Archive for May 2011

Home Archive for May 2011

We have all heard the cliche, "A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing." When it comes to selecting wine I really don't believe a little bit of knowledge is dangerous but it can limit your possibility of finding a gem.

Take for example Soave. Many of our guests think of Soave as a cheap Italian white wine sold in 1.5 liter bottles for around ten dollars. For the most part they are correct, but there are a handful of top producers that make immensely enjoyable wines. These wines from the quality-driven winemakers go largely unnoticed in our stores because of the tarnished reputation of Soave.

I had the opportunity to visit one of the quality leaders in Soave last month, La Cappuccina. La Cappuccina is a dynamic estate run by three young siblings; Pietro, Sisto and Elena Tessari. The estate is in the picturesque village of Costalunga di Montefort d'Alpone which lies in the central, hilly, classico part of Soave.

Sisto Tessari explained to me that 50 million years ago the hills where his vineyards are located were part of an undersea volcanic mountain range. Why is that important? Sisto went on to explain that the Soave wine production zone is one of the most thoroughly researched in the world. Those ancient lava flows created the dark, mineral rich soil where his vines grow today. "The Soave that is produced here is very different from other parts of the zone."

Sisto Tessari in his cellar under the vineyards.The dark wall behind him is the black basalt rock which bear witness to ancient lava flows.

Great soil alone will not produce great wine. In the vineyard Sisto combines innovation with tradition to obtain low yields. He encourages the vines' roots to compete for nourishment and dig ever deeper into the soil. In addition, since 1985 La Cappuccina has adopted organic production methods. All chemical treatments have been banned in order to guarantee healthier wine and greater respect for the environment.

Next time you are looking for crisp, aromatic, refreshing white wine, try La Cappuccina Soave!

Paul Quaglini

SE Wine Supervisor

Today’s blog is on the India Pale Ale. I would call this style the Scotch of beers. It is usually packed full of bitter hop flavors like pine, mint, citrus, pineapple, and grapefruit, and has an acquired taste. I enjoy a well-hopped IPA and even go for double ones such as Dogfish Head “90 Minute IPA” and Great Divide “Hercules Double IPA”, two very good examples of the style.

In case you did not know, IPAs are basically beefed up pale ales brewed for the English troops stationed in India in the late 1700’s. Hops are a natural preservative so mass amounts were used to withstand the voyage from England to India. More malt was also used to increase the alcohol content, around 8%-9%. The troops received watered down versions of the beer once it reached them while officers were able to enjoy it in its full strength. Americans have adapted their own style of IPA, simply American IPA, which are usually hoppier and bolder in taste with a firm malt backcone.

Sometimes you will see “wet hopped” or “dry hopped” on a packaging. Wet hopping or fresh hopping is taking the hops straight from the vine without drying them (which is usually the case) and using them directly in the brew. This keeps more of the oils and gives the beer a fuller hop essence giving a more “tongue coating” mouth feel. Dry hopping is taking the hops, drying them, and then adding them to the final fermentation to increase aroma. Many Americans IPA brewers do one or the other to really define the hops in the brew.

Some American IPAs you can find at ABC include Shipyard IPA, which is an interesting one because they use Fuggles hops, which are aroma hops that are blended in other brews to produce a nice bouquet to the beer. This exclusive use of the Fuggle strain makes for a lighter tasting IPA perfect for a beginner who wants to try a bolder hop taste. Victory “Hop Devil” is fantastic with a piney hop taste and toasted grains. Sierra Nevada “Torpedo Extra IPA” is another terrific IPA with a nice price. It boasts flavors of grapefruit, pepper, and silky smooth resin. Cheers!

Beer blogger Adam Shugan is assistant manager at our Archer Road, Gainesville store

Being a full-time wine nut, a part-time history buff and a natural worrywart, I often find it perplexing how grape vines native to one wine producing nation can be claimed equally (and with a straight face I might add) by another wine country as their own native variety. Yes, these are the serious questions I often fret over in the wee hours of the morning. Keeps me up at night!

For example, which grape came into existence first, Grenache or Garnacha Tinto? According to science, they’re the same grape variety. Think about it! It’s the vinous equivalent of the chicken or the egg. I mean: is it the French grape (Grenache) that invaded Iberia first or the Spanish interloper (Garnacha) that cleverly infiltrated the Southern French countryside? Could the all-star red grape of Chateauneuf-du-Pape really have started out as a benchwarmer in Aragon?

Modern-day ampelographers (those DNA nerds charged with identifying and classifying all things grapevine) will tell you it is clearly of Spanish heritage. But, try telling that to a French winemaker! Odds are that you’ll get a quizzical look for asking such a ridiculous question. How could any grape that makes wine in France not be from France? Makes pretty good sense to me!

Vexing questions, these are. Right up there with the other weighty issues that gnaw upon my psyche like “did the Big Bang really happen?” or “will the Cubs ever win another World Series?” Furthermore, how certain can we be that Mourvedre and Monastrell are really be the same grape too? For that matter, does Carignan really equal Mazuelo? DNA testing says they are. But how reliable are those DNA tests anyway? 99.5 percent give or take a thousandth of a percent? Perish the thought! That still leaves a .5 percent of chance of something being terribly wrong with my wine-perfect world!

Oh, the horror!!!

Meltdown eminent! Get hold of yourself, Jim! Relax! Breathe through your eyeballs for cryin’ out loud!

Find your center, Zen-like. Be one with your wine universe. Calm state returning. That’s a bit better.

My doctor says I should consider a course in stress management. He might be right! Tonight I think I’ll pop the cork on a nice bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, slowly sip a few glasses, ponder the existence of Grenache, and consider taking him up on his offer.

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

I don’t care who knows. I love Zinfandel, and of course I mean Red Zinfandel, though I must admit that my love for Zin began with Sutter Home White Zinfandel in the Eighties, as I was “coming of age” (which is just another way to say that I was underage and sneaking wine from my parents’ pantry). This first “Zin Love” was fueled by my earliest addiction, sugar, but I quickly discovered the real Zinfandel at 21, while working at a small wine and cheese shop. Ravenswood made a memorable first impression, enough so that I visited them on a trip out to California in 1992, when “No Wimpy Wines” was their catchphrase. Soon after, I learned of the three “R’s” of Zinfandel: Ridge, Rosenblum and Rombauer (though some people include Ravenswood and drop one of the others). On my most recent trip to Sonoma County back in 2007 I made sure Ridge was on the top of my visitation list, even though we were staying at Alexander Valley Vineyards, whose Sin Zin is also one of my favorites. Ridge, with its old vine field blends will always be a favorite, especially the Lytton Springs, which is consistently good from vintage to vintage.

I could spend this entire blog listing the Zins I’ve fallen in love with and when (for example, Bogle Old Vine in 1995), or the smaller AVAs that have reignited my passion (Lodi Ancient Vines) but that would take pages and pages. What is it that I love so much about this varietal that was almost supplanted and replaced in the Eighties? If it hadn’t been for White Zinfandel, there might not be as much Old Vine Zin, since planting Cabernet was all the rage back then. Perhaps it was the mystery of the US’s own varietal: Where did it originate? Who brought it to North America? Is it truly the same as Italy’s Primitivo? All of these questions have now been answered since we know it was originally from Croatia and called Crljenak. Most likely Count Harazaty brought some of the first cuttings to California. Zinfandel is genetically identical to Primitivo, though they can be stylistically very different.

In the warmth of California, Zin reaches heady levels of alcohol like 15% to 16%, and some really ripe Zins, like Rombauer, can border on port-like flavors. It is ripe and juicy enough to drink alone (very appealing to many American wine drinkers) but also has spice and acidity to make it fine to pair with many meals (especially Memorial Day barbecues). I love Zinfandel with grilled steaks, with pork tenderloin, with smoked meats and with spicy chili. Zinfandel matches most vegetarian dishes, and it pairs perfectly with rich, chocolate desserts. That magic combination of extreme jammy and spicy flavors reflects an American orientation: soft yet potent.

Recently I tried the new vintage of the Twisted Vine Lodi Zinfandel, and it had so much of what I love and have just mentioned (not a wimpy wine), but it also had another favorite Zin characteristic for me: its price. At about $12 per bottle, this wine is a steal, and compared to other California varietals like Cabernet and Pinot Noir, Zin is still a great value with great quality. Make some barbecue, sweet, smoky and spicy, and pair it with this 2009 Twisted Vine Zin, since it has real smoke and spice characters, with just enough fruit to find a balance. Grill some balsamic-marinated Portobello mushrooms to throw on a spinach salad and discover how the blackberry and boysenberry ripeness, coupled with spice and young oak, make the meal come together in a very special, almost nostalgic way, and then come back and try ALL the other Zins we sell at ABC Fine Wines and Spirits. Enjoy!

Guest blogger Daniel Eddy is the Wine Consultant for ABC in Gainesville, Florida

You can read more of his wine writings at Examiner.com for Gainesville: http://www.examiner.com/wine-pairing-in-gainesville/daniel-eddy

I was sitting on my hotel room balcony in Napier, sipping on some spring water, listening to Van Morrison, and looking out over Hawke’s Bay. Brad and Alex had gone to the beach across the street for a swim. It was a sunny late afternoon with temperatures around 80 degrees F, and I was quite content to relax, read an occasional line or two of my book, and soak in the scenery. At six o’clock we were going to be picked up and taken to our final appointment in New Zealand.

We were met promptly at six by Günter Thies – who was a longtime business friend of Brad’s from Günter’s days at Schloss Schönborn in the Rheingau – and who is now Managing Director of Elephant Hill Estate and Winery here in Hawke’s Bay. When Günter heard that Brad was visiting New Zealand he extended a warm invitation for us all to come and visit the winery. So, we dutifully climbed into his Rolls Royce – you just know you’re in for a special visit when you’re picked up in a Rolls! – and headed for the coastal village of Te Awanga.

Elephant Hill was the result of owners Reydon and Roger Weiss visiting the area in 2001 and falling in love with it. Together they envisioned creating a state-of-the-art winery that produced world class wines. The first plantings were made in 2003 and their first vintage was as recent as 2008. Cooled by nearby Pacific Ocean sea breezes – the winery is as coastal as you can get – and warmed by long sunshine hours and low rainfall, the wines show wonderful purity and elegance, rich concentration, and a lively acidity. The grapes are 100% hand-picked and 100% sustainably farmed. Walking around the winery you immediately get the impression that every detail has to be just right.

(Günter Thies and Brad Lewis at Elephant Hill)

Elephant Hill is not just a state-of-the-art winery in a gorgeous coastal setting. It is also a renowned restaurant that was a finalist in Cuisine’s 2010 NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards.

We sat in the comfortable sunken lounge where we were met by winemaker Steve Skinner who was to join us for dinner, and tasted a couple of wines. Günter and Steve could not have been more gracious, and from our first sip we knew that the wines were something special.

It was a beautiful evening so we sat out on the huge terrace that hugs the restaurant and ordered dinner. Everything was so relaxed and yet meticulously organized. The food was excellent, as were the wines we sampled. Though certain of the quality of all the Elephant Hill wines, Günter seemed less interested in showcasing their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir – we also noted with a little surprise that they made no Riesling – than emphasizing the varietals that truly reveal the terroir of Hawke’s Bay in general and Te Awanga in particular. What truly stood out among the whites was the Viognier and Chardonnay, and among the reds were some world-class Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

By the time we finished, the sun had set behind the mountains and now the faces of the many guests were warmed in the glow of soft candlelight – or perhaps it was the wine. Feeling fully content with so much excellent food and wine, we said our thank yous, climbed back into the Rolls and returned to our hotel, agreeing to meet Günter again in the morning. And so I sat once more on my balcony, at midnight, sipping on some spring water and listening to the silence and the soft roll of the surf before going to bed.

The next morning – Sunday – we met Günter once more at Elephant Hill. At our request he showed us around the winery which was, as expected, impressive; and then he took us on a drive to Te Mata.

(Alex, Bill, and Günter Thies atop Te Mata)

Te Mata o Rongokako (to give its full name) is a limestone peak that takes you up 399 meters (1309 feet) above sea level and looks down on the village of Havelock North, the east coast beach of Mahia and, in the distance, the volcano of Mount Ruapehu. The views are spectacular whichever way you look and the walk along the peak quite bracing. Then it was back to Elephant Hill for a delightful lunch before saying goodbye to Günter and beginning the journey home.

There was still the long drive back to New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington where we spent the night. There was still the three hour ferry trip to the South Island, and the taxi ride to Blenheim where we boarded plane number one on our thirty hour trip back to Florida. We were a little tired of our life on the road by then, but beneath it all felt a sense of calm achievement, of a visit successfully completed.

It had been a fascinating trip to a country we had never visited before. We tasted wines that surpassed our expectations, and food that was so much more than plain fare. And we met so many kind and friendly faces who were dedicated to their craft and who relished our positive response. The entire visit was pleasure.

Kia ora, New Zealand!

(Bill Stobbs and Günter Thies at Elephant Hill Winery)

(Previous blogs of our trip to New Zealand were posted on Feb 24, Mar 10, Mar 24, Apr 7, Apr 21, and May 5.)

Bill Stobbs, Wine Supervisor

Allow me to be the first contributor to this blog space to announce that ABCFWS has recently added a terrific assortment of authentic regional and artisanal cheeses from Artisanal Premium Cheese to selected stores in Florida. For the cheese lover in me, the timing couldn’t be better. I mean, let’s face it. What goes better with wine than cheese? Not too much else in my book. After all, these two partners have had a natural affinity for each other since perhaps the dawn of civilization. Well, at least as old as the discovery of fermentation.

So what’s the new cheese lineup look like? There are a total of 13 new choices from around the world: 3 from France, 2 from the Netherlands, 5 artisanal cheeses from the USA, and 1 each from Italy, Spain and Canada. The new French cheeses include a Brillat-Savarin, a Tomme Fermiere from Alsace and a Camenbert, the Netherlands entries are a 4 year aged Gouda and a Geit-in-stad , while the 6 US selections hail from Utah (Terraluna), Minnesota (North Country Blue), Wisconsin (Uplands Pleasant Ridge), and Vermont (a Bordeaux-style goats cheese called Laurier and 2 year aged Cheddar). Rounding out the collection are an Italian Pecorino Sardo, a Spanish La Peral and a Canadian Sentinelle. Whew! That’s quite a variety!

I recently treated my taste buds to the La Peral, a creamy cow and sheep’s milk blue cheese produced in Northern Spain in Asturias. The La Peral reminded me of an Italian Gorgonzola Dulce – slightly crumbly, with a moist, rich consistency and pleasantly mild sharpness. It has a hint of olive and mushroom with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. I cut a few slabs and spread it on some crusty, French-style baguettes and paired it with a robust, jammy, Garnacha from Campo de Borja (Borsao Tres Picos $15.99). The wine’s deep plum fruit and black pepper spice contrasted nicely with the salty and buttery notes in the cheese. Later that same evening, I melted some the La Peral on top of a perfectly seared sirloin burger cooked to a juicy medium rare. Man, talk about beyond good!

After googling La Peral on the web, I was interested to find out that this cheese is produced by one family going back to the 1920’s. I’ve since had it with other wines: a Rioja Reserva, a Ruby Porto and a nutty Amontillado Sherry, all with good success.

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

The requirements for Vitis vinifera grapes are long, warm to hot, dry summers and mild winters. The optimum amount of rainfall is 22 inches annually. Irrigation is also desirable and often essential from spring continuing until harvest. One reason California produces such great grapes is the state generally has dry weather in late spring and summer. Too much rain at this time can cause grey rot and other diseases. A rainy summer can also push back harvest. Rainfall right before harvest causes the vines to eagerly suck up the water throwing the sugar/acidity balance off.

In regions like Bordeaux, “inclement harvest season weather” makes the harvesting of Cabernet Sauvignon a little earlier than ideal and thus requires blending of other grapes to “fill in the gaps.” As global warming has increased the number of warm vintage years, the need for blending is based more on ideology and tradition. Cabernet Sauvignon is very rarely planted any further north than Bordeaux due to its late ripening requiring a warm climate to reach optimum ripeness. If the climate is too cool there is a potential for more herbaceous and green bell pepper flavors from less than ideally ripening grapes.

Further north in Burgundy, pinot noir thrives due to it being an early ripener and the climate is ideal where warm weather ends quickly.

The main wine producing climate lies below the 50^th parallel. Above this line, the climate is too cold. Germany, the most northerly wine region in the world, situates their vineyards around rivers which moderate the temperatures. The vineyards face south or south-west to angle towards the sun where the slate soil in the steep valleys absorb the sun’s heat and retain it overnight. White grape varieties such as Riesling, Mueller-Thurgau and Gewurztraminer do best here.

In the Piedmont region of Italy, the warmer south-facing slopes are mainly used to grow Nebbiolo or Barbera grapes; the cooler sites are planted with Dolcetta or Moscato.

In Tuscany, the area has a warm Mediterranean climate where the Sangiovese grape performs best where it can receive direct sunlight with the many hillside vineyards.

There is a danger that climate change could crush the wine industry in California. A 2 degree rise in temperature could make Napa Valley Chardonnay a thing of the past. A couple more degrees and Napa would no longer be prime territory for wine of any kind. Warmer winters would hinder bud development. Napa Valley region is blessed with a 64 degree average temperature that falls in the middle of the comfort zones of many varietals including Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. But……Napa barely hits the range for Chardonnay grapes which thrive in the 57 to 63 degree temperatures. Even 1 degree could push Napa into questionable territory for Chardonnay.

Mankind manages to overcome/adjust to changes when necessary. I’m sure if the need comes to change what we are familiar with, to that which will work more efficiently……so be it. We shall overcome!

(Part 1 of this post was published on April 24)

Marie Griffin, West/Northwest Florida Wine Supervisor

It was over five years ago that I was lucky enough to earn a trip to New Zealand through Villa Maria Winery. We visited both the North and South Islands. On the former we sampled wines from Hawkes Bay in the Bordeaux and Rhone Style. On the latter we stayed in Marlborough and were awed by the massive amount of Sauvignon Blanc they’d planted and by all the new hill plantings of Pinot Noir and Riesling. They joked how they had to kick off the goats to make space for Pinot in the hills that frame the alluvial plain that is Marlborough. That’s what’s so clever about these industry wine trips: you never forget the hospitality and generosity of other oenophiles. Yes, even now, I am pre-disposed to loving these wines, as they often remind me of an incredible adventure and of locales where I first experienced this particular terroir and varietal combination.

On the northern tip of the South Island, facing the North Island, made famous by Cloudy Bay back in the Nineties, Marlborough is the center of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I am drinking the Jules Taylor 2010 Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and I get the gooseberry that is in almost all Sauvignon Blanc wines. Sauvignon Blanc is the one grape that in the vineyard smells exactly like the wine. Most other wine grapes smell like table grapes, but Sauvignon Blanc truly smells like Sauvignon Blanc. I get this hint of bell peppers, and I think back to the large green mussels we sautéed in a similar wine with diced fresh peppers and leeks. The Jules Taylor brings back that sense memory, and then continues to tell its own story. Clean and zippy on the palate, with bracing acidity, without being strident; elegance and balance rule the day at only $16 per bottle. Obviously it pairs very well with seafood, or creamy chicken dishes, or just herb-roasted fowl. For the vegetarians out there, this wine would pair well with mildly spicy Asian food, or tarragon-roasted tofu, or Alfredo dishes.

They were so proud of their newly discovered microclimates for Pinot Noir that they drove us up in jeeps, to picnic and to see the new plantings and the incredible view of Blenheim and the whole valley. This is when they told us about the evicted goats, as we sampled some of their reserves and individual vineyard Pinot Noirs. This Jules Taylor 2009 Pinot Noir from Ballochdale Estate, is from a similar high altitude vineyard. My first whiff is of smoke and clean earth, like a campfire the next morning, which quickly transforms into sun-dried tomatoes and white pepper. This kiwi Pinot has some real depth, with mineral notes on the palate. After an initial taste of dried cherries with a hint of brandy, I quickly shift to orange zest, finishing out with a slight spicy, mineral bite. I think of the grilled lamb we had in New Zealand, and how this wine would pair with it perfectly, with some roasted fingerling potatoes and some of their local squash, which looked giant and alien, like their mussels.

I couldn’t help but notice all the venison farms around Marlborough, and this is a Pinot that can hold up to venison. Grilled vegetables of all kinds would work with the initial smoke characters of this wine. Maybe roasted eggplant and ratatouille would bring in some of the strangely Provençale flavors I get out of this complex wine, well worth it’s $20 price tag. If you think all Kiwi Pinot Noir is thin, then try this one, and you’ll know that doesn’t have to be the case.

Our sense of smell has been shown to evoke memories, quicker and more viscerally, than any of our other senses. By just cracking open this wine in Gainesville, Florida, I’m transported back to an adventure of five years ago, and a place of beauty and wonder, hosted by a welcoming and relaxed populace (no wonder so many of us want to move there). Now to try and recreate some of the meals that I had to further appreciate these wines and bring back even more memories. Cheers!

Daniel Eddy, Fine Wine Consultant for ABC in Gainesville, Florida

Want to read more of Daniel's wine musings? He also writes for the Gainesville Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/wine-pairing-in-gainesville/daniel-eddy

(Leaving the South Island on the ferry.)

So far, we had only visited one wine region – Marlborough – on one island. Now it was time to pack our bags and head up to the North Island of New Zealand for a couple of days, where we had some appointments in the Hawke’s Bay region.

We taxied up to the picturesque port town of Picton, which we had a little time to explore and stop for a short black coffee before boarding the ferry to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city on the North Island.

The trip on the car ferry lasts about three hours and takes you first through the spectacular scenery of the Marlborough Sounds before crossing between the two islands. This, we were told, could be a turbulent trip, but the wine gods smiled down on us and gave us sunny weather and calm seas.

Arriving in Wellington we picked up our rental car and headed up toward Hawke’s Bay, a journey which should have lasted about three hours but because of heavy traffic jams around Wellington took over five. Anxious to get there at a reasonable time we kept going without stopping for food (except chips and chocolate at a gas station). By the time we checked in at our hotel in Havelock North it was almost 10 p.m. and we were starving. Restaurants were closed so we ended up at a pub that served us a few tapas and the world’s worst pizza. Never mind, we ate it all with the help of a couple of beers. We also tried a glass of Chattering Magpie Syrah which was pretty impressive, and I finished (thank you, Alex) with a glass of 1959 New Zealand port.

The next morning Brad and I walked around the village, were suitably impressed by Bellatino’s Food Lovers Market which was something like a good New York Italian deli, and stopped for a short black before heading out to our first appointment of the day – Vidal Winery in the town of Hastings.

Vidal (pronounced VEYE-dal) Winery was founded in 1905 by Spaniard Anthony Joseph Vidal, who quickly established himself as one of New Zealand’s early innovators. It has been owned by Villa Maria since 1976, which allows them access to Villa Maria’s many vineyards (including sites at the famous Gimblett Gravels), but also allows them to keep their own autonomy. It is still run like a boutique winery. The wines aren’t available yet in the U.S., but there are plans to begin next year.

(With Senior Winemaker Hugh Crichton at Vidal.)

We were welcomed by Senior Winemaker Hugh Crichton, who spoke to us for a while of Vidal’s history and future plans before showing us into the barrel rooms to taste some samples from the barrel. Hawke’s Bay, being further north than Marlborough, has a considerably warmer climate. Here the emphasis is not on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, but on the red Bordeaux varietals – Cabernet and Merlot primarily – as well as Syrah and Chardonnay. The wines of Vidal oozed quality. After the barrel samples we sat down for a tasting of twelve wines – some released, some tank samples. I was especially impressed by the Vidal Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2010 on all three tiers; the Vidal Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (which was judged Top Wine and Best Buy in a tasting at New Zealand’s premiere food and wine magazine Cuisine); and the Vidal Hawke’s Bay Reserve Syrah 2007.

The Syrah wines of New Zealand in general, and Hawke’s Bay in particular, have an elegance that has more to do with the northern Rhone than the bolder Shirazes of Australia across the Tasman Sea. I was particularly impressed by them because they came as a surprise. I wasn’t expecting that kind of quality from New Zealand Syrah.

We took a thirty minute break after the tasting and I sipped on a glass of delicious Vidal Pinot Noir Rose as an aperitif before lunch. We dined outside at the Vidal Restaurant with Hugh and were joined by viticulturist Ollie Powrie. The restaurant, founded in 1979, was a finalist in the 2010 NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards, and Executive Chef Ken O’Connell was awarded New Zealand Chef of the Year 2008, so you can imagine how good the lunch was. Especially as Hawke’s Bay boasts more artisan food producers than any other province, and is home to New Zealand’s original farmer’s market, still the biggest and the best in the country. The wines that Hugh chose paired spectacularly with the food.

(Alex with Ollie Powrie in the vineyards.)

Afterward Ollie took us on a tour of various well-known vineyards in the area – Keltern, Waikahu, Twyford Gravels – as well as the impressive Gimblett Gravels, that long dried-out river bed whose soil and climate are perfect for grapes. The tour was interesting, educational, and fun, and Ollie did a terrific job of explaining the lay of the land to us.

But now it was time for the first part of our final appointment – a visit that would be a spectacular conclusion to our journey….

(Previous blogs on our trip to New Zealand were posted on Feb 24, Mar 10, Mar 24, Apr 7, and Apr 21. The blog concludes with our final days in New Zealand in two weeks.)

Bill Stobbs, Wine Supervisor

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Brew Hops & Wine Stops

Drouhin wines

A visit to La Cappuccina

India Pale Ale

Existentially yours: Spain or France? Grenache or Garnacha?

Thinking inside the box…..the first wine!

What's the difference In Mosel, Germany's, 2009 & 2010 vintages

Hot days, cool drinks

A love letter to Zinfandel, Twisted Vine 2009

A visit to New Zealand (Part 7)

Wine tasting: Paul Pillot wines

Looking for "real" tomatoes

Travels in Oltrepo

Guinness and the grill

Got Cheese? (La Peral)

Thinking "inside" the box

How climate affects grape-growing and wines, Part II

Exploring wine country: Valkenburg

Memories of New Zealand, Revisited in the Current Vintage

Yet more New Zealand wines (Part 6)

Don't-miss wine from the Cotes du Rhone

Killer summer Cabernet

A Humbling Experience