It lowers acidity and raises pH, resulting in rounder, smoother or fuller wines. It can occur spontaneously during primary fermentation or after the first fermentation. Many red wines and some white wines, such as Chardonnay, Viognier or Soave, undergo malolactic conversion, which adds stability to wines but may decrease the sense of freshness.
At Bodegas José Pariente in Rueda, Spain, winemaker Martina Prieto Pariente uses malo in her Finca Las Comas wine, a single-vineyard, small batch Verdejo. She explained to Robb Report, “This vineyard tends to maintain a high acidity and therefore also a somewhat higher than normal malic acid content. The partial malolactic conversion in this wine allows us to soften the acidity and provide greater aromatic complexity due to the light notes of butter and cream, respecting the primary aromas as it is partial and not complete. This translates into a wine with more volume, silky texture and depth.”
On the Lees
Champagne has to spend at least a year on the lees, but this bottle spent nearly four decades.
Although the process sounds highly unattractive, ageing on the lees heightens many of the pleasant characteristics of wine’s aroma, flavour and texture. Admittedly, this step isn’t fermentation itself but using the byproduct of fermentation to influence the final product. Called sur lie in French and Sobre lias in Spanish, this is the practice of allowing the wine to remain in contact with dead or spent yeast cells. As fermentation occurs, sediment falls to the bottom of the tank or barrel. The first to sink is gross lees, consisting of dead yeast, grape skins and yeast cells—fine lees, which have a sleeker texture and settle to the bottom throughout the fermentation. Lees can be filtered out, but winemakers may also leave them in to provide more complexity to the finished wine.
This method is always used for Champagne; non-vintage Champagne must spend at least 12 months on the lees, while vintage Champagne must remain in contact with the lees for a minimum of three years. This can add aromas and flavours of almonds, hazelnuts, baking bread, brioche and toast—many other wines, whether white, red or rosé, are also aged in this way.
“The process of ageing Chardonnay on the lees adds complexity, both in the secondary aromas and flavours that it adds to the wines and what it delivers in texture,” Graham Weerts, winemaker for South Africa’s Capensis told Robb Report, “Chardonnay can be subtle in its primary fruit characters, but it’s one of the few white varieties that gains complexity through its evolution over time. The intent for Capensis has always been to produce wines that rival the best white wines in the world in terms of quality and longevity, and lees ageing is a fundamental part of the approach.”
28 Club members chose to attend this diverse and interesting pink evening, but those that did were pleasantly surprised by most of the wines tasted, educated and now appreciative of Rosés.
From when to drink Rosé, regional styles, and the variety of grapes now used for the various wines, from the opening bubbly, everyone connected with and enjoyed the tastings. Opening with a Toi Toi Sparkling Rosé, which comprised of a mixture of Riesling and Merlot, through to the last McArthur Ridge Lilico Pinot Rosé, the diverseness of the 21st-century Rosés was indeed on display. Rosé is a style of wine, not a grape variety.
The wines were selected from wine sites and supermarkets, which were below the $20 mark, so they can be purchased and enjoyed by everyone the next time they’re shopping or browsing the computer. The wines we sampled during the evening were:
Toi Toi Sparkling Rosé NV – Riesling and Merlot blend from Marlborough
2021 Giesen Estate Riesling Blush – from Marlborough and Waipara
2022 ME by Matahiwi Estate – Pinot Noir from Masterton this was thought to be the best value for money in wines
2021 Haha Hawkes Bay Rosé – Merlot and Malbec from Hastings and Bridge Pa this is a Bordeaux blend with added Cab Sauv and Cab Franc
2020 Left Field Moon Shell Moth Rosé – Arneis, Pinotage and Merlot from Hastings
2020 Middle Earth Pinot Meunier – a faux pas for the evening, turned out to be red! A Pinot Meunier – this was enjoyed by everyone nonetheless and will go on to be purchased
2019 Spade Oak Voysey Blonde Rosé – Tempranillo, Albarino, Syrah, Viognier and St Laurent from Gisborne – this was indeed Blonde! And was a special blend as this vineyard has been on-sold since this mixture was bottled
2019 McArthur Ridge Lilico Pinot Rosé – Pinot Noir – from Central Otago
In 2018 we contacted Gordon Russell to see if he could present a tasting some time, and he said yes, he would be delighted, but it would need to be 2021!
Roll onto 2021 when sadly, the Covid levels meant that our Esk Valley tasting had to be postponed to that year. So, imagine your committee’s disbelief when Gordon contacted us in the week of our tasting to say sadly that his wife had COVID-19 and that he was having to isolate himself. He said he was disappointed but then offered to fast courier the tasting notes and wine to us so the meeting could continue. Thankfully, Richard Taylor then stepped up to the plate and, using the tasting notes, entertained us with an interactive evening that went down well and was much appreciated.
The club’s appreciation of the wines presented was subsequently reflected in the 141 bottles ordered by members.
The wines for the evening were:
Hawkes Bay 2022 Rose’ – was our mix and mingle wine and a beautiful shade of almost metallic pink, gentle on the nose, smooth in the mouth
Hawkes Bay 2021 Pinot Gris had a slightly pinkish colour with greengage on the tongue – it was a lovely extra tasty Pinot Gris which comes from free-draining terraces with the grapes themselves approaching 20 years old! Interestingly it has some oak barrel fermentation too
Artisanal Hawkes Bay 2021 Chenin Blanc – this is a new brand that has only been on the market for 12-18 months; it was a pale shade and, at the moment, has baked apple/citrus/peach on the tongue
Great Dirt Seabed Chardonnay 2020 – this is their premium label and was buttery on the nose and white peach on the tongue. The terrain where these grapes grow was tidal river territory before the 1930s Napier earthquake.
Artisanal Gimblett Gravels Grenache 2021 – nice dark red colour; this is a low-yield crop and is 100% Grenache, fermented in open-topped concrete carrels
Artisanal Gimblet Gravels Tempranillo 2021 – almost purple in colour, dry on the nose, dark berries with a hint of vanilla on the nose – has been in American and French oak and comes from a single block in Te Awa planted in 2018
Artisanal Gimblett Gravels Malbec, Cav Sauv, Merlot 2000 – again almost purple in colour, blackberry/currents on the tongue. This would go well with Venison. Again this is a low-yield crop, fermented with wild yeast in concrete open-topped barrels and kept until 2032!
Of the above, the most ordered was the Chenin Blanc. This reflected both the quality of this wine and likely the fact of how starved we are of this variety in New Zealand. Thanks again, Richard, for arranging this tasting and then stepping in to deliver it for Gordon. I am told that Gordon has already offered to do this again in 2024. You would be most welcome, Gordon.
The April evening with Sarah and Russell was well supported with 36 Club members turning up to sample the choice of wines and the presentation. This was a new format being tried by your committee and Sarah and Russell made it a fun and memorable evening, with their intimate knowledge of the wine industry.
Sarah and Russell personally selected their take on some of the Gold Medal winners differing from the norm in terms of variety and some new labels – all were seen for their quality as surprisingly affordable and most freely available. Particularly the Daniel Le Brun No.1 Assemble, the very unique Clearview Semillion, a ‘Barossa Shiraz from the Ink series’, a challenging Albarino, and an offshore Tempranillo and Viognier.
Our Del Mundo tasting in April was a premium European tasting with Lucas. The wines we indulged in were:
Terra Serena Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut – Italian
Tonon Prosecco Conegliano Vablobbiadene Extra Dry DOCG – Italian
2017 Great Five Pinotage Reserve – South African – first released in 1945
2010 Camilo de Lellis Biferno Montepulciano/Aglianico Trebbiaio DOCG – Italian
2016 Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG – Italian
2012 Estola Gran reserve Tempranillo Cabernet – Spanish
2008 Faustino First Tempranillo – Spanish
Del Mundo Wines – April 2021
Lucas’s presentation was lively and informative, and many attendees were surprised to learn that in Italy and Spain there are strict rules around what can be labelled reserve. Requirements vary on a regional basis, though essentially, they have to have an extended period in both the barrel and the bottle before being released.
Typically, wines at the higher end of the spectrum are aged for many years. While Chianti has to be aged for a minimum of two years, Amarone, which we tasted on the night, can only be released after four years. A grand reserve has even more stringent requirements. For a Spanish wine to be labelled as a Gran Reserva, the law requires that it be aged for a minimum of five years, with two of those years in an oak cask or barrel.
Other tidbits we picked up during the evening:
Del Mondo means ‘of the world’
Prosecco means ‘path through the woods’
In 2009, Italy Prosecco was recognised as a geographical indication (GI) by Italian law (in the same vein as Champagne in France) and the Prosecco grape variety was renamed Glera
Tempranillo was first planted in the year 800, given Royal assent in 1100
Tempranillo is also the world’s third-largest crop
The Great Five Pinotage Reserve was first released in 1945
The opportunity to try labels we were unfamiliar with made for an interesting time and the Faustino, which normally retails for $105, was a special treat.
Note from Editor
A big thanks to all Club members for mucking in and helping set up the tables & chairs, etc for our last tasting. The JCC has explained that the Fijian group present when we arrived had got their dates mixed up for their bookings and they (JCC) have given us a rent-free evening for our troubles.
Hawkes Ridge owner & winemaker Douglas Haynes with a small range of his wines.
Douglas Haynes with the assistance of Anne Boustead presented a well-received tasting last month and a great turnout. This was an exciting evening, with some very different expressions of wine varieties on hand to taste. Interestingly this vineyard also has its own brand of olive oil. Hawkes Ridge Wine Estate is a family-owned, boutique winery located in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The wines we tasted were:
Cest Beau Rose: The introductory wine. This was a non-vintage Viognier base with both Tempranillo and Semillon that was late harvested in the Moscato style
Deux Blanco 218: A Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 50/50 blend that was entirely barrel fermented where the grapes were picked early
Viognier 2020 was also completely barrel-fermented. Viognier is Douglas passion and this Viognier did not disappoint.
Rosado 2020 is a 100% Tempranillo rose being entirely stainless steel fermented and aged. This wine was one of the highlight wines of the evening.
Pinot Noir 2014 was a surprise wine from Hawkes Bay with an interesting back story. The wine was aged in French oak for 10 months and just bottled before Christmas 2020
Syrah 2014 had classic Syrah characteristics of dark berry fruits with coffee, chocolate and subtle spice
Grand Reserve Tempranillo 2015: This is Hawkes Ridge Winery’s premium wine. It was another highlight of the evening. The wine was only bottled in 2018 and should cellar well
Late Harvest Viognier 2016 is one of three late harvest/noble wines that Hawkes Ridge Winery produce. This wine was bottled in 2018 and although very rich, it was true to Viognier’s varietal characteristics.
Thank you to everyone who supported Hawk Ridge by ordering wines, as well as their olive oil which was on the order form, albeit not tasted. This meeting was great to start our tasting year.
50,000 litres of wine spilt from a tank at a Spanish winery. Video / RadioAlbacete
A viral video has shown the moment a massive tank of red wine exploded, flooding a Spanish winery with 50,000 litres of booze.
Footage showed the wine spraying out of a tall metal vat at the Bodegas Vitivinos winery in Villamalea in Albacete in central Spain, flooding the nearby area.
As torrents of vino pour from the tank, the surrounding pebbled area was soaked in what could have been a delicious Spanish drop. The wine flowed out around tractors and cars, and into a nearby field. According to local reports, the spill was caused by a break in one of the tanks.
The spill was reportedly caused by a break in one of the tanks. Photo / Supplied
Bodegas Vitivinos was founded in 1969 and produces up to six million kilos of grapes a year. The winery uses grape varieties including bobal and tempranillo to create a an “intense dark cherry colour”, according to their website.
A video of the spill went viral on Twitter and has been viewed more than 8.2 million times.
Numerous commenters compared the video to the haunting scene in Stanley Kubrick’s thriller The Shining, where blood flows from the elevator doors.
Others simply thought it was a tragic scene.
“I see it and it hurts,” one person commented on the post.
“What else do you want from us 2020,” another asked. “And how does anyone go with a bucket, glass, whatever.”
Greg Forward from Yealands was to be the presenter for this meeting but he had not recovered from jet-lag. Despite this Mitch Howard with able support from Melissa Carr carried the day with a range of 7 wines presented.
The wines included the:
Violet Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Gris 2011
Yealands Estate Gruner Veltliner 2011
Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Pinot Noir 2010
Merlot 2011
Yealands Estate Tempranillo 2010.
An interesting collection which resulted in a mixture of responses.
The Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc was a pleasant surprise but there was a feeling that some of the wines lacked a little grunt and would benefit from a little more bottle time. Also Mitch’s association has been with Crossroads (recently taken over by Yealands) and he may not have been as familiar with some of the varieties. We wondered if they might have incorporated one or two wines from the Crossroads brand just for comparison.
For the evening Greg will be accompanied by Mitch Howard – Business Development Manager based in HB, and Melissa Carr – Business Development Manager based in Wgtn. We are hoping for a great turnout. Greg is only back in NZ for a day after six weeks in Europe so we very much appreciate his effort in presenting to the Club. We hope that members will respond by placing orders with Yealands, who we understand will be offering good discounted prices.
The wines to be presented include:
Peter Yealands Violet Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc (quaffer)
Peter Yealands Pinot Gris 2011
Yealands Estate Gruner Veltliner 2011
Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Peter Yealands Pinot Noir 2010
Peter Yealands Merlot 2011
Yealands Estate Tempranillo 2010
For those interested the Peter Yealands story has now become available in print.
With a career spanning 50 years, and across multiple industries, Peter Yealands could be described as one of New Zealand’s most successful entrepreneurs. The story of his life and business endeavours has been captured in a new book. A bloke for all seasons: The Peter Yealands Story is written by first-time Marlborough author Tom Percy.
What a night, a great turn out of members and guests. The wines were varied and not all hit the mark with members’ but there was general agreement that the higher quality wines were excellent.
The evening demonstrated the Brown Brothers philosophy of producing a comprehensive range of wine styles and blends, with many being somewhat experimental and innovative.
The wines tasted were:
Zibibbo Rosa – a low-alcohol sparkling pink wine
Prosecco
Pinot Griggio
Tempranillo
Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon
Dolcetto & Syrah
Moscato
wrapped up with a Tawny Port and cheese.
Clearly the flagship “Patricia” Cabernet Sauvignon was the highlight of the evening, enhanced by early exposure to the air through being decanted at the start of the evening. An enjoyable tasting, a near record turnout, and a great evening for those attending.
