Yvonne’s pick . . .

If you’re looking for the perfect wine to sip while nibbling on gougeres

(or any sort of sexy, cheesy pastryencased morsel), then look no further than the shiny, new Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay chenin blanc 2018 ($29). Golden, glossy in the glass and heaving with crisp, lip-smacking acidity, toasted coconut and grapefruit characters alongside roasted apples and all manner of mineral-induced magic in the mouth. Chenin blanc hails from the Loire Valley in France (which is where its winemaker Guillaume Thomas is also from) yet it’s clearly made a happy home in Hawke’s Bay’s Tuki Tuki Valley and we should all make it very welcome. maisonnoire.nz

Yvonne Lorkin is co-founder and chief tasting officer of winefriend.co.nz and a Wine Writers of NZ member.