and the best ones for the price were from New Zealand. I did this at the Michael Skurnik Pinot/Germany/Austria/Champagne tasting on Monday. I want to say I was surprised, but that would be a lie; New Zealand has so few vines growing compared the rest of the world that there is still more community-based quality control than almost any other country in the world. Seeing your neighbor grow bad grapes is much like seeing your neighbor littering- i.e., UNACCEPTABLE.
For $20, you can get a VERY good New Zealand Pinot Noir that’s the equivalent of a $40 run of the mill 1er Cru Burgundy, and for $40 you can get a Pinot Noir that is the equivalent of a $70 bottle of 1er Cru Burgundy. I’m really not sure how or why people aren’t buying up every single bottle of New Zealand Pinot they can find… and just think of how good New Zealand will be when the vines are 40 and 50 years old! Right now many growers are working with vines planted less than 10 years ago.
Ok, yeah, I do know a bit about wine, but who really needs another person who knows quite a bit about a lot of wine areas… wouldn’t it be better if I were a person who knew quite a bit about a lot of wine areas AND a ton about one, wonderfully underappreciate wine area?!
I’m just thinking outloud now, but these are the areas where I think there might be an opening for me to make an actual difference in helping people slow down and really enjoy wine:
Alsace: wow, prima facie this might be the worst idea in the universe since almost everyone reading this (i.e., all of T.B. Ackerson’s regular customers) hates white wine that isn’t “zippy and crisp” and red that isn’t “big and creamy.” Alsace whites are often big, petrol-driven oil slicks in your glass, and their reds are tiny, tart marvels. They also have a ton of unmined, terroir-based idiosyncracies. Spicy, Oriental, and fatty Eastern European dishes go perfectly with the wines of Alsace, and wouldn’t you know it… Spicy, Oriental, and fatty Eastern European dishes are all the rage of New York City!
New Zealand: One day people will understand that grapefruit-driven Sauvignon Blancs are this country’s least exciting wine zone! Pinot Noir that has the funk of Burgundy and the cinnamon of Oregon is what makes my palate dance in New Zealand. Heck, even their Riesling rivals the noble, just-mentioned Alsace. Wow, I could totally do that those wines with some oddly savory Asian fish!
Non-sucky Syrah: Specialize in one of my least favorite grapes? Well, it’s only my least favorite when lazy winemakers turn out “fruit’ish” red wines that taste more like the paper used to print their labels than the actual land used to grow the grapes. When it’s done right it tastes like raw meat, burnt flowers, and ripe black fruits. That sounds like it might go wonderfully with Korean beef!
My general price range for wine is either under $15 retail or over $40 retail, and if you look at my purchase history, New Zealand is the only country that shows up for me in both ranges. Yes, I do splurge quite often on $50 bottles of Burgundy, Savennieres, and Riesling, and of course, I buy $10 Washington state and Long Island wine for parties I’m hosting. New Zealand is the only place that hits both price ranges though!
Tonight I had to drop off a $14 bottle of wine to a party that I could only stay at for 10 minutes, but of course I wanted to make a big splash with the wine I brought, so I brought a bottle of Savee Sea Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand!
Cinnamon, warm cherries, mustard seeds, and an unmistakably slinky pinot-style body… the only better Pinot I’ve tasted under $20 is the Mudhouse Pinot Noir…. which is ALSO FROM NEW ZEALAND… Central Otago to be exact!
The only real question I have for New Zealand is “since you make such awesome Sauvignon Blanc- a grape from the Loire Valley - why don’t you make much CABERNET FRANC- IT’S A GRAPE THAT GROWS SIDE BY SIDE WITH SAUVIGNON BLANC in the Loire Valley?
Oh, wait, the answer is “because no one likes the green bell pepper goodness of Cabernet Franc.” :0/
Importer Ed Barker talks about and pours three fantastic New Zealand white wines that he imports, and reminds us that New Zealand can strut its terroir just as well as Napa and the Loire!
Do yourself a huge favor next time you are in the mood for white wine- buy a bottle of $12-$20 Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Why?
- Nearly all of them have the same flavor profile so it’s an ultra-safe bet at any restaurant or wine shop even if your waiter can’t tell a taxi cab from a Napa cab. Think citrus fruits, tropical yellow and red fruits, and an herbaceous green finish.
- You’ll know instantly whether or not you like the “zingy, zippy, zesty, and crisp” side of white wine. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has this mouthwatering acidity that seems to be translate into layman’s terms as “refreshing,” which is never a bad thing, right?
The Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc leans harder towards the seeded, red tropical fruits and fresh cut lawn than some Sauvignon Blancs, and it gets people to either celebrate summer or pretend for a moment that there isn’t a pending snow fall in just a few weeks.