Discover award winning summer wines
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
Spring is here, so summer is coming - the summer of love, for wine.
The warmer weather is a great excuse to take some time out and try something new. It could be the start of a summer romance. If you’re not sure where to meet your next wine crush, then try the New World Wine Awards (NWWA) Top 50 wines.
The recently released list features 50 Gold medal wines, judged worthy by some of New Zealand’s most respected wine experts. Better yet, all are easy to find and affordable. To make the cut, a wine will have been tasted more than 19 times by at least 11 judges.
To narrow the field, here are two reds and two whites inspired by the mantra from the very best of summer events - weddings: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
SOMETHING OLD
Kin by Te Kano Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017
Old world winemakers assert that great wines are grown, not made; a product of the soil. Kin by Te Kano Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 ($24.99), is from a new winery that draws on old knowledge. Their soil was extensively researched before planting, and its heritage is reflected in the name Te Kano (meaning the seed), which celebrates the last surviving Kowhai above their Northburn Estate. This centuries’ old tree guarding the Te Kano vineyards is today the mother tree of around a thousand new Kowhai seedlings propagated by the Te Kano team, and stands at the heart of a regeneration project involving thousands of native plants. Its an old tree surrounded by a new future. This Gold medal wine suggests the future is bright. In a region famed for many delicious Pinot Noir, there are precious few at this price.
SOMETHING NEW Coopers Creek Select Vineyards ‘Bell-Ringer’ Albariño 2019
Coopers Creek Select Vineyards ‘Bell-Ringer’ Albariño 2019 is the 2019 Champion Aromatic. A new grape and wine to many of us perhaps, Albariño is a long-time favourite of coastal Portugal and northern Spain. Coopers Creek has been making Albariño for more than eight years and it shows. Initially planted in Gisborne where it has flourished, if you love Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, then an Albariño is your next big adventure in wine. Crisp and delicious with intense flavours and aromas of lime, rock melon and mouth-watering acidity, this is considered the better food pairing wine and at $21.99, what a champion it is.
SOMETHING BORROWED Chalk Hill Grenache Tempranillo 2018
Proximity to Australia has a major advantage when it comes to ripe, juicy and affordable reds. From our neighbours, we’ve borrowed the Chalk Hill Grenache Tempranillo 2018 ($23.99). Grown in McLaren Vale, south of the more famous Barossa, this wine has an elegance the hotter Barossa region wines struggle to achieve. Fruity and spicy, its Syrah-like in depth and texture. Chalk Hill did some borrowing themselves. More than a hundred years ago, they planted Grenache, which is famous in the muscular reds of France’s Rhone Valley. Then from Spain, they planted Tempranillo, which is lifted with fragrant spices and now perfectly at home downunder.
SOMETHING BLUE Music Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Among the seven stunning Gold medallists from the Sauvignon Blanc class is Music Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019. Grown in the Awatere Valley, its racy zest says summer is here with all the upfront appeal that made this style world famous. Music Bay earns its Gold medal by offering a little more than the rest. A new brand, made by the Sauvignon Blanc devotees at O:TU wines, Music Bay is a quality drop at a quality price, $11.99. It has a bold taste and texture that comes from the Otuwhero River soils and it’s seaside setting. Look for the bright blue livery and screw cap.