My visceral dislike of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is hardly a tightly guarded secret; and yes, I did once describe it as “one-dimensional cat-piss briefly soaked in lemon zest” but that was in reference to the Oyster Bay offering that is the biggest selling Sauvignon Blanc in the country. It’s a style that is as popular…
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For reasons that I struggle to understand, the Marlborough wine region has become synonymous with sauvignon blanc. The region dominates in sales of the varietal not just in New Zealand but in Australasia for that matter. Since about 2009, the Kiwis’ sauvignon blanc has been the biggest selling wine in Australia; at one point accounting…
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Are ‘organic’ wines really worth the hype? Probably not. I’d rather take it on a case-by-case basis. Biodynamics, Organics and “least intervention” agriculture are buzzwords that are seemingly taking the world by storm. Not only do manufacturers and retailers espouse the virtues of these uber-hip products but now, organic labels even have their own aisle…
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When a light weight red is the order of the day, it’s hard to go past a youthful Pinot Noir. But as any winemaker will tell you, being a low yielding grape and troublesome in the vineyard, it’s a style which is notoriously expensive when you are looking for a wine of reasonable quality. And…
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It wasn’t all that long ago that organically and biodynamically produced wines were often regarded as somehow inferior to their chemically supported cousins, but such is the quality of modern farming practices that the inference that “biodynamics” means “B-Grade”, seems lost forever. An emerging example of the quality of organic viticultural practices is the Rock…
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The term ‘Marlborough Sauv Blanc’ has become synonymous with tropical fruit nose, gooseberry and nectarine flavours on the palate and a crisp, clean finish. But while the basics are always the same, there is little doubt that like most things in life, you only get what you pay for! A classic example is the Brancott…
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