New Wines, New Flavours
Do you remember the first ‘aha!’ moment when you had a sip of wine and all the fuss about it finally made sense to you?
Winemakers all over the world are working to keep that excitement alive with new wines and new flavours to try. Thankfully, the New World Wine Awards is back with its Top 50 list of Gold medal winners. It’s the perfect place to start, whether you’re looking for something old world, new world or out of this world.
A fresh spin on a New Zealand classic… Villa Maria’s Platinum Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie 2018 ($19.99), took Gold with its innovative style and spectacular flavor. Senior Marlborough Winemaker Helen Morrison says it was made, “to showcase and celebrate the diversity of Sauvignon Blanc and Marlborough. The wine is richer, riper and has a tropical fruit profile, but is drier than usual, so it will appeal to Chardonnay drinkers as well.”
Morrison shares there is a special winemaking approach behind this wine, giving it a touch of individuality compared to the classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs the world knows and expects from New Zealand. “Sur Lie means the yeast cells have been left in the wine after fermentation, adding texture and creaminess. We also aged this wine for five months and around 43 per cent of it in older seasoned oak barrels.” This expensive technique is more common in higher-priced wine, but not usually seen in wine this affordable.
A new wine to New Zealand shores… Coopers Creek Select Vineyards ‘Bell-Ringer’ Albariño 2019 ($21.99) not only won a Gold medal, but it was also crowned the Champion Aromatic. Coopers Creek owner Andrew Hendry is rightly proud of this achievement.
“Having pioneered Albariño eight years ago, 2019 has fulfilled our expectations. It’s a stunning wine, with extraordinary texture and complexity, and it has a brilliant zest which gives the palate real length and vigour. It’s also delightfully young and will age beautifully for three to four years.”
Albariño is a great wine to pair with food, especially seafood. “Its slightly salty minerality makes it the best wine to have with raw oysters and a Peruvian ceviche I make frequently at home for visitors and dinner parties,” says Hendry.
With summer and BBQ season on the way, it’s the ideal time to check out some interesting new red wines too.
A chance to reignite your love of reds… Chair of Judges for the New World Wine Awards, Jim Harré, says this year’s Top 50 has a great collection of new varieties and styles to explore – particularly in the red wine classes.
“We judged more than 1,200 wines over the course of three days and discovered some extraordinary red wine varietals that are still very new to New Zealand.”
Harré adds that some Kiwis may already be familiar with these red varietals, perhaps having seen or tried them during trips abroad to Europe, but can be equally enjoyed at home under the sun. “You don’t have to reserve red wine for the cooler months, in fact, reds are perfect for year-round gatherings.”
Yalumba is one of Australia’s renowned wineries and it’s a familiar brand on supermarket shelves in New Zealand. Yalumba’s Y Series Tempranillo 2018 ($12.99) features the Tempranillo grape, with a famous pedigree as Spain’s noble grape and the one behind the renowned Rioja region’s wines. “This wine’s big flavours – think fruit richness, savoury meaty notes with spice, and a big, rich mouth-filling flavor – make it a perfect match for red meat, game, ham and roasted vegetables,” says Harré.
A value best kept secret… The Argentinian-grown Trapiche Pure Black Malbec 2018 ($14.99) is also right at home around the BBQ and pairs exceptionally well with leaner meats and blue cheese, as well as dark chocolate. Harré adds, “if you like Cabernet Sauvignon, reach for a Malbec next time and discover a new favourite that your palate will love. It’s warm and inviting, and it’s also a perfect housewarming or dinner party host gift – the recipient of a good Malbec will never be disappointed!” This variety can be enjoyed now or will develop with age, getting even better in a few years’ time.
The New World Wine Awards Top 50 are all priced under $25, $20 and $15. The hard work has been done for you thanks to the New World Wine Awards judges, so stretch the boundaries of your wine palate and pick up something new from the Gold medal awarded Top 50 list. Visit www.newworld.co.nz/ wineawards to find notes on every winning wine and details of complimentary in-store wine sampling dates.