(Part 1 of this blog was posted on February 24^th, 2011.)

            We woke the next morning – our first full day in New Zealand – remarkably refreshed considering our long journey. Brad and I decided to take an early morning stroll around Blenheim, viewing the park, the war memorial, and simply watching the town come to life.

            Stopping at a bakery we ordered coffee and a breakfast roll and sat at a table outside. Ordering coffee in New Zealand is something that takes a little while for the outsider to decipher. If you want an espresso you ask for a Short Black. If you want a double espresso with extra hot water you order a Long Black. If you want a regular coffee with milk you order a Flat White. I won’t go into the bizarre kabbalah of such things as Skinny Flat White, Mochacinno, and beyond. Personally, I stuck to Short Blacks for the entire trip.

            Returning to our hotel we met up with Alex and Drew, and waited to be transported to Cloudy Bay Vineyards, which was about five minutes away. There we met Events and Wine Communications Manager and Sommelier Stephanie McIntyre, and Operations Winemaker Sarah Burton. After a little friendly banter we went into the private tasting room, where the wines were waiting for us.

(Some of the wines we tasted….)

             What better way to begin than with some Pelorus Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine, which I had tried once before in England but which is, unfortunately, not available in the USA. This is a delightful, quality traditional method bubbly made from 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. (Cloudy Bay also makes a vintage Pelorus which is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.) The name Pelorus comes from Pelorus Jack, a famed New Zealand dolphin who, in the late 19^th and early 20^th century, would guide ships through the complex sounds at the north end of the island and safely into harbor. Later I learned that in 1904 he became the first protected dolphin in the world.

            Next we tried the Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010 and their Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2010. The first is, of course, a staple and one of New Zealand’s quintessential Sauvignon Blancs. The Te Koko used 10% new oak – something I generally don’t care for with Sauveys – but this had great balance and cried out for food. The Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2007 used 20% new oak and also showed great finesse.

            Then came three vintages of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir – the 2007, 2008, and 2009 – all of which were delicious, though the ’09 was still young. Sarah, the winemaker, had a preference for the ’07, though Alex and I slightly preferred the ’08.

            We finished with a Cloudy Bay Late Harvest Riesling 2005 – New Zealand dessert wines are definitely worth checking out and this one was a winner, with beautiful balance of fruit and acidity – and a Pelorus Non-Vintage Sparkling Rose. This last was a special 25^th vintage edition that is only available at the winery.

            After the tasting Sarah conducted us on a tour of the winery after which we had a little walk around the vineyards. We were interested to see so many large stones laid along the base of the grapevines – similar to the galets in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And indeed – in the cooler climate of the South Island, these stones hold a lot of heat from the sun which brings a good deal of necessary warmth to the vine.

(Brad, Sarah Burton, Drew, Stephanie McIntyre, and me)

             Then it was time for lunch, which was served outside on a second story veranda – a delicious lunch comprising of an assortment of fresh local produce, meats, and seafood. There were green-lipped mussels, pears, sausage, meat, quiche, cheese, bread, and more. We re-tried the wines from our tasting with the food and, as always, it made the food and the wine even better.

 (Then it was time for lunch….)

             I finished with a Short Black. And looking over to my left at the northern Richmond Range of mountains, I could clearly see the same peaks that are silhouetted on the Cloudy Bay label. (The actual Cloudy Bay, by the way, is on the eastern coastline of Marlborough and was named not because of cloudy skies in the area, but because the soil on the coast made the water itself look slightly milky and cloudy.)

            After such a wonderful lunch in such excellent company, and after such good wine, it was a little difficult to rouse ourselves and move on. But yes, it was time for our visit to Villa Maria.

  (With Cloudy Bay Winemaker Sarah Burton)

(This is Part Two of a continuing blog about our trip to New Zealand. Later this month – a visit to Villa Maria, Brancott Estates, and much more.)

--Bill Stobbs, West Florida Wine Supervisor