[As published in November/December BayBuzz magazine.]
I’m a giver. I love buying presents for people I care about (and people I’m trying to get on the good side of) so when I see a convenient, creative, gift-guide I’m all over it like snakes on a plane. Hence why I thought “Hark!” and “Forsooth!” Why don’t I offer one to BayBuzz readers? And thusly, it doth occur …
Have a fabulously festive and sunny silly season folks, you deserve it.
Shedding the past
On February 14th 2023 winemaker Kel Dixon and his team at Shed 530 on Dartmoor Road were confronted with a vineyard that’d been washed away and a winery and cellar door destroyed and sitting under mud and silt. Then a year and a bit later they’re celebrating two huge international awards. Their Mutu Reserve Chardonnay 2021 took out a prestigious and rare Global Decanter Platinum Award at the Decanter World Wine Awards and their Mutu Reserve Merlot Cabernet 2020 has recently won the IWSC Wine Trophy 2024 at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Amazing! Both wines are $60. premiumliquor.co.nz
Your Christmas wines sorted
Does the thought of venturing to the supermarket wine department in the lead-up to Christmas make you want to scoop your own eyeballs out with a spoon? Fret not. The famous WineFriend Christmas Cases are here to save your sanity. Designed to pair perfectly with the dishes on your tinsel-tastic table, you can choose your own 3, 6 or 12 packs from this awesome list OR do what most do and purchase one of the pre-selected packs available for $109 (3pk) $189 (6pk) or $349 (12pk). winefriend.co.nz
Damson in de-stress
Napier’s National Distillery have released a relaxing collaboration with the largest damson plum orchard in the whenua and it’s a smooth, floral, dry gin with a slip of marzipan, that classic astringent sweet snap of this unique plum and a sharp yet sweet twang on the finish ($85). nationaldistillery.nz
Take it to the bridge
Who wouldn’t want a gifted ticket to the 11th Annual Bridge Pā Wine Festival? On Saturday January 18th, ten wineries in the Bridge Pā Triangle Wine District will be connected by shuttles, allowing festies to visit multiple wineries and enjoy a smorgasbord of superb experiences. Including Abbey Estate, Alpha Domus, Bostock Wines, Ash Ridge Winery, Oak Estate, Paritua Winery, Radburnd Wines, Sileni Wines, Red Metal Vineyards and Zaria Wines, each winery has different offerings of wine, food, and music to massage you throughout the day. Tickets from $60. events.humanitix.com
A sticky situation
Gotta sweet-tooth in your life? Shimmy on down to dessert wine town and surprise them with the luxuriously indulgent One Off Super Sticky Late Harvest Hawke’s Bay Gewurztraminer 2019, 375ml ($35). Laden with exotically sweet lychee, honey, citrus toffee and ginger-dusted deliciousness, it’s rich and apricot-edged and yet zesty-fresh to finish. A superstar. teawangaestate.co.nz
Save my wine!
Cans of WinesavePro ($35) have been a gamechanger in my wine- tasting work. When I’ve poured a little from the bottle to write my notes on, I can squirt a dash of food-grade, tasteless, odourless, argon gas into it then pop the cap on or push the cork back in and wine inside stays fresh for weeks! The gas settles on top of the wine preventing oxygen from damaging what’s left in the bottle. The large cans will protect 150 bottles and now WinesavePro is available in a handy dandy ‘mini’ size ($10), which will protect up to 25 precious bottles and fits easy peasy into your purse or pocket so you can save your wine anywhere. Hoo-rah! winesave.co.nz
Im-port-ant announcement
People tend to develop an extra special thirst for port at Christmastime, so go local with a bottle of the legendary Trinity Hill Touriga ($50). Blended from multiple vintages including complex, concentrated barrel-aged material, the oldest of which comes from 2004! It’s stacked with spiced plum and dark chocolate deliciousness. trinityhill.com
Yvonne Lorkin is a wine writer, the co-founder and CTO of WineFriend (NZ’s No.1 personalised wine subscription service) and she’s a proud, born and bred Hawkesbaylien.
winefriend.co.nz or yvonnelorkin.com
