International Riesling Day this month marked the end of a long important winemaking era and the beginning of an exciting innovative new one at Nga Waka wines in Martinborough. It was an auspicious moment for Riesling and pizza lovers too.
The launch of a trio of new 2024 wines included an invitation to taste one of them, the 2024 Nga Waka Riesling to be served with a Riesling pizza. How could I say no? This was a first in more ways than one. It's the first Riesling made in volume from an old vineyard site that has lain fallow for several years a few streets down from Nga Waka winery and it's the first time this winery (or its original founder) has ever intentionally matched a pizza to a zesty dry Riesling. It worked.
If the idea of a Riesling-pizza sounds a little fanciful, it has to be tried because the Roving Pizza trailer that's parked up at Nga Waka winery from Thursday to Sunday each week is ground breakingly good. And so was the Riesling-inspired pizza. Like all Roving Pizzas, this one was made from a long, slow sourdough ferment. It was topped with vibrant, zesty green flavours and served with slivers of perfectly seared fresh fish on top, alongside the new dry (1.8 grams per litre of RS) 2024 Nga Waka Riesling. An outstanding match, quite aside from the fact that both the food and the wine stand on their own feet as exceptional taste experiences.
Nga Waka winery was purchased nine years ago by Jay Short and Penny Dupey, who farewelled Roger Parkinson late last year and handed over the winemaking reins to Paul Mason. He will pioneer Nga Waka’s first Chenin Blanc and Gamay this year, alongside the stock in trade wines that have made Nga Waka an excellent brand name. This sounds very product-oriented but the thoughtful winemaking that has gone into Nga Waka wines from day one makes this winery anything but a brand builder. These wines have always been about purity, focus and drinkability.
The owners are currently expanding the production volumes, thanks to the acquisition of new vineyard sites in and south of Martinborough village. They are also focussing on small volumes of grape varieties that are relatively new on the scene in this part of the wine world; Chenin Blanc (made in minuscule volumes here by Margrain and Te Muna Valley) and Gamay.
These two varieties constitute part of the same block of land from which the new Riesling comes; this is called the Mike Kershaw Block after the eponymous viticulturist, pictured below.
The new Riesling is the result of combined winemaking experience, thanks to Roger Parkinson and Paul Mason, two Riesling devotees with a collective winemaking experience of 50+ years between them.
What better way to celebrate endings and beginnings than with Riesling and a Riesling-inspired pizza?
The winery only bottled 84 dozen of this wine so will be available purely at the cellar door with a three bottle purchase limit and a few restaurants in Wellington city, says Mick Hodson, the marketing guru for Nga Waka wines.
Here is my review
18.5/20
2024 Nga Waka Riesling RRP $30
For a wine that's been in the bottle for about a fortnight, Nga Waka's 2024 Riesling tastes expressive and open already with its floral aromas, ripe citrus fruit characters supported by gingery spice and lime zest notes in the background. Dry on the front palate with a sof texture and finish that is crisp and fresh.
This is a wine to cellar with confidence for up to and beyond a decade, as history shows in the extremely consistent Nga Waka Rieslings that span 32 years. It also tastes outstanding right now, served lightly chilled, with seafood.
This Riesling is dry with 1.8 grams per litre of residual sugar and titratable acidity of 8.25 g/L.
