Assuming that summer will soon return after the recent wind and rain we’ve endured, here’s a trio of New Zealand wines to quench your September thirst.
Kiwi wines are much like B.C. wines. Both regions are temperate and the wines exhibit vibrant fruit with a good degree of acidity.
The result?
Balanced wines that are food-friendly.
Take Oyster Bay 2014 Chardonnay ($17.99) for example. Produced in the South Island’s famous Marlborough region, it exudes aromas and flavours of vanilla from the oak, as well as a tangy lemon-lime flavour with juicy peach, nectarine and apricot. It has a sweet fruit taste on the mid-palate, but ends on a long dry finish.
And if that weren’t enough, the Oyster Bay Chard has a creamy mouth feel and a bracing acidity, which is just right for shellfish, such as oysters, mussels, and prawns.
Oyster Bay was a perfect aperitif last weekend when I donned my chef’s hat and prepared a homemade pesto pizza with salami and sausage.
Another Marlborough thirst -quencher which can also partner well with seafood and light meats is Stoneleigh 2014 Latitude Sauvignon Blanc ($19.49). Zesty and elegant is my overall impression.
I enjoy the regular line of Stoneleigh wines, but this is from a premium area, the Golden Mile.
The land is covered with ancient river stones which produce wines that are aromatically lifted, as well as riper in spectrum.
The Latitude has the classic Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc signature smells of gooseberry and guava along with grass, green beans, and asparagus flavours and a long lemony finish.
Like the Oyster Bay Chard, this Latitude SB is multipurpose.
Enjoy it as a patio sipper as you savour the final weeks of summer and you wait for your barbecued pork with rosemary and sage to grill to perfection.
Of course, shellfish and Sauvignon Blanc is classic match, as is chicken with tarragon and asparagus with béarnaise sauce.
My final choice is a well-respected name among Kiwi wine lovers, Kim Crawford.
Kim Crawford makes delicious Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but today I’m focusing on their 2014 South Island Pinot Noir ($21.99).
And what a winner it is! Pinot Noir is often characterized as having a silky texture.
Some do, some don’t. The Kim Crawford certainly does. If you are a white wine lover, this would be an excellent introduction to trying a smooth and silky red without the bitter tannins you detest.
Unlike many New Zealand wines, the Pinot Noir is a blend from two regions on the South Island: Marlborough and the interior Central Otago.
Expect complexity with toasty vanilla, forest floor, ripe strawberries, rhubarb, beetroot, and black cherry. Stylish and juicy.
Whether it’s a sipper or a partner with rack of lamb or barbecued salmon, this Pinot Noir is delicious and a bargain for the quality it delivers.
Eric Hanson is a retired teacher and wine educator.
