Marlborough’s discount derby
Wednesday 16 December
Marlborough was riding high until the 2008 vintage. They couldn’t make Sauvignon Blanc quickly enough. Then, a record crop coupled with an economic downturn suddenly saw an oversupply situation, which it is still struggling to pull itself out of.
Along came the cut price deals to get rid of stock: £3.99 for a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was previously unheard of; the shelves have since been full of discounted SB. Surely this has damaged the industry’s once premium image? Off the record, producers will admit that it has been a kick in the teeth and the region as a whole will suffer but they won’t be quoted on it.
Everyone you speak to here is positive that the supply-demand balance will come back within the not-too distant future since the global recession will sort the wheat from the chaff.
Ivan Sutherland, winemaker at Dog Point says, “There were many plantings in the Boondocks that should not have – with climates and soils that were unsuitable and the market will force them to drop out of the industry.”
There isn’t much more room left to plant in the current wine growing regions of the Wairau and Awatere Valleys and what is left isn’t particularly attractive. Stuart Smith, owner of Fairhill Downs and also chairman of New Zealand Winegrowers took time out from his staff Christmas barbecue to chat to me about the situation. “Marlborough is almost completely planted and we have little room. What is left is on the margins and it’s likely that the won’t be able to have consistent yields.”
It will take another year or so to get over the overhang from 2008, according to Smith and he believes the days of cheap bulk Sauvignon from Marlborough, lapped up by the supermarkets for cheap own label brands, are numbered – mainly because there’s no profit to be had.
I hope it’s true that Marlborough’s discount derby will come to an end soon. I suspect that it will be some time before that happens. Meanwhile, top quality producers like Framingham and Huia, who are doing great things, will have to fight harder to distance themselves from the Marlborough that many supermarket shoppers have come to know.
Don’t forget Otago’s whites
Monday 14 December
It’s well known that Central Otago does bloody good Pinot Noir so I’m not going to bore you with telling you about its lovely black cherry hue, dark fruits, herbal and savoury notes, and impressive backbone of acidity….Instead, I’m going to talk about its whites.
Sparklers, dry and off-dry Rieslings, and Pinot Gris give this region more strings to its bow. It does some decent Gewurz and a bit of Chardonnay but the Pinots and Rieslings stand out. Inevitably the whites are overshadowed by the Pinot Noirs, which dominate planting and give the region its prestige. But, as more markets and consumers get to know the Pinots of Central, they’ll start to ask ‘What else do you do?’ And the good news is, it ain’t Sauvignon Blanc.
Duncan Forsyth, winemaker at Mount Edward who has a disco ball in his barrel cellar and is making his own chorizo-type sausage, said “We have a name that can carry our region with our reds. Sauvignon Blanc is the leader for New Zealand. We will always be Sauvignon-centric simply because of the volumes of wine but for me the future is all about Riesling.”
David Hogg, director of Amisfield added, “If we just have Pinot Noir at our table that would be too straight. I think we have pretty special Pinot Gris and Riesling.”
Wines that stood out for me (although I can’t mention them all here or I’ll put you to sleep).
Sparkling:
Amisfield Arcadia Brut NV
50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay. A great palate cleanser after a long day’s tasting. Apple skin, savoury note, lean and crisp with elegant mousse and fresh acidity. 17.5/20
2007 Mount Edward Riesling, (£12, Laytons)
A crisp little number. Zesty on entry with green apple, citrus, white flowers and minerally . Lovely texture and concentration. Tight finish thanks to a very low pH of 2.95. Alcohol at 12.5 makes for a wine you can drink plenty of… 18/20
2008 Quartz Reef Pinot Gris
The biodynamic Austrian winemaker makes this in a tight Germanic style with no malo and no oak. It sits somewhere between a Gris and a Grigio style. Full of citrus, apple and pear with a little creaminess. Medium-full body with an alcohol of 14.5% but it’s well balanced so you don’t end up breathing fire after drinking. 17.5/20
Ok so I said I wouldn’t talk about reds but I can’t help but mention Felton Road because all of its Pinots would get you excited (its whites are great too)
2008 Calvert Pinot Noir, Felton Road
Ok, so the jury’s still out on whether I preferred the more expensive Block 3 Pinot or this but, as I’m a tight northerner, I’ve gone for the Calvert. Lovely bright colour. It’s minerally, almost chalky, with sweet fruit on entry with a generous and supple mid-palate. It ends with a lean and smoky, French-oak finish. 18/20
Otago’s Pinot Gold Rush is over
Thursday 10 December
Fortunes were made in Central Otago during the 1860’s Gold Rush but not all who arrived left with their pockets lined and the good times didn’t last.
Likewise, the region’s Pinot Noir suddenly brought the world’s attention back to the area more than 130 years later but today producers admit the honeymoon is over.
The gold might have dried up but there’s more wine than ever. There’s plenty of good stuff still to be had but the global recession has certainly not passed over the region. On my visit, most producers admitted exports had slowed across all export markets. Some have been hit harder than others with one of the first wineries to set up shop here, William Hill (not to be confused with the UK chain of bookmakers) going out of business recently as well as Anthem Holdings.
Success has brought speculators. In 1992, there were only six wineries; today you’ll find over 30 wineries and more than 100 different labels. Many quality conscious producers are worried that the Central Otago brand will be dragged down by newcomers out to make a buck from the reputation they have worked hard to build. Jason Moss, general manager at Waitiri Creek said, “Once you put Central Otago on your label there is perceived value and that is a big concern for us.” Inevitably, wineries outside the region are keen to make Central Pinots and want to buy fruit to produce a Central Otago label and with more plantings coming on stream each year, there’s enough to sell.
While many won’t admit they’ve discounted their wines, they know ‘another producer’ who has done that this year. While this is destined to be a premium region due to its relatively high costs of production compared to Marlborough, which can attain much higher yields for Sauvignon than Pinot, there are Central Otago wines on the shelves for less than £10 in the UK. Matt Dicey, winemaker at Mount Difficulty said, “You are seeing the likes of Majestic Peaks for under a tenner. There has been a little bit of what Marlborough has seen in Central Otago.”
Blair Walter, winemaker at Felton Road argued, “Until the 2006 vintage there was always a market for the small crop at a high price. What we’re seeing is a natural progression from Grand Cru wines all the way to village level now.”
More on Otago in my next blog when I finally get round to talking about the wines.
The word on Waipara
Wednesday 9 December
So I’ve made it to New Zealand to start my new life over here. Only three days after landing on Kiwi soil, I’m off on an eight-day tour of Waipara, Central Otago, Marlborough, Nelson and Hawkes Bay. Nothing like easing myself in gently.
The trip kicked off with a whistlestop tour of Waipara – a 45-minute drive north of Christchurch. I have to admit my knowledge of Waipara was pretty patchy but after a full day’s tasting and meeting the producers, I’ll give you an overview.
Waipara’s a small region and there were very few wineries until the mid-90s. Today, it’s mostly family wineries although there are a few big players involved including drinks giant Pernod Ricard, which sells wine under the Camshorn label. However, this is a region that won’t be able to service the volume demands of the supermarkets and its wines seem to be more relevant to the on-trade and independent market anyway.
What’s best in Waipara?
While most wineries produce a range of varietals including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, the region’s Riesling and Pinot Gris are what it does best - in my opinion. Both the Riesling and Pinot Gris are made in an off-dry style and very successfully.
The Rieslings are pure and clean with alcohol levels reaching a refreshingly low 11.5% or 12%. These aren’t as austere as many Aussie Rieslings and by keeping some residual sugar, a touch of sweetness takes the edge of the firm acidity. Look out for Pegasus Bay (stocked by New Generation in the UK) and Waipara Springs (Hayward Bros/Helion Wines).
Hidden hillside gems?
I couldn’t help but notice that the vast majority of vines were planted on the flat gravel lands while there were plenty of hillsides sitting unplanted. There are some producers who are planting on the hillsides but it’s the exception rather than the rule. At the risk of making a massive generalisation, I’ve always believed that hillsides tend to make better wines and could do here. There were plenty of wines from the flatlands that were superb but I wonder if this region has a lot of untapped potential.
Climate
Just in case you’re interested, here’s a bit of geeky info on the climate here. Despite being only 45 minutes north of Christchurch, on most days temperatures in the region are two to three degrees C higher than in the city. I’ll have to take the producers’ word for it as it was Baltic when I visited inappropriately in my flip flops (aka jandals, I believe in New Zealand-speak). You’ll generally find higher temperatures in Waipara because it’s protected from the sea by the Cheviot Hills. It’s also really dry here in summer. If rain does fall a really strong drying north-westerly blows through the vineyards drying the vines out and botrytis is rare. I could go on but I fear you would lose the will to live if I continue harping on about the weather any further.
In short this is a really young region with some impressive wines coming from not-very-old vines. Watch out for it if you’re a Riesling or Pinot Gris freak. There’s still plenty more to come.
Spain: the wine brand problem
Monday 7 December
Spain has a problem: it needs stronger brands but the system is hindering them.
Cross regional brands are not permitted: if you are a strong brand in Rioja – say Campo Viejo – you can’t have a Campo Viejo white from Rias Baixas. While one of the country’s most successful brands Torres has operations in many different regions including Catalonia, Priorat and Ribera del Duero, the Torres name is relegated to second place by the wine’s name like Salmos in Priorat and Celeste in Ribera.
Speaking to Ricardo Aguiriano, Rioja’s director of marketing and communications said: “If you sell a Rioja brand like Faustino, you can’t sell a wine under the same brand name from Ribera del Duero. The top 15-20 DOs (Denominacion de Origen) don’t permit the commercialisation of the same brand.”
Marques de Riscal is the one exception – it sells wine under its brand in both Rueda and Rioja. Aguiriano explained it had already done its brand extension into Rueda before this law was created.
It is clear the law has been created to protect the brand names and their provenance but it does make things more difficult for those with strong brand names who wish to strengthen their position in an increasingly competitive and branded marketplace.