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Mr Wine seduced by a Southern beauty

9/28/2015

Bob Campbell was wearing his New Zealand's Mr Wine hat (and that panama which is welded to his balding pate) when he announced the other day that he has lost his virginity.
What he meant was, that after having tasted an estimated 100,000 wines from around the world he has just awarded 100 points, the maximum, for the first time. And the honour fell to a New Zealand wine -- Neudorf 2014 Moutere Chardonnay (pictured left).
He believes it is the best that Neudorf have ever made. It costs $64 a bottle.

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Knowing your place Chinese style

9/26/2015

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A picture, they say is worth a thousand words, so please excuse the the great white void that accompanies this sign matching attractions with visitors at a new Chinese winery. Photo courtesy Malcolm Reeves.

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A Kiwi grenache that's worth celebrating

9/24/2015

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International Grenache/Ganarcha Day seems to have passed last Friday almost without a whimper in this part of the world. Though I did see one Spanish-themed restaurant/bar in Wellington at least making an effort to remind New Zealanders that grenache is held by some to be just as important in the world of red wine as cabernet sauvignon.
Contrary to popular belief it is one of the world's most widely-planted reds, the biggest in the southern Rhone, in France, especially in Chateauneuf-du-Pape where it provides a base for the region's multi-varietal wines.
In Spain is is more often produced as a varietal or blended with another Spaniard, while in Australia it is most likely to be mixed with shiraz and mouvedre to produce a glorious GSM.
In New Zealand, where it is a rarity, one of the few and best known plantings of grenache is on the Gimblett Gravels, in Hawke's Bay, where Villa Maria has a hectare growing. This is used to make a varietal in the Cellar Selection range (pictured right).
The 2014 is a particularly good example, probably the best yet, of what can be achieved with this variety in New Zealand, given the right conditions. A beautifully perfumed wine that's chokka with trademark cherries, berries and a sprinkle of spice. Certainly no shrinking violet (there's a sniff of them as well) it weighs in at 14.5 percent. At just $24.99 a bottle it's a must-try. And a great buy.

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Showpiece Delegat winery highlights HB expansion

9/11/2015

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Delegat's new winery (above) which is quickly taking shape near Hastings, will begin processing the company's expanding Hawke's Bay harvest next year.
Part of a $75-$80 million investment in the area by the Delegat Group, it will intially handle 10,000-13,000 tonnes of fruit but this will rise dramatically, producing an extra 550,000 cases of wine, when vineyards yet to be planted on a farm recently bought by the the company for $29.3 million come into production.
The new vineyards at Crownthorpe, west of Hastings/Napier, where the company already grows chardonnay and merlot, is due to begin in 2017.
Delegat managing director Graeme Lord says the new vineyards will be planted entirely in chardonnay, for the production of sparkling wines, and pinot gris. "Crownthorpe is exceptional for both varieties, as well as for producing world class merlot. Hence our investment."
He says the additional production is aimed at satisfying the global demand for Oyster Bay and Delegat wines and for wines from Hawke's Bay where the company also has a vineyard on the Gimblett Gravels..
And he makes no secret that the imposing winery, which has a see-though glass wall facing the Hastings-Napier freeway, is intended to showcase the Hawke's Bay wine industry.

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China -- where seeing is believing

9/8/2015

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Not a mirage, but a winery rising from the Inner Mongolian desert in China.

In the eight or nine years that Malcolm Reeves has been a visiting professor at the China Agricultural University in Beijing he has become used to seeing what his eyes sometimes can scarcely believe.
Including, on his latest visit, the transformation of Inner Mongolian desert into vineyards that will eventually cover between 2500 to 3000 hectares.
Reeves, a New Zealand wine educator, researcher and consultant says some of the vines imported from France are already planted in the fairly heavy quartz sand and are, with the help of a bit of organic compost, perfectly healthy and not too vigorous.
The varieties include chardonnay, cabernet and something resembling carmenere, with others to be trialled if the owners follow Reeves' advice, which includes the suggestion that they aim to simply make the best wine they can rather than imitating regional styles.
The project, which includes a showpiece visitor centre and winery is near the city of Wuhai 900 kilometres from Beijing, where the climate is more extreme than Central Otago's. The project is the work of two brothers who made their fortunes in coal.

Shaping the bone dry desert

Healthy vines thrive in sand

Reeves also visited other winery developments nearer Beijing, in Ningxia province. They includ another 3000 hectares bare land, or in this case gravels development in what is known as China's Bordeaux. Both projects involve Cofco, a huge state-owned food conglomerate that also produces Great Wall wines.
The biggest of the developments includes two faux chateau (one includes the winery) a made-to-order village, golf course and wedding chapel giving it the glamorous appeal that the Chinese associate with wine.
Both currently sell all the wines they make though some, says Reeves, is decidedly ordinary and does not have a long term future. But some is very good (it can sell for $40-$100 a bottle) and better viticulture will make an even greater difference.
The big challenge, however, is still to make good, affordable wine.

Chateau Yunmo

Photos by Malcolm Reeves

Faux French village

A sea of tanks

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A dear friend passes

9/5/2015

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It is with a great deal of sadness that I record the passing of a scholar and a gentleman, an erudite man who introduced me to the pleasures of the grape and became a lifelong friend and sounding board.
His name was Douglas Warren Galloway (Doug for short), a farmer's son who wanted to be a veterinarian but at the tender age of 25 found himself running the family farm near Dannevirke
Well, that was his day job.
The others were in his spare time when crammed his inquiring mind with as much knowledge as it was possible to learn about just about anything -- especially music, literature, philosophy -- as well as beer, at first, then wine.
In the case of his favourite libations (he also had a taste for square gin) the knowledge he accumulated was put to the test when one of his farmer friends made some home brew.
"Ït was bloody awful,"said Doug and he proved the point by making some of his own, which, like the wines he also made, he showed with some success at amatuer beer and wine shows in the Manawatu..
He also wrote a very readable wine column for various local publications and was widely respected for his views and reviews, particularly by winemakers in the Hawke's Bay.
He will be missed.

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About

Warren Barton is a veteran newspaper journalist who spent more than 25 of his 50-plus years in the business, writing for a number of publications about wine and the wine industry. Well known for his no-nonsense, easy-reading style, the ability to connect with wine-lovers no matter what their level of experience and his support and belief in New Zealand wines and their makers. Has also written about food, travel, theatre; worked as an editor, columnist, feature writer and is an award-winning golf writer.

Mr Wine seduced by a Southern beauty

Knowing your place Chinese style

A Kiwi grenache that's worth celebrating

Showpiece Delegat winery highlights HB expansion

China -- where seeing is believing﻿

﻿﻿A dear friend passes

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China -- where seeing is believing

A dear friend passes