WineNZ Summer 18-19 (1)

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Associate judge Michael Ledingham sniffs out a winner. SPARKLING WINE is a complicated market The French have done a marvellous job protecting the Champagne brand and retaining its exclusivity. So much so that Champagne is still the go-to beverage when it is time for a grown-up celebration. What about Prosecco, which has been selling like crazy in Europe and the UK in recent years? It is made with glera grapes, rather than the Champagne trio of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, and a less complicated production method enables the Italians to keep the price down. While it has had big sales success of late, it is swimming in a different pond to Words by Paul Taggart Californian and New Zealand methode traditionelle score very well in tastings and even educated palates would have a hard time judging them inferior to their French equivalents. And yet, the perceived prestige of Champagne continues. Champagne. And it is Champagne that the best of the Kiwi sparkling wines need to compete with, as ours are made by the more expensive methode traditionelle (which used to be called method champenoise before the French put a stop to it). But there are methode traditionelle wines from other parts of France and also Spain (Cava) which lower-budget wedding parties can turn to before considering going Kiwi. So how can we get some cut-through? It’s a good question and one our judges chewed over before sampling our small but excellent array of sparkling wine in the summer tasting. They were of the view that we produce decent examples of methode traditionelle. The winning wine proved the point, attracting comments such as yeasty, crusty bread, yellow apple, which is exactly what you expect for top-flight sparkling wine, whatever its origin. However, the combined view of the three experts – each with a different country of origin, although now full-time professionals in the New Zealand wine business – was that the industry as a whole could do better with sparkling if more effort went in to it, although there are pockets of excellence. The home market is very small for wine that is expensive to produce, and exporting is difficult because in overseas markets it is going up against Champagne. Which means – again because it is expensive to produce – making methode traditionelle in New Zealand is just too much effort for the return for all but a handful of determined people. And, said Matt Kirby, the prestige for Kiwi sparkling just isn’t there, however good it might be. It is similar to the situation with Chinese wine, he said. It doesn’t matter how good it is, people in China want to drink imported wine, as they see it as more prestigious. Then, for every great New Zealand methode traditionelle, there are several cheap sparklers made by quicker, easier methods. These wines further muddy the water and make the efforts to create an air of prestige around the sparkling label all the harder. But for all that, there is no getting away from the fact that the handful of wines that did make it in to the star ratings in our tasting are wonderful quality and a credit to their dedicated producers. And consumers can pick up some serious bargains by drinking local, and avoiding the premium prices Champagne continues to attract thanks to its ruthlessly efficient self-promotion. But if anyone can break out and make methode traditionelle a thing in New Zealand, it is the aptly named No 1 Family Estate, run by the Le Brun family, which took out the number one spot in our tasting. Daniel Le Brun has been making methode traditionelle in Marlborough for nearly 40 years, after arriving from France, where his family had been involved with wine since 1684. No 1 Family Estate was the sixth family business to collect a top wine/five stars award in this series of tastings, which must say something for the need for long-term planning and dedication to quality that often comes from having a winery team consisting of husbands and wives, sons and daughters and the occasional grandparent too. 44 WineNZ Magazine | Summer 2018-19
sparkling wines | tastings Recommended by Sparkling wines MAGAZINE MAGAZINE $96 No.1 Reserve Marlborough NV Simon Nash: Full lemon colour. Quite full, bright though. Lemon zest, autolysis. Good lemon peel, dry, nice expression of fruit. Quite serious. Matt Kirby: Nice, austere aromatic. Nutty. Good, fresh and precise. Barry Riwai: Cream, green melon, good structure and mousse. Fine, dry finish. Savoury end, perfect apéro. Nutty dryness. www.winenzmagazine.co.nz 45
Page 1 and 2: WineNZ Summer 2018/19 $9.90 Winemak
Page 3 and 4: news & views www.winenzmagazine.co.
Page 5 and 6: We will have a top line-up of wine
Page 8 and 9: contents WineNZ IN THIS ISSUE SUMME
Page 10 and 11: The family way The Astrolabe family
Page 12 and 13: new releases Five-star by the sea W
Page 14 and 15: A star is The accolades keep coming
Page 16 and 17: feature | the frey way FREY WAY THE
Page 18 and 19: feature | the frey way A catch in C
Page 20 and 21: feature | the frey way Caroline Fre
Page 22 and 23: The summer issue tasting team. From
Page 24 and 25: Annual subscription ($39) Two-year
Page 26 and 27: Recommended by Sauvignon Blanc MAGA
Page 28 and 29: Recommended by SAUVIGNON BLANC MAGA
Page 30 and 31: Recommended by SAUVIGNON BLANC MAGA
Page 32 and 33: tastings | alternative sauvignon bl
Page 34 and 35: tastings | alternative sauvignon bl
Page 36 and 37: Recommended by ALTERNATIVE SB MAGAZ
Page 38 and 39: THE TWO ROSÉS Words by Paul Taggar
Page 40 and 41: Recommended by ROSÉ MAGAZINE $19.9
Page 42 and 43: Recommended by MAGAZINE Whistling B
Page 46 and 47: Recommended by MAGAZINE Recommended
Page 48 and 49: OUR WATER
Page 50 and 51: feature | kevin judd A winemaker’
Page 52 and 53: feature | kevin judd Frost at dawn,
Page 54 and 55: feature | kevin judd What really ha
Page 56 and 57: Queenstown Vineyard Escape Boutique
Page 58 and 59: feature | wine people’s places Tw
Page 60 and 61: feature | wine people’s places
Page 62 and 63: feature | wine people’s places Th
Page 64: TURNING RURAL & AGRIBUSINESS COMPLE
Page 67 and 68: huchet goes home | column Hunting f
Page 69 and 70: cellar door | feature Monsoon Valle
Page 71 and 72: cellar door | feature While keeping
Page 73 and 74: World-class wine science and viticu
Page 75 and 76: ars & restaurants | food Humorous p
Page 77 and 78: RNZB NEW CHOREOGRAPHIC SERIES Speci
Page 79 and 80: well matched | food Leefield Statio
Page 81 and 82: Guylian the world’s favourite Bel
Page 83 and 84: thailand | travel Thailand has some
Page 85 and 86: about the chase than the kill, and
Page 87 and 88: maserati | motoring Congestion is h
Page 89 and 90: from a stray dog or errant cow, the
Page 92: The new Continental GT. Be Extraord

WineNZ Summer 18-19 (1)

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