New Zealand Wines Tasted on May 26 by Wine Fellowship Group

–submitted by Mike Wilson

Rotarians and guests of the Wine Fellowship Group enjoyed the hospitality of Mike & Patty Wilson for a “Wines of New Zealand” Tasting on May 26.

The tasting included:

• Three Sauvignon Blancs (SB).  A Sancerre (original classical example of SB), a NZ SB made by Sineann whose Washington winemaker goes down each year to make and ship this back to the US, then we will try a Russian River Valley version of a “Fume Blanc” with a touch of wood.
• Three Chardonnays.  A 2010 Nelson example (near Marlborough) from Neudorf a major producer there, a 2011 Auckland Kumeu Village wine with the distinction that the wine maker (the only one in NZ with a MW) is the son of a “gum digging” Dalmatian Mate Brajkovich who bought the land in 1940, and a 2009 Church Road Reserve from Hawkes Bay.  Three Central Otago Pinot Noirs with two 2012’s, one from Kim Crawford (now not able to use the Crawford name hence Loveblock) and Cashburn from the Bannockburn (Felton Road fame) region, and a 2013 from the itinerant Sineann winemaker.
• Last three wines.  These are three very different wines, an excellent Muller Thurgau from the Alto Adige and the highest winery in the region, a Pinot Gris (the fourth most planted grape in NZ), and a 2009 Church Road Reserve Cabernet/Merlot blend.

Photo 1: Joy & David Rice; Photo 2: Mary Janet & Karl Wellensiek; Photo 3: Julie & Keith Baumgartner

This tasting represented a very special theme:

The dreaded Muller Thurgau, SB from different countries, Chardonnays with one from an educated (MW equates with best tasting knowledge) descendent of the Dalmatians, whose mother still works for the business (a Grand dame), Two bottles from Church Road that I paid $20 each to ship back home from my second to last visit to NZ, Pinot Noirs including one from Kim Crawford, now being allowed to make wine but not use his name (nor will his winemaker son ever be able to label his wines with the Crawford name).

Photo 1: Steve & Meryl Mixtacki; Photo 2: Mary Willmer & Steve Holzhauer; Photo 3: Ellie Schatz; Photo 4: Mary Willmer, Steve Holzhauer, Steve Mixtacki & Meryl Mixtacki

In summary, everyone enjoyed themselves and learned a little more about New Zealand!