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Ahh… the unmistakable waxiness of old Clynelish… the crab infested rock pools of Bunnahabhain and the meadow-like florals of Glenlivet. Every distillery has its signature right? After all, why else would we develop a penchant for Penderyn, a desire for Dalmore or an addiction to Ardmore (which believe me is a very real thing with some people)? But of course, when it comes to whisky, it's not quite as simple as that. First there’s the distillate, that, yes, should offer a distillery style… but then there’s the cask, the age spent in cask, the type of cask, the location of the warehouse, whether it’s a blend of casks or a single cask and finally, the sheer nigh on random idiosyncrasy of the cask itself, that the more we taste, the more we realise is a strange, magical and often wonderful factor. The Lineup and order: Longmorn G&M 2003 Vintage Distillery Label 43% Longmorn Old Particular 2003 14yo 48.4% Inchgower G&M Connoisseurs Choice 07/16 46% Inchgower Cadenhead 2009 9yo 56.5% Longmorn 16yo - Mystery Inchgower Old Particular 1999 18yo 48.4% Longmorn Signatory Cask Strength 2002 15yo 57.2% So, two distilleries, from the same region, within spitting distance of each other but with supposedly very different styles of distillate. Inchgower; intense, spicy, saline and tomato sauce-like (according to those who know). Longmorn; fruity, light and ethereal, a style that Masataka Taketsuru, who spent a short time working there, imported into Japanese whisky when he modelled the stills of Nikka on those at Longmorn. In addition, the Inchgowers all aged in sherry casks and the Longmorns predominantly ex-bourbon - these whiskies would surely be chalk and cheese? Seven out of seven for all those guessing? There were certainly highs and lows from both distilleries. The Longmorns spanned the sublime to the ordinary with the G&M Distillery Label showing gentle sherry notes of tinned citrus, caramel and licorice and the the Signatory Cask Strength offering a glimpse of Longmorn at its best. Expressive, expansive, clean and unencumbered, this really was the epitome of classy distillate bolstered and enhanced by its time in oak. Then there was the 14yo Old Particular. As good an example as you’d ever get of erroneously leaving a whisky in cask in the hope of a miracle. Crystal clear, this was more like Longmorn’s new make, and although quite tasty, it needed rounding off with some evidence of cask. Enter our only Official bottling of the evening - the Longmorn 16yo our mystery on the night. This certainly offered a roundness and balance befitting its sherry and bourbon casks componentry, and seemed to confuse those palates that were beginning to align one set of flavours with the Longmorn style. Much of what Longmorn and Inchgower distil ends up in blends at the bequest of their owners (Chivas Brothers and  Diageo respectively) so this whisky was very much an outlier, a glimpse perhaps of a true “house style” as opposed to a single cask anomaly. And so to the Inchgowers. These boasted a fullness of flavour that the Longmorns couldn’t. The G&M 9yo, from a first fill sherry cask, exploded out of the glass with a funky nose of mouldy fruit, potted geraniums and linseed oil. The palate lacked balance, but there was character there for those searching for something out of the ordinary. The Cadenhead 9yo was the undisputed favourite over the two nights, rousing oohs and ahhs at both nosing and tasting. This was like trying on Santa’s leather riding gloves on Xmas day; aromas of mince pies, brandy butter and snifters of sherry ingested in haste and liberally spilt; hay and animal-like qualities from tending to his tired and sweaty reindeer early in the morning, and finally, hints of fresh tobacco from a well earned pipe in the armchair after a job well done. Gorgeous stuff. So plenty of variation from both distilleries that certainly kept us guessing and which was epitomised when the mystery was revealed, and a quick show of hands offered a room split 50 50 as to whether it was a Longmorn or an Inchgower. Yet, there were two distinct styles for those who could see them, with some high-scoring guesswork and even a rare 7 out of 7. Finally, an average of the scores over the two nights interestingly showed a dead heat between the two distilleries. But then I guess this it to be expected, after all, the biggest variable is undoubtedly the subjectivity of people’s palate, and long may it last. If we all loved just one style of whisky, it would be a pretty boring world… wouldn't it? The scores and links to purchase... Longmorn G&M 2003 Vintage Distillery Label 43% - 3rd 7.75 Longmorn Old Particular 2003 14yo 48.4% - 7th - 6.3 Inchgower G&M Connoisseurs Choice 07/16 46% - 6th- 6.4 Inchgower Cadenhead 2009 9yo 56.5% - 1st - 8.81 Longmorn 16yo - Mystery - 4th - 7.68 Inchgower Old Particular 1999 18yo 48.4% - 5th - 7.23 Longmorn Signatory 2002 15yo 57.2% -2nd - 7.87

Instore tasting Saturday 30 March, 1pm to 5pm Marlborough Pinot Power Tasting Ever wondered which New Zealand wine region has the most Pinot Noir growing within the lush foliage of its verdant vineyards? If, like most New Zealand wine lovers, you have been seduced by the words Central Otago, then it may come as something of a surprise to discover that the country's biggest wine region has more Pinot Noir in its vineyards than the deep south. We're talking Marlborough. The sun drenched maritime wine region at the north east tip of the South Island is home to more Sauvignon Blanc than you can shake a stick at. There is more Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough than in any other single region in New Zealand or any single wine region in the world, for that matter. And that includes France's Loire Valley, traditional home to Sauvignon. But while Sauvignon might rule the roost in Marlborough, this mammoth wine region (all 26,000 hectares of it) also has more Pinot Noir in the ground than any other region in New Zealand. We may not necessarily think of Marlborough when it comes to red wines, let alone elegant, silky reds which rock the PInotesque vibe every bit as well as Martinborough, Nelson, North Canterbury and Central Otago. So, we are cracking open four of these great reds on Saturday 30 March. Pop in any time between 1pm to 5pm on Saturday 30 March for a taste, a chat and a chance to buy these four beauties while they’re on special for the day only. Here's the line up...    Pinot power from Marlborough 2016 Corofin Settlement Pinot Noir Usual $43.99 Special $39.99 Corofin is a Gaelic word and the name of Mike and Anna Paterson’s home and their Marlborough wine brand.  Their first harvest was 2012. Both had worked in Marlborough for 15 years; Mike as a winemaker, Anna in marketing. And when they decided to create their own brand, they initially bought land in North Canterbury but the timing didn't work out so they decided to purchase grapes from top vineyards in Marlborough.  There are three Pinot Noirs in their range and winemaking is identical for all three, with variability only when it comes to the percentage of whole clusters used in the ferments; more in a warm year for freshness and structure, less in a cooler one to give any green flavours the swerve. There were 250 dozen of each wine produced. They are typically bottled after 18 months maturation and are not fined or filtered.    2015 Churton Estate Pinot Noir Usual $38.99 Special $34.99 Biodynamic Pinot from a passionate Pinot pioneering duo in Marlborough; Sam and Mandy Weaver.    2015 Whitehaven Pinot Noir Usual $34.99 Special $29.99 It started as a small family affair when Sue and Greg White sailed into the Marlborough Sounds, finding haven in one of its turquoise coves. Now, over 20 years later, Whitehaven Wines has grown to become a force to be reckoned with. Its main focus is Sauvignon Blanc and this is exactly why the other wines are such high quality. Winemaker Sam Smale has the funds to focus on great quality in smaller quantities, as with this Pinot Noir.   2013 Charles Wiffen Pinot Noir Usual $23.99 Special $21.99 Here is another family affair from the country's biggest wine region; and with six years' age on it, this wine is a sensationally good value Pinot to drink right now. It also highlights how well a good quality Pinot Noir from a good vintage can age - no doubt the screwcap assists more than a little in this regard. Come along and check out these four great reds from Marlborough. 

One of Martinborough's oldest wineries has a new winemaker and a new look. Guy McMaster will replace chief winemaker Allan Johnston, who departs after 28 years at the helm of this noble winery in Wellington's nearest wine region. The role of chief winemaker will also change going forward - McMaster will double as viticulturist-winemaker, tending the vines as well as transforming the fruits of his labours into wine for the company's two brands - Palliser and Pencarrow. The wines are named after lighthouses on the south Wairarapa coast.  As our evocative picture on this blog shows, the new look pays homage to the coast and also to a woman who played a pivotal role in history there. Mary Jane Bennett lost her lighthouse keeper husband in 1855 and gained a new job at the same time. She became the country's first female lighthouse keeper. She kept this significant role for 10 years while simultaneously raising five children alone. It was no mean feat back then. Nor would it be now. The new look Pencarrow range pays tribute to Mary Jane's courage and her pioneering role on the wild south coast. "The transformation of our everyday wine brand Pencarrow is the latest of our projects to come to fruition. Named after the rugged south coast of our region, we wanted our new branding to pay tribute to its beauty and the resilience of those who live there. Most of all we wanted our new look and attitude to connect with our Pencarrow customers," says Palliser Estate CEO Pip Goodwin. “It’s exciting to see the new brand for Pencarrow come to life on shelf after spending a lot of time recently focussing on our Palliser Estate range. We know people will continue to love this everyday wine with the added bonus of knowing this extraordinary woman’s contribution to our regions history.” 

Chardonnay is the third most popular grape in New Zealand, in terms of the number of vines planted, so why has it declined in this country by a massive 25 per cent over the past decade? It’s a significant decline and a question with a variety of answers, which a trio of winemakers attempted to address at a tasting last week, which I co-led, called Chardonnay in all its Glory. The tasting was held in central Wellington under the banner of the independent wine store, Regional Wines & Spirits, which I consult to. It sold out quickly. That’s always the way with Chardonnay. There is no question about its popularity. Big, creamy Chardonnays are the most popular at tastings and the ones customers most frequently ask for when shopping for wine. So, why has Chardonnay declined from 3911 hectares 10 years ago to just over 3000 hectares today? Three winemakers were invited to the Chardonnay in all its Glory tasting to talk about this popular wine and its increasingly diverse range of styles. Paul Mason from Martinborough Vineyards, Paul Dawick from Mills Reef and Kirsten Searle (co-owner) of Matawhero Vineyards showed nearly 40 people a diverse range of Chardonnays from the relatively warm Gisborne region to the cooler Hawke’s Bay to the much cooler Martinborough. Climate plays a huge role in the taste of Chardonnay with warmer regions producing more peachy flavours and cooler areas giving more citrus flavours. “Chardonnay is the most diverse and the most divisive wine of all those that we make,” said Martinborough Vineyards winemaker Paul Mason, who brought three Chardonnays along to prove the point. The winery he works for, Martinborough Vineyards, is now owned by Foley Family Vineyards, which also owns a number of other New Zealand wineries, such as Te Kairanga in Martinborough. “There’s no other wine that leads to as much division in opinion about how to make it as Chardonnay does. We have major disagreements over styles and I’m a fan of many different styles, but there are so many winemaking  choices, so it’s always a robust debate.” All Chardonnay grapes are hand harvested at Martinborough Vineyards. And Paul describes his Chardonnay philosophy as traditional. “What that means to us is that the grapes are hand picked, whole bunch pressed, then put into barrel that night. Nearly all the wines go through natural yeast fermentation, with only a little added yeast. Ferments are relatively warm at 24-25 degrees in barrel and we only use French oak.” He is a big fan of malolactic fermentation. He is not a fan of reductive flavours. Mason sees the role of malolactic being to create more weight to Chardonnay, using it as a tool to lower acidity and add depth of flavour. He has also pulled back from 35-40% new oak to 25% new oak, on average, and is giving his Chardonnays a longer time in oak than in the past. Why has Chardonnay declined? Winemaker Paul Mason says a lot of Martinborough Vineyards’ vines were attacked by the vine eating aphid, phylloxera, so had to be ripped out. Many vineyards around New Zealand have suffered the same fate, not all of them being replaced with Chardonnay. Mills Reef winemaker Paul Dawick explained the problems of leaf roll virus  on Chardonnay in the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s Bay, where vines were ripped out to prevent the spread of this virus. Vines ripped out Mendoza clone Chardonnay was one of the first grapes planted at Martinborough Vineyards in 1980. The Mendoza clone is also often called ‘hen and chicken’ and it’s easy to see why when looking at a bunch of these grapes, which are characterised by an incredible lack of uniformity in size. Tiny grapes with higher acidity add nervy flavours to wine while larger grapes add softer flavours. The majority of Chardonnay vines that have been replanted are with newer, more modern clones, such as the clone 95 Chardonnay, which ripens more consistently than the Mendoza clone. But wait, there’s more It is not only vine disease and phylloxera that have led to the removal of Chardonnay in vineyards around the country. Winemakers in some regions have replaced Chardonnay with the increasingly popular Pinot Gris grape. It may seem a shame to lovers of big, bold, creamy Chardonnays, but fashions come and go. And as Coco Chanel once wisely said, fashion fades, but style is eternal.

I wrote this obituary this morning for Raymond Chan, who was my friend, my mentor and a man who played a pivotal role in championing wine and its producers at a formative time in the modern history of New Zealand wine. It is also published on my website at www.joellethomson.com Courageous, determined and undeterred. Raymond Chan will leave a legacy of great courage, as well as of good humour and a passion for wine. He passed away on Sunday 10 February after a long journey with cancer, which lasted the best part of a decade. His long term partner, Sue Davies, was an integral part of this journey, offering unwavering support, putting her own career on hold, much of the time, to ensure Raymond had what he needed. His bravery will remain as inspiring as his cheeky good humour and his passion for wine, which perhaps shone brightest in his role at Regional Wines & Spirits in Wellington where he ran and hosted great tastings for many years. Wine never appeared on the family dining table when Chan was growing up. It became important to him when he graduated from the University of Otago in 1978 and worked at Chan’s Garden Restaurant, owned by his family in Dunedin. “I was amazed by the early New Zealand wines of the day and our whole family got keen on wine through the restaurant,” he once said, when asked how he got into wine. He and his wine friends, such as Malcolm McIntyre and Chris Staynes then formed the Wine Federation of Otago and entered wine options, a guessing game in the wine industry. The 1980s were pivotal years in Chan’s early career in wine. He became a wine judge at the Royal Easter Wine Show in 1988 when Master of Wine Bob Campbell was expanding the wine judging system. Then he moved to Wellington in 1989 to work at Wilson Neill as a wine advisor for the late, Jose Hernandez, and, later, when Wilson Neill was taken over by Dominion Breweries (DB), he went to O’Reilly’s on Thorndon Quay where he worked for Zuke Marinkovich from 1991 to 1994. This role saw him establish Wellington wine tasting programmes, which he spear headed most influentially at Regional Wines & Spirits, working for the store’s late founder, Grant Jones, who Raymond described as a visionary. “He opened my eyes to wine,” said one wine friend, on social media this morning. “Without him, I can’t imagine how I would have gotten into a wine career and he was super supportive even when I knew nothing – he always had time to answer my questions, no matter how trivial I imagine they may have seemed to him,” said another wine industry friend. I can echo those comments. The first time I met Raymond was at an upstairs tasting at Regional Wines & Spirits in 1995. I was a young wine writer with very little wine knowledge at the time and, realising I needed to learn, the tastings beckoned. Raymond’s passion for wine was infectious. He was warm and welcoming. He lacked pretension and exuded an openness to teach, which is sorely needed in wine circles today. It has been my great privilege to know, admire and learn from the man who inspired one of my personal greatest wine passions – German Riesling. It was a passion that he and his partner, Sue Davies, also shared. Raymond will be very deeply missed and very highly revered, as he deserved to be, for the role he played in championing wine and its producers at a formative time in the modern history of New Zealand wine.

Joel Watson is a winemaker on a mission. Having made wine around the world, he knew it would take something special to get him back to NZ, and the chance to work with Pinot from two stunning sites in Martinborough was exactly that. Martinborough was the region that first put NZ Pinot Noir on the map. Its cool, wind tempered climate bringing challenges that demand hitting a level of winemaking from where the returns can be exceptional. Under Joel's guidance, Luna Estate's two plots on the Dry River Terrace and the Martinborough Terrace are now planted with 85% Pinot; a statement on the winery's intent to back this grape, fostered by the ambition of offering not just the high end Pinots that Martinborough is best known for, but exceptional quality at the entry level too. The old vinestock and differing terroirs between these two Luna sites - Eclipse Vineyard on the Martinborough Terraces and Blue Rock on the Dry River Terrace, offer a fabulous contrast that is every winemaker's dream. At Eclipse, the silty clay/loam top soil over free draining, ancient, alluvial river gravels and cooler climate drive structured powerful wines with high acidity. At Blue Rock, planted all the way back in 1986, the soil consists of layers of clay loam, limestone, greywacke and the famous blue rock, created by marine bed formation some 190 million years ago. The wines are mineral, complex and deep yet approachable, as evinced by the Syrah and other aromatic grapes that thrive on this site. Come and join Joel for a Pinot masterclass as he tastes and opens the Luna portfolio including not just three Pinots, but his rare Pinot Meunier and Blue Rock Syrah. This is Martinborough's newest winery with a big vision for the region. Tickets are available here.

French, fresh and forgotten... These three words describe Chenin Blanc at the best of times but this week they took on a whole new meaning here at Regional Wines, with the discovery of a case of an outstanding Vouvray from Bernard Fouquet in our warehouse. Chenin Blanc is one of the great whites of the wine world. It ages so well that, if this wine hadn't been unearthed for another decade - or two - it would be even better than it tastes right now.  The wine is sealed with a screwcap, so it is incredibly consistent in quality and style. It is the 2017 Bernard Fouquet Cuvee de Silex Vouvray AOC. It's timely to talk about Chenin Blanc right now because we are planning our third annual tutored tasting devoted to this wine - for May this year (details below in this blog). Chenin comes from the drop dead gorgeous Loire Valley, a region often described as the garden of France and also home to the country's longest river - the Loire.  It is one of the most versatile white grapes on Earth. It can be used to make top quality sparkling wine (its naturally high acidity marries harmoniously with carbon dioxide, giving both bubbles and freshness). It can make full bodied dry whites beautifully, such as Mont Louis, Savennieres and Vouvray; all 100% Chenin Blanc appellations in the Loire Valley. Then again, it's also the sole ingredient in some of the world's most outstanding sweet wines, as wines from Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume show. These appellations often fly under the sweet wine radar because they are frequently eclipsed by wines such as sauternes and the great sweet whites of Germany. - And, perhaps most surprising of all, Chenin Blanc often costs a fraction of the price of France's other great white wines labelled champagne, white burgundy or sauternes. Of course, the flavours are different too. Chenin Blanc's high acidity is one of its dead giveaways. As are its green apple, clover honey and dried grass flavours. It's a wine that can age for decades and it deserves to be more prominent in New Zealand than the paltry 22 hectares currently planted in this country. * This May we will highlight a handful of New Zealand's top Chenin Blancs from Mount Edward in Central Otago to Forrest Estate in Marlborough to Millton in Gisborne. Join us... Regional's 2019 Chenin Blanc tutored tasting    The time... Thursday 16 May, 6pm to 8pm The place... Upstairs tasting room at Regional Wines & Spirits, Wellington. The wines... The full list has yet to be confirmed but we can promise you a taste of great whites made 100% from the Chenin Blanc grape from a bunch of maverick winemakers such as Duncan Forsyth in Central Otago, James Millton in Gisborne and Florent Baumard in the Loire Valley.  These guys are movers and shakers who have pioneered organic viticulture, are at the forefront of biodynamic viticulture and winemaking methods and who have been among the first in New Zealand's remote corners to make Chenin Blanc - and amongst the first in the world to spear head screwcaps ahead of cork in a quest for quality and consistency.  Their wines will be featured alongside other top Chenin Blancs.  This is a must-attend tasting. 

Is climate change having an effect on one of the world’s smallest, highest priced and, arguably, most revered wine region? Burgundy is the smallest fine wine region in France and has traditionally been its most challenging for consistency of style and quality. This is due to its cool northern continental climate, relatively high rainfall and frost risk. Throw in a thin skinned red grape such as Pinot Noir - the great red of the region and you have a formula for extremely challenging consistency in terms of both quality and quantity. Especially in vintages where rain and frost mean you have to harvest relatively early; in August or September, say, which are the northern hemisphere's early autumns months.    Find out more about Burgundy's intricacies... The flip side is that Pinot Noir makes some of the silkiest, smoothest, most seductive red wines in the world in good vintages. And Burgundy is having more of those than ever, according to Burgundian wine specialist Jasper Morris, who explains the tip of climate change iceberg on an interesting podcast called I'll Drink to That by Levi Dalton - Jasper Goes Deep on the Burgundy Crus explains it on IDTT Wine 459 here: https://illdrinktothatpod.com/   This fascinating podcast covers vast ground in an accessible, informative and extremely indepth way - perfect to listen to when exercising or driving and when contemplating your next purchase of a bottle of Burgundy.  Speaking of which, here are Regional Wines we have had a big focus on Burgundy this year and, given that the year is still young, there's plenty more to come. Regional Wines Burgundy sale Our Burgundy sale has gone gangbusters, with a high number of customers taking the plunge into the deep end of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay pool, so to speak, and buying some of the world's great Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.  Learn more on the podcast above and also here in store - we have one copy left of Jasper Morris' great book on Burgundy, which is widely regarded as the best guide to this complicated, tricky to understand and delicious wine region.

If you had to name three big buzzwords in wine circles today, what would you say? Lower alcohol, organic and biodynamic are the first to spring to mind for yours truly and this month we are focussing on an interesting range of wines from a producer who is at the forefront of making lower alcohol wines, which still have plenty of flavour. That's not an easy aim to achieve for winemaker John Forrest, who says he is staggered by both local and international interest (and high sales too) of his lower alcohol Doctors' wine range. If the apostrophe appears to be in an unusual spot, that's because both John and his wife, Brigid, are qualified doctors, and they co-own the brand. It all began back in 2006 with a humble, lower than usual alcohol Riesling at a relatively modest price, around $20. This wine still drinks exceptionally well, by the way, because even when it's made in high volume, Riesling has inherent qualities that allow it to evolve into a characterful wine, given age.  It is also often a lower than usual alcohol wine because of its high acidity, which is best balanced by the retention of a little natural grape sugar (also known as 'RS' - residual sugar). Enter the world of lower alcohol wines - with flavour. Riesling fits the bill better than any other wine grape I can think of and there are a quite few. It's great to see John Forrest dialling up the flavour on his range of lower alcohol wines. Lower alcohol wine tasting, in store at Regional with winemaker John Forrest Thursday 28 February from 3pm to 6pm * By the way, an analysis of US wines published in the UK magazine, The Drinks Business, discovered that calorie savings “aren’t particularly significant” in lower alcohol wines. A glass of white wine typically has 13.5% alcohol by volume which translates to 112 calories, compared to 95 calories per glass for wines with 3% to 4% lower ABV.

If you've ever heard the old saying that there are no great wines, only great bottles, then hopefully you'll have moved with the times and realised that great winemaking (and good closures) mean there are many outstanding wines in the world today. And we are focussing on one of them strongly in February this year because we have an impeccably aged 10 year old dry Riesling, which is selling for a song, so to speak, at $26.99. The wine is the 2009 Forrest Estate Valleys Riesling. It is dry and tastes it. This wine is also super fresh and sealed with a screwcap, which is winemaker John Forrest's closure of choice. Forrest was one of the first to make screwcaps his preferred method of wine closure because, like many New Zealand winemakers in the 1990s, he was fast tiring of poor quality cork and the disservice it did to his wines. Enter the brave new wine world of consistent closures - also known as the screwcap, which he began using in 2001, along with a group of 27 other New Zealand winemakers. He has never looked back. Three years later, in 2005, he launched this country's first official sports and wine event, calling it Graperide. This is the 15th consecutive year his winery team have hosted this annual event, which attracts cyclists from all over the country to the day-long cycle around the Marlborough region. If you're a serious cyclist, the 200 km ride will be right up your alley. Otherwise, there are 100 km rides, 42 km rides 40 km rides and, well, you get the idea. There's something for everyone and it's all followed by a sunny afternoon of music, wine, craft beer and healthy local food at Forrest Estate Winery. The winery is collaborating with Regional Wines for the month of February in a give away that includes a brand new bike (valued at $599 and soon to arrive in store) and three sets of double passes to this year's Graperide event on Saturday 30 March in Blenheim. It all kicks off before the crack of dawn at Forrest Estate Winery on Blicks Road, Blenheim. And if the cycle doesn't take your fancy, a bottle of extremely modestly priced, aged, 10 year old, dry Riesling just might do - at $26.99, this wine represents outstanding value for money.  I'm calling it dry because I know the "R" word can polarise some people and Riesling is so shrouded in confusion in the minds of many. We will crack open a bottle of this and many other Forrest wines during February, but don't wait till then - come on down to Regional Wines now to buy a bottle of... 2009 Forrest Estate Valleys Riesling for $26.99.   Be a winner - buy Forrest Estate Every bottle of Forrest Estate wine you buy in February puts you in to win one of four great prizes.    

Austrian winemaker Rudi Bauer was the first to work with a champagne family to make sparkling wine in Central Otago, using the same grape varieties (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and winemaking techniques as they do. The early wines were amazing quality and value for money and were called Quartz Reef Chauvet, in homage to winemaker Clothilde Chauvet, who worked vintage in Central and then embarked on this collaborative project with Rudi. Chauvet it no longer involved but her legacy remains in this outstanding southern sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne method. It is one of the best quality bubbles we have here in store at Regional, doubly so when the relatively low price is taken into account. It's also a fitting tribute to Central Otago where PInot Noir rules the roost, in this case in a white bubbly. The stats on this bubbly Quartz Reef NV Brut is dry with 4 grams residual sugar per litre of wine, which is significantly lower than many bubblies made using the traditional method. The starring role in this wine goes to... Pinot Noir, which makes up 62% of the wine, balanced by crisp and creamy freshness from Chardonnay with 38% of the blend. All the grapes in this wine are biodynamically grown (and certified) from Rudi's single vineyard in Bendigo. He ages this wine for two years in the bottle after its second fermentation. And the fresh baked bread flavours, dry flavours and vibrant acidity all make for a lingering, lovely, refreshing, complex wine.  And that's no mean feat for $34 and here at Regional for a usual price of $26.99 - incredibly modest, even if we do say so ourselves. Come on down and buy it.  

The second International Sauvignon Blanc conference in this country was held in Marlborough in late January this year as a celebration and tasty investigation of one of the great classic white grape varieties in the wine world. The three day event offered wine lovers and winemakers a chance to see Sauvignon Blanc in its many different guises, including complex dry, oak-influenced (either fermented or matured) wines, as well as all the fruit driven, upfront and fresh dry whites we know and love as Sauvignon Blanc. One of the Sauvignon Blanc producers that we stock widely at Regional is a family whose wines we greatly admire - the Bourgeois family from Sancerre, in the Loire Valley, France. The Bourgeois family has been making wine for 10 generations in France and, in 2000, Remi and Jean-Marie Bourgeois decided to buy land in Marlborough, New Zealand, to try their hand here at making top notch Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.   The result of their decision to step outside France led to the formation of Clos Henri (pronounced ‘klo enree’) - the New Zealand outpost of their French winemaking in Sancerre. Their Marlborough grapes are organically certified and their vineyard is modelled on traditional French methods of close planting rows, low to the ground vines and relatively low cropping levels. The use of older oak for a portion of their Sauvignon Blancs provides softness and attractive complexity in all of the wines from this humble, modestly priced ‘Le Petit Bourgeois’ upwards. Each wine is a step up in quality, representing a different style that highlights the differences possible with one grape variety. Well, okay, with two grapes actually, since they also make a very good quality Pinot Noir.  Pop into Regional to buy these interesting wines from New Zealand and France. Speaking of which, the New Zealand range includes... 2017 Le Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Clos Henri Pinot Noir The French wines from the Bourgeois family include... 2016 Bourgeois Le Petit Bourgeois 2016 Bourgeois Pouilly-Fumé Abbaye 2014 Bourgeois Sancerre Baronnes 2014 Bourgeois Sancerre Monts Damnes

If you're into layers of complexity, not just in the flavour profile of your rum, but in how it was produced - then our El Dorado tasting on Tuesday 12 February is a must do. The El Dorado line is crafted by Demerara Distillers who are now the final remaining producer to use original stills that date back to the 1700s. These stills aren't just old, they're made from wood too, which sounds unfeasibly tricky when dealing with high temperatures and liquid. The wood used is Green Heartwood and it's interaction with the alcoholic sugar based liquid during distillation results in a very heavy, full bodied distillate, ideal for complex, flavoursome rum production. The three stills in question have now been moved to the Diamond site at Demerara Distillers but were originally located on the three large sugar estates of Enmore, Port Mourant and Versailles - from where they get their names. The Enmore still is now the last operating wooden continuous coffey still on the planet and the other two are the last single and double wooden pot stills. To this day, Enmore produces spirit used heavily in the El Dorado 21 year old, spirit from Port Mourant is used in the 15 year old and Versailles contributes to the blend used in the 12 year old, and this tasting will offer a fantastic opportunity to taste single barrel, vintage rums from each of these unique stills against the core blended rums.  Taste the difference between continuous stills and pot stills, and see how these styles transfer into the blended age statement rums. It's not every day that the three Rare collection rums of Enmore, Versailles and Port Mourant are opened to taste alongside each other, so don't miss out. Click here to purchase tickets.

Long hot summers are the stuff of childhood dreams and great vintages – and the best wines from the Waipara Valley gain their great flavours from these conditions during the long and languid days of autumn each year. The Waipara Valley is the heart of North Canterbury. It’s the fourth biggest wine region in New Zealand. This is significant, in terms of the ratio of vines planted, but it still pales in comparison with Marlborough, as the latest statistics from New Zealand Winegrowers show, below.   Our wine of the week comes from here… 2015 Crater Rim Pinot Noir, usually $21.99- on special this week for $19.99 Crater Rim winemaker Hayden Good uses grapes grown purely in the Waipara Valley to make this powerfully savoury Pinot Noir with its flavours of dried mushrooms, ripe cherries and its silky, smooth, long finish. This wine was matured for 13 months in French oak. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.   Here’s a snapshot of New Zealand vineyard statistics… New Zealand has 37,969 hectares of producing grapevines Marlborough is the biggest region with 26,007 hectares of producing vines Hawke’s Bay has 4,681 Central Otago has 1,904 North Canterbury has 1,475 And so it trickles down to smaller regions, which are another equally important story for another day. Now the stats are out there, we can focus on why the Waipara region now dominates all vineyard plantings in Canterbury, namely because, it is warmer, sunnier, drier and more sheltered than its coastal position might suggest. The heart of North Canterbury is Waipara Valley because, while it is only nine kilometres from the coast, it’s a world away from strong coastal breezes, thanks to shelter provided by the Teviotdale Hills. These create a kind of heat basin in this beautiful valley and its sloping hillsides are a combination of limestone and clay soils, while the valley floor has alluvial stony soils on the banks of the Waipara River. These three main soil types offer a vast range of options for winemakers and all with warmer weather conditions than the heavier clay soils of the Canterbury Plains, where wine began in the overall region. North Canterbury’s heat and rainfall are closely aligned with Marlborough throughout the main grape growing season – from October to April each year. But this more southern region has a far more pronounced day-night temperature variation. This is called its diurnal range. It would be colder all round, if it wasn’t for the protection of the Teviotdale Hills, which provide shelter, but wind remains the main weather condition for winemakers here to contend with. The region’s famous north westerly wind (colloquially known as the nor’ wester) is hot, dry and often responsible for drying the region’s soils out so much that it rips off plenty of topsoil each year. Still, them’s the breaks when you’re blessed with some of this country’s most talented and experienced winemakers and wine thinkers, such as Hayden Good from Crater Rim. Pop in this week to taste our exceptional wine of the week – 2015 Crater Rim Pinot Noir – a bargain buy at $19.99.

What makes Verdejo a great white wine when it was unknown 40 years ago? This great white grape was virtually unheard of, even in its homeland of Rueda DO in northern central Spain. Until… Marques de Riscal arrived in the region from Rioja, with the aim of highlighting Rueda’s potential for top shelf white wines made from the Verdejo grape. That was back in the 1970s. Prior to that, the Palomino grape was the best known white of the Rueda region. It was best known as the sole ingredient in dry sherries from the south of Spain and was nothing to write home about in Rueda. Like many European winemaking countries, Spain has been going through a massive wine revolution from the vineyard to the winery, over the past 40 years. It’s still happening. Technology such as stainless steel has allowed temperature controlled fermentation to transform the way many whites were previously made in the hot dusty heartland of Spain’s arid interior. The last 20 years have also seen enormous changes in Spain’s winemaking methods where modern technology has transformed not only the red grapes of this historically significant winemaking country, but also its unique, native whites, such as Verdejo. Spain is third only to Italy and France when it comes to its number of indigenous grape varieties. This dry southern European country has diversity to burn with 84 documented native grapes. These grapes include many that we know and love – Tempranillo and Garnacha, for instance – and others that we have never even heard of. Anyone for a glass of Zamarrica? How about a Trepat? Or a Verdil? Or, perhaps, a Verdejo? The modernisation of Verdejo has excited more winemakers and critics than any other white Spanish grape today.   What it tastes like “High quality, aromatic, rich, nutty and dry.” – Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and Jose Vouillamoz   About Verdejo Verdejo is the great white of Rueda (pronounced “roo-ay-da”) in northern central Spain. The name Verdejo (most easily pronounced “ver-dec-oh”) comes from the colour of the grapes – verde means green. It is Spain’s fifth most planted white wine grape – there are 11,352 hectares (28,051 acres) and it makes up 10% of the Castilla y Leon vineyard area. DNA profiling shows that Verdejo is related to Godello from north West Spain and also to Albillo de Nava from Rueda, which is also where it comes from. Verdejo at Regional Wines & Spirits Try this… The 2017 Rodriguez Basa at $19.99 is one of our best value whites in store and is also one of the freshest tasting European whites for drinking this summer. It was first made in 1996 by Spanish winemaker Telmo Rodriguez, who was on a mission to show the world that Spain is a white wine producing country - as well as a red one. The result is "Basa" - a 92% blend of Verdejo with 8% Viura – a great summer white with seafood.  

If you're planning to stock up on festive bubbles, you're in good company. Our in store tastings of great bubblies have left us with such a great taste in our mouths that we are sating our thirst this week with Nautilus Brut NV (among other great bubbles from New Zealand, France and Italy). Nautilus Brut NV is a member of Methode Marlborough - a group of like minded Marlborough sparkling winemakers. The group is devoted to making top quality sparkling wine in the traditional method - another way of saying that they are using traditional winemaking techniques from the Champagne region in north east France. They can't use the word champagne for their wines because the generic sparkling wine that we call champagne (small 'c' for the wine) can only use this name if it comes from the Champagne region (big 'C' for the regional name). French winemakers had great foresight when they fought to win the exclusive international legal naming rights to the word champagne, in 1958. Marlborough winemakers can, however, emulate the winemaking methods that go into making these complex sparkling wines. Namely, they use only the three main champagne grapes - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. They make a light still wine from their chosen combo of these grapes and then they bottle it under a crown seal with a little yeast and sweet addition to kickstart its second fermentation. In the Champagne region, the sparkling wines must legally spend 18 months aging prior to being sold. This extended aging gives the wines lots of flavour because the yeast lees break down after fermentation, releasing proteins and flavour, which integrate into and become part of the wine's yeasty character, adding body and texture as they do so.   Nautilus winemaker Clive Jones models this bubbly on Bollinger, giving it an even longer aging time - three years - before it is disgorged (that's the ejection of yeast sediment from the wine to make it clear and vibrant in appearance). Like Bollinger, Nautilus Brut Cuvee is also made mostly from Pinot Noir. This gives it a recognisably toasty, savoury flavour and full body. No wonder it's a multi award winning wine - 5 stars and top 10 sparkling wine in Cuisine magazine 2017, 96 points, best New Zealand sparkling wine in Decanter magazine in August 2017, among many other accolades. But don't just take our word for it.  Come in and buy a bottle of this modestly priced, very nice Nautilus Brut Cuvee. Talk about amazing value for money. Merry festive season from the team at Regional.    

With a lineup of whiskies that looked as dark and menacing as they did enticing, and the promise of the ceremonial butchering of an unsuspecting haggis to then be served with neeps and tatties, this looked to be a tasting that might live up to its name. This was, of course, Best of the Best 2018 - the big one - and what follows is a distillation of the collective thoughts of 100 attendees... Craigellachie Old Malt Cask 1995 22yo 50% - Score 7.86 (7th) A visit to the sweet shop. Lemon drops, sherbet and banana lollies sit on a dusty counter, whilst spray, to fend off the fruit flies, lingers in the air. A handful of sweets consumed hastily when the shopkeeper turns his back offers an unexpected aniseed gobstopper, and pepper spice joins the confected medley meandering in the mouth. Ardmore Gordon & Macphail 1998/2018 53.5% - Score 8.2 (6th) A match struck by a soot encrusted miner some 500 ft underground reveals a surprise birthday celebration arranged by his co-workers. Candles flicker atop a chocolate orange cake, adorned with cocktail cherries and caramel lumps, and when extinguished with a hearty blow, the candles add wax and sulphur notes to the air. Glen Scotia Victoriana 51.5% - Score 8.67 (4th) (currently out of stock but more coming) A garden picnic with a spread of honey sandwiches, cupcakes and muffins; the hum of bumblebees amongst the lavender can be heard and scents of cereal waft from a distant barley field. Jasmine tea is consumed to fend off the heat, however Granny is having a dry sherry and what was Gramps adding to his tea from a hip flask procured from his inside jacket pocket? Glendronach 27yo 1990 #7003 55.3% - Score 9.46 (2nd) Somewhere in the Indian Ocean a clipper is transporting tea, coffee and an assortment of fruit (citrus and raisins) from the colonial old world. Sun bakes down on the briny, tar stained deck as the sailors work tirelessly to keep things shipshape. Meanwhile, the captain has retired to his room for lunch and smokes a cigar whilst eating pudding. Ben Nevis Signatory 1991 26yo 56.5% - Score 8.40 (5th) It's tea time after school and mum can't be bothered to cook - fish and chips are on the kitchen table, home baked bread aromas fill the air and that packet of chocolates and caramels that you bought from the tuck shop at lunchtime is melting in your pocket. No worries, you'll eat them for dessert. Talisker 57 Degrees North 57% - Score 8.72 - (3rd) A beach barbecue, seagulls hover overhead looking for scraps as smoked kippers and onion rings sizzle. Someone has left a utensil too close to the heat and hints of rubber and burnt Teflon fill the air. A dessert of bananas, apples and maple syrup is being prepped for afters. Glenburgie Gordon & Macphail 1995/2017 56.5% - Score 9.53 (Winner) It is hunting season in the Black Forest. A dead deer lies on the ground in a clearing where the grass has been freshly cut and is surrounded by leather clad huntsmen and women. They enjoy a celebratory slice of Black Forest gateau, accompanied by shots of Jagermeister and grappa, before getting back onto their bristling horses and riding off into the thicket. Click the links for those available at Regional Wines - including the final bottle of 27yo Glendronach!

There are big names and then there are big producers and next weekend we are dedicating our Saturday in store tasting to a champagne house that fits both categories - Taittinger. The Champagne region produces approximately 300 million bottles of bubbles every year, so Taittinger's 5 to 6 million bottles annually may pale in comparison but it is  from one of the top five biggest producers, in terms of numbers. It also has a fascinating history. Pierre Taittinger bought the estate in 1932, which included the acquisition of the decadent Chateau de la Marquetterie (pictured in this blog). That's when Champagne Taittinger was born. It joined the Union des Maisons de Champagne in the 1950s, which made it one of the Grand Marques -  a well known group of producers, which also includes Bollinger, Laurent Perrier, Moet & Chandon and Louis Roederer.  The best known Taittinger wine is its Brut Réserve. This blend of Chardonnay (40%), Pinot Noir (35%) and Pinot Meunier (25%) is consistently dominated by Chardonnay grapes, which also form the heart and soul of the top wine from this house - Comtes de Champagne. This champagne is 100% Chardonnay and only produced in outstanding years which, in the Champagne region, tends to mean warmer vintages.    So, to our Saturday tasting this coming weekend. We will open two Taittingers for customers to taste.  Here are the details... Taittinger Saturday What: A tasting in store for customers When: 1pm to 5pm on Saturday 22 December 2018 Where: Regional Wines & Spirits at Elice Street by the Basin Reserve in Wellington Tasting:  Taittinger Brut Reserve Taittinger Prélude Grands Crus Cuvée (A 50/50 blend of Chardonnay (50%) and Pinot Noir (50%) from Grands Crus Vineyards. Join us: We would love to see you in store next Saturday for a taste of both of these beautiful, opulent wines from the world's most famous bubbly region. Bring a bubbly loving friend along. We hope to see you then in store at Regional.

We would never say ‘forget the flowers’ but there are more ways than one to a girl’s or a guy's heart. Homage is the one of the best ways to say you're serious about Syrah and your loved one. It's also one of the best presents for wine lovers at Christmas or any time of the year. Homage is the flagship wine of Trinity Hill in Hawke’s Bay, where I was lucky enough to spend an evening celebrating the new 2016 vintage of this wine, which will begin to trickle into retail over the next few months. While we enjoyed the youthful new vintage of 2016 Homage, we also toasted the announcement that production will double from 2018. It was a warm, dry and plentiful year and vineyard investment over the past decade is finally paying dividends in fruit quality, says winemaker Warren Gibson. The announcement was made by Philip Kingston, CEO Of Trinity Hill Wines, who said that while production would increase significantly, overall volumes were still destined to remain small. Not only that, Homage would continue to be an allocated wine. The trigger for a doubling in production was two-fold. Grape quality from 2018 was outstanding and more grapes were now available, due to growth in quality in the vineyard. The last 10 years of vineyard investment are now starting to pay off, so it's possible to increase production.  Fine tuning Homage One of the biggest changes to Homage was made in 2010 with the introduction of whole bunches to the ferment and a deliberate reduction of new oak in the winemaking. Gibson says whole bunches change the texture of tannins and how dense the wine feels in the mouth but the percentage used will always be a response to vintage. In a cool year, for example, the use of whole bunches would be minimal. The reduction in new oak was all about shining the spotlight on ripe fruit flavours, drawing attention drinker away from wood. It's all about fine tuning the winemaking, allowing the fruit flavours to come forward and deaccentuating oak influence. “We have intentionally decreased the proportion of new oak in the wine over the last eight to ten years and are happy with the result,” says Gibson. The first vintage of Homage was made in 2002.    Current vintage of Homage The current vintage of Homage in store at Regional is 2015 Trinity Hill Homage $114.99.   PS: The wine is not made every year. When a vintage was not considered up to scratch, the grapes destined for Homage find their way into the winery's lower priced Syrahs. Ah, so that's why Trinity Hill Syrah is so good.

Methode Marlborough Dinner, Logan Brown, November Marlborough’s cool nights are the life blood of the region's best bubbles, which a lucky bunch of us had the pleasure of tasting, drinking and enjoying at Logan Brown restaurant in Wellington last month.  Restaurateur Steve Logan and members of Methode Marlborough (like minded winemakers who produce traditional method sparkling wine) rank among the best hosts when it comes to sparkling wine and its ideal food matches - fresh seafood and a cheeky little dish of duck. The bubbles from... Methode Marlborough The wines we tasted (and drank) 2012 Spy Valley Echelon 2014 Saint Clair 2013 Allan Scott Cecilia Blanc de Blanc No 1 Family estate No 1 Reserve 2009 Johanneshof Cellars Emmi 2012 Daniel le Brun Blanc de Blancs 2015 Tohu Rewa Rosé 2015 Deutz Prestige 2015 Nautilus Rosé 2013 Hunter's Miru Miru Reserve   Top drops All of the wines above rank highly in my books but my tops picks were: 2014 Saint Clair Dawn - 35 months lees' aging adds complexity 2009 Johanneshof Emmi - 7.5 years on lees, 85% Pinot Noir 2015 Tohu Rewa Rosé - dry, 100% Pinot Noir 2015 Deutz Prestige - next level from Marlborough 2015 Nautilus Rosé - 100% Pinot Noir, rich and toasty 2013 Hunter's Miru Miru Reserve - great concentration   The story of Dawn The third and latest vintage of the wine called Dawn was launched at the Logan Brown and Methode Marlborough dinner. It was first made from the cool 2012 vintage, aged for 35 months on lees before disgorgement, then bottled in time for the 100th birthday of its namesake, Dawn Ibbotson, mother of Neal Ibbotson, who is the founder of Saint Clair Wines in Marlborough. Dawn Ibbotson pictured with her son, Neal and Dawn bubbles The making of Dawn Winemaker Stewart Maclennan says the team at Saint Clair tasted the full spectrum of sparkling wines from Australia, France, Spain and other countries to help steer their collective stylistic direction. From the start, they wanted to give their sparkling wine a long aging time on yeast lees, to maximise its flavour and complexity. "We tasted a lot of local and global wines and we agreed that 18 to 24 months wasn’t cutting it in too many cases. Too many producers were using dosage (sweetness) as a disguise for underaged wines.  "We also wanted to think locally, if Marlborough has nothing else, it has the incredible natural acidity needed to produce great sparkling wines and here we are." Winemaker Stewart Maclennan * The 2013 Saint Clair Dawn bubbly will be open for tasting at Regional Wines this Saturday 15 December from 1pm to 5pm in store.