Joelle Thomson

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Bon anniversaire and meri kirihimete to No 1

If you are looking for top quality sparkling wine at prices that are within relative reach, here is a great range to choose from for this festive season from the Le Brun family in Marlborough. They celebrated a quarter century in business this year, marking the 25th since Adele and Daniel Le Brun first launched their Cuvée No 1 on Bastille Day on 14 June 1999. A quarter century is a great milestone, by any stretch, even if marked during a somewhat tricky year in wine and hospitality in Ao...

A for Astrolabe - the new 2024 Sauvignon Blancs

A friend, a bottle of eight year old Rioja and a chat about some of our favourite wines was a good way to unwind last Saturday afternoon as the sun shone its dappled light through the branches of my favourite tree; an old and productive plum tree at the far end of the garden. It's a good place to clear the mind and the conversation made me think about fame versus greatness. The wine we were drinking was Spain's most famous red offering to the wine world - Rioja.What is New Zealand's most famous ...

In the can - riding a new wave plus three new examples

Uncommon is a good word for how likely it would have been for many wine drinkers to even contemplate consuming wine in a can five years ago, let alone embrace the growing trend for it today. But as more tinned versions of vinous offerings appear, things are moving into a whole new world where portion control meets the desire for less alcohol, light weight packaging for taking on long walks into the mountains or other adventures when one or two drinks are all that's wanted. Affordability also has...

Top 10 best bubbles to buy

If Champagne is the king of sparkling wine, then its queen must be those exceptional bottles that contain the same core ingredients (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with the inclusion of Pinot Meunier, on occasion) that are made the same way but come from different places. Enter Aotearoa New Zealand. It sounds like a good marketing line but there is no doubt that this country's cool climate, openminded willingness to learn from the Champagne region and its European winemakers have all combined to pro...

First Marlborough Prosecco for Xmas

Marlborough's first Prosecco was released this year, just in time for the festive season and made entirely from the Glera grape, only in this case it was given bottle fermentation which adds depth of flavour and sets it aside from most commercial prosecco on the market. This also raises the cost of production and of the new wine, 2023 Balvonie Prosecco, which has an RRP of $34.99. The new wine is the result of a three year project for brand owners Ben and Helen McLauchlan, who planted Glera grap...

Craggy Sauvignon Blanc wins top spot

Image above: Lyre trellising on a small portion of Craggy Range's vast vineyard in the Te Muna Valley, MartinboroughCraggy Range Winery has won a top spot in Wine Spectator magazine's Top 100 Wines of 2024 with its 2023 Te Muna, Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc being awarded 11th spot."The inclusion of our Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc in Wine Spectator's Top 100 is a testament to our team's dedication to expressing the unique character of our Martinborough terroir," says Craggy Range's new Executive Dir...

Fresh new white from Marlborough

Whitehaven Wines of Marlborough has come a long way from its early days when founders, Sue and (the late) Greg White decided to say goodbye to a life spent living on board their yacht and hello to winemaking in Marlborough.From those fledgling beginnings, Whitehaven Wines has grown to become an impressively large wine producer, still owned by Sue White and now with second generation, Samantha White, both at the helm. This is their latest Riesling - the driest I have tasted and an excellent ...

Alchemy Wines brings old and new together

An old brand with a new lease of life sounds like something of a cliche but in the case of Alchemy Wines, its new owners have been the saviours of this brand, which could have bitten the proverbial dust following from the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. The new owners are winemakers Cairn and Rebecca Coghill, who opened their four current wines in the dappled late afternoon sun on the eve of Harvest Hawke's Bay in November this year. The couple purchased the brand in April this ye...

A for Askerne in Hawke's Bay

A sunny half day's drive brings me to Hawke's Bay for Harvest Hawke's Bay but first, a tasting at Askerne Winery with John Loughlin followed by a look (a euphemism for tasting) at Alchemy wines, now owned by Cairn and Rebecca Coghill, who purchased the brand from founder Neal Cave.First up, John Loughlin, owner of Askerne, hosted an excellent tasting of his wines, all of which offer exceptional value for money. The Viognier is a great example of this because it over delivers on flavour and, dare...

Wine of the week from The Huntress

The Huntress is the woman behind the evocative label on this wine of the week, which pays homage to the native flora and fauna in Aotearoa New Zealand. As gorgeous as I find the label, the wines inside the Huntress bottles are also highly appealing, as much for their excellence in production as for their courage in adhering as much as possible to using certified organic grapes and as few inputs to the wine as possible. Here is my review of Huntress winemaker Jannine Rickards latest Chardonn...

Staking its name on Chardonnay - Neudorf

One of New Zealand's oldest wineries has released three new wines made from the grape that first put it on the map. That grape is Chardonnay and the winery is Neudorf Vineyards, tucked in a sunny enclave in the Upper Moutere hills of Nelson. "It's the first time that Neudorf Vineyards has released these Chardonnays at the same time, marking a significant milestone in the winery's evolution," says Rosie Finn, who is the second generation family member of the winery's founders.She is kee...

Cuvar named Champion Wine of Hawke's Bay

One of Hawke's Bay's newest wines has won three awards and been named Hawkes Bay’s Top Wine of the Year at the Bayley’s Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards.The wine is the 2021 Čuvar Guardians Chardonnay, which won Best Chardonnay, Best Single Vineyard Wine, and the ultimate title, Champion Wine of the Show. Čuvar Winery is the vision of legendary wine entrepreneur Sir George Fistonich, founder of Villa Maria, who launched the brand in late 2023. The winning wine was made from grapes grown on the Ri...

Ben Tombs talks about Craggy Range top wines

For a winery that has staked so much of its identity (four of its five Prestige Collection wines and its Giant's Winery) on Hawke's Bay, Craggy Range has a surprisingly strong focus on Martinborough these days.The winery's evolution has seen its impressive wines have taken many turns over the years, including approximately three quarters of its vineyards now being situated in the majestic, often windswept Te Muna Valley, Martinborough.This is home to more Sauvignon Blanc than any other variety, ...

Meet German Pinot Noir from Claus Bischoff

The photograph on this post is Spatburgunder in the Mosel. Image taken by Joelle Thomson.Two new German wines arrived in New Zealand this year from Weingut Claus Bischoff. Both are sealed with screw caps, which is good news for their travel-ability and reliability in terms of freshness because the variables of cork, such as taint and random oxidation, are gone. Germany is best known for white wines but move over Riesling, Sylvaner and even Grauerburgunder (Pinot Gris) because here come...

Preview tasting of the long awaited Oraterra

Wilco Lam is fresh back in Martinborough from hosting a tasting to unveil the much awaited name, wines and brand that he has been working on for the past two years. “We wanted a name that we could own rather than the previous name (On Giant’s Shoulders) and one of the things that kept popping up was to focus on wines that were textural and related to Martinborough as a place rather than looking at its specific geographic features," says Lam, who brought a team of wine professionals with...

Happy 30th birthday Wither Hills

Two new wines have been added to Wither Hills already extensive stable of wines this year to mark the winery's 30th birthday. "Three decades of experience means we know the Marlborough area like an old friend, with its quirks and interesting habits. We believe the best wines capture that character - a reflection of where they’ve come from," says Matt Large, head winemaker at Wither Hills. Two new Wither Hills wines17.5/202018 Wither Hills Méthode Traditionelle RRP $54.99This ye...

Happy 30th birthday Wither Hills

Two new wines have been added to Wither Hills already extensive stable of wines this year to mark the winery's 30th birthday. "Three decades of experience means we know the Marlborough area like an old friend, with its quirks and interesting habits. We believe the best wines capture that character - a reflection of where they’ve come from," says Matt Large, head winemaker at Wither Hills. Two new Wither Hills wines17.5/202018 Wither Hills Méthode Traditionelle RRP $54.99This ye...

Escarpment launches first Sauvignon Blanc

Martinborough's first winery to make four single vineyard Pinot Noirs has added a new string to its white winemaking bow this year and released its first ever Sauvignon Blanc from the 2024 vintage."Martinborough Sauvignon Blancs don't seem to have the aromatic intensity as those from Marlborough, due to the level of thiols in their wines," says winemaker Tim Bourne, who has created a varietally pure expression of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with viticulturist Rowan Hoskins.Fermentation has built...

Maude Wines looks back at 30 vintages

Maude Wines turns 30 this year - happy birthday team Maude - and congrats on coming a long way in a short time.Talk about being a far cry today today from its quiet beginnings as a retirement project in the early 1990s, for potter Dawn and rural GP Terry Wilson.Sarah-Kate Dineen is the daughter of the founders and she says her parents did everything but the winemaking. They searched for and found a suitable site (a steep north facing slope on glacial moraine), bought it, planted grapes and emplo...

Lifetime awards to Marlborough icons

Five people from three different areas of the wine industry have been recognised with Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Awards for 2024.They are: Ben and Frances Wickham, of Ormond Nurseries; Rob Agnew, climate scientist and Daniel and Adele Le Brun of No 1 Family Estate. “It’s no secret that Marlborough is home to many winemakers and winegrowers who have been working hard at their craft for some decades now. Alongside them, we have experts in many areas, including the likes of our ...

Marlborough Wine Show winners 2024

Marlborough’s flagship wine takes top award at 2024 Marlborough Wine ShowThe variety that put Marlborough on the map as one of the world’s top wine regions has been crowned the wine of the 2024 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.The 2024 Yealands Estate Single Block L5 Sauvignon Blanc won the top award at this year's show with Chief Judge Stu Marfell describing Sauvignon Blanc as a standout in the show, both for the new 2024 vintage wines, but also the legacy category. ...

Wine news from the coal face in Gibbston Valley

Coal Pit Winery owners have announced they are planing a new wine hosting facility on site at the winery, which is situated up the winding, steep Coal Pit Road in the Gibbston Valley in Central Otago. The evocatively named winery's new tasting facility is scheduled to open in 2025 and will see the wine brand bring all of its wines home to its vineyard and winery rather than offering tastings at a shared facility called Kinross, also in the Gibbston Valley. I love the views across the valley...

Maude Wines turns 30

Determination, blind optimism and a steep north facing slope were three of the key ingredients in the formation of Maude Wines, which turns 30 this year. The wines have paid "unimaginable dividends both in terms of wine excellence and family unity," says second generation winemaker Sarah-Kate Dineen, who is the daughter of the founders and makes the wines today with her husband, Dan Dineen. It is an incredible privilege to share their journey, both in the glass and the story that Sarah...

Wine of the month 2023 Pegasus Bay Bel Canto

Tasting of the month (October) in Wellington, New ZealandThe tasting of this month in Wellington was dedicated to a grape variety that won the mantle of Best in the World at the Judgement of London in May 2024, taking everybody by surprise to see a dry wine from a relatively small region in the South Island of New Zealand win. Yes, we are talking about Riesling, specifically Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling. A wine with typically about five grams of residual sugar, sometimes a little less, alw...

New releases from Yealands

 White wines rule the vinous roost in Marlborough with 81% of its vineyard area planted in Sauvignon Blanc, 9% in Pinot Noir, 4% each in Chardonnay and Pinot Gris and 1% in Riesling. This leaves lesser known grape varieties, such as Albarino and Gewurztraminer, to make up a mere smidgeon of vineyard plantings in Marlborough today. It’s an important smidgeon, however, given that having all of one’s eggs in one basket is often been seen as a tad risqué. Marlborough’s success with Sauvi...