A Reliable Pinot Noir For A Great Price: Oyster Bay From Marlborough, NZ

There are some wine regions that are like good friends. They're consistent, amazing, make you smile, and never let you down. For me, New Zealand fits the bill. This small country produces some of the finest Sauvignon Blanc on the planet (as discussed in the podcast), and for the money, the most consistently solid quality Pinot Noir around.

If you drink wine from New Zealand, most likely you've noticed that most of it (50% of all wine, to be precise) comes from a place called Marlborough. New Zealand is a country made up of 2 main islands -- inventively named the North Island and the South Island (I'll let you figure out why). Marlborough is on the northern tip of the South Island and it has proven to have a picture-perfect climate for certain grapes.

Marlborough has two main valleys -- the Wairau Valley and the Awatere Valley -- and each have different characteristics. The Wairau is where most of the premium wine grapes are grown, with good reason. It's got the grape magic formula in it's pocket: long, sunshine-filled days, cool nights, and a dry fall for harvest time. Why is this magic? Because long days mean the grapes ripen well but cool nights mean they can build acidity and not get overripe. This is such the key to what makes New Zealand wines so unique -- they are fruity, yet have amazing acidity and moderate alcohol. The Awatere is hotter and more suited for warm climate grapes. Each area has enormous variation in soil types, and producers blend grapes from different vineyards with different soils to achieve complexity and layered flavors in the wines.

New Zealand has built quite a reputation for Sauvignon Blanc, but you may not know that it makes some real kick ass Pinot Noir too. If you read the blog, you know that I'm not shy about saying Pinot is frequently mishandled, allowed to get too ripe, and is made in a style that is over the top and that I think is just plain wrong for the grape. But on the South Island this pain-to-grow grape flourishes. Here it's fruity but still has acidity. It's earthy, but not thin. It's a style in the vein of Burgundy, but all its own.

Central Otago, on the South Island, makes some of the most amazing Pinot Noir I've had outside of Burgundy but it can be expensive and hard to get. The Pinots from Marlborough, where most of the larger producers of Sauvignon Blanc are situated, are far more affordable, accessible, and, although a little lighter, are still delicious.

I buy Oyster Bay's wines all time, both in Sauv Blanc and in Pinot Noir because it's a great value and is so reliable. I like that the winery has been around for 20 years, which is kind of old for wine companies in Lord of the Rings country, where new producers seem to pop up every day.

Given my penchant for chugging the stuff, I should have reviewed it earlier, but I guess it's never too late:

The Wine: Oyster Bay Pinot Noir (there is an actual Oyster Bay in Marlborough, BTW)
Where It's From: Marlborough, New Zealand
The Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.5%
Vintage: 2010
Price: $12.99

Color: A beautiful deep rose color in the center with a bright pink, watery edge. A little darker than I'd expect from Pinot, but the rim was the right color for me so I held hope that it wouldn't be overripe (a lot of times when the producers allow the grapes to get too ripe you get dark skins, so the wine is super dark from the juice being in contact with the skin). The legs were not too gloppy -- 13.5% alcohol is right on the border for me in terms of being a little too much so I was concerned this would be off balance, but I reserved judgment.

Smell: And this is why I love New Zealand Pinot Noir. There was a rich red berry smell -- like raspberry and strawberry parfait -- with a musky spice note to it. I thought of a campfire when I smelled the wine. It smelled earthy and like dried dirt, but with a note of sandalwood or Indian-type spice. A really outstanding blend of earth, fruit, and spice that's hard to find in a wine at this price!

Taste: Yum. It tasted just like it smelled -- red berries and exotic spices. The French oak, which contributes that spice flavor, made the fruit taste better, rather than overpowering it. The tannins and acid were in balance -- very medium and didn't overtake the wine by drying out my mouth/making it water too much. My only criticism: the wine was a little hot on the back of my throat from the alcohol. Again, 13.5% is right on the fringe of being a little too high (except in very rich, fruit wines like Zinfandel or Cabernet 14% is kind of my threshold for alcohol) and although it didn't ruin the wine or throw it off balance, I would have preferred that the burn wasn't there.

Pairing: We had this with a ginger sesame rubbed grilled chicken breast and it was a great pairing. The spice and fruit went well with the ginger -- everything tasted warm and spicy-sweet. I think it would be great with an Asian stir-fry that was ginger-heavy too, although this is a great Pinot to have with grilled salmon, pork, and roast turkey. Super versatile.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink! I love this wine. What a value for the price and so reliable that it's a standby for me when I want a good Pinot that's widely available. Go for it...and while you're at it, pick up the Sauvignon Blanc too! Can't go wrong for $12 or $13!!!

I love your comments! Please let me know your thoughts below!
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Wine For Normal People Radio : Episode 017 The Grape Mini-Series, Installment 1: Sauvignon Blanc

FINALLY -- we are back in action after the move from hell and the inability to locate the microphone in the face of it all!!! So, hopefully this 'cast will be a hit!

In homage to the great TV trend of the 1980s, M.C. Ice and I begin a mini-series on the big grapes from around the world. We're moving beyond Grape of the Week to go in depth on the wine major league that you ask the most questions about. This week's episode is on Sauvignon Blanc, just in time for the warm summer weather!!

BTW-- you HAVE to listen to this 'cast. M.C. Ice and I had a "Muffin Moment" just like when Betty White hosted SNL. If you haven't seen that clip, please watch this...hilarious.

Show Notes:

Mea Culpa -- we forgot shout outs (let's face it, we're lucky we found the microphone post our big move)! We'll be sure to double up next week!

Main Topic -Sauvignon Blanc

1. The Sauvignon Blanc grape, its origins, flavor profile, and why methoxypyrazines and cat pee aren't such bad things in this grape.
2. We then drilled down into the main regions that produce Sauvignon Blanc and talk about differences in styles:

• Sancerre/Pouilly- Fume for minerally wines that strip the enamel off your teeth (but are delicious)
• Napa, California for a softer, floral style, sometimes with an oaky twist
• Marlborough, New Zealand, for excellent grapefruit flavors, acid, and even a jalapeno kick
• Bordeaux for a softer blend with Semillon and Muscadelle, and the sweet wines of Sauternes
• South Africa and Chile for styles in between the ones we already talked about

Please leave us your feedback at the Wine for Normal People blog, on the Wine For Normal People Facebook Page, and on Twitter @normalwine

Episode 017 -- The Grape Mini-Series Installment 1:
Sauvignon Blanc

To listen, download the podcast from the iTunes store (and if you like it please add a comment or rate it so we can make sure to stay on the radar, which helps other folks find us easily that would be great!), click the link above, or use the player below! Thanks for listening!

Podcast Powered By Podbean

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Is there more funk in Felton Road?

One of the first Kiwi Pinots I fell in love with was Felton Road so it's interesting to see how the wine has evolved since the winery went biodynamic (it was Demeter certified in 2009)

They have 5 cuvées now all of which I tasted at the New Zealand tasting this week. The standout one for me was the Block 3 which had a simply glorious purity of fruit. It's also (unfortunately) the most expensive at up to £51.75 (The Sampler)

The Block 5 (£40.40 at Slurp) was very impressive too - intense, rich and textured though still quite closed and I also enjoyed the Cornish Point which had some lovely fruit and an attractive freshness though possibly a little light for a £33 wine. Hard to tell at this age.

It was the two other 'entry level' pinots (if £25-£35 can be called an entry level price point) that exhibited the funkiness: the 2009 Bannockburn Pinot Noir (dark, earthy, quite rustic) and the Calvert (big, ripe, slightly chewy tannins, 'animal' my tasting notes say). And you just wonder how they'll age which you're entitled to expect they should at that price.

I remember buying some Felton Road (the 2003 Block 5, I think) while it was still an affordable £17 or so and finding it acquired increasing funkiness over the following four to five years. You wouldn't want a whole lot more on either the Bannockburn or the Calvert.

It's also interesting to speculate, following our previous debate, the effect of the biodynamic calendar on the way the wines were tasting. It turned out to be a leaf day . . . Readmore »»

New Zealand winemakers aim to be 20% organic by 2020

Big news from the New Zealand wine tasting yesterday. The organisation that represents organic wine growers Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ) has announced that it has set a target that 20% of New Zealand wineries should be organic and biodynamic by 2020.

Currently only 1,500 hectares of vines are managed organically – 4.5% of New Zealand’s total. The goal is supported by the main industry association New Zealand Winegrowers which has already signed a joint memorandum with the OWNZ to promote organic production and has its own sustainability programme with which any producer who wants to get an export licence will have to comply by next year. (You can read more about it here and here.)

The development puts New Zealand back at the forefront of the debate about sustainable viticulture which it occupied back in the 90s although it was interesting that some of the principal protagonists such as Rippon, Millton and Seresin weren't present at yesterday's tasting. Nor was Mission Estate which according to this report on the New Zealand website Scoop is running an interesting trial that compares organic and conventionally treated vineyards side by side. Readmore »»

Two Awesome French Wines and a Knockout Kiwi For Your Weekend

I got to go to a trade show this week, courtesy of Empire Distributing here in Atlanta. I tried a few wines that kicked butt. So here I pass on some suggestions for weekend imbibing...

Wine 1: Peregrine Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand 2007

Where the hell is Central Otago? Located in the bottom/middle of the South Island of New Zealand, Central Otago (bottom of the map, right) is an unbelievable wine region. It's close to the end of the world and is near the outer limits of where grapes can grow, at 45 degrees latitude. It's New Zealand's hottest, coldest, driest, and most inland region and the grape harvest here takes place about 6 weeks after the wineries up north harvest grapes. With great soils, a continental climate (think Chicago but without humidity so grapes can grow sans mold), and awesome winemakers, Central Otago churns out amazing Pinot Noir. 70% of the land is planted to this grape and the product is usually breathtaking. It's a little harder to find Pinot from Central Otago (you'll find much more from Marlborough, which also makes great Pinot), but it's well worth the search.

Price: $31.99 (these days you have to pay to get good Pinot!)

Color: The wine was a richer maroon color than I'd expect from Pinot (which tends to be light in color). I was hoping for a punch of flavor too.

Smell: I loved this wine the minute I smelled it. It was a great balance of dark flowers (like violets), damp ground (dirt!), and raspberry notes. I just loved the earthy notes in it -- the wine had a great sense of place. It was unique. I felt like you could smell Central Otago right in the glass -- which to me is highly positive. I like dirt (isn't that a Chili Pepper song?).

Taste: GREAT wine. I highly recommend it. The forest floor, herbal and dark raspberry/black cherry notes combined so beautifully. The wine had depth. I can imagine drinking it on a cold night in front of a giant fireplace in an old, dark, wooden-paneled room in New Zealand or England. It had a hint of warmth and mystery to it that I liked a lot. Interesting, but still kind of creamy and satiny.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. Great wine. Worth the price, although you may want to try out a cheaper New Zealand Pinot from Marlborough to make sure you like what the country has to offer before you splurge. This ain't Cali Pinot (although there are some comparisons with Oregon...)


Wine 2: Perrin & Fils, Vinsobres Les Cornuds 2007

What is it? Vinsobres is an area of the Southern Rhône Valley. This is going to seem like a word problem from the SATs, but I think you can figure it out... by law the red has to be a minimum of 50% Grenache, a minimum of 20% of either Mourvedre or Syrah, and a maximum of 20% of other local grapes. Got it? All you need to know is that it's mainly Grenache with Syrah or Mourvedre playing supporting roles. This particular wine is 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.

Vinsobres is a pretty great little region and the Perrin family is the top producer in the Southern Rhône, so you can't go wrong with them. According to the Perrin & Fils blog Vinsobres:

"is the most northern Rhône style southern Rhône wine, and which is for us one of the very best places to grow Syrah in the southern Rhône valley, because the Syrah keeps there the finesse and elegance that it can lose in other places of the southern Rhône Valley (due to altitude and Vinsobres specific climate)."

Price: $17.99

Color: This was a gemstone wine -- it looked like a big, fat, polished ruby. It was intense with a bit of a watery rim. A dark, enticing color!

Smell: Holy aromatics! Licorice, black pepper, and black plums...and more licorice. It was like ripe fruit and sauteed herbs. Couldn't WAIT to taste this.

Taste: Um, can you say unbelievable? It's hard sometimes to get excited about a wine made from the Southern Rhône (apart from a few key places like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueryas, and Gigondas) but this was really striking. The wine had rich raspberry and dark cherry flavors with licorice and a bacon-like note on the finish. I loved it. It had such a powerful texture -- bold but also silky. I wish I could have had it with food, even though it was outstanding alone.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. I love this wine. Watch for vintage though. I tried the 2007, which was one of the best vintages the Rhône has seen in modern history-- Mother Nature cooperated and the grapes turned out really well. I can't speak for the '08 vintage...which was a good vintage, but not '07. I'm sure it's great given that the Perrin family made it, but caveat emptor!


Wine 3: Louis Latour, Chassagne-Montrachet 2007
Chass-WHAT?: Since it's from Burgundy, Chassagne-Montrachet is name of the place the wine is from, not of the grape, which is Chardonnay. Chassagne-Montrachet (shah-SAHN-yuh mon-RAH-shay) is one of the best places for growing Chardonnay in the world. The King of all Chardonnays "La Montrachet" is partially located in this double named commune, along with some other wines that would transform the most vehement Chardonnay hater.

Price: $27.99

Color: This is a sexy blonde! A rich yellow color that was so reflective and brilliant. Foxy, to say the least.

Smell: For a baseline, intro white Burgundy, this wine is a knockout. There are three components that make this Chardonnay sing -- a strong mineral aroma (like chalk or rocks), green apple, pear-like fruit, and gentle and elegant vanilla and caramel from the oak (no chateau 2x4 here -- this wine does not smell like wood shavings).

Taste: The minerals and acid are so strong and lovely against the fruit and oak. The wine would be austere, but it's creamy from a secondary fermentation (malolactic fermentation) that just softens it up and allows it to be a study in contrast -- minerals first, then fruit, then oak, then soft texture = awesome wine. Like the Peregrine, I feel like I know where this wine came from. It tastes like that place even though I've never been there (...theoretical, I know, but I think you know what I'm talking about -- some things are just typical of the "where").

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. I've had this wine before and it's not always this great. Get the 2007 vintage if you can. It will give you a hint as to what other, more expensive Burgundy can taste like. If you're trying to convert an ABC drinker (anything but Chardonnay) look no further!


That's the lineup. Write and let me know what you're having this weekend! Readmore »»

Friday Limerick: Silver Birch, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

I said it last week and I'll say it again, I polled Facebook fans (please "like" my Wine For Normal People Page so you can get regular updates!) and it seemed to go over pretty well, so here's the newest idea. I'm adding a Friday wine limerick each week.

I'll get the ball rolling and then I would love for you to participate! Send me your entry, I'll review it (nothing dirty please) and if I love it, I'll post it on the blog with credit to you! Here's this week's:

Silver Birch New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, The Zip Is Gone

A New Zealand Sauv Blanc must have zip

Tastes of acid, grapefruit, cut grass; it's quite hip
But the box of Silver Birch
Kind of left me in the lurch
It was too watery, light, and lacked grip

The Wine: Silver Birch
Vintage: 2009
Where's it From: Marlborough, New Zealand (where all New Zealand Sauv Blanc hails from, for the most part)
The Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Price: $24 for the equivalent of 4 bottles ($6/bottle)

Quick notes: Although the best wine of the Octavin wine series by leaps and bounds, this is still a watered down version of New Zealand Sauv Blanc. Its convenience can't be beat and it's great for large parties (although MC Ice and I had a hard time getting the last morsels out of the bottom), but for $7.99 you can get Picton Bay from Trader Joe's and that's bursting with much fuller fruit flavor.

This wine is just ok, in my book...and I say that with the full disclosure that the box was sent to my by the winery (for which I am quite grateful, even though I don't love it).

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Picton Bay Sauv Blanc (Costs $10 less than it's worth!)

A Marlborough Sauv Blanc at $7.99 that drinks like an $17.99 wine? Is that even possible? Oh yes, the wine gods have answered my call (tough times -- I can't afford to drink like I used to!). I'm getting a few cases before Trader Joe's figures out that they left $10 off the price.

The Wine: Picton Bay
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2008
Price: $7.99 in Atlanta's Trader Joe's (a total steal)

Where It's From: Marlborough, New Zealand -- land of the tastiness Sauvignon Blanc in the world.

Normal Description: If you are an aficionado of Marlborough Sauv Blanc you've got to get on this. I picked it up with trepidation, thinking lovingly of the Whitehaven that I used to be able to afford, and knowing that it couldn't possibly be close...

I love being wrong!

The wine is a nice light, golden color with just a touch of effervescence. I was worried when I saw the bubbles, because that's sometimes used in cheap wines to cover up the nasty flavors contained therein, but not here, my friends. The CO2 must have been used to keep it fresh.

The smell was Marlborough YUM -- the same green herb, grass, and gardenia that you would get from a much pricier wine. This one had a pronounced limey-ness too, almost like limeade. MMmmm. And the palate delivered too. Great acidity, a slight jalapeno burn (typical of the region), lime flavors, and a streamy-ness (like a babbling brook over rocks) what a great wine!

The wine shows its price with a bit of bitterness, and it lacks the layers and nuance that a fancier wine from this region would have, but for an everyday sipper -- bring it on, Trader Joe's!

Got snap or is it crap?: Sssssnnnnapppp. I love finding a good deal and here it is. If you can find this where you live, buy it, try it, and let me know what you think! Go kiwis! Way to be recession sensitive.

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