Exotic grapes
Albariño (al-bar-een-yo) is Spain’s most prestigious white grape variety. It also does pretty well in Portugal where they call it alvarinho. Just because it performs with distinction in Spain and Portugal doesn’t mean that albariño will cut the mustard in this part of the world. A lot of distinguished Italian grape varieties, for example, only perform on the home ground. I tasted six wines, sent to me by The Gisborne Albariño Group, which impressed me enough to believe the variety really does have a future here. They were fresh and tangy with bright citrus and stone fruit flavours. I enjoyed them all. It probably helped that they were all from 2014, an excellent Gisborne vintage. I’d like to see a little more concentration, but that could arrive with extra vine age. My top pick was the creamy-textured Villa Maria 2014 Cellar Selection Albariño. A good buy at $24.99.
Designer glasses
When drinking glasses were first invented, one shape suited every beverage. Later, wine glasses with stems appeared and we had glasses for red, white and sparkling wines. Then came glasses tailored to suit specific grape varieties. Now we can buy glasses designed to get the best out of varietal wines made in a particular region. The latest example is the Riedel Central Otago Pinot Noir glass. I tasted the same Central Otago pinot noir in several top pinot noir glasses and the new regional glass came first by a convincing margin. It seems to work.
Don’t panic, it’s organic
It’s encouraging to learn that 94 per cent of this country’s vineyard area is now certified as sustainable. That’s a strong trend in the right direction towards a truly clean, green wine industry. Being certified as a sustainable wine producer is like boarding the bus toward organic wine making. Not all sustainable producers will make it all the way to become organic but they are all moving in the right direction. Nationwide, 6.8 per cent of vineyards are certified organic. The aim is to reach a figure of 20 per cent by 2020. At the current rate of growth that seems achievable. My current favourite organic wine is Millton 2014 Te Arai Chenin Blanc, Gisborne, $30. It’s a ripe, almost luscious wine with apricot, ripe apple and a hint of chalky mineral character. All that and organic too!
Cool labels
I like labels that give a clue about the wine inside. Rod McDonald Wines 2014 One Off Sangiovese Rosé does exactly that. It’s a joyful, almost whimsical wine with strawberry, cherry and floral flavours. The design is an adaptation from an ancient illustration and features on five wines in their ‘One Off’ range. The back label reads: “The idea behind One Off is that we can make, blend and bottle it with a healthy disregard for brand families, consumer-research and marketing fundamentals. And it’s fun. The only catch is that it’s a one off… When it’s gone, it’s gone.” I’ll drink to that.
Chardonnay shortage
For me it never went away, but many chardonnay drinkers deserted their long-time lover for the fresher, fruitier charms of pinot gris and sauvignon blanc. In my eyes, that’s like switching from steak to sausages. Suddenly, it’s fashionable to drink chardonnay. In fact, there’s a chardonnay shortage. After tasting 135 newly released chardonnays from every region, it’s easy to understand renewed consumer fashion for the wine. New Zealand chardonnay has reached a new quality high, thanks in part to an outstanding vintage in 2013 and 2014, particularly in the North Island. Be quick, the best wines won’t last long. The sleek, sophisticated Martinborough Vineyard 2013 Chardonnay is one of my favourite wines. The previous vintage was rated as the world’s best chardonnay outside France. Their 2013 version is even better.
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