So I’m in Blenheim, acting as one of the judges at the Marlborough Wine Show. Last night we had the judge’s dinner at Arbour, and it was a splendid occasion….
New York State (6) Bellangelo, Finger Lakes
Chris Missick of Bellangelo recalls how that back in 2005 he attended a summer abroad program in Toulouse, France, while he was studying law. While there, he met a girl,…
Libiamo Amphora Chenin Blanc 2017 Gisborne, New Zealand
This is quite special. It’s an amphora-fermented Chenin Blanc with a dash of Marsanne, that’s on its skins for 222 days, and then pressed and bottled unfiltered with minimal SO2…
Resisting the puritans
When I was much younger, one of my favourite TV shows was the Rowan Atkinson comedy Black Adder, and of the various series, the second, set in Elizabethan England, was…
Cape Wine (7) some more highlights
Some more of the goodies tasted at Cape Wine. Some old friends and new acquaintances. Carinus Rooidrai Chenin Blanc 2017 Swartland, South Africa From 37 year old vines, this is…
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand (4) Collaboration Wines
Julianne Brogden is only 40, but she’s already been making wines for 23 years now. She’s Hawke’s Bay born and bred, and worked briefly in the region, before heading out…
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand (3) Ash Ridge
In 2000, Chris Wilcock bought a peach orchard in the Bridge Pa district of Hawke’s Bay. At the time, he was working as a banker (he had spells in Switzerland,…
New York State (5) Glenora Cellars
Glenora is one of the wineries that was established as a result of the Farm Winery Act in 1976, which made running a winery a possibility for smaller operators. Winemaking…
Hawke’s Bay New Zealand (2) Ant Mackenzie, Craft Farm
Ant Mackenzie has been a winemaker for other people for his whole career, but of late he’s begun making wines under his own name. His first winemaking job was at…