CAMERON DOUGLAS
With travel restrictions stopping overseas travel, it’s a good time to rediscover our fine country.
In a typical year, I travel internationally up to 12 times to cities in the US, Australia and the UK taking with me the stories of fine New Zealand wine in as many bottles as allowed into each destination. The plan has always been to showcase what diversity we have across many varieties and styles. It has always been a privilege to do this as a courtesy to the wine sector in Aotearoa. Because we have all had to make different plans for most of this year, mine have been to visit every wine region, talk to as many winemakers and viticultural specialists as possible, smell the air, touch the soil, taste the wine and discover something new. There is a diverse range of homegrown products, from honey and artisan cheeses to new spirit brands and vermouths and many new beer and cider brands that I did not know were out there. The New Zealand food story is diverse, and you can find the classic Kiwi cheese and onion sandwich in a small-town truck-stop café as well as high-quality, thoughtful cuisine in any number of top restaurants.
I’ll never forget the first time I walked around the Yealands vineyards in the Awatere Valley – the smell of sea air and the roar of the ocean many metres below the edge of a cliff at the end of a vineyard. I still have the image of the soil profile etched in my memory. It explains very clearly why the wines of Yealands taste the way they do. The Yealands Reserve range of sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay and pinot noir perfectly express terroir and exacting winemaking. The whites have a natural, clean super-fresh flavour profile, a natural core of fruit contrasted by refreshing acidity and a saline combination. The pinot noir, with its complex dark plum and cherry flavours, has a moreish mouthfeel, fine tannins and lengthy finish. And with summer just around the corner, Yealands has added a new Reserve Rosé 2020 to their range. Be sure to add these wines to your personal wine list, they’re outstanding!