Tag: New Zealand

Travis Schultz Wine Review Isabel Chardonnay

Isabel Estate Chardonnay

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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Wild Earth Pinot Noir 2017

Wild Earth Pinot

As the days lengthen and Spring takes grip, red wine drinkers often find themselves shelving the heavy cabernet and shiraz that added warmth over winter in favour of lighter styles like gamay, chianti and pinot noir. At my place, any red with a degree of translucence takes priority as the mercury climbs and the humidity…
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Cable Bay Vineyards

Can’t resist Island Wine

Easy to get to, this Kiwi destination is littereed with vines and blessed with a landscape punctuated by cafe It matters not whether you’re a grey nomad, a Kiwi returning home or a seasoned wine tourist, no visit to Auckland is complete without a brief detour to the Hauraki Gulf’s most populous island, Waiheke. Recently…
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The Natural Wine Co

Organic – the Holy Grail?

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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Shiraz, Kiwi Style

According to Saint Ambrose, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, when in New Zealand, how could I defy native ideology and look elsewhere than the wares of the vignerons of both the South and North Islands? While visiting their country, would it be churlish to refuse the local offerings in favour of…
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Shiraz, Kiwi Style

According to Saint Ambrose, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, when in New Zealand, how could I defy native ideology and look elsewhere than the wares of the vignerons of both the South and North Islands? While visiting their country, would it be churlish to refuse the local offerings in favour of…
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2017 Chard Farm Pinot Gris Review

The Trip to Chard Farm

The Central Otago district in New Zealand’s south island is quickly developing a reputation as a world-class producer of Pinot Noir and aromatic whites, despite being the world’s most southern wine producing region. Once seen as a foolhardy foray in to cool climate viticulture, the area has been ranked by some well regarded wine writers…
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Travis Schultz and Adam Peren

Homecoming for one of Two Sisters

“I like to try everything” Niamh (“Neve”) Peren tells me. And these are not the words of an experimental millennial, but rather the open-minded views of the globe-trotting daughter of Adam and Kristin Peren, the folks behind the “Two Sisters” brand from Central Otago. Niamh has recently returned home to the family property at Gibbston…
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Stoneleigh Wild Valley 2015

Stoneleigh Wild Valley 2015 Sauvignon Blanc

It’s sweet, flabby and possibly cordialesque, yet the kiwi sauvalanche continues. The shelves of almost every bottle shop in the Country seemingly overflow with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc yet despite its lolly water tag, it still outsells any other style many times over. And it’s not that I am some kind of purest or a jealously…
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Two Sisters, Pinot Noir 2011 - Review

Two Sisters, Pinot Noir 2011

I’d normally expect to pick a Pinot Noir wine simply from its (lighter) rufescent colour in the glass, but even by Central Otago standards, the Two Sisters Pinot Noir 2011 is more than just a little beguiling. From a distance, there’s a definite dark ruby depth in the glass and only the slightest garnet tinges…
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