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WaiparaLess than an hour's drive north of Christchurch, rows of vines suddenly crowd in on State Highway 1 as its cuts through the heart of the Waipara Valley. The extensive plantings feed the growing demand for vines reflecting the area's singular climate and soils*.
*I found an interesting explanation, at the Christchurch Museum, about how the soil in the region was formed:
Ingredients: Limestone, Earthquake, Rainwater, Seeds.
Bring flat limestone under sea to the surface with a well-placed earthquake. Sprinkle frequently with water and apply mile heat for 8-12 hours every 24h. Sprinkle the surface with seeds and yeast. Allow to bake and ferment for 5000 to 10000 years and shake with earthquake every thousand years or so. This is a rare, nutritious and delicious dessert.
To the east Waipara Valley is separated from the ocean (Pegasus Bay) by a range of hills which protect it from the cooling winds of the Pacific. To the west lie the Southern Alps (Main Divide), from whence the region's hot north-west winds derive, resulting in a very prolonged ripening period. This promotes intense flavor development and optimal ripeness, while retaining good natural acidity.
One can find a wide range of varietals from Gewurztraminer to Malbec, but the variety which is stands out there is Riesling.
The winemakers are doing their work to make the most of this versatile variety. They believe the Waipara Valley to be a very special place for this varietal. The warm days and cold nights provide ripe, rich fruit while retaining knife edge acidity.
I visited and stayed in Waipara from the 7th of July for a week, just before my departure from New Zealand. It was the last but the richest experience.
Before heading to the valley, I made contacts with the local wineries and thankfully got three invitations for visit and the opportunity to see the business from behind the tasting bar.
When I got in the village it was early morning of a raining Friday. I came by train from Christchurch and left at its train station – probably the smallest one I have ever arrived, perhaps for being Waipara the tiniest village I have ever been to, as well.
I accommodated myself at the backpacker - a very unique one, where the rooms where actually renovated old trains wagon - and headed to my first experience: Mud House.
MUD HOUSE WINE COMPANY
Nestled in the heart of this promising valley is the impressive Mud House Winery & Cafe complex. It has a massive building to accommodate the cafe and restaurant, however one have a very cozy feeling when there, perhaps for the big fireplace in the restaurant.
It offers a selection of award winning wines, creative cuisine & a warm friendly atmosphere - which I confirmed along the day.
On my arriving I was welcomed in the place by the Cellar Manager, Tina George that had kindly accepted my request of having a working experience as a volunteer in their cellar door.
After a briefly chat, she introduced me to the one who would be my supervisor, teacher and guide through that day: Damien.
I had a wonderful day there; Damien is a very generous person which shared his knowledge as much as the busy cellar door allowed him to.
When I had got the idea of how to greet and serve the costumers I started helping him.
In fact, it was the first time that I put my little expertise about wine. My knowledge was used every time I served someone and had to explain of what I was purring to them. My relief was that the questions I wasn't able to answer where mainly about on topic: the winery itself, but then Damien was always around to save me.
It was a big test to me and I was extremely happy with the result and with the comments from my 'supervisor', saying that I was a 'natural', on what I agreed, because to talk about something I am passionate about, comes naturally.
I finished my 'shift' and went back to my 'wagon' to rest from a 'working day'. Well, one must be happy for that when it doesn't happen so often.
TORLESSE WINES
Next morning, sun shinning, cold chilling, I went to Torlesse Wines, located not far from my accommodation.
The winery's origins date back to the 1980s and it's now jointly owned by five families, including that of managing director and winemaker Kym Rayer. An Australian, Kym trained at Adelaide’s Roseworthy College decided in 1991 that his future lay in Waipara.
I met his wife, who was working at the cellar door that day, tried some of the wines (produced on two different ranges: Torlesse and Omihi Road for their best ones) and had a little talk about the winery and also myself. She gently offered to arrange with Kym to meet and maybe to have a drive around Waipara. That made me happy, because as a traveler on a low budged I could not afford renting a car to do so.
The 'tour' happened in following day. Kym took part of the Sunday to show me the Valley and vineyards, which was very informative and a great opportunity to see differences of landscape and soil.
We ended up our 'tour' in Torlesse Winery itself, where I found a train wagon, but at this time a cool place, once used to transport meat and now it has barrels resting in its low temperature, a very interesting and unique idea.
PEGASUS BAY WINERY
Between the 'tour' with Kym and the visit to his winery, there was a visit to Pegasus Bay Winery. That I tried to do by walking to the place, which seemed to be not far if looking on the map I had with me – never trust in distance showed in maps, they may not be accurated.
I ended up having a lift from... a police car. No, I am still a good girl and I haven't done anything wrong. What happened was that a policewoman seeing my face of frustration - for walking for so long – stopped the car to check if I was fine and I explained that all was fine, apart from the winery that seemed every second farthest. She offered a ride to there and for the first time in my life I was in a police's car – in the front seat of course and talking with the friendly kiwi cop.
She left me at the door of the winery and I asked me to drink the Riesling for her, as she was on duty and couldn't do it herself. No worries.
Pegasus Bay was founded in the mid-1980s by eminent Christchurch neurologist and wine judge Ivan Donaldson; it is still a very much family affair. It is the most distinguished of all Canterbury labels and also has a highly rated restaurant, which I haven't even dared to look at the menu, so I can not recommend. What I do recommend is visiting the toilet – serious! It has a funky style with remarkable, or not, statements about wine.
Well, before visiting the toilet I visited an even more interesting place: the cellar door. At this time the attraction was not on the wall, but on the glass.
Pegasus Bay was described by Cuisine Magazine as 'one of those wineries that seems incapable of making indifferent wine'.
That is easy to find out even before you opened the bottle, just looking at the labels, specially on the premium wines, whose have Christine's (wife's owner) passion for opera reflected on their names: Aria (Late picked Riesling); Maestro (Merlot/Malbec); Finale (Noble Chardonnay); Encore (Noble Riesling) and Prima Donna (the best name that one could think for: Pinot Noir).
My favorite sample was Aria ($33,50), a sweet but not cloying finish dessert wine, with some botrytis influence, which I wrote the following comment on my note book: Too good to spit.
Their wine range is very much influenced by the 'old world' style and have a careful and passionate family touch combined with high level of knowledge and dedication of all those involved. The good result has been showed in the domestic and international market.
After finished my mission of tasting all the wines available, included the one for the kind police lady, I made my long long way back to the village.
WAIPARA SPRINGS
After a 'day off', I went to spend some time with the lovely family of Waipara Springs. I felt on of them, as they treated as one of theirs.
Andrew Moore, the General Manager and son of the founder: Bruce Moore, invited me to help them at the winery, as a volunteer. So for a couple of days I was close to the work carried out by Duncan and Frank, the winemakers.
Waipara Springs vineyard, planted on a prehistoric lake bed on the Waipara Valley floor, is one of the oldest in the region, with the first vines planted in 1982.
It is a boutique vineyard and winery, dedicated to quality.
The varieties grown include Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, with young Merlot and Gewurztraminer vines producing small quantities.
The days which followed were a valuable and unforgettable experience, not only for the cellar work involved and the knowledge shared with me, but also for the opportunity of being among those who are years ahead in knowledge and experience.
I had the chance to be in meetings of winemakers, when I made sure to be quiet and register as many information as I could.
The most important one was the one hold at the Waipara Springs premises, where almost all of the winemakers of the region were present.
They got together for the afternoon of the 12th of July, to present their 2007's Riesling - variety that the region is try to consolidate a reputation for.
The room was completely full and the participants accommodate themselves to blind taste samples of every winery and comment on them.
The idea was to know the standard of production and help each other to reach the highest level of quality possible, sharing knowledge and giving suggestions.
A wise example of conduct for many businesses, included some in the wine field.
Waipara was my last contact with New Zealand wine regions and it couldn't had being better. I am very grateful for having the opportunity of been there and specially thankful for those who had me among them.
Thank you New Zealand!
Cheers,
Marcia Amaral
Central OtagoCentral Otago is New Zealand's highest and the world's most southerly wine region. Wines with altitude is the slogan of one winemaker. It is also New Zealand's only true continental climate with greater extremes of daily and seasonal temperatures than are found in any of the country's maritime regions.
Summers are hot and dry, with autumns cool and generally dry with cold nights. Rain falls evenly throughout the year and averages from 325-700mm per annum, generally increasing to the west. The relatively low rainfall results in a low incidence of botrytis and other fungal disease reducing the need for spraying. The large diurnal temperature variation, contributes to flavor intensity, gives depth of color and stability to the wines.
Vines are susceptible to frost in the growing season and as a result most vineyards are on warm north-facing slopes which promote cold air drainage. On flat sites wind machines, water sprinkles and misting systems or other frost protection measures are adopted.
Central Otago's vineyards are located on a variety of soils ranging from windblown sands to heavy silt loams and weathered schist. Most of the soils are derived from moess or alluvial deposits, often with underlying gravels allowing free drainage. To the west some of the soils are developed on glacial outwash or moraine and there are even small pockets of man-made soils resulting from hydraulic sluicing during the gold mining days of 140 years ago. Each of these soil types has a distinct influence on the growth and flavors in the grapes.
A new, but aggressively expanding wine area, Central Otago is now New Zealand's seventh largest wine region. Pinot Noir is the dominant grape variety (85% in 2007), a status that seems certain to be maintained if demand and accolades are any measure. Chardonnay ranks second with Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling a distant third and fourth. The wines of Central Otago have a purity, intensity and vibrancy that seems totally appropriate to anyone who has visited the region and breathed the pure mountain air.
Source: http://www.nzwine.com/regions and www.centralotagowinemap.com
Central Otago is a region of heart-stopping beauty. Tourists flock in for summer adventure and winter skiing, for the amazing scenery and, now, for the wine and food.
Queenstown is the most popular choice and where I stayed longest in the region: 5 days, after a day in the stunning village by the lake with the same name: Wanaka – where vineyards run down to the shore of the lake against a backdrop of snow-clad mountains and glaciers.
The only visit I made while in the region was in Wanaka, if that can be called a visit.
As the only winery in the village: Rippon Vineyard and Winery was closed for the season, I just walked among the vines while on a track by the lake.
It has its rows of vines marching down to the water's edge and its spectacular view of the Southern Alps.
I also tried on of its wines, bought in a local supermarket (Riesling 2006, $30), which I drunk very slowly to savor at full its beauty.
The vineyard is run on strict organic and biodynamic principles, fermentation is by wild yeasts and the wine is not filtered or fined.
The wine label resumes of the way the business is run and its environment: "Schist gravels, terminal moraine, clean air, crystal water, windflowers, noble vines, hot days, cool nights. The family run property is cared of as a diverse and dynamic whole, fostering wines that speak to us in earnest of their dreamscape surrounds."
Their Pinot Noir is also very well known for its beauty. However, $30 was all that my budged allowed me to try and also because the Pinot wasn't even sold at the supermarket.
No regrets, their Riesling was the best I had came across while in the country.
My other experience in the region was in Queenstown - a gorgeous town, surrounded by ski fields and snow capped mountains. It was buzzing with the winter festival that warms up the place with events to suit everyone.
In my second day in the town I visited a store called Wine Tastes – Central Otago Wine Experience, located in the heart of Queenstown.
There you can taste over 80 different wines in one convenient location to 'try before you buy'.
It showcases the largest range of Central Otago's wines alongside a selection of the very best New Zealand wines.
It uses the state-of-the-art Italian designed Enomatic Wine Serving System that allows you to select any of the wines available.
All that you have to do is to pay before you try and you will have a card with credits to be spent on what you choose to taste.
It was a good way to try different producers in one only place and also cheaper that a visit to the wineries. I spent $30, had a salami's platter, and tried 6 wines: Aurum, Riesling 2006, $24/bottle; Chard Farm, Pinot Gris 2006, $34/bottle; Felton Road, Chardonnay 2006, $34/bottle; Mondillo, Pinot Noir 2006, $47/bottle; Quartz Reef, Pinot Noir 2004, $44/bottle; Aurara, Syrah 2005, $31/bottle.
Those samples showed why the region is building a reputation for Pinot Noir; which was very good indeed and perfectly matched the salami; and also Riesling that delivered rose petals and lime aromas and, was the perfect pair for a Thai or Chinese meal - not that I had all of that food, but I let my mind to imagine it.
At the place I read something that resume my idea about wine: "Wine is an experience of a time... of a place... of the people we share it with... It should be savored."
Nothing else must be said.
Cheers, Marcia Amaral
Marlborough WineriesMy very first visit was in a winery that is the limit of two wine regions: Marlborough and Waipara; located in an idyllic seashore village.
KAIKOURA One day after I had one of the most wonderful experiences in my life: swimming with Dusky dolphins at the sea, I made my way walking to Kaikoura Winery, which sits on a limestone bluff above the rocky coast just south of the picturesque town from which takes its name. Visitors can admire outstanding views of the sea and snow-capped mountains as they sample their wines which use grapes form local and Wairau Valley vineyards. Established in 1998 by a small group of shareholders, that was hands on business from the very beginning – as the pictures of the winery building site and the planting of the vineyards provide evidence. The winery has a very interesting structure with an underground cellar, hollowed out of limestone. The sad part of the visit was to learn that they had lost the entire yield this year to the weather, which affected the vulnerable and unprepared sites in the country. Wine is a very risky business.
BOULDEVINES The second visit in Marlborough was two weeks before I went there to stay. It happened while traveling with “Magic Bus” (the travelers Hop-On Hop-Off service I have been using through out the country). We stopped on our way to Nelson at The Village, which has a cellar door for boutique wines. The wines they had at the showcase were from the Bouldevines Estate Vineyard that is located in heritage Dog Point Road, stretched across 31ha of the boulders-strewn flats of the lower Omaka River Flats, has fertile, free-draining soils, with the legendary warm days and cool nights of Marlborough. The wine production is small, not standing for international markets. However the eyes - and mouth – of critics are opened even to the tiny parcel of production and two of the wines we have tried on our visit were listed on the “100 Top New Releases” at the Gourmet Traveler, Wine (May 2007): Bouldevines Sauvignon Blanc 2006 $21.50 “89/100 A grassy style Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with an influence of tropical fruit and redcurrant the give an intriguing flavor contrast; A moderately concentrated wine with typical pungency and ethereal texture.” Bouldvevines Chardonnay 2006 $28 “91/100 Gentle, charming, soft-textured Chardonnay that gains with silken texture and extra mouth feel from a relatively high (14.5%) alcohol. The wine has subtle white peach, citrus, hazelnut, and spicy oak complexity”.
SERESIN The next place I visited was Seresin Vineyards and Winery and the reason to do so was an interview with the general manager that generated a work experience with the winery. I was invited to join the team of waitress in one of the exclusive and prestigious dinners of the winery, which took place at Marlborough Sounds and was an excellent opportunity to get a little closer to the food & wine affair. It was a very pleasant event, where everyone seemed to be having a good time (no wonder, delicious 5-course-dinner, made with their extra virgin oil just released, paired with the best of the organically grown and made Seresin wines. I also had a good time and enjoyed myself and even had the opportunity to meet Michael Seresin, the owner how is also a cinematographer and was the responsible for the photography on such film as Midnight Express (who is more than 30 years old must remember) and is one of my favourite films. So, I had to control my excitement and focus on my duties.
The first visit while residing in the region could not be in any other apart from the winery I worked for. After an early finish of labor day shift at the vineyard located just off the Huia’s Cellar Door I invited my workmates Mette and Kat to try some of their wines and have a proper “happy hour”.
HUIA The winery is named after a unique New Zealand bird, which, unluckily, had the fail feathers highly prized by Maori and Europeans, fact that carried them to extinction. Winemakers Claire and Mike Allan worked to others highly regarded Marlborough producers before devoting all their energy to their small winery, from 1996. Huia is focused on had crafting fine unique wines expressing the richness of Marlborough grapes from the vineyard through to the table. Grapes are sourced from their 30-hectare vineyard at Rapaura and the Wairau Valley and also a few other selected growers on specific sites around the Wairau Valley. The viticulture techniques applied across all vineyards aim to maximize grape quality in every vintage and to work at the Huia and its growers vineyard was a good way to find out how a work well done in the fields helps to produce a good wine. The owners also had worked in the Champagne region of France and, had learned the lesson. Among the wines my work mates and me tried in an informal nice chat at the Cellar Door, the Huia Brut stood out of the others – which were not bad at all. Huia Brut is a classically made traditional method vintage sparkling wine that delivers a wonderful bubbly experience full of complexity, bread and hazelnut aromas, making you pray for more. It is an intimate winery with a welcoming cellar door and knowledgeable staff.
I waited very long to my next wine trail, and did it just one week before of leaving Marlborough. However, It was in great style (I mean, my understanding for style): with the good company of some of my best mates there and I picnic that was savored on our way from one winery to another, in the car. We choose to visit wineries that could interest all of us in a very democratic way, and the first one was Wither Hills.
WITHER HILLS John Marris planted the first contract grown grapes in Marlborough in 1978. His son Brent was inspired to follow a winemaking career and became the first qualified winemaker from the region. This formed the foundation for Wither Hills. The winery is named after the landmark range of hills that border the Wairau Valley to South. The business is now owned by brewing giant Lion Nathan, but Brent is still on control of the winemaking. Unusually for a big producer, the winery specializes in just three varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, of course. Wither Hills believes that the finest wineries are always created from exceptional vineyards, declaring its philosophy as “Created in the Vineyard”, which consist on 354 hectares of sunny, free-draining, silty alluvial loam where the grapes are grown. From those, Pinot Noir is 100% Estate grown and the other two 100% Estate controlled. It is set in a stunning new building with a tasting room and has a balcony with views over the Wairau Valley, where we enjoyed our tastes while chatting.
The next propriety was in a short distance driving and it was where we spend longest.
VILLA MARIA The lady who helped us was very kind and explained as much as we demanded about the wines, production, and so on, while pouring as much samples as we wished. My mates were in heaven. I occasionally stepped beside the group to savor the wines and in think about that in own peace. From that moment I still have in mind the most outstanding wine of the day: Taylors Pass, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, 2005. The wine is from a single vineyard and is sold for the top price in the cellar, $56. A well deserved price if you want your memories last, as the sensual taste of the wine did. The winery is investing in the idea of identifying its wines by terroir. In order to do that, the best production has the single vineyard's name mentioned on the label. This idea is described by the Managing Director, George Fostonich: “These are terroir wines, reflecting the unique vineyard sites from which they come. I encourage a non-interventional winemaking approach, allowing the wine to tale its own path and express its own distinct personality.” Villa Maria Estate knows why it is in the market for. It offers a wide range of styles and prices, with a professional approach to the business and a "family touch”. Well done. We bought a bottle of Villa Maria's Riesling as a gift to our driver, who had to take it easy while on the trail, not drinking and driving. The choice of wine was made firstly because that was the wine Marika (name of our lovely and responsible driver) liked the most and secondly, because that would be a natural choice of a German, as she in fact is. For our next winery I suggest a must-to-do-visit, mainly for historical reasons and my mates accepted it. Good for me.
CLOUDY BAY On our short drive, we had picnic on the car and a merry humour. What difference to makes to be with good mates. It was already dark and we were almost running out of time to do the last visits of the day. Cloudy Bay Vineyards has a new impressive building and a fire place, which dominates the attention, gives a warm welcome. My attention was divided between what we found indoors an also outside, where you can see some of the oldest vines in Marlborough. The winery is one of the precursors in the region and responsible for the image and respectability of Marlborough's wines. The winery was founded in 1985 by David Hohnen of Western Australia's Cape Mentelle Vineyards, whose interest had been captured by the pungent, penetrating aromas and flavours of the early Marlborough Sauvingnon Blanc. Cloudy Bay and Cape Mentelle are now part of the huge French luxury goods group Louis Vuitton Möet Henessey, but the winery is still run -as it is has been from the day one- by the English-born, Australian raised Kevin Judd. Still nowadays in the wine market, Marlborough Sauvingnon Blanc is related to Cloudy Bay. However, Cloudy Bay's Sauvingnon Blanc is not just about fruity and lively stile. The Te Koko 2004 ($40), a version «growing up» of the Sauvy (as Sauvingnon Blanc is called by the locals) is released as an aged wine (3 years in the cellar). Te Koko is a full-bodied version, carefully made and, it was the best surprise in the prestigious named place.
Last but not least, was Saint Clair a rising star in Marlborough sky.
SAINT CLAIR The winery won the trophy for the Best New Zealand Producer, at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2005, in London. It deserves the prize, for the results of the work; wine of course; and the process in the winery and vineyard. From what I saw and tasted during the visit, added to what I learned from one of its workers, they seem to be passionate, honest and to keen on sharing their knowledge and commitment with all levels of staff, including giving them the opportunity to taste different wines in order to know what they are helping to make. Saint Clair Estate produces a wide range of varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc (surprise, surprise!), Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir and Merlot, available in four ranges of wines at varying price levels ($16-$28). A Viogner is also a recent addition to the range. Each of these wines is made with fruit from specific vineyard sites in the region, specially selected for their ability to produce wines of uncompromising quality and character. It has five vineyards in different areas in Marlborough, including the Rapaura, Omaka and Awatere valleys, as well as a new site for Sauvingnon Blanc in Benmorven. These wide choices in Marlborough vineyard sites allow Saint Clair to specialise its plantings by grape variety to the sub-regions that provide the most suitable terroir for each. It shows that to identify terroir is becoming a fact in Marlborough winemaking. The question is: Will the market pay for this distinction to «New Word wines»? Let’s wait and allow the market to talk by itself. In my case, I already spoke: I left the place with a bottle of Saint Clair, Pinot Noir 2005, Pionner Block 4 Sawcut ($23), which was very much appreciated with a meal in the following day - that is new world style: wine is made to be consumed shortly.
Our troupe ended the wine trail for the day, mainly because there was none winery opened at that stage. But I was not done yet: I could not leave Marlborough without visiting the winery from which I discovered the liquid treasures of New Zealand – when I was still living in UK and had in the glasses of Montana Sauvignon Blanc the memories of tropical flavors, reminding my homeland. So, in the next weekend, in a cold rainy Saturday, I walked 5 km to reach the biggest winery in the country: Montana.
MONTANA, Brancott Winery The business is located in the main highway south of Blenheim and includes a multi-million-dollar restaurant and visitor centre that has became an almost compulsory stop for tourists – included myself. Montana, now part of the French-owned Pernod Ricard group, revolutionized the New Zealand wine industry in 1973 when planted its first vines in Marlborough, a region overlooked by winemakers, which was sheep and cattle farming territory. Today Montana is by far the biggest wine producer in Marlborough and it is a good example of the way New Zealand approaches the business: praising its own territory and finding its own innovative solutions to deal with problems. It has high technology developed by their professionals to solve their needs.
This is the manner that a beautiful island, isolated in the South Pacific (as the Kiwis use to refer their country) found to generate a revolution in the wine business: looking around, to their own environment, resources and... towards ahead.
Bye for now! |
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