Top 10 Kiwi Wines

To kick start our spring New Zealand promotion, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite Kiwi wines. We all know the distinctive Sauvignon Blancs of Marlborough, but New Zealand is certainly no one trick pony - this country is beginning to create a buzz around its other wine styles, including bright, fragrant Gruner Veltliners and ‘old world’ style Syrahs…

Now that Sauvignon Blanc has become, quite possibly, the world’s most famous grape, it has become harder and harder to find the good stuff. But that’s why we’re here: to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

The Frost Pocket Sauvignon Blanc 2014 is a consistent customer favourite here at GWW, and, at under £9, it’s an absolute bargain. Luxuriate in the lime, gooseberry and tropical fruit flavours while throwing a couple of marinated prawns on an early season BBQ.

Mansion House Bay is another cracking Sauvignon from husband and wife team, Greg and Sue White. This brilliantly made, boutique-style Marlborough Sauvignon is generously fruity, with uplifting scents of gooseberry, redcurrant and citrus: One to keep to yourself, if you can hide a bottle or two away.

Carrick Winery, based in Central Otago, have really pulled out all the stops with this one: Their Chardonnay was chosen as Alan’s Wine of the Week, and rightly so. It’s a terrific, crisp style of wine, with hints of pineapple and vanilla – one to give the winemakers of Burgundy a run for their money.

If crisp, delicious and aromatic is your thing - and you fancy a change from all that Sauvignon Blanc - then look no further that Yealands’ amazing Gruner Veltliner. Yes, its one of those grapes that people struggle to pronounce, but as soon as the wine washes over your tongue, you’ll be mouthing the words ‘refreshing’ and ‘inviting’, just like a pro.

Crossroads are a new addition to the GWW list, a winery that is putting the old region of Hawkes Bay back on the map. Their single vineyard Gewurztraminer is almost designed with spicy Asian cuisine in mind: the aromas of lychee, lemon, ginger and rose petals are a treat with fiery Thai curries and tom yum.

Always on the lookout for new ideas, Yealands winemaker Tamra Kelly-Washington took three aromatic grapes from Alsace - Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling – and created a brand new taste sensation that has proved a winning formula for customers and critics alike - we defy you not to fall for her gorgeously proportioned blend, PGR.

The red equivalent of the success story of Sauvignon Blanc would have to be Pinot Noir, and the Kiwis have become pastmasters at producing this medium bodied, cherry and spice scented style. Urlar’s Scottish winemakers farm their grapes organically, producing richly flavoured berries that create a savoury, plummy Pinot with hints herb and porcini.

It’s hard to stray too far from Yealands’ door when it comes to choosing top reds too - their Gibbstone Valley Pinot Noir has been an absolute hit across the board, with the critics rushing to salute the aromatic spice, redcurrant and dark cherry flavours of this excellent medium bodied red.

This month we are proud to unveil our new range of reds from the Crossroads winery. Their delightful Syrah is a classically styled Hawkes Bay wine, with its complex flavours of dark berries and plum, alongside hints of violets, cracked pepper and a whiff of smoke.

Bordeaux varieties are also a speciality of the region, and their Cabernet Franc supplies all the cassis and green capsicum flavours you expect from a Cab Sauv, along with some toasty, spicy oak aromas and a smooth, silky texture. Both wines are ready now but can be kept for a couple of years to see further savoury flavours developing.

To see the full Top 10 list, with prices and how to order, click here - Enjoy!

By Chris Penwarden