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The Wines of Samuel’s Gorge with Winemaker Justin McNamee As the rain hit hard against the roof of the Regional Wines tasting room, the blue skies of McLaren Vale opened above us causing the opulent red gems of Grenache, Tempranillo and Shiraz from Samuel's Gorge winery to glisten. Starting with the Grenache, pretty soon it became apparent that winemaker Justin McNamee would not need to force the situation. The wines would do the talking, allowing Justin to focus on entertaining. These were wines that shouted loud with confidence and spoke of a coming together of place and person through time - a combination of Justin's thirty something years of winemaking and vines that are now happy in their place and delivering fruit that makes Justin’s job just that little bit easier. After all, this is the McLaren Vale where the vineyards roll into the sea and large expansive skies, long sun hours and refreshing winds result in less vintage variation than one might find in, say, France. All this means that Justin can take on the Europeans at their own game; Grenache so fruit forward it might start a fight on the streets of Marseille; immaculately tailored, tannin-driven Tempranillo that doesn’t need to be dressed in oak and a GSM blend that would raise an eyebrow or two at the Palais des Papes. Justin has cracked that extra layer of complexity that is so often found in wines from the old world - that je ne sais quoi, that pinch of rusticity, the feral element or hint of the farmyard - and this is down to his hands-off trust in the juice he gets from the vines. For example, the Grenache has a portion from carbonic maceration, and for this, the grapes are simply fermented in giant sacks that will expand with the generated carbon dioxide and not explode. This is by no means to detract from the quality and age-worthiness of the wines, a point exemplified by the mini Shiraz vertical we were lucky enough to taste. This took us from 2017 through to the 2010 vintage which Justin bemoaned as a vintage almost too perfect and unchallenging, but the wine had aged gracefully under cork and had many years still left in it. When you see images of the winery and its surrounding countryside it's easy to understand these wines. They are wines of place and  person that speak proudly of who they are and are given every chance to do so with the deft touch of a man who has mastered his game and learnt to let go and have some fun. You can purchase the wines from our winter staff picks section here.

Marlborough winemakers are welcoming the development of a quality mark to protect the authenticity, integrity and sustainability of their region's wine.  It's called Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) and has had its first AGM this month after launching in June last year. There are now 45 members, including many of the region’s best known wine companies. Ivan Sutherland, owner of Dog Point Vineyards says the aim AMW is to protecting the reputation that Marlborough winemakers have worked hard to build. "It provides the wine buying public of the world with an assurance they can see and trust," he says. "Wine writers and distributors had welcomed the initiative warmly. Their biggest question has been why it took so long to happen." Cloudy Bay Estate Director Yang Shen says the AMW mark is a necessary evolution for a maturing wine industry, with an increasing number of producers, wines, markets and motivations. “Our members know that it is vital to protect the integrity of our industry, recognising that Marlborough wine is globally unique, extraordinary and 100% worth protecting.” AMW members must ensure their wine is made from grapes grown entirely in Marlborough and cropped at or under stipulated levels, set according to the season, the grape variety and the land. Where yields exceed the level set, a wine can be certified following approval from an experienced tasting panel. AMW wines must also be made with grapes harvested from vineyards certified as sustainable, and must be bottled in New Zealand. This is to avoid the risk of adulteration. “Marlborough makes extraordinary wines that have put this region on the map. Appellation Marlborough Wine is an important step to make sure we stay there.” www.appellationmarlboroughwine.co.nz

Pinot Noir is so popular that wine drinkers are sometimes surprised to learnt it also makes some of the best bubblies in the world and is one of the key ingredients in champagne, but last week Wellingtonians had a timely reminder with a visit from Champagne Bollinger.  Bolly's commercial director, Guy de Rivoire, was in the country to introduce the company's newest vintage bubbly, the 2008 Bollinger La Grande Année, to importers, restaurateurs, retailers and wine fans. I attended the tasting and dinner (it's a tough job but someone's got to do it) and it was a great insight into the new 2008 La Grande Année Bollinger - the newest vintage bubbly from this champagne house. It is especially good to taste it now because, to the best of my knowledge, Regional Wines & Spirits is the only retailer in Wellington that has taken stock of this great vintage bubbly. The new 2008 Champagne Bollinger La Grande Année is a blend of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay from 18 different vineyards, mainly in Aÿ and Verzenay for Pinot Noir and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant for Chardonnay. It was 100% fermented in oak and aged for six years - double the legal minimum aging time for vintage champagne set down by the Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC). All vintage Bollinger is fermented in oak and aged for significantly longer than many of their well known counterparts. Champagne Bollinger is based in the village of Ay, which is known for its great Pinot Noir vineyards and all Bolly is made using a majority of Pinot Noir.  It's imported by Negociants NZ, which has brought Bolly into New Zealand and distributed it here since 1986. Bolly is dry This wine is drier than most champagne too with eight grams of dosage per litre, compared to many wines that would have about 12 grams. And dry champagne is great champagne, provided it has the weight, the body and the power to balance its crisp high acidity and dry flavours. This is where long lees aging plays a crucial role in adding weight because as lees break down and decompose into the wine following the second fermentation in bottle, the wine benefits no end from the release of mano proteins and other delicious tasty savoury flavours in the wine. Bolly's X factor All of this – the dryness, the longer aging time, the oak fermentation – adds up to better quality champagne that doesn’t rely on sweetness for flavour but rather on the inimitable combo of freshness from lees aging as the decomposing yeast cells break down, adding complex flavours.   Another factor that gives Bolly an edge, in my book, is that it relies more on Pinot Noir than Chardonnay. These two great grapes are the key ingredients in champagne, along with Pinot Meunier. Pinot Noir gives body and savouriness and that’s what makes Bolly great. I love many Chardonnay dominant champagnes, but there’s something about Pinot bubbles that adds another very welcome dimension. Bolly's history Bollinger was founded in 1829 and from the start produced drier champagnes than its counterparts. So it’s no surprise that, in 2005, Bollinger bought Champagne Ayala; another brand always known for dry bubbles. You can purchase Bollinger Grande Annee 2008 from Regional Wines here.

When was the last time you were in Taupo? Every year our sister store, The Merchant of Taupo, hosts an evening expo that attracts a large number of people who live in this perennially popular tourist town. The North Island’s most famous resort town is home to The Merchant of Taupo's annual wine, beer and spirit expo, which is held in the Great Lake Centre, in the heart of Taupo. Winemakers come from near and far, with a large contingent winging their way in from Hawke's Bay, so to speak.Most of them drive in but it is possible to fly into Taupo' airport and of course accommodation is in plentiful supply, provided you book first. The event has grown in size and is now capped at 400 people in the Great Lakes Centre. This is due to capacity. It is always a sell out and tickets are essential to gain entry. Once you're in, there is no cost. One ticket buys all tastings to food and beverages, which includes 32 drinks stands, approximately six devoted to craft beer, four to boutique spirits with about 20 wineries. In addition, there are also food stands serving tasty treats to those who attend. This year, the Tongariro Lodge will make a reappearance with a food stand and others have yet to be confirmed. The food focus is predominantly local suppliers. It begins with a VIP hour (for serious wine buyers at the store) from 5pm to 6pm followed by an open public event, but tickets are essential to gain entry. The Merchant of Taupo annual expo How to buy your ticket... In store at The Merchant of Taupo or hook online for when sales go live here: www.themerchant.co.nz Where and when Wednesday 21 August 2019,  5pm to 6pm VIP hour 6pm to 9pm open to public  Place Great Lake Centre, Taupo Contact The Merchant of Taupo, phone 07 378 4626 114 Spa Road, Taupo www.themerchant.co.nz www.sceniccellars.co.nz

It was a peat tasting with a twist… a twist of bordeaux, amrut, px and sherry in seven whiskies that were more like a lineup of martinis, where the white spirit had been switched for malt spirit and the vermouth for peat. Some of these whiskies had experienced a mere suggestion of peat, a fleeting couple of years aged next to a barrel with peated contents perhaps, whereas others were dirty martinis, heavy on the vermouth, two olives and a dose of brine. There was also a rather nice game at play called spot the coastal distilleries, made all the more irksome by an (almost) unpeated Islay, the stinky mainland Ballechin and an Adelphi fusion containing Indian and Scottish malt. Well, we don’t like to make things easy here at Regional Wines do we… First up were the Bunnahabhain and Ardmore - a deliberate pairing of two very modestly smoky whiskies both at 43%. The Bunna offered a coastal crispness that lined its sherried profile and a fleeting glimpse of peat that was more a memory that haunted every sip, whilst the Ardmore was more robust with deeper licorice, dark fruits and burnt earth like qualities. The Ballechin signified the entrance of some real peat, but it's deep red fruits and confected plum notes on the nose gave it an almost PX like quality that could have had it mistaken for the Ardnamurchan. This was a real tongue twister on the palate with clashing flavours of BBQ, bacon and fine red fruits that made it feel like a bacon double cheeseburger paired with a glass of Lafitte. Number four was our mystery whisky on the evening and its nose immediately placed it firmly in the islands - and surely this was Islay. It struggled after the cask strength oomph of its predecessor and upon its revelation as the Lagavulin 16yo, an all time classic, there was much debate about its quality. And yet, it was a whisky made with deliberate intent, offering a palate that seamlessly followed on from its nose, and was indicative of a distillery that knew what is was doing. Next was the Longrow 18yo, a classy dram with complexity to spare and which left its predecessor for dead. If the Lagavulin had offered body and presence in the mouth, this whisky somehow penetrated deeper into one's consciousness, stirring the grey cells and demanding attention. It was the perfect springboard from which to dive into our final pair - and which were undoubtedly the stars of the night. We've had the previous two releases of the Ardnamurchan at tastings, and it's always done well, but on this occasion it won. The AD 2018 is still too young to be called whisky, but apparently now has some whisky in it, and it certainly seemed less peaty and more balanced than the 2017. It was a cunningly deceptive dram too, that aligned with people's preconceptions. If you'd tried the Adelphi Kincardine (Adelphis first Indian fusion) you'd be forgiven for expecting something like the Ardnamurchan from the E&K. With whisky from three distilleries and two continents I'd been expecting something of a beast from the E&K, and yet it was delicate and fruity with just a hint of peat from its Ardmore component. The Ardnamurchan, on the other hand, was more the Frankenstein's whisky - an assemblage of PX, oloroso and previously peated casks, sewn together and so young that the seams were still obvious. And yet it was certainly alive - demonstrating a youthful vigour one might say. A tricky one for the blind guessers without doubt, thanks to a complex and eclectic mix of whiskies from which none were disappointing. All this from a lineup of peated whiskies… maybe we should be doing more? Here are the scores... Bunnahabhain Gordon & Macphail Discovery 11yo 43% - 7.53 (6th) Ardmore Gordon & Macphail Distillery Labels 1998 Vintage 43% - 7.28 (7th) Ballechin 'Straight From The Cask' 2005 12yo Bordeaux 56.2% - 7.71 (5th) Mystery whisky?? Lagavulin 16yo 43% - 7.9 (3rd) Longrow 18yo 46% - 7.78 (4th) Ardnamurchan Malt Spirit 2018 AD 55.3% - 8.98 (1st) Adelphi E & K Fusion 57.8% (Ardmore, Glenrothes and Amrut blend) 8.78 (2nd)

By Floris Heijdenrijk, of Scenic Cellars & The Merchant of Taupo, sister store of Regional Wines After a stunning flight over the Southern Alps I arrived in Queenstown one Wednesday morning in early May this year, along with 11 other privileged people from the wine trade for this year's Central Crush event. It was a great insight into Central Otago's dynamic winemaking scene. Floris, author of this story Mount Edward We made our way out of Queenstown and our first stop was at Mount Edward estate in the Gibbston Valley. Our host was  Duncan Forsyth, winemaker and one of the owners of Mt Edward. This was a great introduction to hands-on wine making. We enjoyed a beautiful lunch here matched with the Mt Edward 2011 Gruner Veltliner and 2018 Chenin Blanc. The 2011 Gruner was one of the best white wines we tasted during the visit. Duncan at Mount Edward shows a Pinot ferment Pinot power After lunch we had a small tasting of 2015 Pinot Noirs. My personal highlight was the Amisfield RKV Pinot, unfortunately unavailable for off-premise but a stunning wine. The Mt Edward and Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir were also excellent stand outs. We then visited the gold mining centre on the way to Cromwell where we hopped on a jet boat that took us all the way down the river to Cromwell. It was an adrenalin pumping and face freezing ride, followed by our arrival in old Cromwell and dinner with many local wine makers at Antonio’s. we ate great platter food and enjoyed an amazing selection of wines. These events are a great chance to socialise with wine makers and I was fortunate enough to sit between representatives of Rippon (Nick Mills), Three Miners (Paul Wright), Amisfield and Valli. After too much food and too much wine I clocked out around midnight. Vin-Pro in Cromwell I had a slight hangover in the morning but as a seasoned industry professional this was not going to stop me. We had breakfast in between the barrels at Vin-Pro in Cromwell. This is a large wine making facility that makes the wines for  Wooing Tree, Three Miners, Providore and many more. It was great to see how winery owners can remain hands-on with the making of the wines while enjoying the professional expertise of trained winemakers at Vin-Pro, who can produce wine to the specifications of the brand owner. We tried several Providore barrel and tank samples, hosted by Clementine, national sales manager for Providore. In my opinion, Providore is one of the most exciting new wine brands in New Zealand, founded, owned and produced by winemaker Pete Bartle, of Vin-Pro. The wines offer amazing value for money and are well packaged. The label features augmented reality and comes to life via the Providore app. Quartz Reef After the Vin-Pro tour and breakfast we were welcomed by industry legend Rudi Bauer, pictured here. Rudi was Austrian-born and trained in viticulture and winemaking. He was the first trained viticulturist and winemaker to work in Central Otago where he fell in love with a Kiwi (Sue-Ellen) and later founded Quartz Reef Wines. He took us on a tiki tour through the region from Cromwell to Bendigo (where his biodynamically farmed vineyards are), highlighting regional differences, plateaus left by  glaciers in the basins around lLake Dunstan. He dropped us off at the Prophet's Rock winery where we had an amazing tasting masterclass on wine making and sub regional differences. Prophet's Rock The Prophet's Rock wines were stunning and I regard the  Pinot Gris as the best in New Zealand. Another highlight was the 2015 Rippon Emma’s Block - the best Pinot Noir during the trip for me. The New Te Kano wines are also worth a look at and it was great to see the Three Miners wines from Alexandra back to their best. Back to Quartz Reef After a sandwich lunch and a couple of glasses of various rosés, we headed back to get our hands dirty at the biodynamic vineyard of Quartz Reef. Rudi gave us a first hand experience of biodynamic wine making, which included making a layered compost pile, including cow manure, grape pressings, hay and the pile was finished with “meatballs” - a Rudi special, including dried herbs and other weird and wonderful things. Crazy but interesting. It gave us all a deeper understanding of the thoughts behind biodynamic wine making. We were all in need of a shower and break after this so had an hour to kill in our hotel room before enjoying another great meal, this time at the Bannockburn Hotel. We began with Amisfield sparkling (a great drop) and followed by countless glasses of wine. Once again, we had too much food, too much wine and amazing company. We clocked out at 1am. Domain Road I felt surprisingly fresh the next morning when we were collected from the hotel at 8.15am by Graeme from Domain Road. We made our way to Bannockburn and had a lovely breakfast at Domain Road winery. The vineyards are behind Felton Road in possibly the best sub-sub-region in Otago. All Domain Road wines are well made wines and worth a spot on the shelf. Aurum Wines Here all 13 representing wineries were showcasing three of their wines. It was a great chance to try all the wines and  talk with the winemaker/representative of each winery. Here there were a lot of older Pinot Noirs, all still tasting beautiful. The savoury characters were more to the forefront and the wines show a wonderful burgundian character in an Otago jacket. Highlights There were too many to name but Quartz Reef Vintage Blanc de Blanc (amazing), Quartz Reef Pinot Noir, Amisfield Breakneck Pinot Noir and Prophets Rock Retrospect Pinot Noir (not cheap) were all amazing. Great value for money came from Three Miners and Providore wines. Aurum and Doctors Flat Pinot Noirs were incredibly consistent. And then there was the great Gruner Veltliner from Mount Edward - the best dry still white wine on the trip. A quick but delicious lunch followed at Wooing Tree and then it was time to head back to Taupo. The hospitality was second to none, which was amazing, given many winemakers were still completing this year's harvest. I'm looking forward to my next visit. Thank you for the great eye opener to the world's southernmost wine region. 

It was big, it was dry, it was bold. It was also less well known than many other champagne brands back in its hey day in the 1920s but its company made a huge dent in the market back then, producing over one million of the 20 to 30 million bottles made in the Champagne region in those days. It is Champagne Ayala.  This week we have been privileged to have hosted and been invited to several tastings of Champagne Ayala, both upstairs at a paid private tasting for customers (very much first-in, first served this time) and also for our staff. Yours truly was lucky enough to have been invited to lunch and taste these high quality bubbles with the company's visiting export director Laurence Alamanos. She explained the history, the mystery and the details of what makes Ayala tick. It remains one of the driest champagnes on the market across all five of the wines in the range.  Ayala has been eclipsed in terms of its percentage of production and it's also been sold twice in the last century. The first sale was in 1939 and it sold again in 2005, famously to Champagne Bollinger; its current owner. Production shrank to between 400,000 and 500,000 bottles when Bollinger took over and the winery was refurbished in 2007 to create more modern facilities. Its annual production has since clambered back to the 1 million bottle mark. Freshness is the focus. All winemaking is in stainless steel. No oak is used for any of the base wines. All up the company has 18 staff and everything is done in-house from the winemaking to the bottling and labelling. This is uncommon in the Champagne region. It is also a Chardonnay based and focussed producer, which shone through in the blanc de blanc; 100% Chardonnay and utterly delicious from its creamy nose to its crisp long, full bodied flavours.   The Champagne Ayala range... There are 5 Ayala champagnes produced today and we have three in store. They deliver a top quality value-price ratio - so come on down and pick up a beautiful bubbly for winter.  Top pink drop Champagne Ayala Rosé Majeur Fresh, pale pink and drier than most rosés, this wine contains 7 grams dosage per litre (about half the level of sweetness of most champagnes on the market today, although it does vary widely). This wine is made from 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier. It tastes of redcurrants and toasty developed flavours. Lovely fresh and complex with a long finish. Champagne Ayala Brut NV Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur 2012 Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2006 Champagne Ayala Cuvee Perle d’Ayala

If you're over 18 years old, drink wine, and currently live in New Zealand, wine sensory scientist at Lincoln University Wendy Parr would love you to participate in a study about wine. The survey is in collaboration with a French university and the intention is to share the results in magazines and other published forums. Its intention is to find out how wine drinkers feel and think about wine in New Zealand, France and United Kingdom.  The survey began about six months’ ago and will close as soon as sufficient people have responded. Each country needs at least 200 wine drinkers to give their feedback, but more people are preferable, says Wendy Parr, principle research officer at the Department of Wine, Food & Molecular Biosciences at Lincoln University in Canterbury.  "The more people who share their ideas, the better the data will represent wine drinkers of all levels, including connoisseurs and wine professionals."  Anonymous and confidential The results will involve anonymous data that will be kept confidential. Data will be analysed by standard statistical methods at the university and results will involve averages only rather than individual data. The summarised outcomes will be shared with wine industry professionals and in sensory science journals. "The aim of the study is to gather information regarding how people consider wine in relation to aspects of their life with a view to the data being useful for wine marketing professionals and wine producers, such as what to put on a back label of a bottle."     To take part in the study, click here https://goo.gl/forms/AWZg8wgnkMDNdpzl2

Winemaker Tony Bish has carved a niche for himself as one of New Zealand's top Chardonnay producers and now he has created what he says is the world's first Chardonnay to be made entirely in an ovum an egg shaped vessel made from French oak. The ovum was made by Taransaud in Cognac near Bordeaux and the new 2017 Zen Chardonnay costs $139.99.  “Having spent a year with the Ovum in my cellar it gives a very calming, positive vibe to the place. It is an incredible piece of craftmanship and extraordinarily beautiful. To name this wine ZEN, was an easy choice,” says Tony. Tony's philosophy was to match the hand-picked, whole bunch pressed Mendoza Chardonnay from the Skeetfield Vineyard with the particular properties of the ovum. The wine had no settling or additions and was fermented with indigenous, wild yeasts from the vineyard for two to three weeks. “Yeast played a critical part in the development of this wine,” says Tony. “We add nothing at all to the juice so the native yeasts were able to flourish with each yeast adding its own nuances to the complexity and differentiation.” Following the initial ferment a natural malo-lactic fermentation took place and the wine began its maturation process in the temperature-controlled barrel room. It was left in the ovum for 12 months, which allowed the yeast-derived complexity to fully develop.  The wine was then racked several times so that it could be bottled without fining or filtration, all steps that add purity and elegance due to minimum handling, which protects vineyard character and integrity. “I’m a huge fan of dry farmed vineyards and I rate Skeetfield as one of the best. Because it’s never irrigated, the roots go deep into the soil profile, drawing from the mineral, nutrient and water reserves well below the ground. It produces wines of incredible flavour intensity, and we see that in Zen. The palate is extraordinarily rich and layered with creamy texture, and citrus notes that follow right through to the finish,” says Tony.   The details... The new 2017 Zen Chardonnay is available for $139.99

A girlfriend who loves art once told me that the more she learnt about art, the more she realised she didn’t know. That’s exactly how I feel about winemaking right now. Not that I’m a winemaker. But as a wine writer, I’ve always felt it was important to learn some technical aspects to make the writing authentic. It’s easier said than done. This is the fourth year in a row that I have worked a couple of days of vintage at Pegasus Bay in North Canterbury. Or is it the fifth? Who’s counting. And the word ‘work’ isn’t strictly accurate. It’s more a case of tagging alongside a winemaker or two, plunging the cap on a couple of Pinot tanks, measuring a ferment starter and, occasionally, digging out tanks of sticky Pinot skins after the wine’s been moved to barrels. It’s amazing dabbling in vintage work. I’ve learnt so much about how much I don’t know. The incredibly diverse range of skills a winemaker needs to be successful is mind boggling. Knowledge of plant biology is essential to coax the best from the raw material – the grapes. Then there’s chemistry for the winemaking, technical understanding and proficiency when working with pumps, tanks and pipes in the winery. And last, but far from least, you need to love it. That’s the only way to blend wine that tastes great. So the week was interesting, delicious and humbling, yet again, thanks to the great communicators in the cohesive winemaking team at Pegasus Bay Winery in North Canterbury. Mat Donaldson heads up the team of talented winemakers, which includes Pete Lidgard, Mark Rose and Marie Christine Dufour, along with an eclectic bunch of international winemakers who come along for vintage each year. The 2015 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir is available in store and online at Regional Wines - click here to purchase. Speaking of vintage, last week began at Greystone Winery’s vineyards where writers and retailers were taken into the vineyards to watch the third commercial release of this winery’s interesting vineyard ferment Pinot Noir, which I wrote about here: https://www.regionalwines.co.nz/blogs/news/fermenting-in-the-vines The Pegasus Bay vintage experience was originally written for my own website at www.joellethomson.com

If fermenting a wine in the vineyard sounds like an edgy idea, how about trying it in the cool of autumn in the South Island?  The wines in question are the 2016 Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir and brand new 2017 Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir. They are made from 100% certified organic grapes, fermented 100% with wild yeasts and aged 100% in older oak (no new barriques here). They were also fermented entirely in the vineyard. It's an unusual place to ferment grapes, even if it does, ironically, seem to be the most logical place to do it. No transportation is needed, for one thing, and that means the grapes can be picked and placed immediately into their fermentation vessels. What could be more logical? The first time winemaker ever Dom Maxwell bottled a Pinot Noir that was fermented in the vineyard (rather than in the winery) was 2013 but that wine was firmly in the experimental category. Three years later, he made the first vineyard ferment Pinot Noir that was destined for commercial release. It's a distinctively different style of Pinot Noir from one of the great Pinot regions in this country - North Canterbury, which is home to Greystone Wines.  This week, store manager Matt King, and I - along with a bunch of other wine writers and retailers - visited the vineyard to watch the Pinot grapes fermenting and to taste the wines. It was a great insight into an interesting new way (or should that be, an old traditional way) of producing Pinot Noir? The wines are made without added yeasts. They are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sulphur dioxide added only at bottling.  They are not the only top notch Pinot Noirs made at Greystone Wines by any stretch, but these wines do push new and interesting boundaries - in a good way. Winemaker Dom Maxwell uses 20% whole bunches of Pinot Noir in the ferment tanks and visits them all once a day, every day, to test the ferments. They tend to be .5% lower in alcohol than their counterparts that are fermented in the winery, which may in part be due to the wild yeasts and in part to the long, slow ferments in the cooler outdoor temperatures. In general, the outdoor ferments range from 24 to 34 degrees Celcius while the indoor winery ferments range from 26 to 33 degrees.  We have the 2016 Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir at Regional. It's a silky, graceful Pinot Noir and is as understated as its front label, which features an evocative illustration of the vineyard. The artwork is by illustrator Hanna Berry, who wandered into the vineyard with her sketchpad and drew a  picture perfect rendition of it, in black and white. It's a fitting illustration for a Pinot Noir that is as interesting and tasty as the winemaking thought behind it. Winemaker Dom Maxwell says he's learnt a lot from the vineyard, which is the best teacher when it comes to making wine. Click here to purchase the 2016 Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir

Education is key in the second annual Organic Week Aotearoa, which starts on Monday 29 April and runs through to 5 May. The week long organic campaign will focus on educating New Zealanders to build awareness of what defines organic products from food, wine and non alcoholic beverages through to clothing, gardens and the wider picture of organics. “By definition ‘organic’ is avoiding or excluding the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics, growth modification and irradiation – but it’s so much more than that. We use organic agricultural methods to work with the land to create sustainable soil making it more fertile and biodiverse. Healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people.” says Marion Wood, spokesperson for Organic Week Aotearoa and Soil & Health Association Director. The organic market is the fastest growing multi-food sector in the world, says Wood. Demand is being driven by consumers who want sustainable, ethical and authentic products that are good for them and easy on the planet. “Globally people are becoming more conscious about the effects their actions can have on the planet and are starting to realise that organics is a solution to a more sustainable future. Organic Winegrowers NZ  * Organic WInegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ) is an organisation run by members who are passionate about organic and biodynamic wine. * The aim is to produce wine that are made from grapes grown with no synthetic chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides. * Organic wines are made using natural products rather than man made ones. * Biodynamic grape growers work closely with the rhythmic phases of the sun, moon and planets to maximise their influence on plant growth. * OWNZ is not a certified organic trademark but it works closely with members to encourage certification with BioGro, AsureQuality and Demeter New Zealand. * Find out more about OWNZ here:  Click this link: https://www.organicwinenz.com/about   Organic Week Aotearoa runs from 29 April to 5 May * The programme will kick off with an organic market in Britomart, Auckland on Monday 29 April with stalls sampling and selling organic products from * Ceres Organics * Kokako Coffee * Almighty juices * Community garden initiative OMG * Organic markets are expected around the country includie an Organic Extravaganza hosted by Martinborough organic clothing brand Thunderpants as well as workshops on organic gardening, natural skin care through to feasts such as the organic degustation hosted by Bostock Brothers and Villa Maria Winery in Hawkes Bay.   Find out more about Organic Week Aotearoa online Click on this link to find out:  https://www.organicweek.co.nz/  

Primitivo is southern Italy’s big red wine success story so it might come as a bit of a surprise to find this grape originally comes from Croatia where it’s called Tribidrag. Hardly the sexiest of names but this grape and the wines it makes are definitely seductive. Full bodied, fleshy and fruit driven, they tick all the big, cuddly, smooth red taste boxes you can imagine. It's also known as Zinfandel in California but because one of our upcoming wines of the week is from Italy and is labelled Primitivo, let's stick with that for this blog. The earliest mention of Primitivo is in Puglia in 1799 when Francesco Filippo Indellicati, a priest, botanist and agronomist, made a note that he had found an early ripening grape in his vineyard. He called it Primativo. The name came from the Latin word Primativus, which means 'first to ripen'.  The grape then spread to other areas in Puglia and the spelling morphed over time to become Primitivo, which appeared in writing in 1860.  While many North Americans have suggested that ZInfandel is a native North American grape variety, it has been genetically identified as a member of the European grape family known as Vitis vinifera. This family is not native to the American continent, which has many native vine varieties of its own, such as Vitis Labrusca, among others. It seems that George Gibbs introduced Zinfandel to North America via his vine nursery in the 1820s and, by 1829, the name Zinfandel had appeared on the catalogue of other vine nurseries in the States.  In 1967, a North American plant pathologist called Austin Goheen visited Bari in Puglia, Italy, discovering that wines made from Primitivo reminded him strongly of Zinfandel. He was then surprised to see how similar the vines looked to Zinfandel and he took cuttings to the University of California at Davis to plant it next to Zinfandel. The battle was on. Which one was the original? It has since been discovered that the original actually comes from another place altogether - Croatia. And that's another story in itself.   We have both Primitivo and Zinfandel in store at Regional Wines, so pop in any time to try these big fleshy reds. You'll soon see why two countries both wanted to own the origins of the delicious drops that this one grape can make.

Do you remember the first time you watched Casablanca or Citizen Kane? The sultry femme fatale, the sympathetic yet downtrodden hero... all those strong characters with their sophisticated dialogue. Well, this tasting was a bit like that… leaving one with a sense of having just experienced something rather special, a lineup of whiskies that all knew their part and delivered a performance of a lifetime. It was a tasting with a perfect story arch. The scene was set beautifully by a gentle yet amazing Strathmill before a sense of conflict was introduced by the surprisingly peaty Teaninich posing as the Bowmore. Then we were subjected to the villainous antics of the deviously spiritous Aultmore, and the intrigue of the mystery whisky -  a whodunnit subplot if you like, courtesy of a pair of sister casks among seven whiskies that all seemed so different. And lastly, the grande finale, the denouement courtesy of a Bowmore so clean and crisp it left us in no doubt. Our all star cast did come at a price, and with an average cost of over $400 a bottle, would they live up to expectation and would each one get a chance to shine with its moment in the limelight? With the playing field levelled thanks to their similarity of age, the answer was yes, and the diversity of flavour and aroma was remarkable. Somehow these whiskies were delicate, strong, subtle, heavy handed, peaty, fruity, savoury and sweet all at once. Opening and getting people to taste these remarkable rare whiskies is a real privilege, and yet so rare are some of these whiskies, that tasting them is somewhat like burning the last known reel of a cinematic masterpiece, consigning their majesty to history and the memories of the few that were lucky enough to attend. Of course, the beauty of whisky is that there's plenty of scripts in development, and hopefully we’ll be screening something spectacular again in the future... Here’s how the whiskies tasted… Strathmill Adelphi 1976 31yo #1126 44.8% (refill bourbon hogshead) - 8.42 5th A nose that is truly like walking through a forest of pine, oak and apple trees on a crisp winter's morning - fresh cut wood and sawdust from a gang of sweaty lumberjacks lies strewn around amongst the vanilla scented flowers. The apple theme continues on the palate with freshly baked apple pie and custard notes. Aniseed and licorice on the finish evolve into a slightly bitter oakiness. Teaninich Adelphi Limited 1983 32yo #6744 50.8% (bourbon hogshead) - 8.46 - 6th We’re still in that verdant forest, but peach and feijoa trees have appeared and there’s definitely been an accident amongst our lumberjacks, and bandage and iodine has been liberally applied to a fresh wound. In the mouth, wonderful things happen - fresh menthol and green apples combine with sweeter confected elements and peat, leaving a feeling of having licked a toffee apple recently rescued from the ashen remnants of a fire. Hmmm, there’s that bitter touch once again - is this just an age thing? Miltonduff  Adelphi 1983 33yo #7450 52.6% (refill sherry hogshead) - 8.70 4th Ahhhh finally some Sherry, but there are hidden dimensions of savoury tobacco, leather and meat to go with the expected xmas cakes, caramels and demerara. We’ve moved from spring to Autumn too with more depth and earth.The palate is complex with umami hints on top of sherried sweetness which become more apparent as water is added. Gorgeous. Aultmore Adelphi 1992/25yo #3239 51.6% - 8.23 7th What in the blazes is happening here? One of our lumberjacks (I’m guessing one that didn’t lop a finger off) has returned home to find his wife applying nail varnish, she's done all ten fingers and now she's onto her toes. She has a glass of southern comfort on the go and the sweet hints of stonefruit and methanol combine with her lavender perfume. On the palate it's all Jaffas and orange to begin with progressing to a finish that turns decidedly savoury with the appearance of nuts, cloves and fennel. Mystery - Glen Grant Adelphi 1988 29yo #9172 52.6% - 8.93 3rd Our lumberjack (let's call him Phil) slumps into an armchair (which has been sprayed with fabric protector) and his wife disappears into the kitchen and returns with lunch -  a platter of beetroot, boiled eggs, sauerkraut and a side of mango chutney accompanied by a gin and tonic which is bizarrely garnished with a maraschino cherry. Phil is a touch sceptical, but when they all combine in his mouth it tastes absolutely amazing - so much so that he decides to give it 10 out of 10 (he always scores his wife’s meals, she doesn't know it, it’s his own little secret). Glen Grant Adelphi 1988 29yo #9165 56.3% (1st fill sherry) - 1st 9.4 Phil’s wife (let’s call her Adel - yes, Adel and Phil that has a nice ring to it) has a twin sister called Glenda who is staying at theirs. The two were born only a matter of minutes apart but Phil has always been amazed at how different they look and how different their personalities are. Phil blushes as Glenda waltzes into the room, having always had a soft spot for her generous, warm heart and curvaceous body (Adel doesn’t know this, it’s another of his little secrets).   Bowmore Adelphi Limited 1990 26yo #2799 48.9% (refill bourbon) - 2nd 9.09 Phew, no aromas of lumberjacks here thankfully, just gentle old peat in all its lemon meringue pie splendour, and which move into more of your typical maple smoked bacon flavours on the palate. Balanced, restrained and quite simply, to die for... We'll there we go, they don't make tastings like that anymore!  

This month's flashest tasting at Regional Wines is a fizz fest' of great bubbles from Champagne Ayala, to be held on Monday 29 April in our upstairs tasting room from 6pm to 8pm.  Champagne Ayala is based in Aÿ, a village in the Champagne region. It was founded in 1860 by Edmond de Ayala, who had settled in Aÿ  to learn about winemaking. In its early days, Champagne Ayala expanded rapidly, in large part due to Edmond's London-based brother, Fernand de Ayala, who used his contacts in London to introduce Ayala to British aristocracy. The wine gained success in the British market quickly, not least because Ayala has always been noted, even in those days, for its relatively low dosage. This means that Ayala champagnes tend to err on the side of dryness, which gave them a positive point of difference and the perception of being leaders of style. But it hasn't all be smooth sailing. Riots in the Champagne region in 1911 saw the house destroyed.  The riots were due to fraud following the phylloxera epidemic, which wiped out four fifths of the region's vineyards, reducing the entire planted vineyard area from 60,000 hectares down to 12,000. This led to disagreement in Champagne about where the boundaries of the region should be. Rioters were held back by soldiers in many areas, but the village of Ay did not fare well and Champagne Ayala's house was destroyed.  So the current production facilities and offices are art deco in style following their rebuild in 1913 with design by a local architect called Demay. One thing that wasn't destroyed was the two kilometres of caves underneath the champagne house. This extensive network of temperature stable caves are  home to almost 2.5 million bottles, slowly maturing in the centuries-old cellars dug out of Aÿ’s chalky hillsides.  Today, Champagne Ayala has another new lease of life. It is owned by Champagne Bollinger, another high quality focussed champagne house.  Come along and find out what Ayala is all about at our tasting on Monday 29 April. Here's the lineup... Champagne Ayala, Brut Majeur NV Champagne Ayala, Brut Rose Majeur NV Champagne Ayala, Brut Nature NV Champagne Ayala, Blanc de Blanc 2012 Champagne Ayala, Cuvée Perle d'Ayala 2006 Book your spot here Bookings are essential for this great value tasting of Champagne Ayala.  

Join us in store on Thursday 18 April any time from 1pm to taste, drink and buy Malbec - in all its velvety glory. Malbec World Day is all about Argentina and its global dominance with the deeply coloured Malbec grape, which originates in Cahors in South West France. Argentina's love affair with Malbec began in 1853 on 17 April when the country's then-president, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, made it his mission to raise the bar of Argentina’s wine industry.  His strategy was to give Argentine wine a great global reputation so he asked French soil expert Michel Aimé Pouget to bring classic French vines to Argentina. Malbec was amongst them. It thrived in Argentina's unusual combination of growing factors. These include plentiful sunshine, cool nights, high altitude vineyards and a dry climate. These factors suit Malbec down to the ground. Or should we say up in the mountains because that's where the majority of the best quality Malbec grows, often at altitudes of 1000 metres above sea level, frequently even higher. The world's highest vineyard is officially in Argentina and is approximately 2500 metres above sea level. Malbec grows there but back to our story...  Not long after Pouget took Malbec to Argentina, France's vineyards succumbed to the phylloxera epidemic, which all but wiped out Malbec in its French homeland. It was replanted and later suffered badly from frost in 1956 in Bordeaux, where it is still grown but in pretty small quantities these days. Still, times have changed. Malbec is now on the rise in France again. Its total plantings have increased slightly since 2000 and are now up to 6,208 hectares (at the last official statistical count). Over half of this is in Cahors where Malbec must make up 70% of any wine labelled as Cahors. And by the way, it's not traditionally called Malbec in Cahors, where locals refer to this grape as Cot. The style of wines from Cahors tastes different too, as you might expect from  a different climate, different soils and different winemaking methods.  So, without further ado, come along and join us on Thursday 18 April in store any time from 1pm for a tasting tour in your wine glass of a couple of great Malbecs.  Pop in any time - bookings are not necessary for this in store tasting. Wine Thursday  Malbec World Day, Thursday 18 April from 1pm We are celebrating Malbec World Day in store because we love Malbec and stand behind the sentiment that it’s worth celebrating the great Malbec grape. * Join us in store on Thursday 18 April any time from 1pm onwards to taste, drink and buy Malbec - in all its velvety glory.  See you then.

What is organic wine and how can you be sure it is organic? Two words: certification verification. This week we have designed brand new green shelf tags to highlight the certified organic wines we sell here at Regional.  Like all drinks and foods that claim to be organic, a wine can only be called organic if it is certified. This means an independent body has visited the vineyard and winery to audit its methods of production. When it comes to producing organic wine, this means no man-made chemicals have been used on the vineyards or in the winery. These types of chemicals include such nasties as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fertilisers and fungicides, which can be a challenge in a country with a generally maritime climate. As you can imagine, wet weather leads to fungal disease and this country has plenty of both. Organic vineyards need to manage fungal disease issues with permitted sprays, such as copper and sulphur dioxide.  That's it in a nutshell.     BioGro New Zealand This country's leading organic certifier is BioGro New Zealand, whose logo features on this blog.  All organic wines that have been certified by BioGro New Zealand are permitted to use this badge of certification on their label to demonstrate they have complied with the regulations set out for them. The logo usually appears on back labels and its use is monitored carefully. A growing number of wine brands produce organically certified wines but these are on a case by case basis. Not all wines made by organic producers are certified. This is usually because some vineyards have organic certification while other vineyards - often owned by the same producer - are not there yet. There are other authorised certifiers of organics but this is the leading one in New Zealand.  So, organic wine is like organic eggs, vegetables and other produce. It is certified by an independent body. It is not a self appointed badge of pride, but one of integrity that has been independently awarded.  Pop in to Regional Wines to see and buy one of the growing number of organic wines in New Zealand today.   Organic Winegrowers NZ  Organic Winegrowers NZ is an organisation that promotes organic certification in New Zealand vineyards and wineries. Organic Winegrowers NZ is not a certifying organic body. It has a growing number of member wineries and producers. It also runs a bi annual conference. Members of Organic Winegrowers NZ   Fully organic wineries Aurum Bellbird Spring Bellhill Black Estate Brightside Carrick Churton Clos Henri Dog Point Vineyard Domaine Rewa Domaine-thomson Fancrest Estate Felton Road Fromm Greenhough Vineyard Greystone Hans Herzog Huia Kaimira Estate Konrad Peregrine Quartz Reef Richmond Plains Rippon Rockferry Schubert Seresin Soderberg Wines Stonecroft Supernatural Takamatua Valley Vineyards Terrace Edge The Darling Tua Marina Vineyadrs Turanga Two Paddocks Urlar  Walnut Block Wines William Murdoch Wright Family Winegrowers   These wineries produce most of their wines from solely certified organic or biodynamic grapes... Kelly Washington Wines Neudorf Vineyards Pyramid Valley New Zealand Te Mania Te Whare Ra Find out more about Organic Winegrowers NZ here: https://www.organicwinenz.com/fully-certified 

We've got a thing for Chenin here at Regional Wines, and so we’ve teed up a third annual look at this versatile variety, hosted once again by our resident queen of Chenin - Joelle Thomson. Of course, anything Chenin begins at its spiritual home in the Loire valley, and last year we paired dry and botrytised beauties from this ancient bastion of Chenin Blanc with some of the new world's finest South African counterparts. This time round, it's New Zealand's turn, with wines from four regions and an array of exciting wineries; Millton, Black Estate, Mt. Edward and Forrest Estate. Chenin is still grown in miniscule quantities in NZ, in fact around 21 hectares only, but offering racy high acidity wines with clean and crisp flavours - in a style that could be said to take the best of Chardonnay and Riesling - it's currently seen as an exciting grape with a brighter future ahead. Like Riesling, it is also a wine lover’s grape and despite its relative obscurity, has been embraced by big name wine makers - so how will some of the best NZ examples fare against the finest from France? There's some tantalising pairings to compare and contrast; the cool climate of Waipara and Otago versus Baumard's  Savennières; the unctuous honeyed notes of Jovly Vouvray against the warmth of Gisborne and the hand of James Millton, and an aged Bonnezeaux with the finest from Forrest. So, four different appellations from two countries each, including sparkling, dry, sweet and an aged gem from the Yquem of the Loire Valley. Are you salivating yet? Come and join us for a Chenin conversation, a tête a tête between France and new Zealand where the vino will speak volumes. Here’s the lineup... France Champalou Vouvray Brut 2016 Baumard dos de Saint Yves Savennières 2015 Jovly Vouvray AOC 2017 Baumard Carte d'Or Coteaux du Layon 2013 Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1996 Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux New Zealand 2017 Black Estate Home Vineyard Chenin Blanc North Canterbury 2017 Mt Edward Chenin Blanc Central Otago 2017 Millton Chenin Blanc Gisborne 2016 Forrest Estate Chenin Blanc Marlborough 2009 Forrest Estate Chenin Blanc Marlborough

In 2007 glenfarclas released a series of single cask vintage whiskies that traversed the decades back to the 1950s. They told the story of the family run distillery and were affectionately called the Family Casks. All those years ago (er, well, actually only 12 years ago) a complete set was reputedly bought in the UK for just over £6500. Today a Family Cask Trunk with fifty 200ml bottles of all the released vintages back to 1954 will set you back £100,000. Such is the way of whisky these days, with single malts once again fashionable, collectible, and ultimately, just down right expensive. However, we know a thing or two about expensive whiskies here, and comparing these to, say, the recent batch #16 Glendronach single cask vintage release - they actually look quite affordable. Take for example the current Glenfarclas Family Casks 1990 (57.1%). At $390 it’s essentially half the price of the batch #16 Glendronach 1990, and so we find ourselves in an odd situation where $400 whiskies could be great value by today’s standards…  but, of course, this is only if they taste any good. Which brings us to a rather splendid looking, but not exactly cheap, tasting. We don’t do things by halves at Regional Wines and this tasting featured five Family Casks, the recently released 22yo 105 (still somehow at 60%) and two mystery whiskies which would perform a taste test experiment of sorts, that the unsuspecting attendees had unwittingly signed up to. The whiskies shone like amber gemstones in a room that smelt like it had been doused in stewed fruits. First up was the Family Casks 1998 from a 4th fill sherry cask, the lightest by ABV and one of the lightest by colour. It seemed appropriate to give it it’s best shot at the head of the tasting before the big guns came out, but despite its fine balance and savoury palate of calvados, fresh tobacco and green tinned fruits - it finished last. Next was the GFC 1990, and gosh, it really did perform a fantastic Glendronach impersonation. This was like a dinner of confectionary with a now retired Willy Wonka who has picked up a penchant for PX and Partagás in his latter years. Stewed and dried fruits vyed for centre stage, but was it ultimately too sweet? Coming 3rd - the answer is probably yes. Next was the dram to eclipse all others on the night - the GFC 2002. It was a fraction lighter to the eye than the 1990 and had more lift on the palate too. Bright and zesty, with medicinals and mothballs for extra complexity, this had none of the cloying sweetness of the 1990, and the balance of alcohol to flavour was spot on. The next brace of whiskies, paired on a similarity of colour and abv, were the Family Cask 2000 and the first of our mysteries - the Adelphi Breath of Speyside 11yo. The latter is a mystery whisky in every sense, no distillery is mentioned on the bottle and I’m told that even those who work closely with Alex Bruce can’t prise the truth out of him. The general consensus is that it originates from Glenfarclas, so here was a perfect opportunity to put that belief to the test - however, it’s never that simple with single casks. Picking up a host of descriptors that it shared in common with many of the others, it was in many ways more Glenfarclas than the Family Casks 2000, which showed an array of earthy, mushroom and rancio qualities, that until then, had been absent from the tasting. Interestingly though, the Adelphi was the only one to receive specific mention of coconut. Was this the hallmark of a blend of both sherry and bourbon casks and which none of the Family Casks could boast? Things ended with a bang with our second mystery, the Glenfarclas 20yo 105 (released in 2012) and the glenfarclas 22yo 105 - released last year. We seem to live in a generation where nothing is as good as it used to be (is this the curse of every generation?) and the standard Glenfarclas 105 is often criticised in this way. These two aged releases seemed to tell a similar story, the 20yo offering more complexity and balance than the 22yo which had sour notes and sooty elements on the finish. Could two aged whiskies released only six years apart really show a deterioration in quality - or did they simply represent a change in style, different chapters in the Glenfarclas story? The Family Casks tell the tale of a well respected and much cherished distillery - and they do this in no uncertain fashion, each vintage and each cask playing its part. As for value, well, at the end of the day they’re worth what anyone wants to pay for them - like so many other commodities in short supply. Rest assured that we’ll keep doing our best at Regional Wines to make them available to taste, after all, this may be the only way some of us will ever get the chance. We have one bottle of the Glenfarclas Family Cask 2000  #4076 56.4% and the Glenfarclas 105 22yo Cask Strength 60% available - click below to purchase. Scores (for those who enjoy them)... 1 - Glenfarclas Family Cask 2002 #3768 58% - 9.66 2 - Glenfarclas Family Cask 2003 #002 59.3% - 9.5 3 - Glenfarclas Family Cask 1990 #9468 57.1% - 9.47 4 - Glenfarclas 105 20yo Cask Strength 60% - 9.13 5 - Adelphi Breath of Speyside 11yo 58.4% - 8.84 6 - Glenfarclas 105 22yo Cask Strength 60% - 8.44 7 - Glenfarclas  Family Cask 2000 #4076 56.4% 8.22 9 - Glenfarclas  Family Cask 1998 #3587 50.8% - 8.11