34 members and one guest attended the evening; tastings and sales were good.
Our presenter for the evening was Brent Linn from Wairiki, and as well as giving a brilliant talk about the terroir of the region and how the wines were different, Brent gave a personalised view of the owner of Petane and his families’ losses from Cyclone Gabrielle where they lost everything. Phil Barber lost his house, vineyard, restaurant, and a neighbour’s brewery; his brother also lost his property. The good news is that they didn’t lose family; all were safely rescued.
Phil Barber continues to make wine, but now the grapes are from neighbours, and the latest batch he is working with is from Gisborne. His wines are worth seeking out.
The different labels certainly made for an interesting evening, and a reminder of the wines we tasted during the evening are:
- Grace White Pinot 2023
- Petane Viognier
- Wairiki The Matriarch Chardonnay 2023
- Wairiki La Briar Rose’ 2021
- Wairiki The Optimist Pinot Noir 2020
- Wairiki The Redeemer Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
- Petane Merlot Cabernet Franc