This week I was lucky to take part in grape picking for a morning at Heron’s Flight vineyard in Matakana. Heron’s Flight is a small, family-owned vineyard, with grapes first planted by David Hoskins and Mary Evans in 1987. They specialise in Italian varietals and only grow Sangiovese and Dolcetto, I’d been there before for one of their pizza afternoons – see the review here. … Continue reading Picking the bunch at Heron’s Flight Matakana
Invivo is best known for their Sauvignon Blanc (made famous by being loved by UK talkshow host Graham Norton). Being a lover of Rosé I was keen to give their flagship Rosé a try. How was it? Orangeblossom and rosepetals on the nose, juicy strawberries on the palate. Dry in style with a nice finish, and enough flavour to be interesting. In my opinion this … Continue reading Wine review: Invivo Sophie’s Rose Marlborough 2012
Food and wine go hand in hand, so we were pleased to come across Matakana’s Runner Duck Estate which is complemented by Plume restaurant. Husband and wife team team Farida and Clyde Cooper swapped a successful business in Mumbai, India for a small patch of vines just north of Auckland, NZ where they pursue their passion for food and wine. This is a small boutique estate … Continue reading Cellar door visit: Runner Duck Estate/Plume Matakana
On a sunny spring afternoon we drove up to Matakana, (about an hour from Auckland, NZ) to check out some of the local wineries. Given Heron’s Flight were celebrating 20 years of their cellar door open with woodfire pizzas on the go we decided to visit. We did a tasting with David Hoskins, who established the vineyard and winery along with his partner Mary Evans. … Continue reading Vineyard visit: Heron’s Flight Matakana
I was really excited to try this Chardonnay from Frizzell Wines – the brainchild of iconic Kiwi artist/wine lover Dick Frizzell and award winning winemaker, Rob Macdonald. I’m swayed by cool wine labels and I like to think this one is saying “Drink me NOW!!! I’m guaranteed good times and sunshine!!” This Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2011 is juicy with a capital J – peaches, a … Continue reading Wine Review: Frizzell Wines Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2011
According to Maven Wines, a maven is: n. A person with special knowledge or experience; one who is dazzlingly skilled in any field; an expert. Maven Wines have won a few awards, so this seems to be the case for this Marlborough outfit. The Maven 2008 Chardonnay shows its age in the colour, but on tasting it is remarkably fresh and zingy, not unlike the Sauvignon … Continue reading Wine revew: Maven 2008 Chardonnay
This Riesling is fantastic, it has a really lovely light finish, but it still has some body. Flavours of lemon, lime and passionfruit are balanced by a gentle minerality. It’s delectable. I’ve been drinking a lot of Australian Riesling from the Clare and Eden Valley (which is usually bone dry although the Monsters Attack was not) and I have to say this kiwi example definitely has a much gentler touch. Being … Continue reading Wine Review: Craggy Range Te Muna Road Riesling 2011
How cool is this label? Cool as hell! This is an off-dry (which means it’s slightly sweet) Aussie Riesling from the Clare Valley in South Australia. Definitely sweeter than the bone dry Rieslings Australia is famous for, but it’s not a bad thing. Its has a lovely light lemon zest flavour and refreshing minerality with enough acidity to take on that sweetness. Basically, if you were … Continue reading Wine review: Monsters Attack Riesling
This wine is another good value Burgundy I discovered at the recent Harrods tasting. Juicy berries, yet light with lovely soft tannins and finish. Beaujolais is made for easy drinking while young. It’s made with Gamay grapes from the southernmost area of Burgundy, and has a pretty interesting history in that it was hated by the ruling classes at certain periods in history. From wikipedia: … Continue reading Wine review: Louis Jadot Beaujolais Chateau des Jacques, Moulin-a Vent 2009
I was lucky enough to get invited to the Burgundy Tasting at Harrods, I was extremely excited for two reasons – the Burgundy region is renowned for their Chardonnay (which I love) and Pinot Noir (which I also love). The region itself has a pretty amazing history, with Burgundian wines recognised for their quality as early as 591, and they are extremely focused on terroir, … Continue reading Wine review: Chateau Fuisse Pouilly Fuisse Tete de Cru 2007
Winehos 