news
FEBRUARY 2008
NEW ACCOLADES
BIRD 2007 MARLBOROUGH SAVIGNON BLANC Coming Soon
"Though not a complicated wine, this is absolutely delicious. The sweet, ripe, tropical nose precedes excellent gooseberry flavours that are beautifully balanced with the wine's acidity. A winner"
TiZwine.com - February 2008
JANUARY 2008
NEW ACCOLADES
ALPHA DOMUS 2002 HAWKES BAY THE AVIATOR
"Cassis, chocolate, dark roasted coffee beans and ripe spices leap out of the glass. Very upfront but measured fruit. The rich, ripe and equally generous tannins are very intense. The structure is rich but no hard, and there is freshness on the finish."
Decanter: New Zealand Guide 2008, February 2008WAIMEA 2007 NELSON SAUVIGNON BLANC
"A pungent, exciting nose. The palate is nectarines, green pepper and gooseberry, but there are delicious spice and meat notes."
Decanter: New Zealand Guide 2008, February 2008HUIA 2007 MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS Coming Soon
"Dry, delicate and stylish, minerals, toasted almond. Asian pear, stonefruit and citrus. Crisp and long; best with food."
Decanter: New Zealand Guide 2008, February 2008
DECEMBER 2007
NEWS RELEASE: VIA PACIFICA SELECTIONS' WINERIES HONORED IN WINE REPORT 2008
Trinity Hill of Hawke’s Bay, Muddy Water of Waipara, and Aurum of the Central Otago region, win accolades in the latest edition of Tom Stevenson's award-winning wine guide, Wine Report 2008.
NOVEMBER 2007
NEW ACCOLADES
OLSSENS BRING HOME TROPHY AT WINESTATE MAGAZINE WINE AWARDS
Congratulations to our friends at Olssens who were honored by Winestate Magazine with the Winestate Pinot Noir Wine of the Year award.TRINITY HILL SYRAH WINS TOP TROPHY AT AIR NEW ZEALAND AWARDS
Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2006 has won the Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show Trophy. Organised by New Zealand Winegrowers, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards is the country's most prestigious wine competition with 1,540 wines entered this year. Air New Zealand Wine Awards chair of judges, Steve Smith, Master of Wine (MW), said, “The Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2006 can only be described as an iron fist in a velvet glove. It has extremely complex flavours which are simply fantastic, but it is not flamboyant or hard-hitting."
The Syrah was also recognized with the Fruitfed Supplies Champion Syrah Trophy.WAIMEA 2007 NELSON PINOT GRIS
Ranked in Peter Saunders' 'Best of the Best 2008' in the December issue of Food & Beverage Magazine.LAKE CHALICE 2006 MARLBOROUGH SAVIGNON BLANC
"This wine had an intriguing green-leaf, slightly oily aroma, with a burst of pungent grapefruit. On the Palate it was quite ripe but a bit softer than some of the other sauvignon blancs, with milder acidity. Lively but nicely proportioned, this struck me as somewhat of a crowd pleaser. It would serve as a fine complement to raw shellfish."
Sandy Block, Improper Bostonian - Oct/Nov 2007
Read the full articleHUIA 2006 MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS
"Medium-bodied and well-focused, with ripe pear and mango aromas as well as a touch of hazelnut and spice. Very smooth and elegant, with good length."
1 of 6 wines “from producers who have led the way with Alsatian varieties and given them special attention.”
Jim Clarke - San Francisco Chronicle - November 2, 2007ALPHA DOMUS 2006 HAWKES BAY VIOGNIER
"Luscious and full bodied, this is an intensely flavored Viognier, with excellent flavor and length. It tastes of ripe peach, pear, and roasted nut. Great value."
Ronn Weigand , Restaurant Wine, Issue 119/120BIRD 2006 MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS
"Fine Pinot Gris, in a full, crisp, aromatic, complex style. It is finely flavored (almond, lemon peel, grapefruit, roasted nut), well balanced, and long on the finish."
Ronn Weigand , Restaurant Wine, Issue 119/120BIRD 2006 MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC
"Full bodied, crisp, and delicately flavored – a Sauvignon with lemon grass, lime, grapefruit, and mint aromas/flavors. Long finish."
Ronn Weigand , Restaurant Wine, Issue 119/120LAKE CHALICE 2006 MARLBOROUGH RIESLING
"Tastes like a semi-dry Rheingau Riesling. It is round, full bodied, fragrant, well balanced, and medium long on the finish, tasting of green apple, peach, lime, and honeysuckle. Excellent value."
Ronn Weigand , Restaurant Wine, Issue 119/120WAIMEA NOMINATED FOR WINESTATE MAGAZINE'S TOP 5 AWARDS
Winestate, Australia's oldest wine publication has announced nominations for this years' Wine of the Year Awards. Congratulations to Waimea Estates for its nomination as one of the Top 5 NZ wine companies, and to and Waimea winemaker Mike Brown for his nomination in the Top 5 NZ winemakers category.
OCTOBER 2007
MUDDY WATER OCTOBER 2007 NEWSLETTER
Get the latest news from our friends at Muddy Water and learn what Miranda Brown, Vineyard Manager and Belinda Gould, Winemaker have to say about the 2007 harvest.NEW ACCOLADES
SPINYBACK 2006 NELSON PINOT NOIR
Best Buy
"Maybe not a complicated wine but a thoroughly well made one that represents tremendous value. The ripe berry aromas that have a smoky edge are followed by sweet plum flavours and subtle tannins. This general sweetness persists in a lingering finish."
TiZwine.com - October 2007BELL BIRD BAY 2006 NEW ZEALAND MERLOT
Best Buy
"Bright, fragrant, and approachable, with a sniff or two of cedary oak and loads of soft, ripe flavours... Outstanding value."
Cuisine - September 2007TRINITY HILL 2006 HAWKES BAY GIMBLETT GRAVELS SYRAH
Named Champion Shiraz/Syrah and Champion Red Wine at the Liquorland Top 100 International Wine Competition 2007. The Syrah bested over 500 wines and is the first New Zealand wine to win the coveted Shiraz/Syrah award in the 14-year history of this international competition. Until this year the trophy had gone to Australia.ALPHA DOMUS 2006 CHARDONNAY (UNOAKED)
Wine of the Week "Delicate tropical fruit notes, clean fruit flavors, and acid levels that
are ideal for serving with grilled seafood drizzled with lemon.”
Dan Berger's Vintages Experiences - October 2007HUIA 2006 MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC
Exceptional "Complex aroma of dried and fresh green herbs, lime and a racy tropical note in the finish. Better and more interesting than when released months ago."
Dan Berger's Vintages Experiences - October 2007HUIA 2004 MARLBOROUGH RIESLING
Paired with pumpkin panzanella salad. "Very dry and full-flavored, and has an acidity that balances the sweetness of roasted pumpkin..."
PAGE SIX Magazine - October 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007
INDUSTRY ARTICLE ON MARKETING TO MILLENIALS
New Zealand held up as a success story by Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine
TECHNICAL ARTICLE ON ROLL FERMENTORS
Cutting-edge technology used by Bird Winery
NEW ACCOLADES FOR WAIMEA & SPINYBACK - Reviews from TiZwine, September 2007
WAIMEA ESTATES 2007 NELSON SAUVIGNON BLANC
"This wine is definitely one for the cellar as we believe that it has great potential. Already the wine has decent tropical fruit aromas and flavours combined with balanced acidity and a clean, crisp finish although the best is yet to come."
SPINYBACK 2007 NELSON SAUVIGNON BLANC Coming Soon!
BEST BUY
"The restrained peach aromas could not quite prepare you for this opulent almost creamy wine with its green, herbaceous flavours, solid weight and fine acid beads that runs seamlessly through it. Excellent value."
NEWS RELEASE: VIA PACIFICA SELECTIONS ADDS WAIMEA ESTATES TO PORTFOLIO
Second-largest vineyard/winery operation in the Nelson region exclusively offered by Via Pacifica.
2007 NEW ZEALAND REGIONAL VINTAGE FIELD REPORT
What can you expect from 2007 New Zealand wines? Read the vintage reports direct from our wine growers in the Hawkes Bay, Nelson, Marlborough, Waipara, and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
WINERY TURNS 34 TONS OF SEAWEED INTO GRAPE FERTILIZER
Learn how Lake Chalice Wines turned tons of seaweed into nutritious grape food.
AUGUST 2007
NEWS RELEASE: VIA PACIFICA SELECTIONS ADDS TRINITY HILL TO PORTFOLIO
Well-established Hawkes Bay winery is latest addition to the Via Pacifica portfolio.
JULY 2007
CLEAN AND GREEN WEEDING MACHINES - From our friends at Lake Chalice Wines
"A few of the flock of woolly weed eaters that have done a fantastic job at both the Quarry Block and Falcon and Eyrie Vineyards this winter in keeping the inter-rows clean and tidy. In a win-win arrangement the sheep get new grazing while we get nice short grass and fertiliser (in pellet form). It has also meant we have not had to mow or use chemical weed killer over the winter.
This shot was taken in the notoriously stony Quarry Block where a stone ‘mulch’ under the vines makes it appear there is very little grass to eat but I can assure you there is a 1.8 metre grass strip in the 2.7m space between each row."