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Organically Good

After quietly simmering away in the background, organic winemaking in New Zealand is now on the move. Approximately ten percent of New Zealand wineries are now organically certified and all indicators point to that number rising sharply in the next few years as more and more producers undertake the organic conversion process.

It’s pleasing to see and, slowly, the public is coming along for the ride. Personally, I am excited to witness this change in perception but it has to be said that organic winemaking has been a mixed bag over the years. While many long term organic producers have done a superb job with their organic portfolios, there have also been plenty of wine crimes released under the organic masthead.

Thankfully those days are now largely behind us but there will still be consumers who feel that by buying organic wine they will be sacrificing flavour in the interests of ecological good. The sooner that mind set dies away the better.

Organic New Zealand producers are a proud lot and tend to reference their organic  status whenever the opportunity arises. Interestingly, many old world wineries who produce  their wines organically do not mention their organic practises on their labels or in their marketing drives. I look forward to the day where organic winemaking is so common place here that our domestic producers no longer feel the need to push the ecological message.

 Millton Crazy by Nature Sirius White 2018 - Gisborne
Available from $19.99
Funky blended white wine from one of New Zealand’s preeminent organic wineries.  The 2018 is driven predominantly by Chardonnay with smaller percentages of Viognier and Marsanne adding  slippery, textural mouthfeel and an array of tropical fruits. This is delightful wine; supple and immediately attractive. A great match with seafood or simply brilliant with the clean flavours of Japanese cuisine. 

Little X ‘Upper Moutere’  Organic Nelson Pinot Noir 2015 - Nelson 
Available from $19.99
Punchy Nelson wine vinted by Tim Adams – a man who understands how to put real flavour in the bottle. Sourced from a single Moutere vineyard, this is fulsome  Pinot that is firmly in the dark berry spectrum. Some whole bunch fermentation has added some complexity but the old school robust flavours of full bodied Nelson Pinot Noir remain the star of the show. 

El Picoteo Organic Monastrell Syrah 2016 – Spain
Available from $17.99
A very attractive, silky smooth blend from the Piqueras winery  in Almansa, in south-east Spain. Monastrell brings an array of dark, juicy choco-berry flavours to the party while the Syrah component adds some  mid palate drive and more serious, drier notes to the finish. This is the consummate ‘pleasure wine ‘ – a softly seductive release with very wide appeal.  

FOR THE LOVE OF VIOGNIER

I fell in love with Viognier in the late 90’s when a bottle from Millton Vineyards in Gisborne came my way. The flower shop nose; the plush tropical fruits on the palate and the slippery, lightly oily mouthfeel was unforgettable  and ,twenty years later, Viognier still regularly  features in my year round play list.

Viognier initially made its mark in the Condrieu appellation in France’s northern Rhone Valley but it was an Australian, Robert Hill-Smith from Yalumba, who is credited with saving  Viognier from becoming an oddity and taking  the variety to a wider global audience.  We have a lot to thank him for.  Viognier (pron. vee-YOHN-yay) is a versatile grape that makes excellent wine in its own right but has quite magical properties when blended with other varieties – both red and white.  

Most of our domestic production is centred here in Hawke’s Bay and we are blessed with many producers doing great things with Viognier - Elephant Hill, Te Mata Estate and Petane Station spring to mind. A number of local producers also blend small percentages of Viognier into their Syrah releases; a tiny 2-3% Viognier addition can give Syrah a floral lift  on the nose and a lovely unctuous texture on the palate.

Viognier also adds both tropical fruit flavours and a silky roundness when blended or co-fermented with white wines. I’ll be surprised if we don’t start seeing more Chardonnay Viognier blends in our local market. It seems like a match made in heaven to me.

Yalumba Y Series Viognier  2018 - South Australia
Available from $10.99
This is easily the best value Viognier in the world, and gets my vote as the best quaffing white wine available in the New Zealand market. On the nose it’s all orange blossom and citrus and the palate shows perfectly pitched mouthfeel and tangy dry apricot flavours. It’s a year round constant in our family fridge.

Te Awanga Estate One Off Double Happy Chardonnay Viognier 2018 – Hawkes Bay
Available from $24.99
An exciting release  from Rod McDonald’s hugely successful One Off small batch winemaking project. This wine overlays Chardonnay’s natural mid-palate weight with ethereal flavours of tropical fruits from the Viognier component. This is pretty wine that shows a delightfully rich and juicy texture and underlying power.

Langmeil Hangin’ Snakes Shiraz Viognier 2016 – Barossa, Australia
Available from $29.99
A powerhouse co-fermentation of 96% Shiraz with 4% Viognier. This is a glowing example of how Viognier can add lifted florals on the nose and a lovely glycerol aspect to the palate without undermining the strength and robust nature of Barossa Shiraz. Immediately attractive wine with good mid-term cellaring ability.