Drinksbiz Magazine – August September 2020

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 DRINKSBIZ.CO.NZ

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FROM THE EDITOR

Victoria Wells

Editor – Drinksbiz victoria@drinksbiz.co.nz

Don’t burst our bubble WHOEVER IT was who first said “May you live in interesting times” could surely never have imagined the sort of times we’re all living through now.

As a pandemic surges around the planet (and it still feels weird to even write that) we are bombarded daily by international case updates and news of outbreaks and ever-changing restrictions across the globe, not to mention the the latest developments in the USA presidential election race and escalating clashes there between protesters and armed forces.

And then there's our own political landscape. “Interesting” doesn't even begin to cover it. What a year it has been already. Just four months ago, we were all locked down in our own household bubbles. (Again, it feels weird to write that, too.)

Now, that bubble has extended to cover the country, and as we drop the kids to school, go to rugby matches and catch up with friends over drinks, sometimes you can almost forget there are other places not enjoying the same levels of freedom that we are.

Sometimes you can almost forget there are other places not enjoying the same levels of freedom that we are.

Obviously, from a business perspective the way we engage with international customers and contacts has changed, but our own day-to-day dealings are, for the most part, feeling reasonably normal.

Our borders remain closed though, and so we must still rely on each other.

In the last issue, I talked about the hope that Kiwis would continue to raise a glass and support our drinks industry.

While there's no question the absence of international tourists is having an impact, anecdotally it does feel as though New Zealanders are rising to the occasion when it comes to spending locally.

Seeing bars and restaurants in my neighbourhood busy each night has brought home to me how lucky we are to be able to enjoy this sort of connection and, for those in hospo, to be able to offer it.

Drinks businesses in other countries are opening one minute, closing the next or having to accommodate constantly changing restrictions.

Our bordered bubble might not be ideal, but we are in a better position than many and that's something to toast.

Enjoy the issue, Victoria

My picks 2018 Nga Waka Pinot Noir Martinborough is home to some incredible Pinot Noirs – and this is one such example. A silky and succulent wine with dark berry and spice flavours.

Sprig & Fern Nectaron Pale Ale I love that this beer uses a new hop named after a famous Kiwi hops scientist called Ron. (Ron Beatson of Plant & Food Research, to be exact). “Nectaron” brings intense tropical, citrus and stonefruit character. Juicy and delicious.

Arran Sherry Cask This new cask-strength blend from Arran Distillery on the Isle of Arran has rich flavours of fruit, toffee and sweet spice thanks to 100% maturation in sherry casks for eights years, rather than just finishing. Perfect for the end to an evening.

DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 7

CONTENTS

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

PUBLISHER

Karen Boult karen@boult.co.nz +64 21 320 663 EDITOR

Victoria Wells victoria@drinksbiz.co.nz +64 27 575 9021 DESIGNER

Lewis Hurst lewis@hurstmedia.nz +64 21 146 6404 hurstmedia.nz

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A DV E R T I S I N G

Roger Pierce advertising@drinksbiz.co.nz +64 9 361 2347 +64 274 335 354

BEER & CIDER

REGULARS

Diary Dates

10

Cover story

12

Industry News

14

International News

25

Non-Alcoholic News

28

Legal Notes

30

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50 Beer & Cider Report

WINE

50

Opinion: Michael Donaldson 58 Beer & Cider News

60 Associate Member (NZ)

SPIRITS

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Wine Report: Pinot Noir

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Top Picks

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Opinion: Joelle Thomson

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Wine News

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Opinion: Dominic Roskrow 80 Spirits News

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WHAT’S ON

Diary Dates

STRIKE PHOTOGRAPHY

AUGUST Friday 21 August

NZ Spirits Awards 2020 – Wellington The awards dinner for the second New Zealand Spirits Awards, presented by Spirits New Zealand Inc. and Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (NZ) Inc. The awards acknowledge and reward the very best in local and international spirits commercially available in New Zealand. spiritsawardsnz.nz

Friday 9 – Saturday 10 October

Winetopia – Wellington

SEPTEMBER

More than 50 New Zealand wineries will be serving their finest alongside guided tastings and talks from local experts. winetopia.co.nz/wellington

Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 September

Sunday 25 October

Seriously Good Food Show – Mt Maunganui More than 150 food and beverage exhibitors under one roof at the Trustpower Baypark Arena over two days.

For exhibitor inquiries contact Bay Events. seriouslygoodfoodshow.co.nz OCTOBER Thursday 1 – Saturday 31 October

Visa Wellington On A Plate The capital’s biggest foodie event has moved to October. October 1-11 will be dedicated to ‘Dine Wellington’, while October 21-31 will be dedicated to ‘Garage Project presents Burger Wellington’. ‘Cocktail Wellington’ and Festival events will run for the full month. More updates are available on the website. visawoap.com

First Light Wine & Food Gisborne A festival celebrating Gisborne wine, alongside local food and music held at Matawhero, TW Wines and Bridge Estate. firstlightwineandfood.co.nz Friday 30 – Saturday 31 October

Winetopia – Auckland More than 50 New Zealand wineries will be serving their finest alongside guided tastings and talks from local experts. winetopia.co.nz/auckland Friday 30 October – Sunday 1 November

The Food Show – Wellington The country’s biggest consumer food and beverage event will be held over three days at Sky Stadium. For exhibitor inquiries contact XPO Exhibitions (hub. xpo.co.nz). foodshow.co.nz Saturday 31 October

Saturday 3 October

‘It’ Bay of Islands Food and Wine Festival This family-friendly festival returns to Paihia with live music and entertainment alongside local beers, wine, cider and food. For exhibitor info contact blahblahmarketing.co.nz facebook.com/itbayofislandsfestival 10 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

New Zealand International Wine Show – Auckland The awards dinner for the New Zealand International Wine Show 2020 will be held in Auckland, following judging in September (Note: entries open until 4 September) with medal results available 28 September. nziws.co.nz

NOVEMBER Saturday 7 November

NZ Cider Festival – Nelson The country’s best cider makers will be at Nelson’s Founders Park for a day of cider, local food, music and family-friendly entertainment. Stall holder information is available on the website. nzciderfestival.com Sunday 15 November

Toast Martinborough An iconic fixture on the country’s festival calendar returns for its 29th year in 2020.

Ticket updates and programme details will be available on the website. toastmartinborough.co.nz Thursday 19 – Sunday 22 November

The Food Show – Auckland The country’s biggest consumer food and beverage event returns to Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds for four days in November.

For exhibitor inquiries contact XPO Exhibitions (hub.xpo.co.nz). foodshow.co.nz Friday 20 – Saturday 21 November

Beervana – Wellington Beerlovers will descend on Sky Stadium in the capital for two days of the best of New Zealand beer. beervana.co.nz

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COVER STORY – LEEFIELD STATION

Stories from the land A new winery and the launch of a captivating new campaign have positioned Leefield Station on an exciting road ahead…

CHRISTOPHER DAVID THOMPSON

IT’S BEEN quite the year already for Marisco Vineyards, owner of wine brands Leefield Station, The Ned and The Kings Series. The Marlborough company has opened the first stage of a major new winery at its Leefield Station vineyard and launched a new campaign for the unique brand, as well as grown domestic and export sales and brought in a harvest under strict COVID-19 regulations.

Siobhan Wilson, General Manager Sales and Marketing for Marisco Vineyards, says while it was a challenging few months, everyone in the business rose to the occasion brilliantly. “Our winery and vineyard staff were amazing, and as the saying goes – in a crisis is where you see people’s true colours.

We were blown away by how our teams pulled together.”

She says despite everything that was going on, the 2020 harvest went incredibly well. “The weather was awesome, yield was on track and quality sensational – you couldn’t have asked for a better vintage.”

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Consumers turn to The Ned While harvest required a lot of focus domestically, Marisco’s export and logistics teams were working hard to fulfil wine orders after a sudden increase in overseas demand for The Ned, particularly from the UK and Australia.

“In markets like the UK, which is a big market for us anyway, pre-COVID we’d seen sales start to slow and we had

attributed this to the uncertainty around Brexit,” says Wilson. “But when COVID hit we suddenly saw a spike. Our key buyers described trading as being like the Christmas period, but without the planning. We were receiving orders and being asked if we could ship in the same week, which is unheard of normally.

“I believe this is testament to the power of The Ned brand in markets like the UK – in a crisis people turn to trusted brands, their favourites that will help them get through the tough times – and this is what saw our sales increase.”

Wilson says they saw similar patterns in New Zealand during lockdown with The Ned performing well in the limited grocery and online sales. “We again saw people turning to their trusted brands, and more so as we came out of lockdown and business went back to normal.

While overall in the New Zealand market there was an increase in the sub-$10 segment The Ned shone through and has continued to sell – once again testament to the strength of our brand.”

“We have a unique proposition with Leefield Station as we are an operating farm and vineyard/winery all on the same property. This is something we wanted to celebrate and let consumers know about.”

COVER STORY – LEEFIELD STATION

New winery for Leefield Station Another brand building rapid momentum is Leefield Station, which saw Stage 1 of its new winery completed in time for vintage 2020.

Leefield Station takes its name from the 2200ha property that Marisco Vineyards’ owner and winemaker Brent Marris bought in 2013. It’s a century-old beef and sheep station in the upper reaches of Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley and just four kilometres from his Marisco base, which is home to the company’s Waihopai River winery.

Leefield Station’s beef and sheep farm still operates, with around a quarter of the property now converted to vineyard.

The first wines were released in late 2016 to great acclaim, and increased plantings have meant more winery capacity was needed. Rather than expand the Waihopai River winery, Marris opted to build a new winery at Leefield Station to futureproof the business for generations to come.

The plan was to have the first stage of the winery ready to receive 2020 fruit from the Leefield Station vineyard and so the construction and engineering teams had to work hard under COVID-19 constraints to have it ready for the first load in the first week of April.

The Leefield Winery team, led by Brent Marris’ daughter Emma, then processed 3,500 tonnes through the new winery in just two weeks. “It’s been designed with volume, efficiency and gentle handling of fruit in mind, so it will become a powerhouse winery that can handle large volumes of fruit in a timely

The new winery at Leefield Station

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and efficient manner,” says Wilson. “It worked incredibly well and when fully complete the new winery’s capacity will be 20,000 tonnes.”

Animals star in new Leefield Station campaign Marisco Vineyards is now putting Leefield Station front and centre for consumers looking for wine with a strong provenance story. A new campaign showcases the brand’s unique combination of agriculture and viticulture, with animals from the farm taking starring roles.

“There’s so much on offer in the world of wine that a brand needs to stand out,” says Siobhan Wilson. “Any connection you can make with the consumer that is memorable and authentic really makes the difference.

“We have a unique proposition with Leefield Station as we are an operating farm and vineyard/winery all on the same property. This is something we wanted to celebrate and let consumers know about.

Why not celebrate the farm alongside the wine – and everyone loves a cute picture of an animal, right?”

The new campaign includes print and digital executions and Marisco Vineyards has worked closely with distribution partner Lion to provide assets to customers for use in their advertising or on social media platforms.

Siobhan Wilson says the feedback so far has been hugely positive, with one customer getting in touch on Facebook to let them know she loved the “Seriously good – no bull” image so much that she had it printed and framed.

Solid foundations for the future Having successfully navigated a challenging few months, Siobhan Wilson says the overall feeling for Marisco and its brands is very positive, with a focus on managing growth and ensuring solid foundations for the business to keep growing for the generations to come.

“The great thing about being familyowned, with the next generation now working in the business, is that you know we’re in it for the long haul and, as Brent says, this helps you to slow down and make sound decisions for the future.”

leefieldstation.co.nz facebook.com/leefieldstation @leefield_station

Emma Marris

DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 13

INDUSTRY NEWS

Fine Wines of NZ 2020

Brandhouse acquires Funk Estate DRINKS COMPANY Brandhouse has acquired craft beer brand Funk Estate Brewing.

In a statement announcing the purchase, the Brandhouse board says it felt that after the successful acquisition and turnaround of Renaissance Brewing (which it purchased in 2018), the addition of a second brand with a different market appeal would further strengthen the overall business unit and provide for continued efficiencies at the brewery.

Funk Estate was being contract produced in Tauranga and Christchurch-based Brandhouse says it plans to brew the beer at its Blenheim brewery, alongside Renaissance.

The head brewers say they have no intention of changing any of the Funk Estate favourites and hope to have fresh batches of beer ready for release late July/early August.

A total of 95 wines from across New Zealand have been selected as part of the Fine Wines of New Zealand list for 2020 with seven of the 14 new additions from the Marlborough region.

The annual list was selected by seven of New Zealand’s top independent wine experts including Masters of Wine Alastair Maling, Michael Brajkovich, Sam Harrop, Simon Nash, Emma Jenkins and Steve Smith along with Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas.

The list is still strongly led by Pinot Noir with 26 wines, closely followed by Chardonnay with 15 wines, Sauvignon Blanc with 12 wines and Riesling with 10 wines.

“Now into its fifth release, the Fine Wines of New Zealand programme continues to put a focus on the depth and breadth of diversity across our wine regions and varieties,” says Fine Wines of New Zealand Chair Alastair Maling MW. “With over 100 new submissions and only 14 new entrants to the list, it recognises the high standards that have to be met including provenance, consistency, excellence in winemaking, a minimum of seven years of production, and meeting a very thorough tasting assessment.”

Air New Zealand is a patron of Fine Wines of New Zealand and General Manager Customer Experience Nikki Goodman says, “Some of the best wines in the world are produced in New Zealand, with food and wine tourism a key reason why many international visitors choose to visit. It’s important we continue to support local winemakers to achieve success and keep New Zealand as a lucrative destination for when we can welcome international visitors back to our shores.”

The full list will be available at finewines.nz

brandhouse.co.nz

Outstanding vintage despite COVID WHILE STRICT COVID-19 regulations made for a challenging 2020 harvest, New Zealand Winegrowers says an excellent summer throughout most of the country contributed to an outstanding vintage for New Zealand’s wine regions.

“Although COVID-19 restrictions did have a huge impact on the way the harvest was run, they will not affect the quality of the wine, and we are really looking forward to some exceptional wines coming from this year’s vintage,” said Philip Gregan, New Zealand Winegrowers CEO. NZ Winegrowers says that the wine industry had hoped for a larger harvest in 2020, after smaller than expected crops 14 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

over the last three years. With 457,000 tonnes of grapes harvested, this year’s vintage will help the industry to meet the high demand for New Zealand wine.

Gregan says that the industry was acutely aware that it was in an incredibly privileged position to be allowed to pick the grapes, with New Zealand moving into Alert Level 4 just as Vintage 2020 began.

“Throughout the entire lockdown our number one priority remained ensuring the safety of our people and our communities. The fact that harvest was completed safely, testifies to how our industry fully embraced the challenges to meet the strict Covid-19 requirements.”

New Zealand Winegrowers is confident Vintage 2020 wines will only enhance New Zealand’s international reputation for premium and sustainable wines.

“Positively, the reputation of our wine remains strong in our key international markets, and our wines continue to resonate with both consumers and the trade,” says Gregan. “While the world has changed, what has not changed is the love that people have for New Zealand wine.”

Wine is New Zealand’s sixth largest export good, and New Zealand wine is exported to more than 100 countries.

New Zealand wine exports are up by 6% on last year, and currently valued at $1.92 billion.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Hill expands viticulture testing HILL LABORATORIES has expanded its viticulture testing capability with the acquisition of the assets of Vine Testing Laboratory (VTL), a specialised ELISA laboratory able to diagnose Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3).

“We’re excited to expand our services available to the wine industry, adding virus testing to our existing Vine to Vintage testing service through this purchase,” says Hill Laboratories CEO, Dr Jonno Hill.

An agreement to purchase the assets of VTL was reached earlier this year between Ormond Nurseries and Villa Maria Estate, as part of Ormond Nurseries’ purchase of Villa Maria’s nursery.

The new service will be provided from Hill Laboratories’ Blenheim laboratory, which is already focused on providing testing services for the wine and viticulture industries.

The Grapevine leafroll virus (GLRaV3) is one of the biggest threats to the

Riaan Botha and Dr Jonno Hill of Hill Labs

wine industry globally, as vines infected with the virus show decreased ripening potential and yield. New Zealand grapevine nurseries all routinely test for this virus as part of the certification process for the New Zealand Winegrowers Grafted Grapevine Standard.

Hill Laboratories Market Sector Manager (Food and Bioanalytical), Riaan Botha, says that they are looking forward to continuing this service for New Zealand grapevine nurseries, and for any grape growers wanting to understand GLRaV-3

Entries open for NZ International Wine Show Celebrating its 16th year, the New Zealand International Wine Show is accepting entries for its 2020 competition until 4 September.

This year, Chief Judge Bob Campbell MW will be assisted by Assistant Chief Judges Larry McKenna, John Hancock and Tony Bish. In total, there will be 24 highly experienced senior judges.

The New Zealand International Wine Show has been the biggest wine competition in the country since its inception. A wine from any country can be entered, there are no volume requirements, no sustainability requirements and the wine does not need to be on sale in New Zealand.

In previous years, gold medals have been awarded to wines from New Zealand, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Germany, Chile, South Africa, Turkey and the USA. In 2018, there were 61 gold medals awarded to Australian wines.

A new Double Gold Medal will be introduced into the competition for 2020. To qualify for this medal a wine will need to be judged as a unanimous gold from Chief Judge Bob Campbell MW, the three Assistant Chief Judges and the three person senior judging panel.

Entry details are available on the website. Judging will take place in late September with medal results released 28 September. The Awards dinner will be held in Auckland on 31 October. nziws.co.nz 16 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

levels in their vineyards. “We already offer a number of testing opportunities for both wineries and vineyards, such as soil and petiole testing and residue testing in finished wines. By expanding our offering to include virus testing, our existing clients can take advantage of further opportunities to understand their overall vine health.”

Hill Laboratories’ acquisition of VTL will be completed on 1 September 2020, and the laboratory will be up and running in time for the 2021 testing season.

Moët Hennessey appoints Hustle & Bustle LVMH MOËT Hennessy New Zealand has appointed Hustle & Bustle as its agency partner following a competitive pitch.

The Auckland agency’s remit includes public relations and brand experience for luxury brands Moët & Chandon, Glenmorangie, Belvedere, Veuve Clicquot, Ardbeg, Cloudy Bay, Dom Pérignon, Ruinart, and Krug.

Hustle & Bustle’s appointment follows recent executive appointments at Moët Hennessy New Zealand headquarters.

Earlier this year, Tom Gilbert was made General Manager New Zealand and Pacific Islands after five years with Moët Hennessy Australia leading Victoria State.

He was joined by Senior Brand Manager Sassetta Andrew, whose most recent role was with Pernod

Ricard New Zealand’s Champagne and Spirits team.

Gilbert says they’re looking forward to working with Hustle & Bustle. “Gemma, Andrea and the team demonstrated a deep understanding of the luxury consumer and a strategic, creative and innovative approach to what will be an interesting year for the luxury market. We are looking forward to raising the bar when it comes to brand experiences through our on-premise partners, sponsorship properties, and brand storytelling and activations.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Guiding the next generation Passion and dedication are the hallmarks of the teams behind the annual Young Vit and Young Winemaker initiatives...

THE CORTEVA NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition is now in its 15th year and has played an important part in helping stretch and support many young vits as they progress their careers.

Likewise, the Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year, now in its sixth year, is helping emerging young winemakers who are starting to making a name for themselves and reach their goals.

Both initiatives play an important role in supporting the wine industry’s future leaders, helping them to grow in confidence and knowledge as well as gaining recognition within the industry.

Many of the previous contestants understand how much can be gained

The Young Vit National Committee is (top row l-r): Nigel Sowman - Dog Point Vineyards; Annabel Bulk - Felton Road; Nick Paulin - AONZ; Mike Saunders - Greystone Wines; Paul Robinson - Villa Maria; (second row l-r) Braden Crosby - On Giants‘ Shoulders; and Caleb Dennis - AONZ. Most run regional committees too, joined by (second row from middle): Rowan Hoskins - Escarpment; David Bullivant - Babich; Adam Yukich - Villa Maria.

from these competitions and are keen to give back and help the next generation come through by volunteering their time as regional and national committee members, working closely with National Co-ordinator Nicky Grandorge.

A huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes to bring these events to life, including writing and overseeing the questions, organising the challenges and awards dinners, promoting the competition and encouraging the contestants each year.

As a result, a strong, passionate community of young viticultural and winemaking leaders are emerging, ensuring the New Zealand wine industry will continue to thrive in the future.

A strong, passionate community of young viticultural and winemaking leaders are emerging, ensuring the New Zealand wine industry will continue to thrive in the future.

“The dedication and hard work from those sitting on all the committees is invaluable,” says Nicky Grandorge, Leadership & Communities Manager at NZ Winegrowers and National Co-Ordinator of both competitions. “Their time and input is very much appreciated.”

The Young Vit regional competitions are running throughout July and August with the national final on 7 October.

The Young Winemaker competitions are running throughout September with the national final on 6 November.

For more information on Corteva NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year Competition or Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year contact Nicky Grandorge on nicky.grandorge@ nzwine.com or 021 780 948.

The Young Winemaker National Committee is (top row l-r): Abigail Maxwell - Yealands; Ben Leen - Amisfield; Sara Macdonald - Villa Maria; (second row l-r) Jordan Hogg - Rockferry; Rosie Menzies – Carrick; and Haidee Johnson - Palliser Estate.

18 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Hop Federation joins Kono M ORI-OWNED FOOD and beverage business Kono has acquired boutique beer brewery, Hop Federation, effective early August.

Hop Federation, based in Riwaka, will join other Kono brands: Tohu Wines, Kono Wines, Tutū cider, Annies fruit snacks, Kiwa oysters and sustainable seafood supply business Yellow Brick Road.

Hop Federation was founded in 2013 by husband and wife team, Simon and Nicki Nicholas, who, along with the three-person brewery team, will all join Kono.

“We’re very excited to have Hop Federation join us,” says Kono CEO, Rachel Taulelei. “Combining our experience in growing hops with Hop Federation’s expertise in brewing awardwinning craft beer opens up possibilities for both businesses.

“Our business model with mussels and wine is vertically integrated, which means we are involved with our product every step of the way – from vineyard and farm all the way to glass and table. We’ve been growing hops for over a decade now, and having our own brewery puts us in this same space – it gives us opportunities for innovation and creativity that we don’t have as a hop-grower alone.”

Dylan Morris, Kono Hops Manager and Simon Nicholas, Hop Federation Chief Brewer

Simon Nicholas, Hop Federation founder and head brewer, says Kono is a brilliant fit for the brand. “They are a family business, Te Tauihu-based, and experienced hop growers. We share their passion for sustainability, outstanding produce and making a difference in the community.

The Hop Federation team are looking forward to joining the Kono whānau, and continuing to create great beer.”

A special Hop Federation Kono Hazy IPA is being released in August to mark the occasion (see more in the Beer & Cider Report on page 50).

Strong showing for New World Wine Awards 2020 More than 1200 wines were being judged over 10 days in August for the New World Wine Awards 2020, in a series of regional judging events.

20 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

It was the first time in the event’s 18-year history that the wines have been judged in this way, instead of the one-off Wellington event held each year.

Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago were the judging hub for wines grown and made in the surrounding areas, while Auckland held the judging for local as well as international, sparkling and emerging wines.

Organisers say the change was designed to ensure the awards could continue safely and effectively during the country’s evolving COVID-19 response and the competition has attracted strong entries and support from wineries all over the world.

Chair of Judges, Jim Harré, says the judging team, made up of 18 independent wine experts from around the country, is delighted to see award entries exceed expectations and hold strong to previous records during such a challenging year for many businesses.

The Top 50 ranked wines will be announced later in the year and will receive a Gold Medal and nationwide sales opportunities through New World supermarkets.

INDUSTRY NEWS

DB progresses with sustainability

Emerson’s takes its Tiny Pub on tour EMERSON’S TOOK the beer to the people in its recent Tiny Pub tour, which made eight stops around the country, starting in Auckland and finishing at Coronet Peak.

The idea behind the Emerson’s Tiny Pub was to reconnect Kiwis with the simple pleasure of catching up with a friend. Guests could book a 27-minute session at the pub (deemed to be the perfect amount of time to enjoy a pint and a catch-up) and enjoy the atmosphere of the miniature venue complete with just two stools, a tiny piano, mini dartboard and its own bartender.

The Tiny Pub was originally due to launch in March but was delayed as the country went into Level 4 lockdown in response to COVID-19. Ironically, the rescheduled tour, which kicked off in late June, was timed perfectly as reconnection was very much on New Zealanders’ minds and the pub sessions booked out quickly. thetinypub.co.nz

New GM at Rockburn Wines Rockburn Wines has appointed Tim Severne as General Manager of the Central Otago company.

Severne, who most recently held the position of Global Sales Manager at the Antipodes Water Company, started in his new role in June.

He has significant sales and marketing management experience having worked with companies such as Glengarry

Wines, Hancocks Wine, Spirit and Beer Merchants and Marisco Vineyards.

22 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

“Tim has had 20 years’ experience in the New Zealand wine and hospitality industry and is well known within the on- and off-premise markets,” says Director of Rockburn Wines, Chris James. “We believe, with his knowledge and enthusiasm, that he will continue to expand the sales and promote the Rockburn brand so that it maintains its position as one of Central Otago’s leading producers of premium wines.”

DB has released its annual Sustainability Report, which details its progress towards halving its emissions by 2030 and achieving zero waste to landfill across its operations.

The 2019 Sustainability Report shows that the company removed 17 tonnes of plastic from its supply chain in 2019, part of an overall 10% reduction in its total waste since 2018. Of the remaining waste, 96% was diverted from landfill through various reuse and recycling initiatives.

“We speak often about consumers needing to reduce their waste, but in my view there isn’t enough pressure and progress from companies to do the same,” says Peter Simons, Managing Director of DB Breweries. “We are one step further up the chain, so if we can reduce what we use at our level, it will have a significant impact.”

Reducing stretch wrap on pallets has been one of the biggest changes in DB’s plastic use and it says tackling plastics will continue to be a priority, with a focus on reducing and recycling onsite plastic, collaborating with suppliers, and sustainable packaging solutions.

DB is also reporting a reduction in its carbon emissions of 11% in 2019. As a signatory to the Climate Leaders Coalition, the brewer has committed to halving its emissions by 2030 to align with the Paris Agreement to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5° Celsius above preindustrial levels.

The 11% reduction is from Scope 1 and 2 emissions and is due to improvements in thermal energy use at the two largest production sites in Otahuhu and Timaru. Both sites have also reduced refrigerant losses by over 500 tonnes.

Measuring and reducing Scope 3, or indirect emissions, is also a priority for DB, who have committed to setting reduction targets for these emissions by the end of 2021. Actions to reduce these Scope 3 emissions are already underway; and the report reveals a reduction of 30,000km travelled in distribution in 2019; a saving of over 25 tonnes of CO2 per year.

However, Peter Simons is realistic about what to expect in 2020 with sustainability progress, given the context of COVID-19 and its economic fallout.

“We had significant plans this year to invest in the infrastructure required to further our sustainability goals, particularly in water quality and emissions.

Obviously with COVID we are facing some challenges and uncertainty, but this hasn’t diminished our ambitions. The good news is that changes like reducing plastic, diverting waste, and increasing efficiency in production and logistics do not require huge levels of investment but do make a difference.”

DB’s 2019 Sustainability Report is online at dbsustainability.co.nz.

DISTRIBUTED BY FEDERAL MERCHANTS & CO.

SHOWCASE

Saverglass launches new website French specialist glass company Saverglass – a high end manufacturer and decorator of glass bottles – has launched a new website to make it even easier to browse and discover the perfect vessel.

From sleek and contemporary, to ornate or traditional, Saverglass has a bottle design to enhance and present your product in a striking way.

The new look website at saverglass.com is full of new features, new content and customised solutions.

• The new design and navigation make it easier to find the information you’re looking for • The new user interface provides a more sophisticated and pleasurable viewing experience • The site has been enriched by new content to enhance the browsing experience • New animations and features make it easier to access information and gain better understanding of specific topics • The fully versatile website is optimised for viewing on desktop, tablet or smartphone Discover the collections at saverglass.com Contact Saverglass saverglass.com 09 522 2990

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

World’s Top 50 Vineyards revealed THE TOP 50 vineyards in the world have been announced, with New Zealand’s own Rippon in Central Otago voted Best in Australasia.

The World’s Best Vineyards compiles the 50 best wine tourism destinations in the world, created from the nominations of an Academy of over 500 wine and travel experts who put forward the destinations based on the overall visitor experience including, but not limited to, ambience, cuisine, tours and views.

Rippon Vineyard, which placed 13 on the 2020 list, was joined by fellow New Zealand winery Craggy Range at 17.

The 2020 list covers five continents and 18 countries, with 17 new names featuring and vineyards including modern architectural wonders, UNESCO-protected ancient cellars, Michelin-starred restaurants, and small, family-run wineries.

Marqués de Riscal

The Top 10 of the World’s Top 50 Vineyards 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Zuccardi Valle - Argentina Bodega Garzón - Uruguay Domäne Wachau - Austria Montes - Chile Robert Mondavi Winery - USA Bodegas de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal - Spain

AIBA 2020 cancelled ORGANISERS OF the Australian International Beer Awards announced in late July that the 2020 event would be cancelled due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) made the decision to cancel the event in the face of greater restrictions in Australia and the

requirements around social distancing.

It had earlier planned to delay the event and hold a virtual awards ceremony in late September.

RASV Chief Executive Officer, Brad Jenkins, says he was disappointed to make the announcement but ensuring the health and safety of the officials, exhibitors and staff was paramount when reaching the

7. Château Smith Haut Lafitte - France 8. Quinta do Crasto - Portugal 9. Antinori nel Chianti Classico - Italy 10. VIK Winery - Chile For the full list visit worldsbestvineyards.com

decision. “When considering the current global COVID-19 pandemic, the health of our judges and volunteers has been at the forefront of this decision to cancel the 2020 Australian International Beer Awards.

“The Australian International Beer Awards are reliant on the input of the international and interstate beer and brewing community for both entries and providing experts for the judging panel.

With the current restrictions in place in the State of Victoria and across the world, it wasn’t possible to confidently ensure that we could conduct the Awards this year,” said Jenkins.

The AIBA began as a small domestic programme in 1987 and has grown into the largest annual beer competition in the world assessing both draught and packaged beer and attracting more than 2500 entries from more than 400 breweries in 26 countries.

The RASV says it will provide a full refund to exhibitors for any entry fees paid and plans to return for 2021. rasv.com.au DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 25

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Diageo reveals revolutionary spirits bottle DIAGEO HAS announced the creation of the world’s first ever 100% plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle, made entirely from sustainably sourced wood. The company says the bottle will debut with Johnnie Walker in early 2021.

The news comes as Diageo launches a new partnership with Pilot Lite, a venture management company, to launch Pulpex Limited, a new world-leading sustainable packaging technology company. To ensure that the technology can be used in every area of life, Pulpex Limited has established a partner consortium of world leading FMCG companies in non-competing categories including Unilever, and PepsiCo, with further partners expected to be announced later in the year. The consortium partners are each expecting to launch their own branded paper bottles, based on Pulpex Limited’s design and technology, in 2021.

Pulpex Limited has developed a ‘first-of-its-kind’ scalable paper-based bottle designed and developed to be 100% plastic-free and expected to be fully recyclable. The bottle is made from sustainably sourced pulp to meet food-safe standards and will be fully recyclable in standard waste streams. The technology will allow brands to rethink their packaging designs, or move existing designs into paper, whilst not compromising on the existing quality of the product.

Pulpex Limited’s technology allows it to produce a variety of plastic-free, single mould bottles that can be used across a range of consumer goods. The packaging has been designed to contain a variety of liquid products and will form part of Diageo’s commitment towards Goal 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’.

Pernod Ricard to develop app to help fight hate speech Pernod Ricard plans to create a crowdsourcing app that gives consumers and those affected by hate speech on social media the power to identify and report content they find objectionable directly to brands and companies.

In a statement announcing the move, Pernod Ricard said brands can then leverage their influence with social media platforms to help ensure the

content is reviewed and removed, if warranted. The app will be an additional resource for individuals, brands and social media platforms to use in the fight to stop hate speech online.

“The world is waking up to the reality that we all have a role to play in stopping the spread of hate speech, racism and misinformation on social media platforms,” said Pernod Ricard

USA CEO Ann Mukherjee. “There is a long way to go. Movements like #StopHateForProfit are demonstrating that brands and consumers want them to take more urgent action.

“Companies like ours can and should play a bigger role in problem-solving than just withholding advertising dollars.

We can create tools that make it easier for consumers’ voices to be

heard when they see hate speech spreading online. And that’s what we are doing.”

Pernod Ricard says the initiative is about giving consumers a voice, helping brands own their responsibility to hold social media platforms accountable given their influence, and ultimately creating a more transparent and positive world with an internet that is safe for all.

Sydney International Wine Competition cancelled THE SYDNEY International Wine Competition has been cancelled for the first time in its 40 year history. The news came after the closure of the Victorian border in July, with organisers citing concerns over the impact on access to other Australian states, as well as wine producers from New Zealand and elsewhere around the world.

In late June, the SIWC had announced plans to go ahead for 2020, delaying the entry period and rescheduling judging for mid-November.

However, in a statement in late July, organisers said that the likelihood of severe disruption to travel and freight for much of the rest of the year made it impossible to 26 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

guarantee arrival of both wines and judges.

“It is very disappointing to postpone this year’s Competition because it has carried on throughout many tumultuous world and local events over the past 40 years, but the nature of the current pandemic means

it is almost impossible to plan ahead.

The case of Victoria highlights just how dramatic and changeable the situation can be. Having wineries enter and go to the expense of send samples etc. with the risk of the competition having to be called off is the last thing we would want, so we feel we have had to make the call now.”

The Sydney International Wine Competition is one of Australia’s longestrunning wine events and the only international wine show that judges all its finalists in combination with appropriate food, to ensure that medal-winning wines are both technically excellent and relevant for consumers. sydneywinecomp.com

WHAT WHISKY’S BEEN WAITING FOR If you’re a staunch purist who believes whisky should never be mixed with anything but water, then turn the page.

At Fever-Tree, we believe it can be mixed with more.

That’s why we created a range of the finest quality Fever-Tree Ginger Ales. Mixers blended with naturally sourced gingers from around the world, each crafted to enhance the complex flavours within different styles of whisky.

Creating simple, refreshing ways to enjoy your favourite whisky.

NON-ALCOHOLIC NEWS

100% edible straws

Seedlip kits for at-home cocktails SEEDLIP DISTRIBUTOR Cook & Nelson has created three at-home cocktail kits featuring the popular UK distilled non-alcoholic spirit.

The kits are available in Seedlip Grove 42 ‘Paddington’, Seedlip Spice 94 ‘Espresso Martino’ (a take on the classic Espresso Martini), and Seedlip Garden 108 ‘The Fix’.

The cocktail gift boxes are RRP $109.95 - $119.95 and include a 700ml bottle of Seedlip, a Seedlip branded copper jigger, cocktail recipe and additional ingredients.

Contact rebecca@cookandnelson.com for trade pricing.

New Gold Kiwifruit from The Apple Press Hawke’s Bay beverage company The Apple Press has added a new juice to its “Wellness” range with the launch of The Apple Press Gold Kiwifruit and Cold Pressed JAZZ™ Apple.

The new flavour combines Gold Kiwifruit with Kiwi favourite JAZZ apples and has no added sugar or preservatives.

The Apple Press launched its “Wellness” range in late 2018, pairing Hawke’s Bay apples with health renowned fruits, vegetables and natural ingredients known to support the body’s natural defences. The company also believes in “great taste and low-waste”, sustainably sourcing the “ugly fruit” rejected for export, with apples traceable back to the Hawke’s Bay orchards of origin.

The Apple Press

strawthelinenz.co.nz

Organic juices from Karma

Karma Drinks has released a new range of certified organic juices in six flavours. The Karma Juice range (RRP $5) is BioGro certified organic, made in New Zealand, contains no preservatives or GMOs and is packaged in glass.

The six flavours include: • Carrot, Orange & Turmeric • Apple, Guava & Passionfruit • Apple, Blackcurrant & Raspberry • Orange • Apple • Orange, Apple & Mango As with all Karma Drinks, each purchase contributes to The Karma Foundation, which supports the growers producing the ingredients.

Karma Drinks

28 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

A 100% natural, gluten-free, vegan-friendly edible drinking straw is now available from Kiwi company Straw the Line NZ. Camilla Weinstein and Charlotte Downes started the company in September 2019, while both on maternity leave, with the aim of creating a business with purpose that could change how New Zealanders view single use items and do away with what they call “frustrating soggy paper straws.”

Straw the Line’s Edible Raw Straws are made from rice flour and tapioca starch, and are 100% natural and biodegradable, breaking down in around 90 days.

Weinstein and Downes ethically source the product from Vietnam. The straws, which have a two-year shelf life, are gluten-free and vegan-friendly, using natural vegetable colours to create the eight colours. Edible Raw Straws are available in wholesale packs of 250.

New Ārepa Lite & Sparkling The makers of specialty product repa have released a Lite + Sparkling version of the beverage, which is designed to boost the brain and immune system. repa founder Angus Brown worked with internationally recognised neuroscientists and food-technologists to develop a patented formula containing unique New Zealand plant extracts that support mental clarity during moments of pressure and stress.

The repa range includes beverages, a powder and capsules. repa

LEGAL NOTES

Pervinder Kaur

Associate at Harkness Henry specialising in alcohol licensing and resource management law pervinder.kaur@harkness.co.nz harknesshenry.co.nz

Ensuring compliant premises Alcohol Licensing lawyer Pervinder Kaur of Harkness Henry has a timely reminder about compliance for licensed premises and tips on useful extra measures to put in place...

IT CAN be difficult to stay positive and focused on goals when so many businesses have been hit hard after the COVID-19 lockdown. As an Alcohol Licensing lawyer, I am most aware of the impact of COVID-19 and its on-going effects on the hospitality industry, which has been significantly affected. However, it’s important to remember that normality will return eventually, hopefully in the not too distant future.

Amid the rapidly changing landscape it’s important to ensure that your business is operating as per rules and regulations, and it can be useful to use these quieter times effectively, to give your business a competitive edge and come out better and stronger when things get busier.

The first step is to get the basics right.

Licensees should have the following premises compliance measures in place (if not already) to ensure premises are operating as per rules and regulations: 1. Your licence is the authority that allows you to sell and supply alcohol from the premises. Therefore, you must read and understand the licence and its conditions. A copy of the current licence must always be displayed from the inside of the premises so people coming in can easily read it.

2. A duty manager must be on duty at all times when alcohol is being sold or supplied to the public on a licensed premises. The duty manager’s name must be displayed inside the premises at all times while on duty. A duty managers’ register must be maintained 30 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

at all times. If you own/operate multiple premises make sure the registers are up-to-date for all premises. A licensee must give notice of the appointment, cancellation or termination of any manager, temporary manager, or acting manager within 48 hours of the appointment, cancellation or termination to the Licensing Inspector and Police.

Did you know that 80% of the businesses that fail Police Controlled Purchase Operations fail due to the untrained staff who make the sale?

3. A Host Responsibility Policy must be displayed at the premises. This is a policy that helps create a safe drinking environment and aims to reduce intoxication. A responsible host: a. does not serve alcohol to minors; b. prevents intoxication; c. actively promotes substantial food options, free water, low-alcoholic and non- alcoholic beverages; d. arranges safe transport options; and e. displays and promotes alcohol responsibly.

Staff, systems and advertising The issue of staff and systems is also of relevance for licensees. Regardless of the lack of a mandatory requirement for staff training and refresher training, it is important that managers, licensees and their staff ‘know the law’.

Did you know that 80% of the businesses that fail Police Controlled Purchase Operations fail due to the untrained staff who make the sale?

As the licensee and/or manager, that impacts directly on you. A staff training policy must be in place. If you don’t have one, seek advice and use the quiet time to prepare one and then train staff appropriately.

Make sure that your Staff Training Register is updated so when it is time to renew your licence you can provide evidence that you’ve been running staff training sessions regularly.

Be aware also that all advertising and promotion of alcohol should comply with the Advertising Standards Authority’s Code for Advertising and Promotion of Alcohol. Alcohol advertising and promotion should not encourage excessive alcohol consumption. The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 creates offences and penalties for certain irresponsible alcohol promotions which can result in fines and even licence suspensions.

It’s also advisable to check that your Building Warrant of Fitness and food registration details are up-to-date and that any security systems such as CCTV are working.

WINE REPORT – PINOT NOIR

Revered red Pinot Noir is the most planted red grape in New Zealand and continues to grow in quality, style and classic flavours, says Joelle Thomson

32 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

WINE REPORT – PINOT NOIR

Under RRP $20 2019 Wairau River Marlborough Pinot Noir RRP $18 to $19 Federal Merchants

This wine is commanding, fresh and very good value from the Rose Family who own Wairau River Wines, which they established in 1978 on the banks of the eponymous river in the heart of Marlborough winegrowing country.

I like this lighter style of Pinot Noir for a cheeky midweek glass or two of tasty and refreshing Pinot, which hints at complexity and draws me back for another sip. Great value for money. 18.5/20 2018 La Belle Angèle Pinot Noir RRP $18.95 Negociants

La Belle Angèle is a character that represents the 1920s and the wines in this collection are designed to capture her carefree style and elegance. This light-bodied French Pinot Noir is entry level in terms of price for a good quality Pinot Noir and offers an easy gateway to this classic varietal thanks to its light characters and fragrant fruity aroma.

16.5/20

Marlborough’s Southern Valleys are hot property for high quality wines, especially Pinot Noir, which thrives when grown here.

2019 Pā Road Pinot Noir RRP $19.99 Beverage Brothers

2018 The Ned Pinot Noir RRP $24.99 Marisco

This is light-bodied, refreshing Marlborough Pinot Noir. It’s made from machine-harvested grapes from several vineyards in Wairau Valley that were fermented in a combination of barrel and stainless steel tanks for approximately 10 months. It’s made from Pinot Noir clones 667, 115, 777, and Abel. A good value wine; soft and smooth. 17.5/20

Marlborough’s Southern Valleys are hot property for high quality wines, especially Pinot Noir, which thrives when grown here. The Ned Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown in the Waihopai Valley, which were 100% destemmed to retain a smooth, soft and fruit-forward appeal, which shines in this tasty light to medium-bodied wine. It was matured in a combination of stainless steel tanks and French oak puncheons for nine months.

17.5/20

RRP $20 – $30 2018 Tiki Estate Waipara Pinot Noir RRP $22.95 Federal Merchants

Tiki Wines is owned by Sue and Royce McKean who own a 325 hectare vineyard in the Waipara Valley, 40 minutes north of Christchurch. Their wine brand was named for Royce’s great-greatgrandfather, Ngati Uenuku chieftain, Tiki Tere Mihi. The white label red, also known as Tiki Estate Pinot Noir, is light and fresh with flavour notes of red fruit, a hint of spice and medium finish. Good value for an accessibly priced Pinot from a region that consistently punches above its weight in quality. 17.5/20

2019 Hãhã Marlborough Pinot Noir RRP $24.99 Hãhã Wine

Hãhã’s Marlborough Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on a single vineyard in the Awatere Valley, south of Marlborough’s main grape-growing area on the Wairau Plains. The cooler climate here provides freshness from slightly higher acidity in the grapes, which balances the bright red fruit flavours and adds a refreshing quality to this mediumbodied wine. 16.5/20

DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 33

WINE REPORT – PINOT NOIR

2017 Tiki Single Vineyard Waipara Pinot Noir RRP $26.95 Federal Merchants

Tiki Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is the mid-tier Pinot in the range. It’s made with grapes grown in the Waipara Valley, where hot days and cool nights combine to stretch out the growing season so lingering autumn weather can ripen grapes for longer than usual. This provides depth of flavour and extra complexity to wines such as this one. 17.5/20 2018 Giesen The Brothers Pinot Noir RRP $26.99 Giesen

Winemaker Nikolai St George used handharvested grapes from Marlborough’s Southern Valleys to make this fresh, vibrant Pinot Noir, using a portion of whole bunch fermentation to add structure and spicy notes and support the elegant fruit flavours. The wine was aged in a combination of new (24%) and old French oak 300 litre barrels. It’s dry and spicy with a silky mouthfeel adding to its lively appeal. A great Pinot at a modest price. 18.5/20

2018 Leefield Station Pinot Noir RRP $26.99 Marisco

2018 Opawa Marlborough Pinot Noir RRP $28 Negociants

This is a fresh, bright and appealingly refreshing Pinot Noir, made from handharvested grapes that were destemmed and cold soaked for five to seven days then fermented at warm temperatures and hand plunged before ageing in French oak puncheons for nine months.

Notes of spice and smoked flavours add lovely complexity to the smooth finish of this wine. 18.5/20

The 2018 Opawa Pinot Noir is the best yet, hands down. It is velvety, rich in flavour and super elegant with concentrated fruit, spice and cedar notes, all held in beautiful balance by the wine’s vibrant acidity. It benefited massively from high quality Pinot grapes this year, which give this wine impressive power.

It definitely has the X factor. 17.5/20

2019 Churton Natural State Pinot Noir RRP $26.99 Churton Wines

Certified organic grapes were used to make this new 2019 Pinot Noir from Churton Estate’s second generation of winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver.

Their parents, Sam and Mandy Weaver, established the winery in 1997 and built a reputation for small quantities of 100% certified organic wines. Natural State is no exception. It’s certified organic with BioGro NZ, fermented with indigenous yeasts and is smooth and fruity with a light touch. The 2019 growing season was outstanding and this Pinot expresses that with its deep purple style. 17.5/20

The 2018 Opawa Pinot Noir is the best yet, hands down. It is velvety, rich in flavour and super elegant.

34 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

2018 Rabbit Ranch Central Otago Pinot Noir RRP $29.99 Rabbit Ranch

Rabbit Ranch is one of the best known and highest volume Pinot Noirs produced in Central Otago. It is made from grapes grown around the wider Central Otago region, pushing softness and approachability in a light to medium bodied, fruit-forward style each year.

It drinks well as a youthful wine and is not intended to be cellared for the long term.

16.5/20

WINE REPORT – PINOT NOIR

Urlar’s The Mediator is one of the most welcome new additions to this country’s Pinot Noir scene in the past five years.

2017 King’s Wrath Pinot Noir RRP $29.99 Marisco

Hand-harvested grapes were fermented with a portion of whole clusters (stems as well as grapes) to add structure, complexity and subtle backbone to this tasty wine. This is accentuated by 10 months in French oak puncheons, 50% of which were new barrels, providing smooth texture and spicy notes to the wine, along with fresh spicy notes.

17.5/20 2019 Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir RRP $29.99 Hancocks

Pinot Noir is all the rage right now and while Marlborough is better known for Sauvignon Blanc, its Pinots deserve some time in the spotlight too. Jules Taylor makes this medium-bodied wine in a super juicy, dry and savoury style with spicy, earthy flavours adding delicious complexity and making every sip flavoursome and thought provokingly tasty. 17.5/20

2019 Mount Michael ‘The Mountaineer’ Pinot Noir RRP $29.99 Beverage Brothers

Jody Pagey made this wine using natural yeasts for fermentation with no whole bunch inclusion, minimal cap work (pump overs rather than plunging), two weeks on skins and a modest 15% new oak.

All of which adds up to a beautifully smooth, medium-bodied Central Otago Pinot with oomph and power in a subtle and refreshing style. Lovely, bright and too drinkable. 17.5/20

RRP $30 – $40 2018 Neck of the Woods Pinot Noir RRP $31 to $34 Neck of the Woods

This new brand from Bendigo in Central Otago is medium-bodied with fresh, bright red fruit characters of cherries and plums, highlighting the depth of flavour in reds from the world’s southernmost wine region. A super refreshing style of Pinot Noir. 18.5/20

2017 Urlar The Mediator Pinot Noir RRP $32 Negociants

The Mediator is one of the most welcome new additions to this country’s Pinot Noir scene in the past five years. Made from grapes grown at Gladstone in the Central Wairarapa, this medium-bodied wine is fresh and spicy with bright fruit flavours and earthy, complex notes starting to appear now the wine is three years old.

It’s a fabulous label and the contents are even more outstanding. Very good drinking now and can hold for the next couple of years. 17.5/20 2018 Nga Waka Pinot Noir RRP $33 Hancocks

Martinborough Pinot Noir is one of the great unsung stars of this country’s red wine industry and it’s where the Pinot story began in the late 1980s, when this tiny town was still an ailing farming community with a few fledgling wineries.

Nga Waka was founded by winemaker Roger Parkinson and has since been sold, but Roger remains at the winemaking helm. He makes this wine from grapes grown at winery’s Pirinoa Block, a vineyard south of the town, which he blends with grapes grown on the Old Cemetery Block. Ten per cent of the grapes are fermented as whole bunches and macerated for 19-21 days followed by 22 months in French oak barriques, 20% of which are new. A great Martinborough Pinot Noir. 18.5/20

DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 35

WINE REPORT – PINOT NOIR

2018 Escarpment Noir RRP $34.99 Vintners

Winemaker Larry McKenna is often dubbed ‘the king of Pinot’ and for good reason. He has been making it in New Zealand for longer than most and now produces this wine from 100% hand harvested grapes fermented in open top vessels, followed by barrel ageing of 11 months for the finished wine, which is bottled without filtration to retain its earthy flavours. This tasty, youthful Pinot from Martinborough drinks well now and can hold for two to three years. 17.5/20

2018 Big Sky Martinborough Pinot Noir RRP $35.99 Big Sky Wines

2018 Soho Havana Pinot Noir Yarrum Vineyard RRP $38 Soho Wines

Jeremy Corban and Katherine Jacobs are partners in life and in winemaking, producing small quantities of this superlative wine from their Te Muna Road vineyard in Martinborough, where they opened their new-ish cellar door. This wine is dry, full-bodied and concentrated with intense flavours of red cherry, earthy aromas and spice. It drinks well now and will definitely improve with time in the cellar for at least five years. 18.5/20

Winemakers Dave Clouston and Sanna Stander used grapes grown on the Carter family’s vineyard and Dog Point’s certified organic Yarrum Vineyard in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys to make this full-bodied wine. It’s extremely youthful and will benefit from cellaring, due to its style and structure derived from 20% whole bunch fermentation, 50% wild yeast ferment and 25% new oak for its maturation. 16.5/20

2018 Tiki Koro Central Otago Pinot Noir RRP $34.99 Federal Merchants

2018 Wairau River Marlborough Reserve Pinot Noir RRP $37 Federal Merchants

Tiki owners Sue and Royce McKean source Pinot Noir grapes from Central Otago to make this dry, full-bodied, beautifully fruit-forward Pinot. It has fresh flavours of red summer berries, a medium body and freshness to burn, which makes each sip linger. 18.5/20

Marlborough Pinot Noir is one of this country’s most underrated wines and this tasty, next level Pinot is a perfect example of the quality coming out of this region. It’s a rich, dry, fruit-forward and spicy Pinot Noir from one of the most established wineries in New Zealand’s biggest wine region. This wine is a stunner. 18/20

2019 te Pā Pinot Noir RRP $34.99 Beverage Brothers

Hand-harvested grapes from the Taylor River Vineyard in the Southern Valleys of Marlborough went into this bright and fruity wine from the great 2019 vintage.

It has 20% whole bunch fermentation and was aged for 11 months before release.

17.5/20

36 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

2015 Giesen Organic Pinot Noir RRP $39.99 Giesen

For a wine that’s now five years old, this certified organic Pinot Noir from Marlborough remains incredibly vivacious and fresh with bright fruit aromas. It’s a limited edition certified organic wine with BioGro NZ. The grapes were destemmed and given 14 days maceration prior to ageing in 300 litre French oak for 12 months. It then received a further 24 months bottle ageing before release. This drinks well now and delivers a nicely aged spicy Pinot Noir. 17.5/20

For a wine that’s five years old, the 2015 Giesen Organic Pinot Noir is incredibly vivacious and fresh with bright fruit aromas.

WINE REPORT – PINOT NOIR

RRP $40 – $50 2018 Nga Waka Lease Block Pinot Noir RRP $40 Hancocks

Roger Parkinson is one of Martinborough’s most experienced winemakers and he produces this Pinot from a small 0.8 hectare vineyard known as Lease Block on Huangarua Road, one of New Zealand’s golden miles of wineries and vineyards. This small site was planted in 1999 in 100% Pinot Noir clone 5, 115, and 10/5. The wine is made with 15% whole bunch fermentation, maceration time of 22 days and maturation in French oak barriques, 33% new for 20 months.

It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, so it’s vegan-friendly. It’s also one of my favourite Pinot Noirs right now, drinking well and with a long life up its sleeve.

18.5/20 2017 Greystone North Canterbury Pinot Noir RRP $40.99 Greystone Wines

Greystone Pinot Noir is one of New Zealand’s least known and greatest red wines made from grapes grown on north facing slopes rich in limestone in the Waipara Valley – one of the country’s most underrated wine regions. All the grapes in this certified organic wine are hand-harvested, wild yeast fermented and a portion is also fermented in the vineyard followed by 10 months oak maturation.

This wine is next level with silky elegance and great complexity. 18.5/20

2016 Nautilus Southern Valleys Pinot Noir RRP $42 Negociants

2017 Mount Edward Central Otago Pinot Noir RRP $44.99 Mineral

A great vintage for Pinot Noir in the South Island and a consistently great wine, thanks to winemaker Clive Jones, who has been the keystone to quality at this iconic Marlborough winery. This Pinot is dry with a medium body and pronounced, wellbalanced acidity adding freshness to every ripe, plummy sip. Delicious and youthful; this wine has another five to six years plus ahead of it. 18.5/20

Mount Edward Pinot Noir is one of Central Otago’s best every year, thanks to the focus of the winemaking team led by Duncan Forsyth, one of the region’s most experienced winemakers. It’s made from organically certified grapes and vinified with indigenous yeasts and 25% whole bunch fermentation to add structure with some components being higher in the proportion of whole bunch. The finished wine is then matured for 11 months in oak, a modest 15% of which is new. It is then settled in tank after blending for an additional six months. 18.5/20

2016 Dog Point Marlborough Pinot Noir RRP $44.99 Dog Point

Dog Point Pinot Noir is one of New Zealand’s greatest red wines, thanks to the innovation, experience and openmindedness of viticulturist-winemakers Ivan Sutherland and James Healy. The pair began winemaking in Marlborough’s early days, forging their reputations initially at Cloudy Bay then establishing Dog Point.

This organically produced Pinot highlights the power of Pinot with its dry flavours, complex full body and long finish.

A stunner now and it will age. 18.5/20

2009 Urlar Pinot Noir Gladstone RRP $45 Negociants

‘Urlar’ is the Gaelic word for ‘earth’, an appropriate name for a wine in conversion to organic certification with BioGro NZ when it was made in 2009, which was a very good vintage in Gladstone in the Wairarapa. This Pinot is a library release and has a smooth body, delicate structure and superb spicy notes. It has aged well under screwcap and tastes delicate and fresh with complex tertiary flavours (with ageing). 18.5/20

2018 Nga Waka Lease Block Pinot Noir is produced from a 0.8 hectare site on one of New Zealand’s golden miles of vineyards.

DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 37

WINE REPORT – PINOT NOIR

RRP $50 and above 2018 Soho McQueen Pinot Noir RRP $50 Soho Wines

This is the top Pinot Noir from Soho Wines, made from grapes grown in Central Otago by winemakers Grant Taylor and Jen Parr, the dynamic duo behind many other great southern wines.

This Pinot Noir is made with grapes from three different sub-regions in the south, with 42% of the fruit coming from Gibbston, 27% from Bannockburn and 31% from Bendigo. All the grapes were hand-harvested, 25% with whole clusters in the ferment, followed by 25% new oak maturation. This has created a fresh, youthful Pinot Noir with moderate acidity adding zest and length to the wine’s fresh red and dark fruit flavours. Silky, smooth and tasty now, it has a long life ahead.

18.5/20

2017 Pegasus Bay Estate Pinot Noir RRP $52 EuroVintage

2017 Whitehaven Greg Pinot Noir RRP $58-$60 Whitehaven Wines

The Donaldson family has been making wine for over 40 years, initially when Ivan Donaldson planted the first Canterbury vineyard in 1976, later as founder of Pegasus Bay Winery with his wife Christine in 1986. The wine is now made by their eldest son, Mat, whose three brothers market it and run the winery. A large portion of the estate’s 30-year-old Pinot Noir vines are planted on their own roots on free-draining, north-facing terraces in the Waipara Valley. Approximately one third of the grapes in this wine were whole bunch fermented at cool temperatures, with the wine then aged in Burgundian oak, 40% new, for 18 months. It’s bone dry, full-bodied, fleshy and succulent, thanks to refreshing freshness and concentrated, complex flavours of dark cherries, dried strawberries and smooth, spicy notes.

It can age for at least 10 years. It’s a keeper. 19/20

The is the top Pinot Noir from Whitehaven Wines, one of Marlborough’s oldest and most successful wine producers, founded by Sue White and her late husband Greg in 1994. The wine is named for Greg, whose passion for wine and the Marlborough region lives on at the winery. This full-bodied, dry Pinot Noir has exceptional depth with flavours of spice, dried cranberries and smoke. It’s long, rich and worthy of ageing – for up to eight years, potentially further. 18.5/20

Verismo is the top Pinot from Misha’s Vineyard and is deliberately held back from release for several years to allow the wine to mature.

2014 Misha’s Vineyard Verismo Pinot Noir RRP $75 Negociants

Martinborough winemaker Olly Masters has made Misha’s Vineyard wines from Central Otago ever since the brand’s first vintage in 2008. Verismo is the top Pinot from the vineyard and is deliberately held back from release for several years to allow the wine to mature. Like all of Misha’s wines, it is made from grapes grown on the impressively steep sloping vineyard owned by Misha and Andy Wilkinson above Lake Dunstan in Otago’s Bendigo. This vintage of Verismo is silky, seductively smooth, spicy and complex.

It’s a blend of individual barrels, selected from superior ferments from specific vineyard blocks. All up, the blend has 16% new oak and the wine was bottled in October 2015 and released this year.

18.5/20 2016 Ata Rangi Martinborough Pinot Noir RRP $75 Ata Rangi

Ata Rangi winemakers Helen Masters and Clive Paton use their oldest vines to make this iconic Pinot Noir, using 40% of the Abel clone (famously smuggled in from Burgundy in the 1970s). They use 30% whole bunch fermentation, 100% indigenous yeasts and 11 months in French oak, 35% new, for maturation.

They hold the wine back for an additional six months before release. The 2017 vintage was a cool year in terms of climate but the wine impresses again with its richness and concentration, and it will reward further ageing. 18.5/20 For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 88.

38 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

MAR ISCO CASTLE, LU N DY ISLA ND, UK

In fact, there are many – history tells us some incredible things…

Among the twisted vines of Marisco Vineyards owner Brent Marris’ ancestry was a William de Marisco, rumoured to be one of the many illegitimate children of King Henry the First.

Back in the twelfth and thirteenth century, the de Marisco families inhabited the small island of Lundy off the south-west coast of England, and were engaged in all manner of shall we say, ‘colourful pursuits’.

They maintained a tempestuous relationship with the monarchy of the time; at times receiving royal favour, and yet at others, great displeasure. The de Mariscos’ acts of piracy and treason ultimately defined their place in history.

Good wines deserve a good story, so to celebrate this intriguing family history, Marisco Vineyards created The Kings Series. Each of these award–winning premium wines features a unique name and a story relating to their remarkable forebears…

NEW RELEASES

Top Picks Wine writer Joelle Thomson selects five great new release wines

2019 Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc RRP $29.99 Villa Maria

2017 Elephant Hill Stone Syrah Hawke’s Bay RRP $70 Procure

Winemaker Gordon Russell is a dab hand at Chenin Blanc, one of New Zealand’s least planted white grapes, which has sadly declined massively over the past decade from a small 50 hectares nationwide to just over 20 hectares today.

It’s a tragic state of affairs for one of the great whites of the world, which is one of the reasons Russell is so keen to champion this grape variety.

This dry Chenin Blanc from Esk Valley has five grams of residual sugar and is made from a single vineyard in Maraekakaho in Hawke’s Bay. Its fresh acidity (one of the hallmarks of the Chenin grape) provides zesty lift to the citrus and dried apple flavours. An outstanding white wine. 18.5/20

Elephant Hill Winery at Te Awanga, south of Napier, grows grapes around its home estate on the coast and also on the Gimblett Gravels Wine Growing District, where its owners have land.

This wine is made with grapes grown on the famous gravels and is 99% Syrah with 1% Viognier, as is traditional in areas of the Northern Rhone in France.

Hand plunging during fermentation and 24 months in French oak (40% new) both add great weight and depth to this dry, full-bodied, spicy Syrah with its rich secondary notes of spice, cedar and oak.

It was bottled with minimal filtration and no fining, which means it is vegan friendly. Just 70 cases were produced in 2017, making it a relative rarity. 18.5/20

Limelight Riesling forms the biggest production of this grape from Misha’s Vineyard, due to its popularity in Australia, China and Hong Kong.

2017 Misha’s Vineyard Limelight Riesling RRP $30 Negociants

Limelight Riesling is medium-sweet in style with 27 grams of residual sugar per litre, but it tastes dry-ish on the finish thanks to the naturally high acidity of the grape, which gives zesty brightness to this delicious wine. Limelight Riesling forms the biggest production of this grape from Misha’s Vineyard, due to its popularity in Australia, China and Hong Kong, where the distributors prefer its light body and intensely aromatic sweetness over a dry style. It pairs particularly well with lightly spiced aromatic dishes. 18.5/20

2019 Misha’s Vineyard Lyric Riesling RRP $30 Negociants

Dry Riesling is one of New Zealand’s great unsung white wines and it finds its expression all over the South Island, including (and perhaps especially) in some corners of Central Otago, such as Misha’s Vineyard in Bendigo. The steep slopes of this dramatically beautiful piece of land are home mostly to Pinot Noir, with small quantities of aromatic whites and this dry Riesling is my fave of the latter.

It contains four grams of residual sugar, putting it firmly in the dry zone, thanks to exceptional winemaking from Olly Masters. If you haven’t tried this wine, put it on the must-do list pronto. 18.5/20

2015 Villa Antinori Toscana IGT RRP $39.99 Negociants

This Italian wine is a blend of Tuscangrown Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. They combine to make a full-bodied, dry red with zingy acidity adding freshness (that’s Sangiovese for you) and all those tasty French red grapes to add structure and seriousness. This wine definitely tastes like a step up winter red, offering superb flavour and great value for money from one of Tuscany’s most famous wine producers. 17.5/20

For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 88.

40 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

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OPINION – WINE

Joelle Thomson

Journalist, wine writer and author joellethomson.com

Homage closes the door on cork Trinity Hill’s Homage is one of New Zealand’s most collectible wines and, as Joelle Thomson explains, is now even more so since its makers started using a screwcap closure...

MENTION SCREWCAPS to winemakers Damian Fischer and Warren Gibson and both agree it is the best closure for wine – so why is it that their best wine has only now, after 18 years, been sealed with a screwcap?

“Frustratingly, I have never had a legitimately good answer,” says Trinity Hill chief winemaker Warren Gibson.

“The best responses have been, ‘It’s what the market expects’ or ‘It’s part of the packaging’, but I’ve never really been fully committed to the answer.”

Fortunately, he will no longer have to be frustrated, because the new 2018 Trinity Hill Homage – a 100% Syrah

Screwcaps are the wine industry’s response to major frustrations with cork taint, which reached a crisis point in the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly in this part of the world. The rising number of wines impacted by poor quality cork around this time led to the initiative to bottle commercial wine under screwcap, a move led by 17 of Australia’s Clare Valley Riesling producers in 2000 and followed by a group of 26 New Zealand wineries in 2001.

There was debate initially regarding the suitability of screwcaps to age fullbodied red wines for the long term. Trinity Hill began trialling screwcaps on white

The new 2018 Trinity Hill Homage is sealed with a screwcap, the first time since this top wine’s first vintage in 2002. made partly with grapes grown from cuttings brought from Hermitage in France’s Northern Rhone – is sealed with a screwcap, the first time since this top wine’s first vintage in 2002.

I have asked Warren about the choice of closure many times over the years, because my own findings of cellaring wine (as well as tasting and drinking it) show that screwcaps provide a far more consistent closure, which allows wine to retain freshness, to taste silkier and smoother in youth and to age more consistently.

42 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

wines from the 2001 vintage and barrel aged red wines from the 2000 vintage. The immediate goal was to eliminate obvious cork taint issues, but other closure related problems quickly became apparent, such as oxidation, a general lack of freshness and major variation between bottles.

“We discovered we were able to use far less sulphur dioxide (SO2) in wines prior to bottling,” explains Gibson.

“This became obvious as we trialled ageing reds in both barrels and tanks without SO2 additions. This was part of a long-term trial to evaluate whether ageing with no SO2 helped with colour stability and presenting the tannins and general structure in a more positive way.”

From the 2010 vintage, he and fellow Trinity winemaker Fischer trialled bottling reds under screwcap with what they considered to be low levels of SO2. They discovered there was a lot to be gained from ageing and bottling robust red wine styles under screwcap, such as a softer, smoother mouthfeel in the wine.

There was also a better expression of colour, an openness on the nose and palate with earlier drinkability, and no negative effects on ageability.

There was also the positive of adding less sulphur to the wine.

And now it is time to move on, says Gibson who, with Fischer, has happily led the charge to seal Homage under screwcap. The result is not only that critics such as myself already see it as a better wine, but that it has the potential to continue in that direction, due to their scientific research over the past 20 years. As Gibson says, the 2018 Homage is sealed under screwcap because it’s a better wine for it, both now and in the future.

Note: The 2018 Trinity Hill Homage was released in June/ July 2020. RRP $150.

The River Runs Gold The highly awarded Wairau River range of wines continues to impress the judges.

The 2019 vintages of the Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Gewürztraminer have picked up nine golds and two trophies between them, proving once again that Marlborough’s Wairau River produces the ideal conditions to strike gold.

Proudly New Zealand owned by Family wairauriverwines.com

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WINE NEWS

A virtual blend for SJP and Invivo CONTINUED INTERNATIONAL travel restrictions due to COVID-19 meant a Zoom meeting was the solution for the latest release for Invivo’s collaborative wines with actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

The Zoom call connected Parker from her New York home with Invivo’s Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne at their Te Kauwhata winery so they could blend the 2020 release of the Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc.

The Invivo team had earlier shipped samples of Sauvignon Blanc from various estates in Marlborough directly to Parker, along with flasks and measuring cylinders.

Sarah Jessica Parker ‘zooms’ with Invivo’s Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne.

The wine blending, tasting and adjusting followed the same process that wineries follow, but with the guidance of SJP and overseen by Invivo’s Winemaker Rob Cameron.

Sarah Jessica Parker launched her first wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, with the Invivo winemakers in 2019, which went on to

Taylors Port release for 2021 Renowned port producer Taylor’s has announced that it will be releasing a Classic Vintage for 2018. Declared Vintage port releases are rare events, but this news marks three consecutive Vintage declarations.

Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of Taylor’s says it’s a noteworthy moment. “Although a Classic declaration normally only happens about three times a decade, the exceptional run of years has meant that Taylor’s has been able to make a third in a row. This is very unusual but our principle is that we declare a Classic Vintage when the quality is there. This is dictated by the year, not by any other consideration. All our properties are farmed so that every grape has the potential to become Vintage Port. In 2018, overall conditions were excellent but in the Douro Superior they were exceptional. Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas produced outstanding wines. In view of the current economic situation, we will bottle in July as usual but will not release the wine until early 2021.”

Taylor’s was founded in 1692, has been family-owned and run throughout its history and is recognised as a benchmark for Vintage Port.

Distributor Hancocks says it plans to launch the Taylor’s Classic Vintage 2018 in New Zealand in February 2021 on a very limited allocation.

Hancocks 44 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

sell over 400,000 bottles globally. An Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker Rosé was released earlier this year.

The new 2020 Invivo X, SJP Sauvignon Blanc will be released in New Zealand and internationally in coming weeks.

Invivo Wines

New alcohol-free Unvined wines from Jacob’s Creek SOUTH AUSTRALIAN winemaker Jacob’s Creek has released three new wines with no more than 0.5% ABV in its new Unvined range.

The Unvined wines are available in Rosé, Shiraz and Sparkling and Jacob’s Creek says the new range caters to consumers looking for more preferences for a variety of occasions.

Dan Swincer, Jacob’s Creek chief winemaker, says “We know consumers are wanting more options when it comes to wine and alcohol content and we take great pride in creating wines for every consumer and social occasion. Using quality grapes and unique

winemaking techniques we’re proud to launch Unvined and give New Zealanders a well-balanced wine without the alcohol.”

The Unvined range is RRP $16.99.

Pernod Ricard

SHOWCASE

Celebrating fine wine at The Rees Hotel Queenstown The Rees Hotel Queenstown is again celebrating international recognition from Wine Spectator after receiving a Best of Award of Excellence 2020 for the hotel’s exceptional food and wine offering.

The Rees prides itself on its culinary and wine programme, which is at the heart of the sophisticated five-star hotel experience it provides on the shores of Lake Wakatipu.

It is the ninth consecutive award for The Rees from the renowned wine magazine. The Wine Spectator award (part of a programme that covers 80 countries and territories) recognises wine lists typically with 350 selections or more from top producers across a breadth of regions, as well as extensive staff training by restaurants, carefully designed presentations, innovative menu pairings and showpiece wine cellars.

Guests at The Rees can enjoy The Bordeau Wine Lounge, which is dedicated to the enjoyment of fine wines, fine foods and the comfort of good company. Wines from the world-renowned chateaux of

Bordeaux – including Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Gruaud Larose, Malescot St Exupéry and Lynch Bages – nestle with the best wines of Central Otago and wider New Zealand in the professionally-managed, temperaturecontrolled wine cellar servicing the Bordeau Wine Lounge.

Lovers of Bordeaux wines, or those with an interest in learning more will be captivated by the Fine Bordeaux Collection at The Rees. Each wine in the collection has achieved a rating of 80 or above from world famous wine professional Robert Parker, whose scores

out of 100 have, over the past 25 years, become a guide to the quality and expense of wines from Bordeaux. Guests can refer to any of Parker’s tasting notes or supplementary research in the Rees centre Library.

Built in 2007, The Rees Hotel Queenstown has built a reputation for professional, friendly service that consistently exceeds guests’ expectations and epitomises southern hospitality at its finest in an authentic New Zealand experience. therees.co.nz

Luxury Accommodation • Award Winning Food and Wine • Unrivalled Lakeside Views

The Rees Hotel, Luxury Apartments and Lakeside Residences Surround yourself with bespoke luxury, with a unique True South, New Zealand flavour and breath-taking Queenstown location The Rees offers a variety of spacious and luxurious accommodation options including 60 Hotel rooms, 90 Apartments and five private, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Lakeside Residences.

True South Dining Room is The Rees’ award winning restaurant, headed by Executive Chef Corey Hume. True South is sophisticated, elegant dining and offers mouth-watering monthly menus, with daily tweaks and seasonal changes, to showcase Corey’s signature style.

Visit the STAYNZ page on our website for our highly competitive domestic rates.

Proudly New Zealand Owned and Operated

reservations@therees.co.nz +64 3 450 1100

www.therees.co.nz

WINE NEWS

Taylors goes virtual for tasting AUSTRALIAN WINERY Taylors Wines has been holding a series of live virtual wine tastings on Facebook to connect consumers with the brand and its ranges in the face of ongoing international travel restrictions.

In June, Taylors Wines Company Director Justin Taylor and Master of Wine Neil Hadley presented a tasting of the acclaimed St Andrew’s range to an audience of the public and media, who tuned in to the Facebook Live event and could ask questions and give feedback in real time.

The ‘Wine Time Online’ series started in late April and has been a weekly tasting experience hosted by Taylors Wines family members and wine professionals. facebook.com/taylorswines

Wider release for A Seat at the Table New Zealand film A Seat at the Table – billed as a story of New Zealand wine – has secured wider release and is now available to view in all English-speaking countries around the world on iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon and Google Play.

Independent filmmakers David Nash and Simon Mark-Brown co-produced the film and partnered with LA studio Samuel Goldwyn at the end of 2019. A Seat at the Table examines New Zealand’s rise in the wine world and features a cast of local and international wine professionals.

The film has already screened on board Air New Zealand and as part of the official section at Edinburgh International Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival and the New Zealand International Film Festival.

100% sustainable wines from Lawson’s Dry Hills MARLBOROUGH WINERY Lawson‘s Dry Hills has launched a new range of certified sustainable wines called Inviniti.

The winery is a fully certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand and committed to their Continuous Improvement Programme. It also has full ISO environmental management 14001 certification.

The new Inviniti range makes those practices clearer for consumers, with the infinity symbol on the label designed to represent Lawson‘s Dry Hills’ “continuous respect and care for the environment”.

In addition to the sustainable winemaking practices, Lawson‘s Dry Hills uses lightweight bottles made in New Zealand with a minimum 70% recycled content. The wine label paper is sourced from certified, sustainably managed forests and the pallet shrink-wrap is 100% biodegradable.

EuroVintage 46 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

nzwinestory.co.nz

Alcohol-free wines now at Q Liquid Distributor Q Liquid has added two alcohol-free wines (not more than 0.5% ABV) to its portfolio from Germany’s Faber and Blue Nun brands.

Faber is produced in the German wine region of Mosel and Q Liquid has its alcohol-free Sauvignon Blanc (RRP $10.99) as well as a Blue Nun Alcohol-Free Red Wine (RRP $11.99).

Q Liquid

Elegant Hawke’s Bay Syrah to the World

Trinity Hill Wines, Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. www.trinityhill.com

WINE NEWS

NZ Organic Wine Awards 2020 The country’s top organic wines have been recognised in the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards, with organisers noting continued growth in entries for 2020.

Amisfield was named ‘Riedel Winery of the Year’ with seven gold medals from nine entries, while ‘Riedel Wine of the Show’ was awarded to Peregrine Pinot Gris 2019.

2020 marks the seventh year for the independent event, which requires all entries to be produced from 100% certified organic or in-conversion grapes.

Luke Thomas, founder of the NZ Organic Wine Awards, says more than 40 vineyards took part in the 2020 event, with wine submissions up around 10% on the previous year.

Pinot Noir was the largest varietal class, followed by Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

Major Awards – NZ Organic Wine Awards 2020 NZ Organic Wine Awards ‘RIEDEL Wine of the Show’: Peregrine Pinot Gris 2019 NZ Organic Wine Awards ‘Sustainable Winery of the Year’: Greystone/ Muddy Water NZ Organic Wine Awards ‘RIEDEL Winery of the Year’: Amisfield

First Syrah from Radburnd Cellars RADBURND CELLARS, the new winery by winemaker Kate Radburnd, has just released its first Syrah and the second wine from the winery’s inaugural vintage.

The Radburnd 2018 Syrah from Hawke’s Bay is now available with an RRP of $85.

Kate Radburnd describes the Radburnd 2018 Syrah as “beautifully fragrant and elegant with stunning fruit purity combined with layers of complexity. The silky texture and backbone of fine tannins will allow the wine to age for 5-7 years and beyond so it can be enjoyed now or as a cellar wine in years to come.”

Radburnd, one of New Zealand’s most respected and acclaimed winemakers, established Radburnd Cellars in 2017 as a small artisan winery in Bay View, Hawke’s Bay. She has been making wine for over 35 years and her accolades include the Sir George Fistonich medal in 2010, becoming a fellow of New Zealand Winegrowers in 2015 (the first female winemaker to do so) and her induction into the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame in 2019.

Radburnd Cellars makes Chardonnay, Syrah, and Merlot Cabernet. The 2018 Chardonnay was released in late 2019 and the Merlot Cabernet will be released later this year.

Radburnd Cellars 48 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

Champion Wines – NZ Organic Wine Awards 2020 Champion Pinot Noir: A misfield Breakneck Reserve Pinot Noir 2017 Champion Sauvignon Blanc: Walnut Block Collectables Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Champion Riesling: A misfield Lowburn Terrace Riesling 2019 Champion Pinot Gris: Peregrine Pinot Gris 2019 Champion Chardonnay: S eresin Estate Chardonnay 2018 Champion Sparkling: Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Late Disgorged Vintage 2010 Champion Syrah: T errace Edge Syrah 2015 Champion Rosé: Z ephyr MK1 Rosé 2019 For a full list of medal winners visit organicwineawards.co.nz Read more about Amisfield on page 90.

Playful new style for Brancott Estate Brancott Estate has launched new brand positioning and packaging, which it says is designed to inspire wine lovers to “taste life on the flipside”.

The striking new blue labels feature an upside down sheep: a reference to Brancott Estate’s heritage in Marlborough, where the winery began in 1973, in a region previously best known for its sheep farming.

Pernod Ricard says it was that notion of thinking differently that led to the brand’s new aesthetic, paying homage to the sheep, while also portraying a spirit of originality by flipping it upside down in a light hearted approach that portrays the unconventional way of thinking embraced by the Brancott Estate brand.

Eric Thomson, Global Marketing Director for owner Pernod Ricard Winemakers, said, “This new look and positioning is a real milestone for Brancott Estate who, despite taking winemaking very seriously, has always been non-conventional in spirit. And it’s not stopping there.​​Over the next 12 months consumers can look forward to many more playful moments from Brancott Estate, including a new media campaign starting in July.”

Brancott Estate’s new packaging runs across its entire range of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Merlot. RRP $11.99 Pernod Ricard

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A time of growth for Kiwi owned te Pā Family Vineyards

There’s never been a better time for Kiwi-owned, independent wine brands to make their mark and connect with wine drinkers who are looking to support local businesses. As the te Pā Family Vineyards portfolio of wine brands continue to flourish here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and overseas, the Marlborough based team is working hard to create sustainably grown, vegan-friendly wines, that offer a sense of place and a taste of an incredible 800-year history.

The family business is headed up by owner and founder Haysley MacDonald, with chief winemaker Sam Bennett at the helm of the award-winning winemaking programme. Vineyard manager Gareth Exton looks after close to 400 planted hectares (Sustainable Winegrowers NZ accredited). te Pā has four key brands in the New Zealand market, with each holding its own on shelf.

The success of the flagship te Pā brand, as well as newer ranges Pā Road, Koha, and Montford Estate, comes down to the team’s relentless focus on growing and crafting high quality, accessibly priced wines that give wine drinkers a purefruited expression of Marlborough’s best regional and sub-regional vineyards.

The fact that Haysley’s family history goes back 800 years to some of the earliest Māori arrivals to the area, gives the wines an authentic and unique heritage that cannot be replicated. Working closely with distribution partner Beverage Brothers has seen the wines become more widely available than ever before.

te Pā: Flagship heritage brand attracts critical acclaim

te Pā’s distinctive Māori fish hook logo, incredible heritage, and quality wine inside the bottle, demonstrate why this hero label is the jewel in the crown of te Pā’s family of brands. Since releasing its first vintage Sauvignon Blanc in 2011, the te Pā brand has grown to represent impeccable quality, true heritage and authenticity – and it has the critical acclaim to back it up.

Most recently, six of the te Pā and te Pā Reserve Collection wines attracted 90 point plus scores from both the James Suckling NZ Wines Report, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate NZ Tasting. te Pā’s flagship Sauvignon Blanc won the Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc at the Sydney International Wine Competition last year.

In late 2018, te Pā expanded into the ultra-premium New Zealand wine category, with the release of its Reserve Collection. Initially launching with the St. Leonard’s Chardonnay, Hillside Sauvignon Blanc (Awatere Valley), and the Taylor River Pinot Noir, the Reserve Collection offers wines made to express each single vineyard’s terroir.

The 2019 Reserve Collection Seaside Sauvignon Blanc from the MacDonald home vineyard in the lower Wairau Valley was released last year and all of these small batch wines have attracted 90 point plus scores in major publications.

Pā Road: Strong growth, for the popular value range

Released in late 2016, Pā Road has forged a reputation as a consistently high quality, great value, contemporary brand, created for the everyday wine drinker.

With strong and continued growth in market share since its launch, the wines are fast becoming a house-hold name.

Pā Road’s distinctive label is based on a canvas print, created by a local Marlborough artist in the late 1960s.

The print depicts Haysley’s father, Philip MacDonald, riding a horse and rounding up sheep on the family farm. You don’t get more Kiwi than that! With five key varietals in its stable (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rosé, and Pinot Noir), Pā Road is perfectly poised for further growth in the domestic market.

Most recently the 2019 Pā Road Sauvignon Blanc was awarded a gold medal and 95 points at the International Wine Challenge, and the Pā Road Rosé was awarded a gold medal at the Sydney International Wine Competition.

Proudly distributed in New Zealand by

Koha: Export focused brand over-delivers on value

Clean – Green – Authentic. te Pā positions its USA-focused brand Koha as a gift from their home. The range epitomises the relaxed and generous Kiwi lifestyle, bottling up the values and quality of one of the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful places in the world. With its distinctive Pacific-style label design, Koha is an accessible range of wines (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir being the local heroes for the NZ market) featuring the iconic national symbol – the silver fern. Known as ‘ponga’ in te reo Māori, the silver fern is a powerful and emotional symbol of inspiration.

Montford Estate: Expanded range for the latest addition to the te Pā whanau

Montford Estate is the newest collection of wines from te Pā. Released in late 2019, Montford Estate offers a true taste of New Zealand’s rural heartland regions.

These wines are honest, expressive, and feature a classy, refined label that make people proud to share it with family and friends. The brand name itself takes inspiration from te Pā’s humble farming and agricultural history. Montford Corporation was the original trading name for the MacDonald family’s beef and dairy farm, and the name later became the company’s grape growing and machinery harvesting side of the business, and has been for almost two decades.

Launching initially with three wines Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough Pinot Gris, and the 2017 Hawke’s Bay Merlot-Cabernet, the Montford Estate wines are being well-received by customers after just a few short months in market.

Spring 2020 will see the range expand, with the addition of the increasingly popular Rosé and Chardonnay varietals.

Visit www.tepawines.com for latest awards, food matches and vintage updates.

BEER & CIDER REPORT

Light shade and

50 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

BEER & CIDER REPORT

Whether it’s a crisp cider, hazy IPA or a stout that challenges all the norms, there’s a new release to appeal to every punter...

Note: Beers and ciders are listed by % ABV

Garage Project Golden Path Hazy IPA 4% ABV, 330ml 6-pack RRP $23.99. Out August 31.

Garage Project

Golden Path is a juicy Hazy IPA and the team at Garage Project says this sessionable beer is a timely release as Hazy IPAs move from the “pointy end” of the craft consumer to a wider audience.

At a manageable 4% it’s described as a “juicy, hazy, hop bomb with a surprisingly restrained alcohol content”. The brew is a mixture of Golden Naked Oats and Mosaic, Columbus and Strata hops that create a beer full of flavour.

Tuatara Pacific Pale Ale 4.4% ABV, 330ml 6-pack RRP $22.99. Out Sept 7.

Tuatara

Tuatara’s Pacific Pale Ale draws on Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy hops to produce a beer that’s loaded with the tropical fruit flavours that are synonymous with the New Zealand and Australian hop varieties.

The beer presents with a slight haze, is well balanced with malt and sweet fruit aroma, and has moderate bitterness.

Sawmill Guava Sour 4.5% ABV, 440ml RRP $9.99 Sawmill Brewery

This take on a sour from Matakana brewery Sawmill is a beauty. It arrives in a soft pink 440ml can and pours a super hazy, pale gold with a soft white lacy head. The guava sourness is active but not overwhelming and works with the perfumed nose and slight salt of the gose style, delivering a flavour symphony. It’s a drinkable 4.5% so would work well as a sessionable thirst-quencher. All it needs is the weather to warm up a little and it will have found its true home. Highly recommended for sour lovers.

Hop Federation Kono Hazy IPA 4.7% ABV, 440ml RRP $7.99 Kono

Tasman brewery Hop Federation has joined Māori-owned food and beverage business Kono, releasing a new beer to celebrate. The Hazy IPA draws on Hop Federation’s local Riwaka hops and is an easy-drinking drop with a slight passionfruit juiciness. The Matarikiinspired starry label grounds it in place and makes it a very “now” beer.

Hop Federation Kono Hazy IPA was created to celebrate the Tasman brewery joining M ori-owned food and beverage business Kono.

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BEER & CIDER REPORT

Epic Stout 4.8% ABV, 330ml RRP $4.99 – also in keg Epic Brewing

5.0 Original Pils 5% ABV, 500ml RRP $2.50 Go Green Beverages

Gosser Bier 5.2% ABV, 330ml RRP $7.50 Go Green Beverages

Epic Stout arrives in an ominous black can but reassuringly proclaims “Don’t be afraid of the dark”. The dark drop has all the classic stout flavours: leather, tobacco, a bit of coffee and chocolate around the edges. Oysters and stout are a classic pairing but you could also try a rich cheese like Stilton or a gamey pie as an accompaniment. It’s the perfect drop for a winter’s night.

The Pils from 5.0 is a classic pilsner style, in that it’s pale and crisp with a slight tart bite. This is a wide-appeal pilsner that many will appreciate for its lack of adjuncts – it’s just pure beer in a simple, no-nonsense can.

Gosser Bier is the main brew of the Goss Brewery in Leoben on the Mur River in Austria. The first records of a beer brewery there extend back to the Goss Abbey in 1459, with the “modern” brewery established in 1860. In other words, they’ve been at it for a while.

Gosser Bier is a pale, crisp drop with a sweetish finish. Would pair well with salty snacks or spicy sausage.

5.0 Original Craft 5% ABV, 500ml RRP $2.50 Go Green Beverages

There’s no mistaking this craft beer as German, arriving in its 500ml can sporting the black, red and yellow of the flag. The hops are turned up in this expression from 5.0, but it never loses that classic German lager taste.

5.0 Original Weiss 5% ABV, 500ml RRP $2.80 Go Green Beverages

Another in the 5.0 range, the Weiss beer comes in a big yellow can and is a herbaceous wheat beer with big coriander and background banana notes in the flavour profile. Would pair well with cured pork products or roast chicken.

The Fermentist Czech Pilsner 5.2% ABV, 330ml can RRP $4.49 Lion

New from Lion’s Christchurch brewery The Fermentist, comes a Czech Pilsner, which is also the latest addition to its certified Carbonzero range. It’s a rich, golden Czech-style Pilsner that is complex but refreshing. New Zealand Willamette hops add a traditional hop character to the bready, malt aroma.

The Fermentist Czech Pilsner is the latest addition to the brewery’s certified Carbonzero range.

52 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

5.0 Original Lager 5.4% ABV, 500ml RRP $2.50 Go Green Beverages

5.0 Original Lager is brewed under the German purity law of 1516 and as such it’s a classic German lager, being pale, crisp and very drinkable. There’s a whiff of apples on the nose and a good bitterness to complete the drop. The big red can is very German: simple but effective. It’s a modern brew but with traditional roots, so get yourself a pretzel but forget about the lederhosen. Recommended.

BEER & CIDER REPORT

Deep Creek Velvet Stout 5.5% ABV, 440ml RRP $6.99 – also in keg via Hancocks Deep Creek

Emerson’s American Graffiti 5.8% ABV, 330ml can RRP $5.99 and 330ml bottle 6-pack RRP $25.99 Lion

The name says it all when it comes to this luxurious new brew from Deep Creek.

Velvet is soft, smooth and full-bodied with complex malty flavours of chocolate, coffee and a touch of toffee.

A sumptuous, roasty, stout experience.

This American IPA uses a trio of US hops to create a beer that’s super fresh, with tropical and citrus flavours and balanced bitterness.

Moa x Lewis Road Creamery Salted Caramel Chocolate Stout 5.5% ABV, 500ml RRP $8.99 MoBev

Moa Brewing and Lewis Road Creamery have teamed up again to add a third stout to their collaborative range. The Salted Caramel Chocolate Stout joins the Milk Chocolate Stout (launched in 2017) and the Espresso Chocolate Stout (2018).

The latest release uses the classic Milk Chocolate Stout as its base, with crystal malts adding caramel and toffee notes.

It’s smooth, rich and roasty with flavours of caramel and just a hint of Marlborough sea salt.

Deep Creek’s new Velvet Stout is soft, smooth and full-bodied with complex malty flavours of chocolate, coffee and a touch of toffee.

Garage Project Easy As Hazy IPA 6% ABV, 440ml RRP $12.99 – also in keg. Out early August.

Garage Project

Easy As is part of Garage Project’s Home & Away series, in which they rebrew previous collaborations. This double dry hopped hazy was originally developed with LA’s Modern Times brewery. It was brewed using a massive double dry hop of Mosaic, Citra and Nelson Sauvin hops and has intense fruit aroma and flavour in a tangy, juicy palate.

Sawmill Citrus IPA 6% ABV, 440ml RRP $9.99 Sawmill Brewery

Sawmill’s Citrus IPA is a punch in the nose of an India Pale Ale. The hoppy, bitter nose portends the massive hop hit that follows on the palate. While it is decidedly citrus, it’s not the lemons and limes you might be expecting – more of a tangelo/ tangerine hit with good bitterness in the backbone. There’s a slight hint of haze, but you couldn’t say it mellows the beer – this is a full-on experience from beginning to end.

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BEER & CIDER REPORT

Sprig & Fern Nectaron Pale Ale 6% ABV, 888ml RRP $12.29 Sprig & Fern

This limited release from Sprig & Fern is the first to use the newly launched hop “Nectaron” from NZHops, which has intense tropical, citrus and stonefruit characteristics. The hop, previously known as #Hort4337, was in development for 17 years and its name is a combination of the word ‘nectar’ and ‘Ron’ (as in Ron Beatson, the renowned hops scientist at Plant & Food Research). Nectaron Pale Ale arrives in a vibrant tangerine, yellow and purple bottle and the heady citrus fruit aroma hits instantly leading to a juicy, fruity palate with more malt and smoke than you might first imagine.

Brave Brewing Co. Milk Stout 6.1% ABV, 500ml RRP $9.99 Brave Brewing Co.

Forget the charry character of traditional stouts, this one from Brave is brewed with lactose sugar and a small dose of Dominican cacao nibs during fermentation. The result is deliciously balanced, soft and creamy, with a toasty dark chocolate finish.

54 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

Brave Brewing Co. Clifford Hoppy Red Ale 6.4% ABV, 500ml RRP $9.99 Brave Brewing Co.

This seasonal release from Hawke’s Bay’s Brave Brewing is a classic, hoppy American-style red ale. It’s full of fat, rich and toasty specialty malts backed up with a generous citrus and pine hop hit.

Deep Creek Haiku Geisha 6.5% ABV, 440ml RRP $7.99 – also in keg Deep Creek

This new Hazy IPA uses a combination of US and New Zealand hops (Citra, Ekuanot, Motueka and Taiheke) to create flavours of orange, lemon and papaya with a hint of passionfruit. This is the latest release in Deep Creek’s Haiku range, which focuses on Hazy IPAs.

Parrotdog Adrian Hazy IPA 7% ABV, 440ml RRP $8.99 Parrotdog

Parrotdog has used Strata hops in this Hazy IPA, adding a resinous character best described as ‘dank’ (a densely pungent, green quality) alongside flavoursome tropical notes.

Epic Bourbon Barrel-Aged Epicly Fiercely Intolerant 12% ABV, 330ml RRP $14.99 Epic Brewing

Epic and Scottish (Aberdeen) brewery Fierce Beer have teamed up to make this assault on the senses. It’s a 12% ABV monster of a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout. It pours black and red and smells boozy as hell. The ‘intolerant’ aspect refers to the inclusion of lactose for extra creaminess. This is a sweet, alcoholdriven vanilla and oak affair with a whisky overtone. Not for the faint-hearted.

Epic’s Epicly Fiercely Intolerant is a 12% ABV monster of a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout.

BEER & CIDER REPORT

CIDER Rekorderlig Strawberry 4% ABV, 500ml RRP $6.49 DB

Swedish brand Rekorderlig leads the way when it comes to intensely flavoured fruit ciders. The wide appeal lies in their rich sweetness and the new Strawberry release does not disappoint in this respect, pouring bright pink and with a deep strawberry character.

Nelson cidermakers Capital Cider’s K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple Stupid and is a classically delicious dry apple cider.

Lubelski Antonowka Semi Dry 4.5% ABV, 400ml RRP $3.99 Q Liquid

Capital Cider Easy Rider 5% ABV, 440ml RRP $6.99 Winelord

Lubelski is a Polish cider and their Antonowka Semi Dry is made from Antonowka Polish cider apples. The juice goes through a low temperature fermentation and is then bottled unfiltered. The result is a tart brew with the wild yeast nose we know in New Zealand from Peckham’s Ciders.

An interesting addition to an everincreasing cider range.

Nelson cidermakers Capital Cider present their ciders in bold simple white cans with blasts of rainbow stripes across them. The Easy Rider is a wide-appeal cider with a decent hit of sweetness shining through the apple character. It’s a clear, pale drop with a touch of tartness for balance.

This is a cider that will appeal to many and will go down well in the shade of a pohutukawa over summer.

Zeffer Plum Crumble Cider 4.7% ABV, 1L RRP $12.99 Lion

Capital Cider K.I.S.S. 5.6% ABV, 440ml RRP $6.99 Winelord

This limited seasonal release from Hawke’s Bay cidermakers Zeffer is like pudding in a bottle. It’s made from freshly crushed Hawke’s Bay apples and dark plums with cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and saffron to add some sweetness and spice.

Capital Cider’s K.I.S.S. stands for ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’ – with the emphasis on Nelson apples creating freshness and crispness. The nose is heady but the mouthfeel is all purity and singularity of purpose: this is a classically delicious dry apple cider.

Capital Cider Love & Money 5.6% ABV, 440ml RRP $6.99 Winelord

Berry ciders can run the risk of veering into overly-sweet, perfumed hell. Capital Cider’s Love & Money is different. It’s definitely a berry cider – pouring pink in the glass – but the berries are mainly tart raspberries that provide a crisp, flavourful beverage I happily returned to time and time again. Will be fantastic in the summer months, perhaps even over ice.

Recommended.

Capital Cider Winning 5.8% ABV, 440ml RRP $6.99 Winelord

Capital Cider’s Winning is a kaffir lime, juniper and lemon cider unlike any we had tasted before. It pours extremely pale in the glass but the flavour profile is a sweet, lemony number with over-notes of the kaffir lime. Could also work well as the base for an interesting cocktail.

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BEER & CIDER REPORT

Peckham’s Perry 6.4% ABV, 330ml RRP $4.99 Peckham’s

Peckham’s Gone West 8.5% ABV, 330ml RRP $5.99 and 750ml RRP $17.99 Peckham’s

Ice Cider Apple Zamojska 8.5% ABV, 500ml RRP $13.99 Q Liquid

This new release replaces Peckham’s Moutere Perry, and uses true ‘perry’ pears, which are used specifically for perry and quite rare in New Zealand. Peckham’s uses these pears combined with Taylor’s Gold pears in a wild ferment that is oak aged. Crisp and tart, the pear character in the aroma is more subtle on the palate.

A thirst-quenching drop that will really come into its own in summer.

Along the same lines as the Phantasmic (see last cider), Peckham’s push the boat out even further with Gone West – a special release of the 2019 vintage.

The cider apple has been restricted to just Kingston Blacks but the wild yeast remains, imparting that unmistakable Peckham’s musk. Ageing for 10 months in bourbon barrels brings it up to a massive 8.5% ABV and imparts distinctive whisky notes around the edges of this dry, earthy cider.

This ice cider is almost closer to a dessert wine than it is to a cider, and is made at Poland’s Zamojska Winery. Presented in what looks like a wine bottle, it is a hefty 8.5% ABV with the rich golden colour of a botrytised Riesling and the syrupy sweetness of a dessert wine with intense apple cider aroma and flavour.

Peckham’s Solstice 8.4% ABV, 330ml RRP $5.99 and 750ml RRP $16.99 Peckham’s

A sweet, mid-winter celebration of a cider, Peckham’s Solstice is beautifully drinkable.

The Kingston Black, Sweet Alford, Cox’s Orange, Browns, Chisel Jersey and Major cider apples combine to create a syrupy, perfumed brew that remains balanced and demands repeat returns to the glass.

Like a spiced apple pudding. Delicious.

Peckham’s Phantasmic 9.2% ABV, 330ml RRP $5.99 and 750ml RRP $17.99 Peckham’s

Nelson artisan cidermakers Peckham’s produce interesting true ciders and here they expand the form even further. With Phantasmic, they’ve taken Kingston Black, Knotted Kernel, Browns, Harry Master’s Jersey and Chisel Jersey cider apples and matured the juice in apple brandy barrels. After 10 months in oak the result is a complex, highly alcoholic drop that remains dangerously drinkable.

An excellent aperitif.

For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 88.

Would you like to see your product appear in the Drinksbiz Beer & Cider Report?

Our Beer & Cider Report showcases new release beers and ciders (locally produced and imported) and is designed to give on-premise and liquor retailers a guide as to what’s newly available or about to come to market over each two month period.

Drinksbiz sources this information directly from breweries and distributors and there is no charge associated with having product featured in the report.

We are always striving to make the Drinksbiz Beer & Cider report more comprehensive, so if you’re a brewer, cidermaker or distributor and have new product coming up that you’d like to show off, then get in touch for more details on how to take part.

Contact Drinksbiz editor Victoria Wells: victoria@drinksbiz.co.nz

56 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

OPINION – BEER

Michael Donaldson

Beer Writer of the Year, journalist and author beernation.co.nz

Sweet inspiration Forget traditional desserts – Michael Donaldson finds that more and more Kiwi breweries are experimenting with beers that strike a sweet note…

GARAGE PROJECT are often ahead of the curve in terms of beer styles. This winter, they released a beer that included nine types of malted barley, oats, rye, pretzels, potato chips, rice crispies, marshmallows, tea leaves, raisins, toasted coconut, vanilla, hazelnut, coffee and cacao nibs.

Yep, you read that right. They called it Garbage Stout. It was the ultimate taking-the-mickey beer; mocking while embracing the rising popularity of dessert beers, or pastry stouts.

These beers have been all the rage for a while in Britain and the US. Usually, they’re stouts and porters laden with some of the ingredients listed above or with the likes of maple syrup, peanut butter, berries and lactose for a creamy texture. Basically, anything you’d associate with breakfast, dessert – or even afternoon tea – is fair game.

Purists can’t stand these types of beers, the main argument being that behind all the adjuncts there might be a real beer hiding but you can’t tell for sure. And others will claim all those flavour additions can cover a multitude of brewing sins.

The beauty of these outrageous beers – despite what purists might think – is that they are delicious and people love them. Watch any child with food and it’s clear that you don’t have to live long on this planet before learning what you like, and humans have a definite preference for sweet.

Beer, however, hasn’t appealed to this default setting traditionally, and the early days of the craft revolution were all about pushing the bitterness boundary instead.

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When it comes to stouts, many people’s early experience is defined by Guinness, with its roasted, charry, almost acrid character. The acidity and char of traditional stouts were, historically, by-products of the way dark malts were roasted in a kiln. But there’s no reason other than tradition (and competition guidelines) that a stout must continue to have that ash factor that puts so many people off. In short, for a long time, beer cold-shouldered a large segment of the market who were deterred by the bitter or charred character of beer.

Recently, we’ve seen the move towards the sweet end of the spectrum with beers such as hazy IPA, with its accent on tropical fruit-flavoured hops and “soft” bitterness. Now stouts and porters (and sours too, as we’ll discover) are swerving towards the sugary end of the flavour scale. These beers are reaching a new audience and taking them on a sweet craft beer journey.

Normally, at this juncture a beer writer would say something like: “Balance is still important” or “You shouldn’t overdo these adjuncts”. But as Garage Project proved with Garbage Stout, there are no parameters to these rule-breaking beers.

In fact, Garage Project followed that wild beer with Surrender to the Void, which they describe as “an irregular series of outrageously decadent pitch black stouts”. The first in the series is a cinnamon banoffee pie stout that clocks in at 11.5% ABV. Behemoth is another brewery that doesn’t mind adjunct-heavy beers.

They’ve just re-released their 2018 Beervana hit Snow Mexican – a maple syrup imperial stout – as well as Bogan’s Breakfast, which is a bourbon barrelaged maple syrup cold brew coffee imperial stout.

Duncan’s in Paraparaumu have also gambled and won on dessert-style beers.

Where they shine is with what they call “ice cream sours”. They add lactose and fruit to a just-sour base beer for a deliciously creamy concoction. Out now is Blueberry Ripple, an imperial ice cream sour.

Many other breweries will do seasonal releases in this area, but 8-Wired produce their Affogato iStout all year round (and it does just what it says) while Kereru regularly produces the award-winning Imperial Nibs, a cacao, vanilla and coconut porter.

The bottom line with all these beers is that I’ve yet to find someone who doesn’t like them – even people who tell me they don’t like beer.

Brandhouse is pleased to announce the addition of Funk Estate to its stable of brands Funk Estate is a well regarded New Zealand craft beer brand, which was being contract produced in Tauranga.

Brandhouse plans to brew the beer at its Blenheim brewery alongside Renaissance.

The head brewers have no intention of changing any of the Funk Estate favorites and plan to continue to release new and exciting beers.

They hope to have the fresh batches of beer available from mid-august.

The Brandhouse board feels that after the successful acquisition and turnaround of Renaissance Brewing the addition of a second brand, that has a different market appeal will further strengthen the overall business unit and provide for continued efficiencies at the brewery.

Welcome to the Renaissance • Three out of the five from the core range won big at the New World beer awards making it in the top 100 and the Elemental porter on the top 30.

• The Renaissance Mixed six pack is a great seller and has seen triple digit growth year on year.

• All core range beers are available in 6 packs

FUNK ESTATE AND RENAISSANCE DISTRIBUTED BY BRANDHOUSE 0508 468 688 EMAIL: ORDERS@BRANDHOUSE.CO.NZ BRANDHOUSE.CO.NZ

BEER & CIDER NEWS

Rebuilt Sawmill Brewery re-opens after fire TEN MONTHS after Matakana brewery Sawmill was devastated by a fire, the rebuilt brewery and restaurant re-opened to the public at the end of July. Construction had got underway in January but was then held up by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Keeping customers supplied with their beer was a priority for Sawmill and they were brewing in other premises within two days of the fire. “We’ve brewed at 13 different breweries over the last 10 months and really appreciate the support shown by the brewing community,” says Sawmill’s Mike Sutherland.

Sawmill’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint is evident in the rebuild, with the 54 solar panels used by the brewery repaired and reinstalled, along with a more sophisticated wastewater system. As well as increased capacity for the brewery, four new silos for New Zealand-grown malt have also been installed, which Sawmill says will take around 12,000 plastic grain sacks out of circulation each year. sawmillbrewery.co.nz

Parrotdog launches brewery tours Wellington brewery Parrotdog has launched weekend tours of its Lyall Bay brewery. The one-hour tours run three times a day every Saturday and Sunday and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the brewery and its workings, along with an insight into Parrotdog’s history and the brewing process.

Tours are $25 pp and include five ‘tasters’, a branded glass and a 10% discount off purchases afterwards. They are limited to 15 people, with private bookings or larger group options available. parrotdog.co.nz 60 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

New formats for Emerson’s favourites Emerson’s is introducing new formats for several of its beers as it adds more cans to its line-up.

Emerson’s Pilsner (5% ABV) is now available in single 330ml cans for RRP $4.99 while Emerson’s Bird Dog (7% ABV) is available in single 330ml cans for RRP $5.99.

Emerson’s Hazed and Confused (5.8% ABV) is available in 330ml can 6-packs for RRP $25.99 (previously only available in single cans).

Lion

Brewers Guild pushes for beer tourism THE BREWERS Guild has released a discussion document designed to highlight the opportunities for beer tourism in New Zealand.

The Guild established a Beer Tourism working group earlier this year to draw attention to the more than 200 breweries around New Zealand and to encourage regional tourism authorities and Tourism New Zealand to support beer tourism as part of their domestic campaigns.

It also aims to build on the Guild’s launch of the NZ Ale Trail in 2018, which was created in part to make it easier for consumers to find beer experiences around New Zealand.

The document is available to view on the Brewers Guild website. brewersguild.co.nz

BEER & CIDER NEWS

WSET to offer beer qualifications THE WINE & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the world’s largest global provider of wine, spirits and sake qualifications, has announced it will develop a suite of beer qualifications.

It plans to add two beer qualifications – Levels 1 and 2 – to its portfolio, both online and in the classroom.

Development of the new qualifications is still in the early stages and WSET says it is working in partnership with the Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD), which is a global provider of technical education to professional brewers, distillers and associated suppliers. As yet, there are no official dates for the launch.

Beer is not a totally new subject stream for WSET as, prior to 2005, it was included in its intermediate wine and spirits qualification (equivalent to today’s Level 2).

WSET says its Level 1 and 2 Awards in Beer will be created with both trade professionals and consumer enthusiasts in mind.

The courses will explore the main types and styles of beer, key methods of production, tasting technique and food and beer pairing, following the same well-established principles as the Level 1 and 2 courses in wines and spirits. Courses will initially be developed in English before being translated into other languages.

A global survey of WSET Approved Course Providers carried out in January 2020 showed that more than 60% of respondents

were interested in or very interested in providing beer qualifications.

Ian Harris, WSET CEO, said, “We are always assessing and investigating opportunities to grow our delivery in the global drinks industry. Beer is by far the single largest category in the industry and, with the growth of the craft beer movement, it has become increasingly diverse and complex - so it makes sense for us to bring our educational expertise to the sector.” wsetglobal.com

EVErYTHING EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN A PALE ALE CALLED PALE ALE.

MALTY

HOPPY

LIGHT

DArK

sweet

bitter

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

The delight of a dram Demand for Scotland’s finest continues to grow in New Zealand, with an ever-increasing range of blended and single malts available.

62 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

RRP $39-$64.99 Bell’s Original Blended Scotch Whisky 40% ABV, 1L RRP $41.99 Lion

Gentle aromas of malted barley, herbs and a fresh floral note sit alongside cereal with a little honey. This blended Scotch is smooth with a medium body and flavours of barley and cereals with nut oils, hints of wood and spice. The finish is short, with fruitcake and smoke.

Grant’s Triple Wood 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $42.99 Federal Merchants

The name ‘Triple Wood’ for this expression of Grant’s refers to its maturation in three different types of wood: virgin oak (for spice), American oak (for vanilla) and ex-bourbon (for brown sugar sweetness). It has a clean aroma, with notes of ripe pear and summer fruit.

On the palate there is vanilla sweetness, malt and light florals. The finish is long and sweet with a subtle hint of smoke.

Whyte & Mackay Blended Scotch Whisky 40% ABV, 1L RRP $44.99 Hancocks

An approachable, easy-drinking whisky with flavours of tropical fruit, caramelised orange, peaches, liquorice and marmalade.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley 50% ABV, 200ml RRP $45 Hancocks

This classic expression from Bruichladdich is now available in a 200ml size. The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley showcases the classic Laddie style: elegant and floral with a signature salt-citrus tang.

Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky 40% ABV, 1L RRP $49.99 Federal Merchants

A blend of grain and malt whiskies matured in three distinct woods, similar to Grant’s original Triple Wood blend, but with more emphasis on peated whiskies to create a smooth and fruity taste with subtle smokiness.

Johnnie Walker Black Label 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $54.99 Lion

An iconic blend that uses whiskies aged for a minimum of 12 years. It is rich with dark fruits, sweet vanilla and Johnnie Walker’s signature smokiness. Flavours of intense sweet vanilla give way to orange zest and aromas of spice and raisins. The finish is smooth and layered with rich smoke, peat and malt.

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $57.99 EuroVintage

This whisky has a fresh and floral aroma, opening up to oak, spice and a hint of smoke. In the mouth it is mellow and fruity with balanced smoke/peat flavours leading to oak and honey sweetness.

Chivas Regal 12YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $57.99 Pernod Ricard

A combination of malt and grain Scotch whiskies. It has aromas of honey, herbs and rich fruit with flavours of ripe apple, vanilla, hazelnut and butterscotch. The finish is rich and lingering.

Glen Moray Classic 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $58.99 EuroVintage

Glen Moray’s signature single malt is aged for an average of seven years in entirely ex-bourbon casks, the majority of which are first-fill. A light, smooth, easy-drinking whisky with shortbread character, toffee sweetness and fresh herbal notes.

Bank Note 5YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $59.99 Glengarry

A blend of malt whiskies (40%) from the Speyside and Highland regions, with grain whisky (60%) from Lowland Scotland.

Maturation in oak casks gives a mellow taste with sweet richness and depth of flavour.

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SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

Glen Grant Arboralis 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $59.99 EuroVintage

A new release from Speyside distillery Glen Grant. Arboralis means “light from within the trees” and is aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Spanish sherry oak casks. It has aromas of dried raisins, honeysuckle, oaky malt and hints of lemon, with favours of oak and butterscotch that merge with dried fruits and a light spice.

Chivas Regal Extra 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $61.99 Pernod Ricard

A special selection of whiskies matured in Oloroso sherry casks with the rarest and finest Chivas malts. A rich blend with aromas of ripe pear, creamy toffee and a hint of ginger. The pear continues on the palate alongside tropical melon and soft notes of vanilla and caramel, blending with spicy cinnamon and hints of almond, leading to a long finish.

Glen Moray Classic Cabernet Cask Finish 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $62.99 EuroVintage

This sweet and full-bodied whisky is finished in Cabernet red wine casks, where it develops notes of spice and fruit, balancing with toasted oak vanilla and smooth, warming flavours.

Glen Moray Classic Chardonnay Cask Finish 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $62.99 EuroVintage

Glen Moray Classic Sherry Cask Finish 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $62.99 EuroVintage

Finishing in Chardonnay casks gives this whisky balanced characters of caramelised fruit, butterscotch and lingering notes of toasted oats. The finish is of nutty vanilla, soft cinnamon spice and gentle florals.

Maturation in Oloroso sherry casks adds vibrant dried fruit and earthy, nutty notes to the hallmark vanilla and light oak of the Glen Moray Classic whisky.

Glen Grant Arboralis is a new release from the Speyside distillery and means “light from within the trees”.

Glen Moray Classic Peated Finish 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $62.99 EuroVintage

This is a more intense and subtly smoked expression of Glen Moray’s Classic Single Malt, and is a great easy-drinking introduction to peated whiskies. Matured in ex-bourbon casks for added spiciness, it has complex layers of peat smoke with creamy vanilla and a long sweet and spicy finish.

Glen Moray Classic Port Cask Finish 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $62.99 EuroVintage

This light and fruity expression is finished for eight months in port pipes (casks used for maturing port wine). The whisky picks up intense characters of summer fruit, dark chocolate and cinnamon and a distinct pink hue.

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Finlaggan Old Reserve Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $63.99 EuroVintage

Earthy, smoky peat and a salty character appear on the nose of this Islay single malt. The pungent peat smoke persists on the palate with chewy sweet malt, pepper, tar and a touch of iodine. The finish is long and warming with a hint of peat fire smoke.

The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $64 Pernod Ricard

A permanent benchmark expression created in tribute to The Glenlivet founder George Smith. The classic fruitiness of The Glenlivet is complemented here with a creaminess and sweetness from selective use of American first-fill oak casks. Delicate sweet orange aromas continue on the palate alongside pear and toffee apple, leading to a long, creamy, smooth finish.

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

Aerstone Land Cask 10YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $64.99 Federal Merchants

The two new Aerstone releases (this expression and its sibling ‘Sea Cask’) have been created to simplify the taste messaging in the single malt category.

This peated single malt has a rich and punchy peat aroma with zesty citrus notes. The peat and wood smoke on the palate is followed by a gentle sweetness with hints of spice and ripe fruits leading to a lingering smokiness.

Aerstone Sea Cask 10YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $64.99 Federal Merchants

Maturation in seaside warehouses adds a sea salt character to this smooth Speysidestyle single malt. It has a light and floral aroma with delicate oak, leading to flavours of lightly-toasted almonds, candy floss and a gentle vanilla oak, balanced with a touch of tannin.

Johnnie Walker Double Black 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $64.99 Lion

Taking inspiration from Johnnie Walker Black Label, the Double Black is a more intensely smoky expression, influenced by peaty West Coast and Islay single malts.

Flavours of peat smoke, rich raisins and apples, pears and citrus soften into sweet vanillas and spice. A warming finish of oak tannins and lingering smokiness.

The two new Aerstone releases (Land Cask and Sea Cask) have been created to simplify the taste messaging in the single malt category.

Monkey Shoulder 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $64.99 Federal Merchants

This whisky breaks the mould for Scotch, with its light palate, subtle sweetness from ageing in first-fill bourbon barrels and no heavy peat. It has delicate floral aromas alongside zesty orange, peach and apricot. Flavours of creamy vanilla toffee, oak notes and a hint of spice lead to a smooth finish with a lingering sweetness.

RRP $65 - $89.99 Macleod’s Islay 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $POA Whisky Trade

The Macleod’s Regional Single Malts series features bottlings showcasing the regional styles of Scotland. The Islay expression is marked by a rich, herbal peat smoke along with plenty of salty coastal influence.

Bowmore 12YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $69.99 Beam Suntory

This whisky is matured in Bowmore’s historic No.1 Vaults on Islay. Its trademark smoky peat aroma is balanced by lemon and honey, while on the palate it is warm with dark chocolate flavours, and smoky with a long rounded finish.

Deanston Virgin Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46.3% ABV, 700ml RRP $69.99 EuroVintage

Light lemon zest on the nose is accompanied by sweet barley sugar with hints of apple and nutmeg. On the palate there is candied fruit, vanilla toffee and honey, followed by a lightly spiced finish with honeyed malt and sweet oakiness.

Glen Moray 12YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $69.99 EuroVintage

Aged in American oak, this is a balanced whisky with a subtle sweetness. Aromas of vanilla toffee, berry fruits and freshlycut herbs lead to a palate of toasted oak and summer fruits. The finish is sweet with a subtle oak finish.

Glenfiddich 12YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $69.99 Federal Merchants

Glenfiddich’s signature expression has sweet, fruity notes that develop into butterscotch, cream, malt and subtle oak flavours. The finish is long and smooth.

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The Glenlivet 12YO 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $69.99 Pernod Ricard

This icon of Speyside single malt has a fruity aroma that persists on the palate alongside its signature nutty and citrus notes and strong pineapple. The finish is long, creamy and smooth.

Tamnavulin 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $69.99 Hancocks

Deanston 12YO Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46.3% ABV, 700ml RRP $74.99 EuroVintage

There is hay and malty cereal on the nose of this single malt, joined by creamy toffee, honey, sweet oak and barley sugar.

The palate is fresh, fruity and creamy with soft vanilla and a malty honeyed spiciness.

The finish is clean and dry with a hint of clove.

A double cask whisky matured in American oak barrels for a sweet, mellow taste with a rich, smooth sherry cask finish. It has aromas of apple, toffee and honey with sweet marzipan and subtle tangy marmalade notes. The palate is fresh and mellow with pear, peach and pineapple flavours, and a hint of Demerara sugar.

Finlaggan Eilean Mor Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $76 EuroVintage

Glen Grant 10 Year Old 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $71.99 EuroVintage

Glengoyne 10YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $POA Whisky Galore

This Speyside single malt has aromas of sweet pear and vanilla. The palate has orchard fruit and rich malt notes, leading to a long and complex finish.

Perched on the border that separates the Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland, Glengoyne distillery is famous for producing a soft and complex style with not a trace of peat smoke. Glengoyne uses predominantly ex-sherry casks for maturation, and this expression features a balance of orchard fruits, toffee and nuttiness.

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There’s sweet peat smoke on the nose with a touch of sea salt in this whisky. It’s full-bodied in the mouth with spicy peat smoke, tar, iodine, a light oiliness and sweet malt. The finish is long and smoky.

The Ardmore Legacy 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $79.99 Beam Suntory

This Highland whisky has a honeyed aroma with subtle peat. The smoke becomes more pronounced on the palate but is balanced by rich honey and spice flavours. The finish is full with a dry, tangy aftertaste and lingering smoke and spice.

Bowmore No.1 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $79.99 Beam Suntory

This new release replaces Bowmore Small Batch and uses 100% first-fill ex-bourbon casks, as opposed to the 50% used in Small Batch. The name refers to the No.1 Vault at Bowmore’s Islay distillery, which is the world’s oldest Scotch maturation warehouse. Bowmore No.1 has vanilla sweetness with a hint of toasted coconut, cinnamon and lime to complement its smoky notes.

Glen Moray 15YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $79.99 EuroVintage

This whisky marries sherry and American oak to create a complex whisky with a hint of spice and delicate smoke over flavours of rich dried fruits and dark chocolate.

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

Glenmorangie 10YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $79.99 Moët Hennessey

This original expression of Glenmorangie is aged in a range of ex-bourbon casks.

It has aromas of citrus, ripe peach and vanilla, with flavours of vanilla and a floral fruitiness on the palate. The finish is clean with hints of orange and peach.

Laphroaig 10YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $79.99 Beam Suntory

This is the original Laphroaig, distilled the same way for more than 70 years and the foundation for all other Laphroaig expressions. Rich aromas of peat continue on the palate, which is bold and smoky and has a hint of seaweed and a subtle sweetness. A full-bodied whisky with a long finish.

Arran Barrel Reserve 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $80 Tickety-Boo

This entry-level single malt is 100% matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and combines casks at seven to eight years old with older casks to create a fresh and vibrant whisky with the sweet fruit character that is a hallmark of Arran.

It has aromas of apple and pear, leading to a balanced palate of citrus and light vanilla sweetness.

Ledaig 10 YO Isle of Mull Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46.3% ABV, 700ml RRP $81.95 EuroVintage

Chivas XV 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $84.99 Pernod Ricard

A heavily peated whisky, this single malt has a sweet briny smokiness with hints of tar, mint chocolate and light florals. The palate is sweet with a medicinal character, spicy pepper, peaty smoke and vanilla.

The finish has a hint of liquorice, clove and a slight saltiness.

A 15-year-old blended Scotch finished in Grande Champagne Cognac casks. It has a rich, sweet aroma with concentrated notes of stewed apple, marmalade, honey, cinnamon and sultanas. It’s smooth and fruity on the palate with poached pear, butterscotch and caramel toffee, followed by notes of vanilla on the finish.

Finlaggan Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 58% ABV, 700ml RRP $84 EuroVintage

Tullibardine Sovereign 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $84.99 Hancocks

Pungent aromas of peat smoke, smoky bacon and a hint of old leather dominate the nose. The palate is full of rich sweet smoke, iodine, lemon zest and tarry peat with a mouth-coating oiliness. The long, warming finish is of peppery peat, soot and ash.

This is the signature single malt from Tullibardine Distillery in Scotland’s Highlands. It has been matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and has floral, sweet barley notes on the palate, with subtle hints of vanilla. On the finish there is fudge, pear and soft spice.

BenRiach 10YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $84.99 Hancocks

Bunnahabhain 12YO Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46.3% ABV, 700ml RRP $85.95 EuroVintage

This whisky is described as “classic Speyside” in character with maturation in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks creating a fresh, lively, fruit-laden single malt with notes of oak spices, green apple, dried fruit and subtle aniseed, lemon zest and barley.

A fresh aroma with a hint of smoke leads to a light palate of fruit and nut characters, thanks to ex-sherry cask influence, and a malty sweetness.

The finish is rich, full-bodied and gently lingering.

Tullibardine Sovereign is the signature single malt from Tullibardine Distillery in Scotland’s Highlands.

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Jura Journey 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $87.99 Hancocks

Glenfiddich Fire & Cane 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 Federal Merchants

This single malt is aged in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and has aromas of vanilla spice, citrus and a hint of light smoke. Flavours of cinnamon, pear, pecan and toffee fudge lead to a rich finish of vanilla, spice and whispers of smoke.

This is the fourth release in Glenfiddich’s ‘Experiment’ series (earlier releases were IPA Experiment, Project XX, and Winter Storm). Fire & Cane is a blend of peated whisky and malts matured in bourbon barrels and finished in Latin rum casks, creating a whisky with lingering campfire smokiness and toffee sweetness.

Aberlour 12YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 Pernod Ricard

Ageing in traditional oak and seasoned sherry butts gives this 12-year-old whisky a soft, mellow character. It has aromas of red apple that continue on the palate with rich chocolate and a fine sherried character. The long finish is sweet and spicy.

Cask Islay 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 Glengarry

Casks of Scotland is a range of small batch single malt whiskies from distillers A.D. Rattray that are designed to showcase a particular region. Cask Islay is a classic peated single malt matured in bourbon casks.

Glenfiddich Fire & Cane is the intriguing fourth release in Glenfiddich’s ‘Experiment’ series.

Glenglassaugh Revival 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 Hancocks

The Revival was the first expression released by Glenglassaugh distillery after it was mothballed for more than 20 years. This Highland single malt has been matured in a balanced mix of ex-red wine and fresh bourbon casks, vatted and re-racked for double maturation in rich sherry casks. It has rich aromas of sweet caramel, nutty sherry, ripe red fruit and charred oak with a rounded, creamy palate of oranges, plums, cherry and walnuts, chocolate, honey-mead, sherry and soft spiced oak.

The Glenlivet Captain’s Reserve 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 Pernod Ricard

The Captain’s Reserve is aged in bourbon and sherry casks before selective finishing in Cognac casks. It has sweet and fruity aromas of honey and apricot jam, with notes of cinnamon and spicy liquorice.

The palate is full of mandarins in syrup, poached pears, raisins and chocolate, leading to a smooth finish.

Ileach Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 EuroVintage

The smoky peat and sea salt in the aroma of this single malt persist on the palate, which also has sweet malt and a pepper character. The long finish is full of peat smoke.

Wemyss Family Collection Blooming Gorse 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 Glengarry

‘Blooming Gorse’ is a blend of two single malt whiskies from the Highland region, matured in 15 first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and four first-fill ex-bourbon hogsheads.

It has flavours of gorse flowers, coconut and vanilla.

Tamdhu 12YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $POA Whisky Trade

Tamdhu Distillery, in the heart of Speyside, produces a classic rich, old fashioned, rounded style. The distillery fills exclusively ex-sherry casks for the Tamdhu single malt. This 12YO expression is full of dried fruit, sweet spiciness, and confectionery notes like old fashioned boiled sweets.

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SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

RRP $90 - $119.99 The Arran Malt 10YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $90 Tickety-Boo

Aromas of sweet oak and honey lead to a crisp, malty palate with a slight nuttiness, in this whisky from the Isle of Arran.

With time, the malt begins to open and the Arran hallmarks of citrus and sweet fruit emerge. The finish is clean and fresh with a lingering creamy sweetness. A Gold Award winner at the 2019 World Whiskies Awards.

Old Pulteney ‘Huddart’ 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $POA Whisky Trade

Finished in ex-peated casks after an initial maturation in ex-bourbon, this brand new expression from Old Pulteney wafts fragrant mellow wood smoke from the glass with honey and oily leather, developing into crisp green apple, creamy vanilla and a hint of burnt toffee.

Freshly ground spices and vanilla on the palate balance the subtle notes of smoke and peat fire. Finishes on a rich salted caramel note.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $94 Moët Hennessey

This whisky is aged first in bourbon casks and then finished in ruby port casks.

It has aromas of dark mint chocolate, tangerines and Seville oranges, with sandalwood, walnut and a spicy finish of pepper and nutmeg. The chocolate and walnut continue on the palate with rose, Turkish delight and sweet Seville oranges also emerging. The finish is long with dark chocolate mints and subtle orange.

BenRiach 10YO Curiositas 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $94.99 Hancocks

A rare peated single malt distilled from heavily peated malted barley to produce a unique, fresh peated expression.

Overtones of peat reek combine with a background of fruity, floral, heathery notes and oak wood on the finish.

The GlenDronach Peated 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $94.99 Hancocks

In contrast to the traditional, non-peated character of the GlenDronach, this expression has been distilled using peated malted barley. It pays homage to the peat historically used to dry the malted barley in the traditional floor maltings during the early days of the distillery. The subtle peated notes complement the classic GlenDronach Highland character of crisp fruit and barley, and the rich sherry notes drawn from the wood.

Wemyss Family Collection Flaming Feast 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $94.99 Glengarry

‘Flaming Feast’ is a blend of two single malt whiskies from the Highland region, matured in 15 first fill ex-bourbon barrels and 2 de-charred and re-charred hogsheads. The palate is full of sweetness, spice and smoke. Just 6,000 bottles were made.

Ardbeg 10YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $95 Moët Hennessey

This classic expression from Ardbeg is renowned as one of the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malts around. It has aromas of intense smoky fruit, zesty lemon and lime and dark chocolate overlaid with a sea spray minerality. On the palate, chewy peat meets citrus, black pepper, cinnamon and toffee sweetness with smooth buttermilk, ripe bananas and currants. The finish lingers with tarry espresso, aniseed, toasted almonds and hints of soft barley and fresh pear.

GlenDronach 12YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $95 Hancocks

A richly sherried single malt matured in a combination of Spanish Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. Rich, creamy and smooth on the palate, it has rich oak and sherry sweetness with raisins and soft fruits. Spicy, with medium length and a dry finish.

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Glenmorangie The Lasanta 12YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $98.99 Moët Hennessey

Chivas Regal 18YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $99.99 Pernod Ricard

Jura 10YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $99.99 Hancocks

‘Lasanta’ is Gaelic for warmth and passion, which describes this full-bodied single malt whisky that is first aged in American oak ex-bourbon casks then finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. It is elegant, luscious and soft with rich raisin intensity, toffee and spices from the sherry casks.

A rich and multi-layered blend using various malt and grain whiskies from distilleries all over Scotland, including Chivas’ classic Speyside malt from Strathisla. It is said to have 85 flavour notes in every sip. Layered aromas of dried fruit, spice and buttery toffee give way to a velvety dark chocolate palate with floral notes, a touch of mellow smokiness and a warm, lingering finish.

There’s a smooth, smoky sherry sweetness to this whisky, which is aged 10 years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in aged Oloroso sherry casks. It has a fruity aroma with notes of cracked pepper and dark chocolate, and flavours of stonefruit, ginger and freshly ground coffee.

BenRiach Sherry Wood 12YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $99.99 Hancocks

Three facets of sherry cask maturation are used to create this complex fruitladen whisky: full sherry cask maturation, combined with Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry cask finishing to add layers of fruit sweetness and toasted oak spice.

Rich and luscious.

Cask Speyside 10YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $99.99 Glengarry

A delicate single malt with aromas of lemon, creamy vanilla fudge, subtle mint and jasmine blossom. The palate is silky, with barley sugar, hazelnut, cinnamon, malt biscuit and black pepper. The finish is sweet with lifted citrus.

Glenglassaugh Evolution 50% ABV, 700ml RRP $99.99 Hancocks

This Highland single malt whisky is aged in ex-Tennessee first-fill whiskey barrels and has rich aromas of sweet barley, pineapple and buttery vanilla leading to deeper oak spices and caramelised pear. In the mouth there is white peppery oak, crisp green apple and freshly cracked barley. A gentle salted caramel emerges alongside hints of ripe banana and fruit salad syrup. It finishes with classic oak spices, soft fruit and vanilla.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $99.99 Lion

A creamy blend of Speyside and Highland whiskies. An initial delicate sweetness and gentle smokiness on the palate develops into sweet fruit and deeper velvety, honeyed tones followed by subtle smoke and oakiness on the finish.

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Machrie Moor 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $100 Tickety-Boo

This is the peated expression of the Arran Single Malt. There is delicate peat smoke on the nose with a hint of sweetness: tropical fruit and vanilla. The American oak influence is apparent in the mouth with more intense vanilla sweetness and a touch of coconut. The finish is fresh and zesty with subtle smoke.

Glenglassaugh Torfa 50% ABV, 700ml RRP $109.99 Hancocks

This Highland single malt made in limited quantities at Glenglassaugh uses richly peated malted barley as the cereal varietal. The malted barley has been dried in the traditional way, over peat infused kilns, giving the whisky a unique smoky flavour. ‘Torfa’ is a unique expression and quite different to the usual style of whisky produced in the Highlands.

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

The Glenlivet 15YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $109.99 Pernod Ricard

Glenmorangie The Nectar d’Or is aged first in American oak bourbon casks and finished in Sauterne wine casks.

A portion of this whisky is matured in French Limousin oak casks, used most commonly for ageing cognacs, giving it a rich and exotic character. A creamy and rich whisky with buttery notes on the nose and fruity, nutty flavours on the palate. Subtle sweet almond and hints of spice on the finish.

Arran Sherry Cask 55.8% ABV, 700ml RRP $110 Tickety-Boo

Glenmorangie The Nectar d’Or 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $115 Moët Hennessey

This is a new cask-strength blend of Arran Sherry Cask, with this version 100% matured in sherry casks for eight years, rather than being sherry-finished. This additional time in cask intensifies the sherry character, with aromas of toffee, sweet spice and fruit leading to a palate of ripe fig and cherries with a long finish of dark chocolate, mandarin and fig.

A special reserve whisky from Glenmorangie that is aged first in American oak bourbon casks and finished in Sauterne wine casks. It has aromas of lemon tart, fresh vanilla, lime and orange zest with sultanas, ginger and coconut.

On the palate there are layers of crème caramel, gingerbread, nutmeg, toasted almonds and honeycomb. The finish is sweet and mellow.

Talisker 10YO 45.8% ABV, 750ml RRP $109.99 Lion

The classic expression from the oldest distillery on Skye. The Talisker 10YO has powerful peat smoke aromas with a hint of briney sea salt and citrus sweetness.

The smoke persists on the palate along with dried fruit sweetness, strong barley malt flavours and pepper. The finish is long and robust; warm and peppery with a sweet character.

Arran Quarter Cask 56.2% ABV, 700ml RRP $110 Tickety-Boo

This cask strength whisky is aged for 8-10 years, matured in bourbon casks and then finished in quarter casks (40-80 litres), which adds more intense cask influence and ramps up the bourbon spice character.

Ardbeg An Oa 46.6% ABV, 700ml RRP $114 Moët Hennessey

Ardbeg An Oa combines whiskies from several cask types, including sweet Pedro Ximénez; spicy virgin charred oak; and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others. It has hallmark Ardbeg peat, with dark chocolate, aniseed, butterscotch, black pepper and clove, alongside briny notes and a creamy texture.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10YO 50% ABV, 700ml RRP $115 Hancocks

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $119 Federal Merchants

This whisky get its distinctive character from ageing in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads, and then in Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry casks before finishing in oak tuns. It has aromas of sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry layered with honey and vanilla. It is smooth and mellow on the palate with nutty sweetness, cinnamon spice, a delicate layer of sherry and a long finish.

The flagship Port Charlotte release is a heavily peated Islay single malt. Matured in American whiskey and French wine casks, it has a barbecue smokiness and is rich and spicy with sweet malty notes.

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The new GlenAllachie 15YO has a heavy wood influence from active ex-sherry casks, with deep fruit and spice.

Glenfiddich 15YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $119 Federal Merchants

Glenfiddich Project XX 47% ABV, 700ml RRP $119 Federal Merchants

Aged in European oak sherry casks and new oak casks, this whisky is mellowed in Glenfiddich’s Solera Vat, a large oak tun inspired by the sherry bodegas of Spain and Portugal, which has been kept half full of whiskies since 1998. This whisky has aromas of heather honey, vanilla fudge and rich dark fruit. It is full-bodied with flavours of sherry oak, marzipan, cinnamon, ginger and a lingering sweetness.

This single malt expression was created as a collaboration with 20 (hence the ‘XX’) whisky industry experts, adding layers of complexity to classic Glenfiddich whisky.

The nose has classic fruitiness with hints of apple blossom, ripe pear, rich vanilla oak, golden sugar and a hint of liquorice.

The taste is deep and mellow with a candy floss sweetness complemented by notes of toasted almond, cinnamon and a hint of crisp tannin. The finish is longlasting with a sweet oakiness.

Glenfiddich IPA Experiment 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $119 Federal Merchants

Glenfiddich’s Malt Master Brian Kinsman collaborated with a Speyside brewer to create this unique take on single malt Scotch whisky, which was brewed in bespoke craft IPA barrels. It has aromas of green apple, pear and spring blossom, with hops and fresh herbs. There is a zesty citrus note on the palate followed by creamy vanilla and a hint of fresh hops. The finish is lengthy and sweet with subtle green hops.

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GlenAllachie 15YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $POA Whisky Trade

This new expression from the GlenAllachie distillery is dark in colour, reflecting a heavy wood influence from active ex-sherry casks. The aroma is deeply fruity and spicy, with rich dominant notes of raisin, black bun and traditional fruit dumpling, covered in butterscotch sauce.

Aromatic sweet spices carry on to the palate, developing into lighter orange and banana, then fading to bittersweet dark chocolate.

RRP $120 - $199 Cask Islay Sherry Edition 59.9% ABV, 700ml RRP $125 Glengarry

This limited edition uses the classic single malt Cask Islay matured exclusively in two types of sherry casks and bottled at cask strength. The intense Islay style is enhanced by specially selected Oloroso sherry hogsheads from Tonelería Juan Pino, which add bold dried fruit notes, while Oloroso sherry-seasoned wine casks from Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana lend a more subtle, stonefruit character. The whisky has a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel and intense, rounded flavours.

Jura Seven Wood 42% ABV, 700ml RRP $129.99 Hancocks

The ‘Seven Wood’ in the name of this Scotch refers to the seven different oak cask types used in its creation: first-fill ex-bourbon American white oak, Vosges, Bertranges, Jupilles, Allier, Tronçais and Limousin barrels. It has aromas of coffee, ginger and a hint of milk chocolate, with flavours of caramelised peach, chewy liquorice, candied orange and a hint of sea-spray and smoke.

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

The Glenlivet 18YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $144.99 Pernod Ricard

Glenmorangie 18YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $149 Moët Hennessey

Balanced, rich and elegant, this whisky was aged in first and second fill American oak and ex-sherry casks. It has aromas of rich fruit and toffee, with sweet citrus and winter spice on the palate. A long finish with flavours of raisin and spice.

This is part of Glenmorangie’s Prestige Expressions range. The 18YO spends 15 years maturing in American white oak casks and then approximately 30% is transferred into Spanish Oloroso casks to spend a further three years maturing before the two are blended together. A rich, rounded aroma leads to balanced flavours of honey, malt and florals, with hints of dates, figs and wood smoke. The long finish has dried fruit sweetness and subtle dryness of Oloroso nuttiness.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan 57.1% ABV, 700ml RRP $149 Moët Hennessey

GlenDronach Revival 15YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $144.99 Hancocks

Ageing in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks gives this Highland single malt whisky intense aromas of maraschino cherry, red berries and dark mint chocolate with hints of orange bitters and walnut liqueur. The palate is rich with honey-glazed apricot and ripe fig, along with cherry, angelica and muscovado.

A long and enveloping finish with dark Manuka honey, herbal bitters and dark chocolate.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $134.99 Beam Suntory

Double maturation in two American oak casks give this whisky an intense flavour.

Still-maturing whisky from Laphroaig’s standard ex-bourbon barrels is transferred to quarter casks, increasing contact with the oak and softening Laphroaig’s distinctive peatiness. It has aromas of toffee and caramel with a dryness from the wood oil. The finish is long, with sweetness and smoke.

This whisky takes its name from a famous whirlpool that lies to the north of Islay.

It’s a place where it’s said only the bravest souls venture, thus the whisky is created to be an intense and powerful experience too. Heady aromas of tar, linseed oil, dark chocolate, dark fruit and muscovado sugar are overlaid with a briny character.

It is peppery and chewy on the palate with tarry espresso, rich dark fruits and bitter almonds. The powerful finish is of black coffee, chocolate, cherries and hot pepper sauce.

Ardbeg Uigeadail 54.2% ABV, 700ml RRP $149 Moët Hennessey

Let’s tackle the name first. ‘Uigeadail’ is pronounced ‘Oog-a-dal’ and translates as ‘dark and mysterious’. It’s named for the Loch from which Ardbeg distillery draws the water for its whisky. Uigeadail is a special vatting that marries Ardbeg’s traditional deep, smoky notes with luscious Christmas fruitcake tones of old ex-sherry casks. The lingering finish has deep mocha tones and rich aromatic smoke.

The Dalmore 15YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $149.99 Hancocks

The team at The Dalmore describe this whisky as “the epitome of our house style”. Aged for 15 years, it’s finished in different styles of sherry casks including Apostoles, Amoroso and Matusalem Oloroso. It has complex flavours of mandarin, vanilla, ginger and crushed apples with caramelised orange and dark chocolate on the finish.

Glenfiddich 18YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $160 Federal Merchants

Spanish Oloroso wood and American oak are used to mature this rich, fruity whisky. It has aromas of ripe orchard fruit, baked apple and robust oak, with dried fruit, candy peel and dates on the palate, overlaid with elegant oak notes.

Aberlour A’bunadh 59.9% ABV, 700ml RRP $140.99 Pernod Ricard

‘A’bunadh’ means ‘the original’ in Gaelic and this cask-strength whisky was made in homage to Aberlour’s founder, James Fleming. It’s a robust and deeply intense sherried whisky with rich and creamy complex flavours of fruit cake, dark bitter chocolate and spices.

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SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

SCOTCH WHISKY BRANDS Aberlour

Bell’s

The Dalmore

James Fleming founded Aberlour Distillery in 1879 in the village of Aberlour, at the heart of Speyside, where the Lour burn joins the River Spey. He chose the location for the nearby supply of pure spring water that flowed over the pink granite of Ben Rinnes, and is still used by the distillery today. Fleming made whisky all his life, and is buried in the village cemetery opposite the distillery. Aberlour is today owned by Pernod Ricard.

Created by Arthur Bell, who began selling tea and whisky from a shop in Perth and went on to create the Bell’s blend in the 1850s. Bell’s was named the UK’s No.1 whisky in 1978 and continues to be hugely popular.

The Dalmore distillery sits on the banks of the Cromarty Firth, where it was established in 1839. The story behind its distinctive stag emblem dates back to 1263, when Colin of Kintail, Chief of the Clan Mackenzie, felled a charging stag that attacked King Alexander III of Scotland. In return, the King rewarded the Mackenzie Clan with the 12-pointed Royal Stag emblem. When Clan descendants took over ownership of The Dalmore distillery in 1867 they put the stag on the bottle, where it remains today.

Aerstone

Aerstone is owned by William Grant & Sons and its whisky is distilled at Ailsa Bay Distillery in the Lowlands on the Clyde coast.

The two expressions are matured in different places to reflect their style ‘Sea Cask’ is aged in warehouses on the Ayrshire coast, while ‘Land Cask’ is matured further inland.

Ardbeg

The Ardbeg distillery is on the south coast of the Isle of Islay (pronounced EYE-lah) in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. Ardbeg has been producing whisky commercially since 1815 and is renowned for using highly peated malt in its whiskies. The name Ardbeg comes from the Scottish Gaelic “An Àird Bheag”, meaning a small promontory.

The Ardmore

The Ardmore distillery sits on the fringes of Scotland’s Highlands, near the the small village of Kennethmont in Aberdeenshire, where it was first established in 1898.

Its proximity to the railway line allowed founder Adam Teacher to transport materials from Glasgow, helping the distillery flourish.

Arran

This distillery on the Isle of Arran, off the south west coast of Scotland opened in 1995 in Lochranza, more than 160 years after the last of the island’s historic distilleries closed and was until recently the only distillery on the island. Arran Distillery produces a range of ages and expressions, including Machrie Moor and Robert Burns, as well as its own range, The Arran. The company has recently built a second distillery, Lagg, which is scheduled to release its first product in 2022.

The Balvenie

The distillery was built by William Grant of William Grant & Sons in 1892, less than 10 years after he built the Glenfiddich distillery.

It is said to be the only distillery in Scotland that grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps a coppersmith and a team of coopers on site. The name ‘Balvenie’ means ‘village of luck’.

Bank Note

Bank Note whisky traces its origins back 150 years and has been recreated as part of the portfolio of A.D. Rattray, which includes Stronachie and Cask Collection.

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BenRiach

Self-described “progressive Speyside whisky distillers”, BenRiach is located in the northeast region of Morayshire and was built

by John Duff in 1898. It operated for just two years before closing in 1900, although its malting floor remained in use. BenRiach didn’t produce spirit again until the revival of the Scotch industry in 1965, when production resumed. It is known for its unpeated, peated and triple distilled malt whisky and holds some of the most experimental casks in Speyside. BenRiach is understood to be one of just two remaining distilleries in Speyside to distil whisky using malted barley from its own onsite floor maltings.

Black Bottle

A brand introduced in 1879 and first produced by Aberdeen teablenders Charles, David and Gordon Graham. After falling into decline, the blended Scotch whisky was revitalised in 1990 with a new blend using Islay single malt whiskies. It is now bottled by Burn Stewart Distillers, which also owns Deanston distillery in Perthshire, Bunnahabhain on the Isle of Islay and Tobermory on Mull.

Bowmore

Bowmore’s single malt Scotch whisky has been distilled on the island of Islay since 1779, and the distillery is home to Scotland’s oldest maturation warehouse, Bowmore’s historic No.1 Vaults.

Bruichladdich

An artisanal single malt distillery on the Hebridean island of Islay. It is known for its progressive approach to whisky making.

Bunnahabhain

Bunnahabhain (pronounced ‘Bu-na-ha-venn) is the flagship single malt Scotch whisky from Burn Stewart Distillers. The Islay distillery was built in 1881 on the north-eastern tip of Islay, close to the Margadale River.

Bunnahabhain means ‘mouth of the river’ from the Scots Gaelic.

Casks of Scotland

Part of the portfolio of A.D. Rattray, which includes Stronachie and Bank Note.

Chivas

James and John Chivas set up a grocery emporium together in Aberdeen under the name Chivas Brothers in the mid-19th century, where they aged and blended whiskies. Chivas Brothers became famous around the world for their fine luxury products and James Chivas received his first Royal Warrant in 1843, serving Queen Victoria at her Balmoral countryside retreat.

Chivas is made at the Strathisla Distillery in Keith, Moray in Speyside.

Deanston

Deanston has its home in a former mill on the River Teith in the Highlands. The mill was converted to a distillery in the mid-1970s and the former Weaving Shed is now used to mature Deanston whisky.

Finlaggan

An Islay whisky brand owned by the Vintage Malt Whisky Company. It takes its name from the historic site of Finlaggan which was the seat of the Lords of the Isles and of Clan Donald.

Glen Grant

Established in 1840 by brothers James and Grant near the port of Garmouth in Moray, north east Scotland. The Speyside brand is now owned by Campari Group.

Glen Moray

A Speyside distillery on the banks of the River Lossie in Elgin, Moray. It was originally the Elgin West Brewery, which opened in 1830, producing local ales. Surviving handwritten ledgers show the first spirit run was made on September 13th, 1897, using local barley.

GlenAllachie

Built in 1967, mothballed in mid-80s and relaunched in 1989 under Campbell Distillers (later part of Pernod Ricard). It was bought privately in 2017, and remains one of the few independently owned distilleries in Scotland today. The GlenAllachie was named ‘Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year’ at the inaugural Scottish Whisky Awards in 2019.

GlenDronach

Founded in 1826 by James Allardice, GlenDronach is in the Highlands and was one of the first licensed distilleries in Scotland. It was mothballed in the mid-1990s before reopening in 2002. It had several different owners before it was bought by Brown Forman in 2016. It is known for its sherried single malts.

Glenfiddich

One of the world’s best-selling whisky brands, Glenfiddich is a Speyside distillery built by William Grant and his family in 1886. The name derives from the Gaelic for ‘valley of the deer”. Glenfiddich remains family owned, by William Grant & Sons.

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

Jura 18YO 44% ABV, 700ml RRP $169.99 Hancocks

Eighteen years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels is followed by finishing in premier Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux barrels to create a whisky full of rich black forest fruit, toffee, cocoa and coffee characters.

Arran 18YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $170 Tickety-Boo

Made from a mix of aged ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, this 18-year-old expression is the oldest in the core range of single malts from Arran Distillery. It has aromas of orchard fruit with syrup, toasted oak, vanilla and light cinnamon.

The palate is rounded and sweet with chocolate, ginger, caramelised brown sugar and vanilla. The finish is long with citrus and orchard fruit, brioche and dark chocolate. A Gold Award winner at the 2019 World Whiskies Awards.

Deanston 18YO Highland Single Malt 46.3% ABV, 700ml RRP $198 EuroVintage

Originally laid down in hogshead casks, this whisky is finished in first-fill Kentucky bourbon casks in the stone vaulted warehouse at Deanston Distillery. Aromas of American oak and layers of floral, malty, grassy, vanilla and honey characters with hints of tobacco and nutmeg. It is sweet and spicy on the palate with citrus, barley sugar, gingerbread, Manuka honey and white pepper flavours. The finish is dry and spicy with a warming, gingery honeyed tail.

Royal Salute 21YO was first created in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $179.99 Federal Merchants

Matured in traditional oak whisky casks for 14 years, this whisky is then finished in casks that previously held Caribbean rum. This gives it the traditional smooth, honeyed character of The Balvenie, married with notes of toffee and a hint of fruit, with a warm, lingering finish.

Glen Grant 18YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $199.99 EuroVintage

A rich and floral aroma with oaky overtones and hints of baking spices. In the mouth there is malty caramel, delicate dried raisins and vanilla leading to a long sweet finish with hints of nuts and spice.

Royal Salute 21YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $199.99 Pernod Ricard

Royal Salute is a range of prestige whiskies created by Chivas Brothers (makers of Chivas Regal). The 21YO is the signature blend and was first created in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It is named for the tradition of the 21 Gun Salute that is fired at the Tower of London for royal celebrations. The distinctive flagons are sculpted in Cornish clay and each bottle takes 5-6 days to produce. Royal Salute 21YO has rich, fruity aromas overlaid by autumn florals, sweet pear and citrus.

It has full, deep fruity flavours of sweet orange marmalade and pear, spice and nuttiness with a subtle smoke.

RRP $200 and above The GlenDronach Allardice 18YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $224.99 Hancocks

This expression is named for the founder of the GlenDronach distillery, James Allardice. Maturation in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks gives this whisky rich aromas of fudge and Muscovado sugar with flavours of stewed fruit, all-spice and chocolate orange. The finish is long and complex.

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SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY Glenglassaugh

Glenglassaugh Distillery was founded by Col. James Moir in north-east Scotland in 1875. It was rebuilt in 1960 then mothballed in 1986. Production resumed in 2008 after it was purchased by a group of investors, and the BenRiach Distillery Company took over in 2013. Glenglassaugh is known for its traditional distilling methods, handcrafting and cask maturation in its coastal warehouses.

Glengoyne

Glengoyne Distillery was founded in 1833 at Dumgoyne, on the south-western edge of the Scottish Highlands, close to Loch Lomond and to the north of Glasgow.

Although distilled in the Highlands, making Glengoyne a Highland single malt, the whisky is matured in the Lowlands. This is because the distillery itself sits upon the Highland Line, the division between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland.

Glengoyne’s stills are in the Highlands, while maturing casks of whisky rest across the road in the Lowlands. Like many malt whisky distilleries today, Glengoyne does not use peat smoke to dry their barley, but instead uses warm air.

The Glenlivet

Founder George Smith initially made his whisky on the quiet in the Livet valley, finally becoming the first legal distiller in the parish of Glenlivet in 1824. The business grew and in 1852 author Charles Dickens wrote to a friend, urging him to try the “rare old Glenlivet”. In 1884, George’s son John added ‘The’ to the brand name, to prevent competitors from the same area capitalising on his family’s success.

Glenmorangie

William Matheson founded the Glenmorangie Distillery on the banks of the Dornoch Firth in Tain in the Scottish Highlands in 1843. The correct pronunciation is ‘Glen-MORR-an-jee’, with the emphasis on the second syllable. The distillery is known for having the tallest stills in Scotland. The ‘Sixteen Men of Tain’ on the Glenmorangie label refers to the 16 men who oversaw the distillation process for decades.

Grant’s

later named the whiskies after the colour of their labels in 1909. The Striding Man logo was designed around the same time by illustrator Tom Browne. In 1934 John Walker & Sons was granted a Royal Warrant by King George V to supply whisky to the royal household, and still holds the warrant today.

Jura is a remote island off Scotland’s west coast and north-east of Islay in the Inner Hebrides. Jura is the only distillery on the island, which also has just one village, one road and one pub. The distillery was first established in 1810, then revived in 1963.

Laphroaig

Tamdhu

Brothers Donald and Alexander Johnston founded Laphroaig (pronounced lahFROYG) in 1815 on the south coast of Islay, after initially rearing cattle there. The whisky is known for its peaty, smoky character. The distillery’s location is said to have inspired the name, which means ‘broad hollow by the bay’, Laphroaig remained in family hands until the mid-1950s. Today, the distillery and brand is owned by Beam Suntory.

Tamdhu distillery was founded in 1896 and is a single malt Scotch Speyside whisky distillery, located on the banks of the River Spey in the village of Knockando. The name ‘Tamdhu’ comes from the Gaelic for ‘little dark hill’. It closed in 2010 and reopened under Ian Macleod Distillers in 2012.

Jura

Ledaig

Established in 1798, Ledaig is made at the Tobermory Distillery on Mull (the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland). It is the only distillery on the island and one of the oldest commercial distilleries in Scotland.

It produces Tobermory and Ledaig single malts. It closed for around 40 years after the Great Depression of the 1930s, reopened in 1971 then closed again several years later. Ledaig took on new life in 1993 when it was purchased by Burns Stewart Distillers, which also owns Deanston distillery in Perthshire and Bunnahabhain on the Isle of Islay.

Machrie Moor

Part of the Arran whisky portfolio (the peated expression) and named for the Machrie Moor peat bog on the Isle of Arran.

Macleod’s

The Macleod’s Regional Malt Collection is a selection of single malts created to represent the style of different regions. Part of the Ian Macleod Distilleries portfolio.

Monkey Shoulder

The Ileach

This distillery was founded in 1826 by James Henderson in Wick, a town on the most northerly shores of Scotland. Its seaside location has seen it dubbed “the maritime malt”.

Johnnie Walker

Johnnie Walker is the biggest whisky brand in the world. It was created by John Walker, a grocer who set up shop in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock in 1819. He offered whisky among his goods and found he had a knack for blending. After he died, his son Alexander took over the business, introducing the square bottle and distinctive off-centre label. It was his two sons who

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Talisker

In 1825, Hugh MacAskill acquired Talisker House and the north end of the Minginish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, north west of the Scottish mainland. By 1830, he and his brother had built what was to become one of the world’s most popular distilleries on the shore of Loch Harport, and by 1898 Talisker was one of the best-selling malt whiskies in the UK. It is known for its windswept coastal location and the salty, peaty characters of the whiskies.

William Grant created Grant’s blended whisky in 1898, just 11 years after he built his first distillery, Glenfiddich. Five generations later, the brand remains familyowned. Grant’s distinctive triangular shaped bottle was launched in 1957. The shape was to showcase the colour and allow for efficient stacking and packing.

A brand from Islay owned by the Vintage Malt Whisky Company.

Chivas Brothers portfolio and is made at the Strathisla Distillery in the Highlands.

An innovative Scotch brand launched by William Grant & Sons in 2005. It’s said that the distillery workers suggested the name, which refers to a strain injury suffered by maltmen in years past as they turned the malting barley by hand.

Old Pulteney

Royal Salute

Royal Salute whisky was created as a tribute to the British monarchy, with the first bottles launched at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Its name is inspired by the 21 Gun Salute, which is fired as a traditional sign of respect at special royal occasions. Today, Royal Salute is part of the

Tamnavulin

A distillery opened in the rural village of Tomnavoulin, Scotland in 1966, only to close in 1995 then reopen in 2007 after a major refurbishment. The name ‘Tamnavulin’ is the Gaelic translation of “mill on the hill”, named in part after the historic former carding mill that sits on the site of the Speyside distillery, where local farmers would take their sheep fleece to be made into wool.

Tullibardine

Tullibardine distillery was established in Blackford in 1947 by William Delmé-Evans.

The location was originally a brewery that dated back to the 15th century. Tullibardine is close to the Ochil Hills and the Danny Burn, used as the main water sources. The distillery was mothballed in 1995 by then owner Whyte & Mackay and reopened in 2003 under new owners. Today it is a familyowned independent distillery.

Wemyss Malts

A family business founded by William Wemyss in 2005. His family and their clan trace their roots from the ancient Kingdom of Fife in Scotland, and the name Wemyss (pronounced ‘Weems’) is derived from the Scots’ word for ‘caves’ – a reference to the ancient caves beneath the ancestral home and seat of The Earl of Wemyss, Wemyss Castle. Barley has been grown for centuries in the area around the castle and is still grown by farmers on the Wemyss Estate and used by many leading distillers to make their malt whisky today. William Wemyss’ sister, Isabella, sources whisky, new make spirit, oak casks and mature whisky to produce their small-batch blended malt Scotch whiskies.

Whyte & Mackay

Charles Mackay and James Whyte founded Whyte & Mackay in Glasgow in 1844, and enjoyed great success in the UK and overseas with their first blended whisky, W&M Special. The distilling and blending company now operates several distilleries in Scotland and is owned by Emperador Distilleries.

SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

The Dalmore 18YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $229.99 Hancocks

Arran 21YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $250 Tickety-Boo

Glenfiddich 21YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $275 Federal Merchants

This premium expression of The Dalmore is aged in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and aged Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks. Aromas of vanilla, dark chocolate, orange and cinnamon lead to a palate of dark chocolate, candied citrus fruits, rich coffee, nutmeg and soft liquorice. The finish is full of citrus and rich molasses.

This 21YO release from Arran Distillery has now joined the brand’s core range and is one of its oldest expressions of Arran single malt to date. It has aromas of sweet spice and hazelnut, with ginger and dark chocolate on the palate. The finish is balanced with bitter orange, sweet citrus and dark chocolate.

A traditional Speyside whisky matured for 21 years on-site at the Glenfiddich distillery and then finished in Caribbean rum casks, selected by Malt Master Brian Kinsman. These casks add notes of ginger, fig, lime, banana and a vibrant spicy toffee warmth to the signature Glenfiddich style.

Wemyss ‘Apple & Nut Flapjack’ Blair Athol 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $240 Glengarry

BenRiach 21YO 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $259.99 Hancocks

There are just 300 bottles worldwide of this 26-year-old release from Wemyss Malts. It’s one of several independent bottlings by family-owned Wemyss and was distilled in 1991 and bottled in 2018 after maturing in an ex-bourbon hogshead.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $249.99 Lion

The pinnacle of the Johnnie Walker Colour range. Its initial flavours include hazelnut, honey, sherry and orange, followed by ginger, sandalwood and dark chocolate.

The rich honey sweetness is accompanied by hints of pepper and dried fruit, before a long, lingering finish of soft smoke.

Whiskies aged for 21 years in bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks, Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and red wine casks are blended to create this multi-faceted expression from BenRiach. Notes of vanilla, chocolate and red fruits are layered over sweet barley and citrus peel.

GlenDronach 21YO Parliament 48% ABV, 700ml RRP $269.99 Hancocks

Matured in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a minimum of 21 years, the ‘Parliament’ is named after the colony, or ‘parliament’, of rooks that have been nesting in the trees that overlook the GlenDronach distillery for almost 200 years. This richly complex whisky has aromas of ripe autumn fruits and flavours of fine Oloroso sherry, bitter chocolate and plum pudding with notes of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Fullbodied with smooth tannins.

The Balvenie DoubleWood 17YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $279.99 Federal Merchants

This elder sibling to DoubleWood 12YO shares its honeyed, spicy characteristics, but has its own distinct richness and complexity with deeper vanilla notes, hints of green apple and creamy toffee. It has flavours of sweet dried fruit, sherbet spice and toasted almond and cinnamon, layered with toffee notes, traces of oak and vanilla. The finish is of vanilla oak, honey and spicy sweetness.

Chivas Ultis 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $279.99 Pernod Ricard

This is the first blended malt from Chivas Regal and combines five key single malts.

This gives a complex array of flavours on the palate: rich orange, creamy vanilla toffee, fruit sweetness, spice and layered florals, leading to a creamy finish.

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SPIRITS REPORT – SCOTCH WHISKY

Glenmorangie Signet 46% ABV, 700ml RRP $330 Moët Hennessey

Another in Glenmorangie’s Prestige Expression range, Signet is a blend of the distillery’s oldest whisky and is described as the richest whisky in the Glenmorangie range. It has strong aromas of espresso, alongside treacly plum pudding, rich sherry, and candied orange peel. The palate contrasts rich sweetness with spices and bitter mocha, while the finish is fresh with a bright citrus lemony-green quality.

The Balvenie PortWood 21YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $399.99 Federal Merchants

This award-winning whisky was first released in 1996 and is considered to be one of the finest creations by The Balvenie Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE. The single malt whisky is a combination of rare Balvenie transferred to port casks, which have held fine port wines. It has a perfumed aroma of fruity and ripe raisin notes, backed by a nutty dryness. The refined palate is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes leading to a long, gentle finish.

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New to New Zealand, the richly intense Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23YO is finished in French cuvée casks.

Glenfiddich Winter Storm 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $475 Federal Merchants

Glenfiddich 26YO 43% ABV, 700ml RRP $775 Federal Merchants

The third release in the Glenfiddich Experimental range saw Malt Master Brian Kinsman collaborate with a renowned maker of ice wine in Niagara. Finishing in French oak ice wine casks from the Canadian winery adds tropical fruit and luscious sweetness to the whisky’s aroma.

On the palate, notes of candied fruit and Turkish Delight develop into flavours of lychee, offset by a rich, drying sensation from the ice wine. The finish is short and crisp.

This rare and aged single malt was created to honour Glenfiddich’s line of continuous family ownership since William Grant founded the distillery in 1887. The whisky matures for 26 years in American oak ex-bourbon casks and has a delicate aroma with characters of violets, sweet peas and a subtle green leafiness. It’s vibrant on the palate with balanced dry tannin and brown sugar sweetness, alongside deep oak and hints of spice and liquorice. A luxurious whisky sealed with a traditional oak stopper and presented in a regal purple box with embossed woodcut design.

Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23YO 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $550 Federal Merchants

A new release in New Zealand, this rich and intense whisky is matured for 23 years in American and European oak and finished in French cuvee casks – the only Glenfiddich Single Malt to undergo this finishing. Aromas of apple blossom, freshly baked bread and candied lemon lead to layered flavours of rich vanilla oak, sweet brioche, sandalwood, pear sorbet and white grape. The finish is long, opulent and sweet.

For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 88.

OPINION – SPIRITS

Dominic Roskrow

UK-based world spirits expert Editor - Whisky Quarterly

These uncertain times As COVID-19 continues to change the world, Dominic Roskrow muses on what the future holds for the international drinks landscape…

BRITISH PRIME Minister Boris Johnson may seem to many people to be a rambling buffoon, but he hit the nail on the head with his description of how we would have to battle COVID-19 in the future. Or rather, he hit the mole on the head.

“It is like a giant game of Whack-aMole,” he said. “Every time it pops up somewhere we’ll have to whack it back down again.”

If you’re not familiar with the game, a player uses a hammer to bash moles that pop up at random on the playing board. And as anyone from Leicester or Melbourne will tell you, that would seem to be exactly how the authorities are dealing with fresh spikes in the virus.

It all adds up to very bad news for our futures. Where we originally thought and hoped the virus would be a tidal wave that would pass over us and leave us with a life that could return to normal, now we’re facing up to the fact that the ensuing waters are very choppy indeed, and that the possibility of more tidal waves cannot be ruled out.

While different countries are at different places on the endless graphs that the medical experts bring out on a daily basis (and if you’re not aware, the rest of the world views what has happened in New Zealand with ill-concealed envy), it’s becoming clear that our lives are being transformed, and that our fates are inter-related.

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There’s something a little bit sad about attending a whisky festival on a computer screen from your living room.

Events are unfurling at a phenomenal rate globally and the drinks industry gives a snapshot of what is happening.

As recently as late July, a renowned Austrian spirits expert optimistically thought he could travel to London as a judge for the International Wine and Spirits Competition, only to realise that London wasn’t the problem – but the 14-day self-isolation period on his return to Austria was.

London’s The Whisky Show, organised

by British retailer The Whisky Exchange and the world’s largest whisky tasting show, announced in late July that this year it would take place over a week rather than two days, and would be available as a virtual show.

At the time of writing, the organisers were selling tickets at a moderate £20, and offering ‘visitors’ entry to the event, access to all virtual exhibitor stands, access to demos and seminars, access to

masterclasses, and an online show guide and magazine. A separate fee can be paid for tasting packs.

The upside of all of this, of course, is that if you’re in New Zealand or anywhere else in the world, then you could enjoy unprecedented access to the world’s best whisky event from the comfort of home.

But how sustainable is this business model? And while we may well be able to access online seminars from master distillers and global brand ambassadors broadcasting from their distilleries on Zoom, at what cost? The whole point of having a drink is to bring us together and to interact socially, isn’t it? There’s something a little bit sad about attending a whisky festival on a computer screen from your living room, especially if you live in New Zealand and you’re attending (and drinking) at some unearthly hour.

And this is just the beginning. Whacka-Mole indeed.

SPIRITS NEWS

Curatif launches in NZ TWO NEW ready-to-serve cocktails are now available in New Zealand through distributor Proof & Company.

Curatif is a range of cocktails in a can using premium Australian spirits. Proof & Company says it offers a new way for customers to purchase a consistently perfect cocktail, using critically acclaimed and iconic ingredients to deliver unrivalled excellence in express at-home and in-venue cocktail making.

The canned cocktails offer reduced

preparation time, minimal wastage and a shelf life in excess of 12 months. The two Curatif products available in New Zealand include an Espresso Martini using specialty brewed coffee from Seven Seeds Coffee Roasters blended with Archie Rose Original Vodka, and a Negroni using award-winning Never Never Distilling Co Triple Juniper Gin. Curatif is RRP NZ$12 for a single can or NZ$39.99 for a 4-pack.

Proof & Company

New O’Mara’s Chocolate Orange now available The latest addition to the O’Mara’s range from Ireland is now available in New Zealand through distributor Federal Merchants.

Chocolate Orange was developed by the team at First Ireland Spirits, Ireland’s leading producer of cream liqueurs and country creams. It’s a blend of fresh Irish dairy cream and chocolate with a zesty orange finish. It joins the range of O’Mara’s Original Caramel and Strawberries & Cream.

Each of the expressions retains the smooth taste of O’Mara’s, which comes from the combination of locally-sourced dairy cream blended with melted chocolate. RRP $19.99 Federal Merchants

SHOWCASE

Scapegrace Vodka signals disruptive new era for premium NZ spirits brand SCAPEGRACE DISTILLING Co has launched Scapegrace Vodka – a significant move into a category beyond gin for the award-winning premium New Zealand spirit brand.

The new Scapegrace Vodka range comprises a 700ml bottle of handcrafted artisan vodka (40.6% ABV), as well as three bottled premium RTD flavours.

The launch marks the latest milestone in a strong period of growth for Auckland-based Scapegrace Distilling Co, which is the fastestgrowing independent spirits company in New Zealand.

Scapegrace rose to prominence on the world stage when it won ‘World’s Best London Dry Gin’ at the 2018 International Wine & Spirits Competition. In 2019, Scapegrace released a unique naturally black gin ‘Scapegrace Black’, which took the world by storm and sold out in hours.

“The ambition from day one was to create a global spirits company from New Zealand,” says Daniel McLaughlin, co-founder and Managing Director of Scapegrace Distilling.

“The ambition from day one was to create a global spirits company from New Zealand.”

“We knew if we could stick to the meticulous techniques, using the same raw and elemental ingredients, we’d be able to create something special,” agrees Mark Neal, co-founder and Marketing Director. “Scapegrace Vodka was the first logical shift pivoting the company in an exciting new direction.”

Using a similar technique to the one Scapegrace used to develop its awardwinning gin, Scapegrace Vodka is made in Canterbury, boasting characteristics

from a wheat-based neutral grain spirit and 100% artisanal waters.

“Most vodkas talk about their purity being linked to how many times they distil their spirit,” says Neal. “Our purity actually comes from the imperfections of the water, which is high in natural minerals, straight from our aquifer.”

“With Scapegrace Vodka, we take a simpler and more honest approach.

Rather than over-distil, we let the character of the ingredients play their part. We don’t have to worry about removing pollutants from the aquifer water we source, so it retains its high mineral content. This gives Scapegrace Vodka its unique profile; a distinct character that, un-surprisingly, reflects New Zealand.”

Neal describes Scapegrace Vodka as: “thick, textured, silky and slightly sweet, with pavlova-like characteristics.

It’s the character of the water that makes it unique.”

Scapegrace launched the new Vodka to their global audience through a live stream event, viewed by thousands across 37 countries. It featured a bottle of Scapegrace Vodka frozen in a large glacial ice cube, melting into an intimate water feature, accompanied by jazz royalty Nathan Haines playing his saxophone and flute.

Distributed by Hancocks

NEW RELEASE – SCAPEGRACE VODKA Scapegrace Vodka 40.6% ABV, 700ml RRP $84.95

Aroma: Bright and pure with a hint of cereal to round off the clean and creamy character.

Palate: Velvety, clean and balanced, initial push of dry wheat with apple, rolling into creaming soda finish. Small amount of heat.

Finish: Viscous and creamy, rounded off with a pavlova-like sweetness and rose-like floral note. Slight acidity and balanced ABV helps to keep the length.

Scapegrace Vodka & Soda with Lime 6% ABV, 250ml 4-pack RRP $16.95

Scapegrace Vodka & Soda with Cucumber & Mint 2.5% ABV, 250ml 6-pack RRP $16.95

Citrus oils of fresh lime, which balance seamlessly with a classically long velvet finish.

Lighter in alcohol, calories and carbs, the light, cool freshness of cucumber and mint is elevated with a lifting, long finish.

Scapegrace Vodka & Old Fashioned Lemonade with Mint 6% ABV, 250ml 4-pack RRP $16.95

Thirst-quenching notes from traditional lemonade, elevated with a hint of freshly picked mint.

scapegracedistillery.com instagram.com/scapegrace facebook.com/scapegrace

DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 83

SPIRITS NEWS

Black Pineapple launches at-home cocktail kits DRINKS CONSULTANCY Black Pineapple is expanding its services with a new range of at-home cocktail kits. The three kits are available online as a one-off purchase or via a weekly, fortnightly or monthly subscription, with subscribers receiving extra content and rewards.

Initially available only for Auckland delivery, the service is expected to expand to more regions as demand grows.

Black Pineapple launched in 2017, creating bespoke drinks for premium events and festivals. When COVID-19 prevented large gatherings for several months, Black Pineapple CEO Frankie Walker says it was the perfect time to work on plans for a direct-to-consumer premium drinks service.

“It was always part of the business plan – we were just too busy with events

to make real headway,” says Walker. “We used lockdown as the opportunity to fully realise the new business opportunity.

“During lockdown I started Facebook Live how-to videos and very quickly I had brands asking to collaborate. Before we knew it we had 150 people joining us to make cocktails live – further evidence that there was a real appetite for making good drinks at home.”

The Black Pineapple cocktail kits are available in three cocktail box choices: Classics, Black Pineapple Bangers, and Espresso Martinis. Prices start at $59 for two people, allowing four fresh cocktails.

The kits include pre-batched cocktails with fresh ingredients and garnishes, glassware by Spiegelau, professional barware and instructions. blackpineapple.co.nz

Punky to provide Imagination to the South Island IMAGINATION DISTILLING has partnered with Punky Distribution to distribute their awardwinning premium gins in the South Island. Punky, a Christchurch-based family business, already distributes a wide range of New Zealand craft beer brands as well as select wines and spirits, and Imagination founders, Chris Charteris and Simon Wilson, say they’re an ideal fit. “We are excited to be working with Julia and the team at Punky. They have a huge passion for the industry and their family-owned and operated business fits well with how our team operates,” says Charteris.

Imagination Distilling says it will keep the distribution in-house for North Island customers with further investment in sales planned. “We still have plenty to learn on the trade side of things, so the North Island/South Island split will let us focus on growing Imagination as a brand, while making it more available.”

Punky Distribution 84 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

OUR NEW SAVOURY GIN. FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING. Available now.

Distributed in New Zealand by Tickety-Boo Liquor Ltd. Phone 09 377 7597 or email sales@tickety-boo.co.nz for further information. www.tickety-boo.co.nz

SPIRITS NEWS

Glenfiddich Grand Cru now in NZ FEDERAL MERCHANTS has a very special release from Glenfiddich now available – the new Grand Cru. This exclusive expression is matured for 23 years and finished in rare French cuvée oak casks, fusing the finest flavours from Scotland and France to create a true taste of luxury.

Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, says Grand Cru is another example of the brand breaking category conventions. “This unusual collaboration presented an exciting

opportunity to create a liquid that further proof points our spirit of experimentation.

“This is the only Glenfiddich Single Malt to undergo this exceptional finishing in French cuvée casks that once contained the liquid that goes on to become some of the world’s most extraordinary sparkling wines.

“We experimented to find the optimal maturation and finishing times, and hand-selected the right balance of 23-yearold Glenfiddich casks out of our unique collection of old age malts. Marrying the best of both worlds, the final liquid is exquisite and a special tribute to each individual cuvée cask the malts were finished in.”

Glenfiddich Grand Cru is RRP $550.

Federal Merchants

New Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin

New rum from Blush Distillery

Award-winning Australian distillery Four Pillars has added a new gin to its core range, now available through New Zealand distributor Tickety-Boo. Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin (43.8% ABV) uses olive leaf and oil sourced from Cobram Estate in northern Victoria, alongside other botanicals including coriander seed, rosemary, bay leaf, lemon myrtle, macadamia, lemon and grapefruit. The gin is described as “savoury, textural and bright” and is ideal for a dirty Martini or Spanish-inspired gin and tonic.

It’s the first addition to Four Pillars’ core range since the Bloody Shiraz in 2015, with the core line-up also comprising Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin, and Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin.

The team behind Blush Gin has just released a new spiced rum, the latest addition to their portfolio of gin and vodka. Chris Thomas and Elliot McClymont, self-described rum fans, spent nearly two years sourcing the right oak-aged Caribbean rum for their blend and then set about experimenting with spicing it once it landed in New Zealand. They hit on the right recipe during lockdown with the first batch of Russell Rum selling out fast, and the second now available. It features local citrus, as well as nutmeg, clove and cardamom.

Russell Rum 700ml, RRP $85.

Tickety-Boo

Ordering Hard Sparkling, just got easier.

NZ made with real fruit Low-sugar | Low-carb Supporting native NZ species

Now available from Tasman & Allied Liquor – or contact direct: kiaora@nativesparkling.nz

Blush Gin

SPIRITS NEWS

‘the reid’ wins gold in New York CARDRONA DISTILLERY’S ‘the reid’ Single Malt Vodka has won a gold medal at New York’s ‘The Fifty Best’ awards.

TheFiftyBest.com is a digital guide to wines and spirits, featuring ratings and reviews from blind tastings judged by wine/spirits journalists, spirits professionals, wine/spirits retailers, mixologists, spirits consultants and connoisseurs. ‘the reid’ was awarded the medal in the ‘Premium Imported Vodka’ category, with judges noting its fruity aromas of banana and papaya, tropical flavours, rounded mouthfeel and the honey and caramel notes on the smooth finish.

The vodka uses alpine water sourced from Mount Cardrona combined with a single malt base spirit made from malted barley and yeast and distilled in a Jacob Carl column still.

NZ Spirits Awards 2020 Tickets are now available for the awards dinner to recognise winners in the second New Zealand Spirits Awards, presented by Spirits New Zealand Inc. and Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (NZ) Inc. The dinner will be held in Wellington on Friday 21 August. Judged over several days in late July, the New Zealand Spirits Awards are open to local and international spirits commercially available in New Zealand.

Cardrona Distillery

spiritsawardsnz.nz

SHOWCASE

Backing local with Craft Spirit Collective A one-stop shop for quality New Zealand craft spirits and an effective route to market for Kiwi distillers is the philosophy behind the Craft Spirit Collective from distributor Beverage Brothers.

Christchurch-based Beverage Brothers is a 100% New Zealand-owned and operated company with a nationwide sales team representing a wide range of wines, beers, RTDs and spirits.

It created the Craft Spirit Collective in late 2018 and has seen huge growth, now boasting five premium New Zealand spirits brands in its portfolio: Ariki, Black Collar, Curiosity Gin, Reefton and White Sheep Co. with plans for more additions

brands, so I thought ‘How do we actually help the local guy who’s trying to make it in the liquor industry and support local business?’”

Their solution was to create Craft Spirit Collective as a way of showcasing quality New Zealand spirits in a package that was easy for trade to access and for Beverage Brothers to deliver.

Key to the portfolio’s success is the fact the brands occupy their own distinctive niche and don’t overlap. “Black Collar is from the Bay of Islands and is really rum-driven… you can make a nice Bay of Islands Dark & Stormy,” says Winter.

“Reefton is quintessentially West Coast;

Key to the portfolio’s success is the fact the brands occupy their own distinctive niche and don’t overlap. this year. It also has a range of premium bitters from Australian Bitters Co. Beverage Brothers Managing Director, Aaron Winter, says the Collective was born out of a desire to help Kiwi distillers, who can be challenged to compete on price due to relatively high production costs and simply getting their product to bars and retailers. “We’d built a strong distribution network for all of our other

Ariki is a spirit of the Pacific made in Auckland; Curiosity is from Canterbury and White Sheep Co is out of the Coromandel. They’re all regional products within their own right and the drinkability of them is completely different.”

He says Craft Spirit Collective is a disruptor for the industry because it can be bought as a total package rather than brand by brand. “There are around 30

SKUs in the portfolio, so you can create a local backbar having shopped with just one person and got one invoice.”

Winter says they’re always looking for more brands to complement the range and be represented by a team that is incredibly passionate about what they’re selling. “We’re family. We’re all trying to grow New Zealand business. That’s what Beverage Brothers was built on.”

Find out more about Craft Spirit Collective beveragebrothers.co.nz 03 390 1377 info@beveragebrothers.co.nz

DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020 87

DISTRIBUTORS DIRECTORY

Distributors The Apple Press

hello@theapplepress.co.nz theapplepress.co.nz

repa

drinkarepa.com

Ata Rangi Wines 06 306 9570 atarangi.co.nz

Beam Suntory

0800 69 23 37 beamsuntory.com

Beverage Brothers

03 390 1377 beveragebrothers.co.nz

Big Sky Wines

06 306 8442 bigskywines.co.nz

Blush Gin

blushgin.co.nz

Brave Brewing Co. 0274 608 414 bravebrewing.co.nz

Cardrona Distillery 03 443 1393 cardronadistillery.com

Churton Wines

021 083 04764 churtonwines.co.nz

DB Breweries 0800 746 432 db.co.nz

Deep Creek

09 215 6030 dcbrewing.co.nz

Dog Point

03 572 8294 dogpoint.co.nz

Emerson’s

03 477 1812 emersons.co.nz

88 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

Epic Brewing 0800 212 337 epicbeer.com

EuroVintage

0800 388 766 eurovintage.co.nz

Federal Merchants

0800 846 824 federalmerchants.co.nz

Garage Project

Lion

Rabbit Ranch

0800 107 272 lionco.com

03 442 6110 rabbitranch.co.nz

Marisco

Radburnd Cellars

09 522 9684 marisco.co.nz

06 651 1815 radburndcellars.co.nz

Mineral

Sawmill Brewery

021 183 2356 mineralwine.co.nz

09 422 6555 sawmillbrewery.co.nz

MoBev

SOHO Wines

027 535 0917 garageproject.co.nz

enquiries@mobev.co.nz mobev.co.nz

09 360 5443 sohowineco.com

Giesen

Moët Hennessey

Sprig & Fern

03 344 6270 giesen.co.nz

Glengarry

0800 226 650 moethennessey.com

03 544 8675 sprigandfern.co.nz

Neck of the Woods

Taylor Brown

0800 733 505 glengarry.co.nz

neckofthewoodswines.com

Go Green Beverages

0800 634 624 negociantsnz.com

Greystone Wines

04 384 8077 parrotdog.co.nz

09 620 2497 gogreenbeverage.com 03 314 6100 greystonewines.co.nz

Hãhã Wine

06 833 7814 hahawine.co.nz

Negociants

Parrotdog

Peckham’s Cider 03 543 2959 peckhams.co.nz

Pernod Ricard

Hancocks

0800 655 550 pernod-ricard-nz.com

Imagination

09 376 9385 procureliquor.co.nz

0800 699 463 hancocks.co.nz orders@imaginationgin.nz

Invivo Wines

Procure

Proof & Company

0800 468 486 invivowines.com

auckland@proofandcompany.com proofandcompany.com

Karma Drinks

Punky Distribution

james@karmacola.co.nz karmadrinks.co

Kono

04 546 8648 kono.co.nz

03 662 9974 punkydistro.com

Q Liquid

09 636 7730 qll.co.nz

09 447 3801 taylorbrown.co.nz

Tickety-Boo Liquor 09 377 7597 tickety-boo.co.nz

Tuatara Brewing

0508 TUATARA tuatarabrewing.co.nz

Villa Maria

0800 505 656 villamaria.co.nz

Vintners NZ

0800 687 9463 vintners.co.nz

Whisky Trade

03 377 6824 whiskytrade.co.nz

Whitehaven

021 738 315 whitehaven.co.nz

Wine2Trade

021 180 0253 sue@wine2trade.co.nz

Winelord

03 542 4145 middleearthwine.com

LAST ORDERS – AMISFIELD VINEYARD

Amisfield’s organic path Five years after starting the journey towards full organic certification, Central Otago winery Amisfield has been named Organic Winery of the Year 2020. Amisfield CEO Craig Erasmus explains why they made the change and how it has been of benefit to the vines, the wines and the team as a whole…

On why Amisfield moved its vineyard to organic practices…

We’re the current custodians of what we believe is a pretty special place. The 92 hectares of land below Mt Pisa in the Clutha/Mata-Au valley, which is now our vineyard, allows us to grow vines and create wines we feel are full of vibrance and intensity. But for us to really feel our wines were an authentic expression of this place, then an organic approach was the only way forward. It’s a matter of integrity.

This way we allow the land to speak through the wine. It’s a decision that’s not just positive for the wines, but one that’s in the best interest of this land and our people and something that’s integral to building an intergenerational family wine business. This way, we’re improving soil health, reducing our impact on the world around us and creating a product that’s genuinely expressive of this place.

We began this journey in 2015 and since Autumn 2016 we’ve had “in conversion” status. We’ve worked in phases across the vineyard to get there and now the entire estate is under organic practice. It’s taken a great deal of effort, teamwork and no little innovation and learning to get here and we should achieve full certification for our 2021 vintage.

On what they’ve enjoyed about the change…

Firstly, we’ve enjoyed the challenge! Every site is a little different and we’ve learned a great deal about how the land and vines respond as a consequence of making these changes. Learning and adapting to suit our own unique site and soils and seeing the results when we get it right is really rewarding – especially when it’s the consequence of some inspiration and you’ve done something new, experimental and you see it working.

Secondly, there’s the way this has brought the whole team together to take up the challenge: the vineyard, the winery, 90 DRINKSBIZ AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2020

sales and marketing, management. It’s inspired everyone and got us aligned behind a shared purpose and that’s been really rewarding.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the results are showing in the wines themselves. We’re really pleased with how they’re developing and having both our Lowburn Terrace Riesling and Breakneck Reserve Pinot Noir named Champion in their varietal in the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards is thrilling.

“For us to really feel our wines were an authentic expression of this place, then an organic approach was the only way forward.”

On the benefits and challenges of converting to organic practices…

Keeping on top of the weeding has been a big challenge. Under-vine tilling is a constant task. And as soil health improves, the growth rate increases! That’s led to some experiments that seem to be paying off though. We’ve been using centre-row irrigation on a number of blocks and that’s delivering some real benefits. It’s limiting weed growth under the vines and allowing us to cultivate legumes as a cover crop in the row. This in turn is helping to fix much-needed nitrogen in our soils. We saw a lull in yield as the vines came off their supplements, but they’re adapting quickly and looking strong.

The change has required us to be more open-minded and adaptive than we might have been. We’re paying greater attention to the details as the changes have forced us to, but that’s paying off in the quality of the fruit and in the wines themselves.

On the recognition from the NZ Organic Wine Awards…

Being named ‘Organic Winery of the Year 2020’ is gratifying and humbling.

To be selected from a group of your peers in this manner is really rewarding as it shows that others believe that we’re getting it right too. There are some great wines, viticulturists and winemakers who’ve received this accolade in the past or were in the running this year.

We were surprised to hear the results, but it’s something that we really value as it validates the decisions we made and the hard work the whole team have undertaken.

On what vintage 2020 was like…

“Out of the ordinary” might be a good description. A cooler than average growing season was followed by COVID-19. The wine industry was lucky to be afforded “essential industry” status, but that privilege placed huge responsibility on us to ensure we adhered to the protocols. Harvest wasn’t the sociable period it usually is, with the need for isolation, team shift and break management, record-keeping and additional hygiene measures. It was a slower process than a typical vintage, but we’re happy with the fruit and have a good feeling about the wines that will result.

On how the winery and restaurant are faring in the Alert Level 1 environment…

Since moving to Alert Level 1, we’ve seen a positive response. We’ve resumed lunch and dinner service at the restaurant four days a week, as well as adding a bar menu to allow for more casual dining.

New Zealanders have definitely been keen to get out and the cellar door has seen good numbers with the recent July school holiday period showing really strong visitation to our region.