I arrived in Queenstown late Tuesday morning, and I wasn’t feeling too bad. The flight down from Auckland was a beautiful one: you need to get a window seat on…
My New Zealand Pinot Noir e-book is now released
I love New Zealand Pinot Noir. When I was beginning my journey into wine, back in the early 1990s, it was a Kiwi Pinot that first switched me on to…
Some highlights from the New Zealand Annual Trade Tasting
I’m off to New Zealand on Sunday. But first, to whet my appetite, today’s New Zealand Annual trade tasting, held at the Lindley Hall near Victoria, with its fabulous natural…
A lovely German Pinot Noir
I like this. It’s a German Pinot Noir in a modern, almost New World mould. I’ve had some good German Pinots in the past, but the best ones have been…
New Kiwi wines from Rod Easthope
I first met Rod Easthope when he was winemaker at Craggy Range, based in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, back in 2008. I met him again in 2010 at the Hawkes…
A quick comparative Pinot Noir tasting (and drinking)
So tonight, I have four Pinot Noirs open. A chance to do some comparative tasting. I love Pinot Noir. It’s such a great grape variety. So, for me, this is…
Craggy Range Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2011
This was the standout vintage of a recent 10-year vertical tasting of Pinot Noirs from Craggy Range’s Te Muna Road vineyard in Martinborough. It’s not a rich, dense, flashy Pinot,…
Canada’s finest? Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Norman Hardie
On my recent trip to Canada, one of my favourite experiences (of many good ones) was visiting Norman Hardie in Prince Edward County. He’s making some brilliant Pinot Noir and…
Impressive new wines from Tasmania’s Tolpuddle Vineyard
Very excited to be able to try these two new wines. They are a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay from Tasmania’s Tolpuddle vineyard, and represent the first vintage to be…