The story of Big Sky
June 18, 2023
Producer profile - Big Sky, Te Muna Valley, MartinboroughPublished on Sunday 18 June 2023Welcome to Te Muna Valley. This dramatic, windswept landscape rises above the Huangarua River just nine kilometres east of Martinborough village but it felt like a world away when J...
Pinot Pioneers event in Martinborough
May 17, 2023
A small region with a big message
There is no shortage of Pinot pioneers in New Zealand today but a group from one of the country's smallest wine regions is hosting a big event in July this year to commemorate, celebrate and promote its success with Pinot Noir.The region is Martinborough. The event is called...
Names play a big role in our lives and in the success of many products and brands, due to their pronounceability or otherwise. They also have strong resonance for the Skeggs family, who have now created two evocatively named wine brands, Akarua and Mora.The name Akarua is Ma...
What's old is new again
April 25, 2023
A new initiative launched by two well known New Zealand wineries began eight years ago with the launch of 10 year old wines that were labelled Aged Releases. The wineries in question are Pegasus Bay and Dog Point and both have since continued the trend of releasing intention...
Are single vineyard wines better?
April 5, 2023
It is mid vintage when Mike Bann is asked the burning question as to whether the words 'single vineyard' make for better wines or whether it is paying mere lip service to a concept. Is there a perceivable difference and, if so, how can we tell? The jury may be out on the big...
Sense of place... five wines with it
April 1, 2023
Four decades is the blink of an eye in the world of European wine but it's nearly all we have in this country where the first Vitis vinifera vines (the species of grapes used to make wine) that grew into our substantial wine industry today were planted in the late 1960s...
Wine of the week... NZ's love affair with Pinot Noir
February 28, 2023
It's no secret that New Zealanders are in love with Pinot Noir, which is probably why 73% of the vineyard area dedicated to red grapes is planted with Pinot Noir. It's not a lot though, if you break it down because this country's total vineyard area is 41,603 hectares of gra...
Growth in Bannockburn wineries
January 31, 2023
When was the last time you visited Bannockburn? If the name resonates more with mountain bikers more than wine lovers, it might be time to pay this majestic corner of the country a visit. Both biking and wine were on my radar late last year when a visit to Felton Road Winery...
Wine of the week... 23 January 2023 - Clayvin Pinot Noir
January 23, 2023
When is the best time to drink Pinot Noir - when it's young or when it's old?Like people, wines age in very different ways and there's no reliable barometer, but a five year old Pinot Noir from Marlborough makes a great case for waiting half a decade, especially seeing ...
The Hard Pressed Podcast and Chard Farm The Viper
December 24, 2022
As if the year hasn't been busy enough, a friend and wine lover suggested we launch a podcast. Great idea! I'm in, I said, about eight months ago. Last week, we finally did it, in the middle of work, family and other life busyness. The result is The Hard Pressed Podcast, whi...
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Contact Joelle
If you have found this online writing portal and have ideas, need expert advice on wine or want to make contact
mailme@joellethomson.com
