Drinksbiz February March 2019

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 DRINKSBIZ.CO.NZ

INTRODUCING

JACK & GINGER BEER. AVAILABLE MARCH 2019

NEW

live freely. drink responsibly.

Jack daniel’s & ginger beer 4.8% abv. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks. ©2018 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. open to New Zealand residents aged 18 and over.

CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DAY 17TH MARCH

TRIPLE DISTILLED. DOUBLE CHARRED. TASTE, THAT’S WHY.

FROM THE EDITOR

Victoria Wells

Editor – Drinksbiz victoria@drinksbiz.co.nz

A new way forward THE PLASTIC bags have gone. January 1 arrived, single use plastic bags vanished from our supermarkets, and store aisles across the country are full of people slapping their hands to their foreheads as they realise that once again they have left their reuseable bags in the boot.

Jokes aside, the elimination of those bags from our daily lives marks a significant step in the country's efforts towards addressing the global environmental disaster that has been escalating in recent years. Even the way in which individual households process waste now is miles away from just five years ago. Consumers today are far more conscious of how sustainable a product is – they assess everything from the recycling potential of its packaging to the origins of its ingredients and even the attitude of individual brands towards sustainability and their footprint on the planet, or the way in which they interact with and contribute to their local community.

Even my six-year-old has learnt at school about the problems caused by plastic and seethes with quiet outrage if his drink at a café arrives with a plastic straw. “But Mummy,” he hisses indignantly across the table, “don't they know those straws kill turtles?”

are things that can be done at every level and that every action can start to make a difference. I am very aware, for example, that your copy of Drinksbiz arrives in a plastic wrapper every two months, and so we are exploring more sustainable options around our packaging as well.

This issue also contains our annual Tequila & Mezcal Report (page 58) and interestingly it coincides with news out of Mexico of the biggest year of tequila production in a decade and figures from the IWSR that show mezcal was one of the fastest growing spirits categories in the US in 2018 (see page 25 for both).

So, if there are gaps in your tequila or mezcal offering then now is the time to remedy it. (Just don't serve it with a plastic straw.)

Enjoy the issue.

Victoria

From big corporates to individual bars, it’s becoming obvious that there are things that can be done at every level and that every action starts to make a difference.

So, as 2019 hits its stride, we take a look at some of the recent happenings in sustainability undertaken by those in the drinks industry around the world. From the big corporates down to individual bars, it's becoming obvious that there

My picks 2018 Saint Clair Origins Sauvignon Blanc The tropical flavours in this wine make it a winner over these lingering days of summer – and at a great price.

Peckham's Decadence A sensational combination of Peckham’s Reserve Dry Cider and its Champion Awardwinning Ice Cider, this manages to be rich and refreshing. Just delicious.

Olmeca Altos Reposado This is one of two new release tequilas (there is also a Plata), now available through Pernod Ricard. The Reposado expression is rich and smooth, with flavours of sweet orange, vanilla and wood. Best sipped.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 5

CONTENTS

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 UP FRONT

BEER & CIDER

Out & About

8

Diary Dates

10

News 16 Feature: Waste not, want not

28

WINE

Beer & Cider Report

48

Opinion: Michael Donaldson

52

Beer & Cider News

55

SPIRITS & COCKTAILS

Spirits Report: Tequila & Mezcal

58

Wine Report: Sauvignon Blanc

32

Opinion: Dominic Roskrow

66

Opinion: Joelle Thomson

40

Spirits News

68

Top Picks: New releases

42

Cocktails 71

Wine News

44

LAST ORDERS

Distributors

72

Last Orders: Good George Brewing 74

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 A DV ER T I S I N G

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

drinksbiz.co.nz

48

Associate Member (NZ)

28

Drinksbiz is published every second month by Trade Media

58

Limited, 300 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand, phone (09) 361 2347.

The contents of Drinksbiz are copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

Please address all editorial, subscription and advertising enquiries to Trade Media Limited, P O Box 37745, Parnell, Auckland.

6 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

STUNNING NEW BOT TLE S A M E S M O O T H , C R I S P TA S T E

A VODKA LESS ORDINARY FROM A L A N D L E S S O R D I N A R Y

SOCIAL SHOTS

Out & About Seedlip founder visits NZ Seedlip creator, UK-based Ben Branson, was here in October to catch up with distributors Cook & Nelson and to introduce bartenders and media to Seedlip Grove 42 – the latest in the non-alcoholic distilled spirit range.

While here, he took bartenders on a day trip up Rangitoto and hosted a masterclass with Seedlip’s New Zealand brand ambassador Jasmin Rutter.

Ben Branson.

Good George arrives in Mission Bay Hamilton brewers Good George opened their first dedicated Auckland outlet in Mission Bay in early December. The Good George Craft House joins existing venues in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

8 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

Rachael, Alex, Jack & Finn of Fed Deli and Depot.

Ben Branson with Cook & Nelson’s Becs Caughey & Nick Brown.

Benny Castles, Jasmin Rutter, Dai Henwood.

Dany, Gina & Ryan of Parasol and Swing.

Distributed by Federal Merchants & Co Ph: +64 9 578 1823 | E: clientservices@federalmerchants.co.nz

DIARY DATES

What’s On

FEBRUARY

Friday 8 – Sunday 24 March

Saturday 9 March

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

MarchFest – Nelson

Sunday 17 February

A huge range of events featuring local and international food and wine experts will take place in Melbourne’s central city and surrounds over two weeks. The 2019 programme includes long lunches, masterclasses, pop-up food truck events and specialist wine tastings. mfwf.com.au

One of New Zealand’s more unique festivals in that all the beers at Nelson's MarchFest are created especially for the event and have never been tasted before.

A family-friendly day of beer experiences, food and live music at Founders Park. marchfest.com

Nelson Wine and Food Festival Nelson’s wineries and breweries come together at Middle Earth Vineyards in Brightwater, with local food producers.

A family friendly event. richmondrotary.org.nz/bwff

MARCH Saturday 2 – Saturday 9 March

Nelson Beer Week A celebration of beer in New Zealand’s “hop epicentre” with a week of beerrelated events (both fun and educational) held at local breweries, bars, cafes and restaurants. nbw.co.nz

APRIL

Saturday 9 March

Beer Appreciation Day – Hawke’s Bay

Friday 5 – Sunday 7 April

Brewers and cider makers from Hawke’s Bay and around the country will be at historic Duart House in Havelock North for a day of tasting. R18 event. beerappreciationday.co.nz

New Zealand’s biggest food and beverage event comes to Christchurch’s Horncastle Arena for three days. For exhibitor information visit northportevents.co.nz foodshow.co.nz

The Food Show – Christchurch

Saturday 6 April

Hop’n’Vine – Invercargill New Zealand’s southernmost craft beer, wine and food festival returns for 2019 at ILT Stadium. hopnvine.co.nz 10 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

VISIT WWW.LEEFIELDSTATION.CO.NZ TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING

JACK & GINGER BEER. NOW THAT’S REFRESHING.

AVAILABLE MARCH 2019

live freely. drink responsibly.

Jack daniel’s & ginger beer 4.8% abv. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks. ©2018 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. open to New Zealand residents aged 18 and over.

SHOWCASE

‘Jack and Ginger Beer’ arrives in New Zealand The newest addition to the Jack Daniel’s RTD range arrives in New Zealand in March, following a hugely successful launch in Australia late last year.

Hancocks will be distributing the new product from March 1.

Jack and Ginger Beer combines Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey with crisp ginger beer and a squeeze of citrus.

Hancocks Brand Manager for Jack Daniel’s, Luke Seeney, says sales in Australia since the October 2018 launch there have been very strong, and the flavour profile has been well received.

“Initial sampling in New Zealand has shown very positive feedback towards the flavour profile too,” says Seeney.

“Ginger is also a flavour profile that pairs well with food and lends itself to day time consumption at gatherings and food events.”

Jack and Ginger Beer was created in response to the move away from cola drinks by the 18-35 year old demographic.

Research in the category shows several key developments: • A growing consumer trend towards dry beverages over sweet with ginger flavours driving growth in the soft drink category. Dry Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer increased 22 per cent, compared with a one per cent decline in cola, lemon, orange and lemonade1.

• RTD growth is being driven by non-cola flavours – with non-cola up 29 per cent and cola dropping four per cent2.

• Dry mixers in Jack Daniel’s baskets have doubled over the past two years – up 7.7 per cent3.

Taste Jack Daniel’s most refreshing mix yet – Jack and Ginger Beer. Enjoy smooth Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey perfectly mixed with the flavour of crisp Ginger Beer and a squeeze of citrus. Best served ice cold.

‘Jack and Ginger Beer’ is available in 375ml can 4-packs from 1 March, 2019.

For stockist inquiries contact Hancocks on 0800 699 463.

Sources: AU Grocery & Convenience Scan. Litres Growth % Mat 10/13 – 10/17 2 IRI, AU Liquor Weighted, 9L Volume MAT 24/7/16-22/7/18 3 Independent Loyalty Data, MAT to 17/04/18 1

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 13

SHOWCASE

Wither Hills marks 25 years with huge consumer promotion Wither Hills is launching a nationwide campaign for its 25th birthday with 100 lucky shoppers set to join the celebrations in Marlborough.

ICONIC NEW Zealand wine brand Wither Hills turns 25 this year and will celebrate in style with its largest ever consumer promotion.

Throughout March and April 2019, Wither Hills will give consumers from across New Zealand a chance to win an instant ticket to its 25th birthday celebration, to be held in Marlborough in June. With 100 tickets (50 x double passes) to be won across retail and on-premise, this is the largest consumer promotion in Wither Hills’ history and perhaps ever seen in the New Zealand wine category.

Dave Campbell, Marketing Manager for Wither Hills, says its 25th milestone marks a special time to celebrate the brand’s journey since its first vintage in 1994. “Starting from small beginnings and only a few hundred cases, the brand has had a fantastic journey over the last 25 years. Highlights include the royals visiting us in 2014 (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) and being recognised as one of the top 50 respected wine brands in the world in 2013. The industry has 14 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

Wither Hills Head Winemaker Matt Large

changed a lot since 1994, but our reason for being - making the best wine from our home in Marlborough - has always remained the same.”

Lucky promotion winners will be treated to flights, accommodation and a one-night only event at Wither Hills, tasting rare Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, from the 1990s through to more recent vintages, paired with some of the best local produce like woodfired crayfish and mountain river venison, served in Wither Hills’ recently refurbished cellar door and restaurant.

“Through this promotion we’ll be lifting the lid on a large chunk of our cellar for the first time, as well as giving the winners a taste of some of the new wines under our Cellar Collection label that are only available via our Cellar Door in Marlborough - made in small batches of only a few hundred bottles at a time,” says Campbell.

“Marlborough is a special place, but we realise not everyone has the opportunity to visit us. This promotion is about giving Kiwis from all over the country a chance to come and celebrate with us at our

RarangiVineyard

“This promotion is about giving Kiwis from all over the country a chance to come and celebrate with us at our home and experience the magic of Wither Hills.”

– Dave Campbell, Marketing Manager Wither Hills

home and experience the magic of Wither Hills.”

Wither Hills continued its award-winning performance in 2018, taking home the Champion White Wine at the New Wine

Awards for its Wither Hills Chardonnay 2017, and receiving a trophy for its 2018 Riesling at the NZ Wine of the Year Awards.

Wither Hills’ flagship wine, the Single Vineyard Rarangi Sauvignon Blanc 2016,

was also recently awarded 5 Stars and a place in the top 5 Sauvignon Blancs in New Zealand by Cuisine magazine. “Our continued growth and success is down to our winemaking and viticulture team and the passion they have for simply making great wines,” Campbell adds.

The Wither Hills consumer promotion will launch nationwide on March 1 at all good supermarkets, bottle stores and on-premise venues.

Wither Hills is distributed by Lion. lionco.com DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

Moa to buy Savor Group MOA GROUP Ltd has announced a conditional agreement to buy Savor Group – one of New Zealand’s largest bar and restaurant businesses – in a cash and share deal worth $13 million that is anticipated to close to triple Moa’s revenue and take the group into sustainable profitability.

The move, announced in late December, is aligned with one of the five key strategies that Moa shared at its most recent AGM – namely ensuring the brand can successfully access valuable on-premise venues across New Zealand.

The business says it has secured three significant pourage deals in recent months and the Savor Group acquisition adds to meeting the objectives of the strategy.

Savor Group is an Auckland-based hospitality venture with a collection of bars and restaurants such as Ostro, Seafarers, Ebisu, Azabu, Fukuko, and Las Vegas. In December last year, Savor

Ostro

Group opened three new eateries and a central bar in Sanford’s new Auckland Fish Market on North Wharf, next to what will become the new America’s Cup village.

Moa says it expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings with a contribution of $3.6m EBITDA in its first full financial year. The base purchase price is $13 million. The purchase price will be satisfied via a combination of 60% cash and 40% Moa shares issued at a 20 trading day VWAP (volume weighted average price) prior to settlement. The parties have agreed to an additional payment of $5.4m payable in 12-24 months if mutually agreed growth strategies are delivered, using the same 60/40 payment formula .

Lion buys Havana Coffee Works Lion NZ has acquired iconic Wellington coffee company Havana Coffee Works in a deal announced in late December.

The news comes as Havana enters its 30th year under co-founder Geoff Marsland, who says he never wanted Havana to be “gobbled up” by another big coffee company, and while there had been several approaches from others over the years the time is now right. “Lion have an amazing culture and have done an excellent job growing their craft beverage brands while maintaining their unique personalities and legacies. This partnership will allow us to continue to grow naturally and give more coffee lovers the chance to discover our magic.”

Marsland and his team will stay on at Havana, which will run as a standalone division and maintain its HQ in Wellington.

Rory Glass, Lion NZ Managing Director, says he’s excited about the new partnership. “In today’s hospitality environment Kiwis are just as likely to catch up with a mate over a coffee as they are over a beer or wine, and for Lion to stay at the heart of sociability, it made sense for us to explore how we could build our offering in this space. Havana’s vibrant, super premium brand and delicious coffee will provide huge opportunities for us to play a meaningful role in more of life’s social moments.”

16 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

Geoff Marsland

Moa’s most recent half year announcement advised that Moa plans to break even in the second half of this financial year. At this point, Moa says it continues to be on track.

Savor Group founder Lucien Law will become an Executive Director for the Moa Group, while long-time shareholder of Savor Group and business partner Paul Robinson will join Law on the Moa board as an Executive Director.

The deal is conditional on shareholder approval with a vote likely to be held in early February, followed by a rights issue.

The deal is planned to be funded by a mix of bank debt, new equity and the rights issue and aims to settle by the end of February 2019.

INDUSTRY NEWS

New GM at ServiceIQ

Kiwi Access replaces 18+ Card

TOP SERVICE industry executive Tony Laskey has been appointed as ServiceIQ’s new General Manager – Industry Engagement. His previous roles have included executive level positions at The Travel Corporation, Contiki Holidays and THL and his appointment took effect on 4 February. ServiceIQ is the industry training organisation (ITO) for the aviation, hospitality, retail, travel, tourism and museums sectors.

ServiceIQ Chief Executive, Andrew McSweeney, says Tony has joined ServiceIQ at a time of continuing growth for New Zealand. “Service sector employers are in an environment which is creating significant workforce and skills demand. With his efforts focused on leading our front-line engagement teams, and building stronger customer relationships, we know that Tony’s 20-plus years of experience and personal connections will add significant value to all our stakeholders.”

Hospitality New Zealand has launched its new Kiwi Access card to replace the current 18+ card in a bid to simplify access to goods and services.

Like the 18+ Card, the new Kiwi Access Card is a secure and reliable way of proving age and identity and was developed after consultation with agencies such as the Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Social Development, Office for Disability Issues and NZ Post. The key feedback received was that a wide range of people across New Zealand find it difficult to gain access to everyday goods and services (such as opening a bank account), because they are unable to obtain a driver licence.

Hospitality NZ says the new Kiwi Access Card has been designed with everyone in the community in mind and is also available to people who are not New Zealand nationals, but need a secure and reliable proof of age and identity while in the country.

The design of the Kiwi Access Card has been updated in order to ensure it is compliant with the latest enhanced security features and includes embossing, micro text and braille.

The Kiwi Access Card replaced the 18+ Card from 14 January 2019. The current and previous versions of the 18+ Card will continue to be valid for 10 years from the date of issue. However, new 18+ Cards will no longer be issued. The Kiwi Access Card will retail at $55 including GST. kiwiaccess.co.nz

Broken Shed Vodka arrives in Australia

Minimising alcohol harm through effective solutions and expert advice New businesses

Property developers

Systems, staff & training Hearings support

Licensing Advisory services

Talk to our highly experienced team today Al Lawn

Jennifer Ramsay

Helene Faass

021 297 8104 office@acgroup.co.nz www.acgroup.co.nz

FOLLOWING ITS recent success in the USA, Lake Wanaka’s Broken Shed Vodka has announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Australian importer Vodkarus (vodkarus.com.au), making the premium vodka available through one of the biggest online liquor stores in Australia, danmurphys.com.au, and numerous independent liquor stores in NSW. Broken Shed Chairman, Sam Brown, says expanding into Australia has been a dream for the brand. “We are excited to see Broken Shed Vodka’s premium vodka now available in that market. Our last two years growth in the United States demonstrated the potential of the brand outside of New Zealand and we look forward to further expansion.”

Broken Shed was co-founded by two American expats living in New Zealand who developed their proprietary vodka recipe in an old shed on the shores of Lake Wanaka.

Federal Merchants

INDUSTRY NEWS

NZ Whisky forges ahead after crowdfunding A SUCCESSFUL crowdfunding PledgeMe campaign by The New Zealand Whisky Collection, based in Oamaru, has raised just over $780,000 and enabled it to move into the next stage of its development, which includes a new location with a new distillery and expanded cellar door.

The funding round introduced 312 new shareholders to the business and Collection Founder, Greg Ramsay, says one of the most rewarding aspects was travelling around New Zealand meeting supporters and whisky lovers. “We’ve hosted tastings and presentations throughout the country and it was wonderful meeting so many people who appreciate New Zealand-made whisky, its rich history and share our vision for growing New Zealand’s whisky industry.”

“The highlight was hosting former staff from Dunedin’s Wilson’s Distillery who shared their stories, photos and

memorabilia with us. We’re looking forward to including some of the material in our new Cellar Door.”

Since launching the PledgeMe crowdfund at the start of November, The NZ Whisky Collection has signed the lease to move its Oamaru barrel storage and bottling to the old Northern Hotel in the historic town.

“We’re looking forward to work beginning shortly to restore the building and develop a bonded warehouse,” says The NZ Whisky Collection General Manager Grant Finn. “We’re also assessing the potential to develop an expanded Cellar Door in the building.”

In November, the company also took delivery of new distilling equipment and confirmed it will source ‘wash’, the sweet beer and base of all whisky distilling, from Speights Brewery in Dunedin. thenzwhisky.com

L-R: Cellar door manager Matthew Wicks, GM Grant Finn, and Master Blender James McKenzie

SHOWCASE

Expert advice for your alcohol business with ACG The Alcohol Consulting Group (ACG) helps business owners navigate the legal and practical requirements around serving alcohol through effective solutions and expert advice.

From licensing applications to hearings support, advisory services, or systems and staff training, ACG can help your business manage its alcohol licensing requirements.

Jennifer Ramsay, Al Lawn and Helene Faass have all worked in alcohol licensing with the police or local government and bring over 30 years of combined experience to their new venture.

correct systems are in place at all times, including maintaining your manager’s register and notices of management change.

Hearings support

Speaking to ACG in the early stages of starting a new business selling alcohol – wherever you are in New Zealand – can save you money in the long run. It will make the alcohol licensing process quicker and smoother and give you certainty for your licence. ACG can help you plan how your premises will be managed before you even have a licence.

help you and your future tenants by: • understanding the implications of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and how to navigate the licensing process • ensuring certainty for your tenants • minimising the delay in your tenant occupying the building • minimising any building fit-out changes because of licensing requirements • planning in advance to ensure a seamless licensing process • attending pre-application council meetings with you, or on your behalf

Property developers

​Systems, staff & training

New businesses

If you are a property developer building premises for bars or restaurants, ACG can

20 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

ACG can provide your business with ongoing staff training and ensure the

ACG has a wealth of advocacy experience at DLC and Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA) hearings. ACG can help you by: • Ensuring applications are completed prior to hearings • Reviewing applications to identify any possible concerns • Advising what to expect from DLC and ARLA hearings • Liaising with the regulatory agencies pre-hearing • Assisting with preparation of evidence • Undertaking an environmental scan of the premises’s location • Assisting in preparing submissions • Providing relevant up-to-date case law

Licensing

Support for on and off-licences, clubs, sports clubs and special licences.

Advisory services

ACG provides quick, reliable and effective advice in person, by phone or email.

Find out more at acgroup.co.nz

Do you brew, distil or make vinegar, alcoholic beverages or malt extract?

Your business may need to be registered for the Food Act 2014 It’s easy. To apply visit www.mpi.govt.nz/foodact

Any questions?

Contact New Zealand Food Safety at: foodactinfo@mpi.govt.nz or phone 0800 00 83 33

INDUSTRY NEWS

Little Creatures opens first NZ brewery AUSTRALIAN CRAFT beer brand Little Creatures has opened its first New Zealand brewery in Auckland’s Hobsonville Point.

The Lion-owned brand opened the brewery in early February with a familyfriendly festival day. It is housed in the historic Sunderland Hangar, which was built to house TEAL's giant seaplanes in 1939 and overlooks the Hauraki Gulf at Catalina Bay. “Little Creatures is all about its connection with the community and we truly want this brewery to feel like a home away from home for Hobsonville Point locals and visitors alike,” says Mat Tolhurst, Lion Hospitality Director.

Head Brewer, Udo Van Deventer, will oversee brewery operations as well as the range of beer on offer. Popular Little Creatures beers like Pale Ale and Pilsner will be available, alongside new additions to the New Zealand market, Dog Days and Rogers, as well as seasonal variations.

“We’ll have a special limited release beer for launch and then as we move into the colder months, we’ll introduce Amber Ales and beers best suited to winter,” says Van Deventer. “We’ll also be constantly talking to locals and tailoring the menu to suit what they want to drink.”

There are three onsite dining options: the Little Creatures brewery menu features wood-fired pizzas, snacks, shared plates and hearty meals, while Salty’s focuses on premium seafood dishes and café bistro Kittyhawk will offer an all-day dining menu, coffee, wine and cocktails.

Ignite Architects spearheaded the

design, including nostalgic design elements that nod to the hangar's history.

The original 9m tall doors feature behind the main bar, and the hangar’s original concrete floor has been retained too.

KittyHawk’s vibe echoes an officers’ mess, while Salty’s bar is made from the hangar’s original timber purlins. The site also has a large kids’ play area with a fort and sandpit.

Little Creatures Brewery is located at 3 Boundary Road Hobsonville Point.

Lion littlecreatures.co.nz

SHOWCASE

Has your business registered for the Food Act 2014?

It’s the final countdown for businesses that grow, make, sell, store or transport food and beverages to meet the 28 February 2019 Food Act registration deadline. This includes brewers, distillers, manufacturers of vinegar, alcoholic beverages or malt extract.

New Zealand Food Safety (a business unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries/ MPI), is urging owners/managers of New Zealand food businesses that have not registered yet, to find out immediately if they need to register a plan or programme under the Food Act 2014.

The Food Act came into force on 1 March 2016 and introduced a commonsense, risk-based approach to food safety.

New Zealand Food Safety’s Manager Food & Beverage, Sally Johnston, said that under the Food Act all people growing, making, transporting and selling food had a responsibility to keep it safe and suitable.

22 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

“Most New Zealand food businesses have now registered, which is excellent,” Ms Johnston said. “New Zealand Food Safety, local councils and industry organisations are working hard to help all remaining businesses to meet the 28 February 2019 deadline for registration.

“If existing food businesses are not registered by the 28 February deadline, they will be operating unregistered businesses, their retail customers may refuse to accept their goods or use their services, and MPI and local councils may need to take enforcement action. So, immediate action needs to be taken to get registered.

“We want to make it easier for businesses to make safe and suitable food and comply with food safety requirements.”

Under the Food Act, new food businesses have to register as soon as they start trading and existing food businesses (operating under the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 or Food Act 1981) had from 1 March 2016 until 28 February 2019 to register in stages, with different groups registering each year.

“If a business wants to find out what rules they need to follow and how to register, they can use the online tool Where Do I Fit? as a starting point – www.mpi.govt.nz/where-do-i-fit,” Ms Johnston said.

For questions about the registration process and deadline, please contact your local council, email foodactinfo@mpi.govt.nz or call 0800 00 83 33.

The very finest single malts from Scotland and beyond.

Our portfolio includes exclusive spirits from the worlds iconic distilleries and brands including Diplomatico Rum and No.3 Gin. See the full catalogue on our website.

Phone 0508 WHISKY or visit whiskytrade.co.nz

SHOWCASE

The Solstice concept As the global trend towards organic and biodynamic wines grows, French company Saverglass introduces a unique new silhouette tailored to showcase the qualities of these wines.

The Solstice range has been specially designed to highlight and identify organic and biodynamic wines (while equally suited to premium wines of all varieties) and makes Solstice a vessel designed in harmony with the contents and designed around balance, naturalness and excellence.

The new and innovative Solstice range is available in four design options, with antique green and flint offerings in each. Choose from Solstice Moon Rising and Solstice Descendant Moon, with each of these options available with either a Plate Wine finish or Cordon finish.

The designs reinterpret the oval vats, which are particularly popular in biodynamics, while the contemporary range also offers long tapered necks reminiscent of those of carafes and sets the bottles apart.

Find out more – visit saverglass.com or call Karen on 09 522 2990.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Spirits and wine popular in US for 2018 AMERICAN CONSUMERS drank more distilled spirits and wine in 2018, but total beverage alcohol consumption in the United States declined for the third consecutive year, as a result of continued weakening beer volume, according to figures released in January by the IWSR. The figures are considered preliminary data, ahead of the official IWSR 2018 global database release due in May. The IWSR found that total alcohol volume in the U.S. declined -0.8% last year to 3.345 billion 9-litre cases, which is slightly worse than the -0.7% slip the year prior. Distilled spirits were up +1.9% and wine grew slightly by +0.4%. Innovations in the cider and mixed drinks categories helped reverse their decline from 2017, to post increases of +4.1% and +6.1%, respectively. Beer, which at 2.62 billion 9-litre cases has long dominated the alcohol market in the U.S., was down -1.5%.

“Spirits and wine showed slight growth in 2018, but those category increases weren’t as high as previous years,” says Brandy Rand, IWSR’s U.S. President and Global Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s clear that Americans are drinking less overall, which is likely a result of the continued trend toward health and wellness. We’ve also seen for some time now that consumers aren’t necessarily loyal to just one category, which leads to less volume for individual brands. Also, the ageing baby boomer population, the largest group of legal drinking age consumers, is contributing to slowed growth as well.”

Coca-Cola buys global Costa coffee chain THE COCA-COLA Company announced in January that it has completed the acquisition of Costa Limited from Whitbread PLC. The US$4.9 billion transaction follows approval from regulatory authorities in the European Union and China. The acquisition was first announced at the end of August last year.

Costa was founded in London in 1971 and has grown to become a major coffee brand across the world. It has operations in more than 30 countries and gives Coca-Cola a significant footprint in the global coffee business. Worldwide, the coffee segment is growing 6% annually.

Coca-Cola says the deal will give it a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, with the opportunity for additional expansion. Costa ranks as the leading coffee company in the United Kingdom and has a growing footprint in China, among other markets.

Costa operations include a leading brand, nearly 4,000 retail outlets with highly trained baristas, a coffee vending operation, for-home coffee formats and Costa’s state-of-the-art roastery.

“We see great opportunities for value creation through the combination of Costa’s capabilities and Coca-Cola’s marketing expertise and global reach,” said James Quincey, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.

“Our vision is to use the strong Costa platform to expand our portfolio in the growing coffee category.”

Big gains for mezcal Total spirits in the U.S. reached 230.2 million 9-litre cases in 2018, driven by whisky (up +4.1%), tequila (up +8.5%), cognac/Armagnac (up +5.6%), and brandy (up +1.7%). Yet the largest gain was in the fast-growing mezcal category, which saw an increase of +32.4%, albeit from a relatively small base of 261,000 9-litre cases.

24th consecutive year of wine growth The IWSR figures also showed that in 2018 wine achieved its 24th consecutive year of volume growth in the U.S., aided by more than 13,000 wineries in the country, a number which increased by almost 1,000 in 2018.

The still wine segment, which commands 87.3% of the total wine category, was up only 0.2%. Sparkling wine, led by prosecco (+11%), increased by 4.3%.

Alcoholic seltzers and ciders prove popular The mixed drinks category (how the IWSR defines ready-to-drink, flavoured malt beverages, and other pre-mixed cocktails) was the most buoyant segment within U.S. beverage alcohol in 2018, up +6.1%, driven by increased thirst for alcoholic seltzers, which consumers often perceive as healthier alternatives to other products.

Additionally, rose-flavored ciders and local craft ciders helped drive +4.1% growth in that category.

New figures show tequila on the rise Tequila production reached its highest levels in a decade in 2018, and the quantity exported was also up, according to new figures from its industry body.

In a statement reported

by Mexican business website eleconomista.com, the Tequila Regulatory Chamber said 309.1 million litres of tequila were produced in 2018, exceeding the expectation of 300 million and

second only to 2008, when 312 million litres were produced.

Exports were also up, with 222.7 million litres sent abroad in 2018 – 5.5% more than the previous year.

The United States topped the export list with 82.5% of the total, followed by Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Japan, Canada, Latvia and South Africa.

“Tequila currently represents 1% of the global spirits market, so there is still an important possibility of growth,” Rodolfo González, president of the National Tequila Regulatory Chamber, told eleconomista.com.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 25

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Fuller’s to sell entire beer business to Asahi UK BREWER Fuller’s has announced that it has entered into an agreement for the sale of its entire beer business to Asahi for £250 million.

The sale, which was announced in late January, is for the entirety of Fuller’s beer, cider and soft drinks brewing and production (including the flagship London Pride beer), wine wholesaling, and distribution. It also includes the historic Griffin Brewery, Cornish Orchards, Dark Star Brewing and Nectar Imports.

In a statement, Fuller’s says its Board “believes that Asahi is the ideal owner

of the beer business and will create the right environment for the beer business to flourish in the future and protect the Fuller’s brewing heritage.”

Fuller’s says the sale will enable it to focus on being a premium pub and hotel operator, which it says is the core of its business and where 87 per cent of its operating profits are generated. It will form a strategic alliance with Asahi to ensure access to its former brands.

The sale is expected to be completed by mid-2019.

Simon Emeny, Chief Executive of Fuller’s, commented: “This deal secures

the future of both parts of our business including protecting the heritage of the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, which was particularly important to the Fuller’s Board. We remain incredibly proud of the Fuller’s Beer Business, its history and the high quality premium beer and cider portfolio that we have developed.

Brewing has formed an integral part of our history and brand identity, however the core of Fuller’s and the driver of our future growth is now our premium pubs and hotels business.” fullers.co.uk

UK sees 430 new breweries open in 2017 Guinness title sponsor for Six Nations Diageo has announced that its Guinness brand is the new title sponsor of the Six Nations rugby competition in a six-year deal that will see the tournament known as the ‘GUINNESS SIX NATIONS’ from 2019.

The Six Nations is one of the world’s best attended sports events and regularly attracts record TV and online audiences in the UK, France, Ireland, Italy and all over the world. Competing countries

include England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France and Italy. The 2019 event kicked off in early February and concludes in early March.

Diageo says the deal considerably strengthens Guinness’ commitment to rugby, adding to an already extensive portfolio that includes the Guinness PRO14, and partnerships with the four Home Unions and leading European clubs Leinster and Munster.

Rare Grange collection sells at Sotheby’s SOTHEBY’S HONG Kong 2019 wine auction series began in January with a ‘Finest & Rarest Wines’ auction that included a rare collection of Penfolds Grange spanning 36 vintages. The auction brought in a total of $NZ6.1m, with the first-time-in-auction full vertical of Penfolds Grange Magnums from their first 1979 vintage to 2014 selling for NZ$73,953. Other highlights included three sets of The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask 2017 Releases with nine bottles per set direct from the distillery (NZ$117,861 each) and The Yamazaki 50 Years 2007 Release (NZ$369,769).

26 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

THERE WERE 430 new breweries opened in the UK in the year ended 31 Dec, 2017, according to nationwide UK accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young. That’s up from just over 100 per year in 2009 and 2010.

The firm says while Brexit might slow the shift in the UK from big brand beers to premium niche beers, the craft beer market is still some way from peaking.

The market share of craft beers is still below 5% of overall beer sales in the UK compared with 23% in the US. Craft beer sales have been growing at around 90% in the last year versus a decrease in sales of big brand “classic lagers” by 1.3%. Increased spending power amongst the key ‘millennials’ market (as they age) is thought to be a significant part of this growth.

However, UHY Hacker Young says while the craft beer sector has now reached a significant scale, funding of these breweries is still relatively hard to come by and many are still having to rely on issuing shares through crowdfunding to expand. It warns that issuing too many shares to fund company expansion, rather than debt, could see the stake of the original founders diluted away.

James Simmonds, Head of Drinks at UHY Hacker Young, says the craft beer industry continues to grow with hundreds of entrepreneurs looking to tap into high consumer demand. “Breweries face high fixed costs and start-ups tend to burn through cash quickly. That risks giving away too much of their equity before they can start using lower cost bank loans. Alternatives like invoice finance or leasing should be considered – these can offer a much more stable form of finance than a bank loan that can be called in at short notice.”

FEATURE – SUSTAINABILITY

Waste not, want not Sustainability is fast becoming an intrinsic part of the drinks industry – from zero-waste initiatives to upcycling cocktail ingredients or no longer offering plastic straws. We round up some of the most recent industry developments taking place everywhere from global corporates, to big brands and individual bars.

Carlsberg’s Snap Pack lauded at WEF

Zero-waste at Gin Jubilee Singapore

42 Below Sustainable Cocktail Showcase

The World Economic Forum (WEF) celebrated Carlsberg’s new Snap Pack packaging innovation at its Young Global Leaders’ Summit in October 2018.

The Snap Pack replaces the plastic wrapping used around Carlsberg’s six packs with a pioneering technology that glues its cans together. A world first for the beer industry, it will reduce the amount of plastic used in traditional multipacks by up to 76%. It is set to reduce plastic waste globally by more than 1200 tonnes a year (the equivalent of 60 million plastic bags) and has received widespread media coverage since its launch in September 2018.

WEF recognised the innovation by featuring it in a short video on plastic waste, which has been streamed to around 10 million people worldwide who follow the Forum on its Twitter and Facebook platforms.

Currently available in the UK and Norway, the Snap Pack is due to make its debut in other markets, including Denmark, in early 2019.

More than 40 cocktail bars participated in the sixth East Imperial Gin Jubilee festivities in Singapore in December last year, culminating in the ‘Gin Lane’ event, at which more than 3,600 gin and tonics were consumed. In a new programme for 2018, Gin Lane focused on a zero-waste initiative with drink- and dining-ware produced with eco packaging technology, and all food and cocktail garnish scraps, cups and cutlery collected on the night converted into organic fertiliser. A glass crusher on site created 80 kilograms of sand, while any remaining bottles were recycled. Festival goers who brought their own mug for G&Ts received discounted entry, while standard entry included a reusable bamboo straw made in Bali and a commemorative copper tumbler.

In late 2018, 42 Below launched its Sustainable Cocktail Showcase – inspired by the ‘Plastic Island’ of waste that was identified in the Pacific Ocean. Bartenders from around New Zealand and Australia were challenged to come up with a sustainable cocktail that included reducing, reusing and recycling regular cocktail ingredients. A winning cocktail from each country is to be chosen, with its creator receiving an eco-experience in Bali. The winners were due to be announced in early February.

28 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

42belowsustainablecocktailshowcase.com

FEATURE – SUSTAINABILITY

Pernod Ricard signs global plastic waste commitment In October 2018, Pernod Ricard joined 250 other signatories to an international declaration to cut plastic waste from the global economy and environment.

The ‘New Plastics Economy Global Commitment’ includes companies representing 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally, as well as governments, NGOs, universities, industry associations and other organisations. The Coca Cola Company, Nestlé, and New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment are among those who have signed. It is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with UN Environment and has the vision of a circular economy for plastic, in which it never becomes waste.

Signatories commit to three actions to realise this: eliminate all problematic and unnecessary plastic items; innovate to ensure that the plastics needed are reusable, recyclable, or compostable; and circulate all the plastic items in use to keep them in the economy and out of the environment.

By joining the initiative, Pernod Ricard says it commits to deliver the following by 2025: • Evaluating and taking measures to eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging • Ensuring that the Group moves towards a usage rate of 100% for reusable plastic, recyclable or biodegradable packaging, according to CITEO specifications • Implementing an ecodesign handbook for the development of new products • Integrating recycled plastics into its packaging.

This follows Pernod Ricard’s announcement in January 2018 that it was banning non-biodegradable plastic straws and stirrers from all its events worldwide.

Trash Tiki Trash Tiki is an anti-waste punk pop-up that is the brainchild of bartenders Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths (co-founder of famed London bar business Mr Lyan.) Since launching in late 2016, the pair (pictured above) has been touring cocktail festivals around the

world to show bars how to reduce their environmental impact by making drinks using cocktail by-products or ingredients that are usually discarded.

Now based in Toronto, Kelsey and Iain run their anti-waste brands under The Trash Collective company.

Check out the Trash Tiki website for recipe ideas like ‘Pit Stop Rum’ (using avocado pits and pistachio shells) and ‘Chopping Board Cordial’ (to use up all the citrus rind and other garnish offcuts). trashtiki trashtikisucks.com

World’s 50 Best launches Sustainable Bar award The Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award was introduced to The World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars for the first time in 2018.

All bars on The World’s 50 Best Bars and 51-100 lists were invited to enter the award via self-nomination, with the sustainability rating of each bar assessed by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). The inaugural winner was Himkok in Oslo, Norway, which is described as “a combination of cocktail joint, microdistillery, taptail bar, brewery and cider specialist.” Up to 80% of the spirits used annually are made at the in-house distillery, where aquavit, gin and vodka are distilled and infused with seasonal ingredients. It has two microbreweries: one specialising in local and organic beers and ales, and a second

focusing on sour beers, including a special brew made with leftovers from cocktail preparation. Himkok makes its own wine, bitters, liqueurs and mead using exclusively Norwegian produce and reuses by-products from neighbouring businesses: artisanal cheesemakers provide Himkok with whey, while local surplus sourdough is used to infuse the spirits.

Himkok received a score of 90% in the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s sustainability rating and placed 19th place in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2018 as well as receiving the first Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award. worlds50bestbars.com DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 29

FEATURE – SUSTAINABILITY

Kiwi wineries well on the way with sustainability

Fermentation lab for Mr Lyan When it comes to innovation in cocktails around sustainability, the man to watch is Ryan Chetiyawardana of Mr Lyan fame, considered one of the world’s most influential bartenders. His London bar White Lyan, which opened in 2013, broke new ground as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables; no fruit and no ice. His explorations in sustainability and reduced waste have since continued in his other establishments. After announcing in late 2018 that his famed Dandelyan bar in London would close (just days before it won Best Cocktail Bar in the World) he has now revealed that it will be recreated as Lyaness, to open in March. He also announced that his Super Lyan bar will move from its Hoxton site in London’s East End to Amsterdam, and that a new bar, Silver Lyan, will open in Washington DC. In a January interview with Imbibe.com, Chetiyawardana revealed that Super Lyan’s current basement space (below his bar Cub, which was previously White Lyan) will be transformed into a fermentation lab to develop flavours and ingredients for use across the Lyan bars. The lab will be created in collaboration with Dr Johnny Drain (editor of food and science journal Mold) and chef Doug McMaster of zerowaste restaurant Silo in Brighton. mrlyan mrlyan.com

DB aims to ‘save the entire world’ Building on the success of its ‘Brewtroleum’ and ‘Beer Bottle Sand’ endeavours, DB ran a campaign with its DB Export brand from October 2018 to mid-January 2019 called ‘Save the Entire World’ in which they asked consumers to submit their ‘world-saving ideas’ around sustainability to win from a prize pool of up to $50,000.

The campaign kicked off with a Gull partnership offering vouchers for free biofuel made from natural beer waste through the DB Export Brewtroleum initiative.

DB says its aim is to: “begin building a community of idea-generating, action-orientated beer drinkers to help save the entire world.” savetheentireworld.co.nz 30 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

The sustainability path has been well trodden by New Zealand wineries, with Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (an industry-wide certification programme led by New Zealand Winegrowers) introduced commercially in 1997 and sustainable winery certification standards established in 2002.

The 2018 Annual Report of New Zealand Winegrowers reported that the SWNZ Continuous Improvement pilot programme launched in late 2017 has been extended for a further 12 months as interested SWNZ members work with their organisations to determine their sustainability goals and action plans. A number of wineries are interested in reducing their waste to landfill and a ‘winery waste’ group was established in May 2018 to share issues and insights on achieving waste reduction goals.

98% 99% 98%

of New Zealand’s vineyard area is Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand certified of NZ wineries measure + monitor energy use of NZ wineries monitor to optimise water

NZ Winegrowers Inc - Annual Report 2018.

Diageo creates sustainability role Diageo announced a new leadership role in sustainability in late 2018 with David Cutter appointed inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), in addition to his role as President of Global Supply and Procurement. Diageo says the new role will assist with its significant targets and commitments in its environmental work, including minimising its operational impact on the environment, with a focus on water stewardship and replenishment in water stressed areas, and sourcing local raw materials.

Sustainable option at Perfect Blend Entrants in Beam Suntory’s annual Perfect Blend competition had the option of going sustainable with their creation for the 2019 Australasian event.

They could choose from ‘Minimal Waste, Maximum Taste’ (a cocktail that demonstrates their understanding of how to create second-use recipes, minimising wastage in bars) or ‘That Moment in Time’ as the inspiration.

Finalists have been chosen from more than 400 entries across Apprentice and Professional categories in Australia and New Zealand, with finals to be held early in 2019. the-blend.co.nz

The Family Tree The Rose Family have pioneered and nurtured their vineyards for over 40 years and produce an outstanding family of award-winning wines. The very best that Marlborough has to offer.

WRB005

The River's Edge wairauriverwines.com

SAUVIGNON BLANC REPORT

Sauvignon Say it with

From explosively fruity to restrained and elegant, there is a Sauvignon Blanc to suit.

Joelle Thomson presents her picks for wine lists and retail shelves.

32 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

SAUVIGNON BLANC REPORT

UNDER RRP $20 2018 Thornbury Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $14.99 Villa Maria

Thornbury has a new lease of life with a label makeover and new look. The wine remains as high quality as ever, thanks to winemaker Simon Fell’s attention to detail in the vineyard. Ripe grapes translate to tropical fruit flavours in every sip of this dry white, which offers exceptional value for money. 17.5/20 2018 Te Awa Left Field Nelson Sauvignon Blanc RRP $16.99 Villa Maria

Nelson is the northernmost wine region in the South Island and one of the earliest to harvest its grapes each year. Its climate lends itself beautifully to producing wines with lively freshness (thanks to their pronounced acidity) and intense purity of aromatic flavours, something this Sauvignon Blanc has in spades. Its light body is balanced by rich flavours of green herbs, gooseberries and notes of fresh passionfruit. 17.5/20

2018 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $16.99 Villa Maria

2018 Esk Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $17.99 Villa Maria

Villa Maria has three tiers of wine and its ‘Cellar Selection’ range sits in the middle, over-delivering with its powerful intensity of flavour. It’s all about freshness and tropical fruit flavours (pineapple, mandarin and passionfruit), which are nicely balanced with green plum and a lingering finish. Serve in an aromatic white wine glass. 17.5/20

Esk Valley may be a Hawke’s Bay winery, but this wine is its nod towards the country’s biggest white wine style – fresh and vibrant Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Its presence is felt in every zingy sip, which is packed with passionfruit flavours, herbal edge and refreshing acidity. It has a long, vibrant finish. 17/20

2018 Tohu Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $17.95 Kono

Marlborough’s Awatere Valley is a force to be reckoned with and this wine shows why. It’s made from grapes grown on a relatively high altitude vineyard in the Valley (south of the Wairau Plains), where the proximity to the sunshine balances the crisp, cool climate acidity that shines through in this region’s wines. If you’re looking for subtle, refreshing qualities in a recognisable Sauvignon Blanc, this wine over-delivers big time. 17.5/20

2018 Vidal Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $17.99 Villa Maria

Every self-respecting New Zealand winery needs a white to match its vibrant reds and Vidal from Hawke’s Bay not only makes a cracking Chardonnay but also produces Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough grapes. Vidal Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc tastes super fresh, intensely fruity and is like a liquid version of fruit salad in the glass: passionfruit, mango and pineapple are all present and counted. Great summer drinking. 17.5/20

How Sauvignon took hold in NZ All stories about New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc should begin with Matua Valley Wines, whose original founders – Ross and Bill Spence – were the first to cultivate Sauvignon and produce it on a commercial scale in this country. The rest, as they say, is history, and a super successful one at that. Their initial Sauvignon

vines were in West Auckland, but since then Marlborough has proven itself the country’s most successful region for this wine – in fact, Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough is the fifth biggest export earner for this country.

New Zealand’s second Sauvignon Blanc conference was held in Marlborough in late

January, with delegates from around the world in attendance.

The region’s winemakers are making inroads into new international markets, not least due to an increasing focus on sustainable grape growing philosophies and methods. More New Zealand wineries are now quantifying this with organic

and biodynamic certification for their vines and wines. And nearly 100% of New Zealand’s vineyards and wineries are members of sustainable schemes, which encourage reducing the use of man-made chemicals on the land. Watch this space.

Note: International Sauvignon Blanc Day is on 4 May.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 33

SAUVIGNON BLANC REPORT

2018 The Ned Sauvignon Blanc RRP $18.99 Marisco

This wine is made with grapes grown in the Waihopai Valley, Marlborough; an interesting sub-region where the days are hot, the nights are cool and the wines are vibrant as a result. This medium-bodied white has freshness to burn. Every sip is long and flavoursome, thanks to its ripe tropical flavours and high but balanced acidity. Winemaker Brent Marris is one of this country’s most experienced hands at white winemaking. 17.5/20 2018 Wither Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $18.99 Lion NZ

A big name wine from one of the longest established brands in Marlborough – and one that certainly puts zest and zing in every glass of vibrant, refreshing Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is medium-bodied, high on flavour and long on the finish. 17.5/20

2017 Mud House Sub Region Series Rapaura Sauvignon Blanc RRP $19.99 Hancocks

2018 Stoneleigh Latitude Sauvignon Blanc RRP $19.99 Pernod Ricard

Youthful freshness comes through in every mouthful of this lively dry white, made from grapes grown at the east end of Marlborough’s Rapaura Road, where braided river stones converge with more youthful silty soils. This combination provides conditions for powerfully ripe citrus flavours of grapefruit married with tropical flavours of passionfruit, says winemaker Cleighten Cornelius. 18.5/20

This wine is Stoneleigh at its finest; the Latitude range ups the ante on flavour concentration and length of taste, thanks to great winemaking from the man in charge of winemaking for this wellknown brand – winemaker Jamie Marfell.

18.5/20

Youthful freshness comes through in every mouthful of the lively 2017 Mud House Sub Region Series Rapaura Sauvignon Blanc

When companies as large as Whitehaven Wines remain in family hands something has to be going right and Sue White has carried the flame of the fire that she and her late husband, Greg, ignited many moons ago. Whitehaven began as one of the earliest Marlborough wineries in the modern days of the New Zealand wine industry and today it offers exceptional value for money across the spectrum of this country’s most widely produced wines – Sauvignon Blanc being the star player.

This fresh, vibrant, medium-bodied white is great drinking year round, but especially in a summer as warm as this one. 18.5/20

2018 Leefield Station Sauvignon Blanc RRP $19.99 Marisco

Leefield Station is a relatively new Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough winemaker Brent Marris, who packs an incredibly powerful punch into this lively, dry and flavoursome white wine. Its pronounced acidity is beautifully balanced by a medium body and ripe fruit flavours of nectarine, white peach and succulent mango. Long and lovely. 18.5/20

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2018 Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $19.99 Whitehaven Wines

SAUVIGNON BLANC REPORT

RRP $20 to $30 2016 Petit Clos Sauvignon Blanc RRP $21.99 Maison Vauron

To say this wine over-delivers is to wildly understate the case. It’s a stand-out Sauvignon Blanc made by a French family with a foot firmly in two wine camps: the Bourgeois family owns a Marlborough vineyard, which is modelled on their home vineyard in Sancerre, in France’s Loire Valley. This entry level, partially oak fermented Sauvignon is a Kiwi take on the French theme too – it’s the Down Under version of the French Petit Bourgeois.

If I hadn’t tasted their top shelf wines, I’d rate this one even higher than a silver medal wine show score. 17.5/20 2017 The Doctors’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $21.99 Quench Collective

This is the best lower alcohol Sauvignon I’ve tried (9.5% ABV), so it’s no surprise to find out it’s the best-selling in this burgeoning category, which has high appeal not only in New Zealand but in export markets around the world.

Marlborough winemaker John Forrest is finetuning this intensely flavoursome lower alcohol wine every year, using riper grapes with lower sugars to create a balanced wine. No mean feat in a tricky category. 18.5/20

The 2014 Nautilus Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc museum release is surprisingly fresh for a four-year-old wine, casting Sauvignon Blanc in a new light.

2018 Brancott Estate Identity Sauvignon Blanc RRP $21.99 Pernod Ricard

2016 Astrolabe Kekerengu Sauvignon Blanc RRP $22.99 Caro’s Wines

A light-bodied, fresh and tasty Sauvignon Blanc from one of the biggest Marlborough brands, Brancott. The newish Identity range has a modern look and style. 16.5/20

The coastal Kekerengu Vineyard has a longer season than other areas in Marlborough and delivers higher acidity in the grapes, which winemaker Simon Waghorn has softened and tamed by treating 15 per cent of the wine to barrel fermentation in old oak puncheons.

He harvests the grapes from this coastal vineyard site later than from his other vineyards so he can make a wine with complex flavours, finetuned by the barrel treatment. A delicious wine out of left field. 18.5/20

2018 Saint Clair Origins Sauvignon Blanc RRP $21.99 Negociants

I love seeing quality shine through in wines as widely available and accessibly priced as this dry white. Its vibrant tropical fruit flavours, smooth medium body and notes of grapefruit and lemon all combine in a zesty, light-bodied, lingering, fresh white. 17.5 /20

2017 Mud House Single Vineyard Woolshed Sauvignon Blanc RRP $22.99 Hancocks

This is an outstanding wine from one of the biggest Sauvignon producers in Marlborough and is well priced for a single vineyard expression of the country’s most popular wine. It has powerful succulent flavours, and is dry and fresh.

18.5/20 2014 Nautilus Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $24.99 Negociants

This museum release is surprisingly fresh for a four-year-old wine, casting Sauvignon in a new light. It has complex flavours, a full body and flavoursome aged characters. A must-try – and a wine that reveals the great longevity of lovingly well-made wines sealed with screwcaps, which allow impeccable ageing. 17.5/20 2018 Brancott Letter Series “B” Sauvignon Blanc RRP $24.99 Pernod Ricard

The Brancott Letter Series has always been about depth and richness of flavour, as this full-bodied, full-flavoured Marlborough Sauvignon shows in every intensely fruity sip. It’s an outstanding wine and offers a great next level experience for only a little more outlay.

18.5/20 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 35

SAUVIGNON BLANC REPORT

2018 Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc RRP $33.99 Negociants

This is the top Sauvignon Blanc of Saint Clair Wines in Marlborough and it’s easy to taste that high quality in every fresh and flinty sip. Complex savoury flavours rein in the intense tastes of tropical fruit. It has a medium body and high but balanced acidity, which adds a long, refreshing, zingy finish. It’s easy to taste Marlborough’s hot summer days and cool nights in every glass of this vibrant white.

18.5/20

2018 Nautilus Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $24.99 Negociants

2016 Tohu Mugwi Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $26.95 Kono

Subtle and Sauvignon don’t usually go hand in hand, but winemaker Clive Jones combines the two in this fresh, flinty Sauvignon Blanc. Powerful aromas of tomato stalk, fresh basil and thyme combine with flavours of nectarine and a long finish. A lovely style that can and will age well in the medium term. 18.5/20

A little oak fermentation goes a long way in this full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc.

It’s accentuated here by malolactic fermentation – a technique used to soften acidity. It can also create creamy flavours, which marry beautifully here with ripe white peach to make a complex dry Marlborough white. 17.5/20

2018 Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Sauvignon Blanc RRP $24.99 Villa Maria

2017 Dog Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP $27.99 Red + White Cellar

Powerful fruit flavours are in great balance in this wine with its full body, rounded fleshy style and long finish. The 2018 vintage was a warm one and it’s great to taste a wine such as this which has clearly been made from grapes harvested to retain balanced acidity as well as expressive fruity appeal. 18.5/20

Ivan Sutherland and James Healy are a formidable duo, a viticulturist and a winemaker who pioneered the Cloudy Bay brand in its early days and now have their own successful wine, Dog Point. This may be their entry level Sauvignon but it’s several steps up the quality ladder from most; savoury and fresh. It drinks well now and is outstanding quality. 18.5/20

2018 Whitehaven Greg Sauvignon Blanc RRP $25.99 Whitehaven Wines

Winemakers Sam Smail and Diana Katardzhieva used grapes from the relatively cool climate of Marlborough’s Awatere Valley to make this top tier Sauvignon Blanc, named after Greg White; the late husband of Sue, and co-founder of this Marlborough winery.

It’s a subtle, smooth take on the Sauvignon theme. Fresh flavours drive the style of every lusciously lingering sip.

18.5/20

36 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

RRP $30 to $40 2017 Cape Mentelle Western Australia Sauvignon Blanc Semillon RRP $34.99 Moët Hennessey

Here’s a refreshingly different take on the Sauvignon Blanc theme from Margaret River at the tip of south west Australia.

This wine is modelled on a classic dry Bordeaux white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Together, these grapes flatter each other’s wild personalities, marrying freshness, vibrancy and high acidity with a dry style, flavours of green fruit and a long finish. 18.5/20

Greywacke Wild Sauvignon has been one of the most highly regarded Sauvignons since its first vintage in 2009 2016 Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Marlborough RRP $36.99 Negociants

One sip of Kevin Judd’s Wild Sauvignon says it all: complexity (100 per cent barrel fermented) and ripe fruit (tropical flavours intermingle with aromas of green plums, gooseberries and citrus). This has been one of New Zealand’s most highly regarded Sauvignon Blancs since its first vintage in 2009. Judd uses 100 per cent wild yeast for the fermentation, which he says translates to the smoothness, power and pungency of this juicy white. 19/20 2015 Dog Point Section 94 RRP $37 Red + White Cellar

You won’t see the words ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ on the label of this boundarypushing wine, but you will taste one of the country’s most complex, full-bodied, highest quality wines made from this popular grape variety. It was matured on lees for 18 months in old French oak barrels, which releases savoury, creamy, nutty flavours. It’s a costly exercise but turns up the volume on complexity, X-factor and deliciousness in this bonedry white. Best of all, it ages superbly, developing complexity for up to 10 years.

19/20

SAUVIGNON BLANC REPORT

RRP $40 AND ABOVE 2016 Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Les Baronnes RRP $41.99 Maison Vauron

The family estate of Henri Bourgeois has been making wine for 10 generations in France. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are the king and queen of their domain, and the family now owns land in Marlborough too. The wines are among the best expressions of this popular white grape from both countries, as this complex, full-bodied, dry white shows in every succulent sip. A must-try for devotees of great whites. 18.5/20 2016 Bourgeois Pouilly-Fumé Abbaye RRP $42.99 Maison Vauron

This is French Sauvignon Blanc at its finest. Pouilly-Fumé is a relatively small wine-growing area with a modest 1,325 hectares of grapes, but you know what they say about being small and perfectly formed. It certainly applies beautifully to the full-bodied dry whites from PouillyFumé, which have distinctive aromas of grapefruit, ripe lemon and fresh herbs.

They are made to drink in their youth, but thanks to barrel fermentation and ageing they can last for the medium term and drink exceptionally well with fresh soft cheeses, such as chèvre. 19/20

The sweetest thing 2015 Amisfield Noble Sauvignon Blanc RRP $45 Red + White Cellar

Sweet Sauvignon Blanc steps outside the norm for Central Otago, but in the most deliciously juicy fashion, thanks to the winemaking team at Amisfield. This fresh sweetie tastes like a combination of clover honey, dried apricot and ripe mandarins. It contains 122 grams of residual sugar per litre, balanced by vibrant acidity (7.20 to 8.20 grams per litre), which tones down its intoxicating sweetness and adds freshness to every sip. 19/20

2016 Amisfield Fumé Blanc RRP $45 Red + White Cellar

Three hectares of Sauvignon Blanc is a drop in the bucket, given this grape is New Zealand’s most planted, but in Amisfield’s Central Otago home the number one spot belongs to Pinot Noir.

Southern Sauvignon is a lighter wine and this dry, full-bodied example gains its weight from lots of winemaking TLC like hand-harvested grapes, fermentation in French oak, and partial malolactic fermentation to soften acidity and add roundness to this lovely bone-dry white.

19/20

2017 Churton Best End Sauvignon Blanc RRP $47 Churton Wines

Sam Weaver is an Englishman who made his home in New Zealand and is on a constant quest to produce the best, which is exactly what he’s done in this beautiful white from Marlborough.

Fresh, zingy, refreshing, crisp and creamy too, with great concentration of green fruit and herb flavours, balanced by a full body and lingering finish. It’s made from a 1.2 hectare, north-facing vineyard, 185 metres above sea level above the Waihopai Valley. Small berries from this windy site create a wine with great concentration, which was unfined, unfiltered and just 2890 bottles were made. Ignore it at your peril. 19/20 For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 72.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 37

SHOWCASE

Introducing Glengarry Spirits Glengarry opens premium Auckland spirits store

NEW ZEALAND’S largest family-owned liquor retailer, Glengarry Wines, is launching a new stand-alone store in Auckland dedicated to fine spirits.

Glengarry Spirits, due to open 14 February, will operate from the company’s Jervois Road site, which was where Josef Jakicevich, Glengarry founder, started his original grocery store in 1945 and became New Zealand’s first retailer to hold a liquor licence.

The new store reflects the spirit of progress evident throughout Glengarry’s history. What, for the Jakicevich family, started as a pioneering winemaking venture in West Auckland’s Glengarry Road has, over four generations, developed into New Zealand’s largest family-owned liquor retailer, Glengarry Wines, with 19 stores in Auckland and Wellington.

Glengarry General Manager, Liz Wheadon, says Glengarry Spirits will be a shopping experience quite unlike any other currently found in New Zealand.

“Customers will be able to immerse themselves in the world of premium spirits within a specially-crafted space catering solely to the genre, where they will encounter the finest exemplars of each spirit category,” she says.

Specialty spirits space Liz Wheadon says the decision to open a specialist spirits store reflects Glengarry’s philosophy of never standing still and the recent growth in the premium spirits category. She says the new store will give Glengarry the opportunity to share 38 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

stories behind the spirits with customers, in the same passionate way they do with wine, catering for customers‘ increasing interest in and excitement for the world of premium spirits.

Products on offer will include an evolving range of unique items and rare bottlings, sold by a team of expert spirit specialists with useful knowledge to share and interesting stories to tell. As well as functioning as a space to showcase the world of spirits, the Glengarry Spirits store has a kitchen on site. Educational evenings, matching spirits and food, and private functions from seminars to celebrations will all be on offer.

Open to trade Glengarry is primarily a standalone retail business, but also sells to the trade. (It separated formally from sibling company Hancocks in 2015.) Everything Glengarry has holds a trade price, including the spirits in the new store.

The range has also been enhanced

by Glengarry‘s acquisition of fine spirits businesses Malts of Distinction and Bragins. All of these products are now available to the trade and can be ordered online with delivery nationwide via Glengarry's state-of-the-art web services.

Glengarry Spirits – open from 14 February, 2019 Visit at 54 Jervois Road, Herne Bay. glengarry.co.nz

The Glengarry Story 1900-1920

Josef Jakicevich arrived in New Zealand in 1920, having emigrated from his homeland of Croatia. He was 20 years old and continued unrest in the Balkan States after World War I saw him leave in search of a better life.

A stonemason by trade, Josef worked in Auckland and Northland for several years, earning a reputation as a hard worker and first class tradesman.

1920-1940

Josef married Marcia Colic (also from Croatia) in New Zealand and their first son Tony was born in 1929. When Marcia became ill after the birth of their daughter, the family returned to Croatia, but Josef came back to New Zealand and worked hard to eventually bring his family back in 1939.

By 1940, Josef had saved enough money to purchase 10 acres in Glengarry Road, Oratia, West Auckland. Their third child, Peter, was born that year and Josef planted a vineyard, setting the foundation for a thriving and enduring family business.

1940-1980

In 1948, the Government created wineresellers licences in an effort to assist local winemakers. Josef was quick to see the potential and was granted one of the first two licences issued in Auckland for the green grocery he had opened the previous year on the corner of Jervois Road and Blake Street.

The licence restricted retailers to selling New Zealand wine only, they had to stock 12 wines besides their own, and could not sell less than two gallons to a customer (the equivalent of 12 x 750 ml bottles).

In 1960 restaurants were licenced, followed in 1961 by taverns and eventually single bottle sales were permitted. Public interest in table wine and sales surged and in the mid-sixties Glengarry initiated the first wine tasting to be conducted by a wine retailer.

During the 70s, domestic wine production stepped up both in quality and quantity. To meet the growing demand for varietal wines Glengarry opened stores in Auckland City and Ponsonby Road.

1980-2000

In the early 80s the Government allowed wine shops to sell imported wines, giving Glengarry the opportunity to tap into the whole world of wine. Josef’s grandsons became actively involved in managing the increasing number of wine shops. In the 80s and 90s, Glengarry opened more Auckland stores, expanded to Wellington and launched The Glengarry Wine Academy, which still runs today.

Josef Jakicevich

2000 and beyond…

A fourth generation of the Jakicevich family is now involved in Glengarry and set to continue building the family business. In 2005 Glengarry opened Dida’s (Croatian for ‘Grandfather’) Wine Lounge beside the original Jervois Road store.

Jak Jakicevich

Today, Glengarry is the largest independent family-operated wine retail company in the country with 19 stores nationwide. As well as the new spirits recently acquired, Gengarry imports a wide range of wines for its customers, which are also available to the trade. Glengarry has the most extensive range of Bordeaux, Grower Champagnes, and Provence Rosé (among others), all of which are imported in refrigerated containers – the utmost care is taken.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 39

OPINION – WINE

Joelle Thomson

Journalist, wine writer and author joellethomson.com

Sauvignon star rises It’s the undisputed flagship of New Zealand wine, and Joelle Thomson finds an evolution is underway in the local world of Sauvignon Blanc

TO DESCRIBE New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as a massive success story is a little like saying the world seems to be getting warmer. We all know it. We are astonished at how quickly it’s happening.

And there’s not a lot that will change it.

The good news, on the wine side of things at least, is that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is no longer purely about fruity, high volume white wines. Yes, these styles make up the majority of our wine exports and are a big success story for many. (Wine is now the fifth biggest export earner and long may it last because the industry is putting significant research and practical energy into reducing toxicity in its farming methodology, as well as making a popular drink.) But the country’s best winemakers are also showing there’s more to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc than merely a glass of fruitiest-footforward white wine.

As I write, I am drinking a glass of the well named Best End Sauvignon Blanc from a biodynamic Marlborough wine producer called Churton. It is, said Master of Wine Paul Tudor (in response to my Instagram of this wine), quite simply one of the finest Sauvignon Blancs ever made in this country. It sure is. It’s also made in relatively small quantities, as top shelf products often are.

Churton Best End Sauvignon Blanc comes from grapes grown on a 1.2 hectare north-facing slope, 185 metres 40 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

above sea level above the Waihopai Valley in Marlborough. It’s a bit of a windy vineyard site, so grapes and the bunches they grow on tend to be pretty small, but this concentrates flavour, which is a good thing for the tastebuds, if not so easy when it comes to making a profit.

Winemaker Sam Weaver produced just 2890 bottles of this wine and at $47 a pop it is a world away from most supermarket Sauvignon Blanc.

community that Sauvignon Blanc is evolving in style thanks to emerging trends such as fine-tuning vineyard practices and a strong move towards organic and biodynamic certification.

Other topics included hand-picking grapes destined for high quality Sauvignon Blancs as a necessary reality if producers really want to create the best flavours possible.

Winemaking influences too, such as the use of oak – usually substantial and frequently not new – which can dial down intense methoxypyrazine flavours (a chemical compound found in Sauvignon Blanc and its progeny Cabernet Sauvignon that has the flavour of green capsicum). The taste of oak is not the intention; but its role in softening, maturing and adding body most definitely is.

Winemaker and conference chairperson, Patrick Materman, says the event was a chance to further strengthen New Zealand’s position as a producer of top Sauvignon Blanc. “International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration 2019 was an opportunity to seize on this success and grow our reputation with international wine experts and influencers.”

The good news, on the wine side of things at least, is that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is no longer purely about fruity, high volume white wines.

It is, quite simply, decadently delicious.

Easy for me to say as I sip on a $47 wine, I know, but if Sam can make a wine this good from a vintage as tricky as 2017 then who knows what’s possible in years to come.

This year began with the second International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration in Marlborough, in late January.

The event ran for three days with a programme designed to show invited guests of the international wine

For more on Sauvignon Blanc (and the 2017 Churton Best End Sauvignon Blanc), see this issue’s Wine Report on page 32.

I was born of soil and blessed by wind and human heart.

savinggracewines.co.nz

NORTH CANTERBURY

NEW ZEALAND

Love, but not the loud kind. The home block at dawn from the smoko room; quiet awe, belonging.

Loyal ― not just leaky boat loyal, but quarter century loyal. Our people. Our place.

Our Saving Grace.

NEW RELEASES

Top Picks Five top new releases selected by wine writer Joelle Thomson

2016 Dog Point Vineyard Chardonnay RRP $37 Red+White Cellar

This wine marks a milestone for Dog Point Vineyard wines, all of which are now certified fully organic with BioGro New Zealand. This follows a lengthy process of converting 100% of the company vineyards to organics, which began in 2009. Now, every back label certifies this exacting production process. And so to the wine. This is one of my top South Island Chardonnays every year.

Full-bodied, intense and lingering. Creamy flavours are balanced by vibrant acidity, which shines through in grapefruit, ripe lemon and hints of mandarin. A delicious wine from a top producer. 18.5/20

This Chardonnay marks a milestone for Dog Point Vineyard wines, all of which are now certified fully organic with BioGro New Zealand.

2016 Dog Point Vineyard Pinot Noir RRP $47 Red+White Cellar

Speaking of full organic certification and great Pinot Noir, meet Dog Point Vineyard Pinot Noir from 2016. This wine is a relatively new release and, as always with Dog Point Vineyard Pinot, it’s a full-bodied, velvety beauty with plenty of time up its sleeve. Buy a bottle to decant and serve in large glasses now, and stash at least half a case somewhere cool and dark for a good half decade or more. This lovely silky Pinot will age impeccably. It’s also great to see the evolution of one of Marlborough’s greatest wineries with all Dog Point wines now certified organic with BioGro New Zealand and sealed with screwcaps. 19/20

Quartz Reef NV Brut RRP $32.99 Vintners New Zealand

Winemaker Rudi Bauer exceeds expectations with his outstanding sparkling wines, which make up 40 per cent of his wine production in Central Otago. This makes him stand out in more ways than one: quality is at an all-time high and it’s unusual for an Otago winery to focus so strongly on wines other than Pinot Noir, although it is the toasty richness of the gently pressed Pinot grape that gives this sparkling wine its exceptionally consistent delicious edge.

Full-bodied, long, powerful and elegant all at once. A stellar bubbly from a great winemaker. 18.5/20

2015 Spencer Hill Reserve Fumé Sauvignon Blanc RRP $24 Spencer Hill Wine

The Moutere Hills in Nelson are home to a small but high quality range of wines, including this full-bodied, creamy and savoury tasting Sauvignon Blanc. It was fermented with wild yeasts in new French oak where it remained for nine months of lees contact. Creamy flavours come from malolactic fermentation in barrel, so if you’re a fan of a big buttery Chardonnay, check out this lively, rich dry white from the tip of the South Island. 17.5/20

2016 Pegasus Bay Aria Late Picked Riesling RRP $40 EuroVintage

The north-facing vineyard (full sun) planted on free draining terraces (healthy soils) are two of the factors that make this one of New Zealand’s most seductively succulent Rieslings. The third is the brave winemaking by Mat Donaldson and team. If the most important decision in the winemaking process is when to harvest the grapes, then Mat and his crew have it absolutely right. Ripe flavours of peach, mandarin and lemon are balanced by a light spritzy bubble, full body and powerful lingering finish. 19/20

For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 72.

42 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

yalumba.com

WINE NEWS

Crown Range opens members’ lounge in Parnell

WINE PRODUCER Crown Range Cellar has opened a members-only lounge and event space in Auckland’s Parnell, offering tastings, food and wine experiences and masterclasses.

The lounge showcases Crown Range’s own Signature Selection wine range alongside its other wine producers China Girl, Moon Rock, Stolen Heart, Drowsy Fish, and Fame.

Architect Ron Seeto designed the fitout to reflect the brand’s Central Otago origins with darkened wood and schist in the space, which had earlier been damaged by a fire. The new club is located in a courtyard close to central Parnell. Tastings are by appointment and combine a selection of fine wines with an informal but educational approach to wine appreciation.

“Our rebuild is designed to showcase the wines of Crown Range Cellar with a formal bar, wine racks covering the walls and a dining zone that can accommodate a long table for private lunches or dinners,” says Jing Song, Crown Range Cellar founder and owner. Membership includes a case of wine annually, lounge access for corporate/personal use (by appointment/availability), invitations to special wine and networking events, first right to new CRC releases and discounts off other CRC wines. crownrangecellar.com

SHOWCASE

News from RIOJA Tempranillo & Cava Bodegas Faustino (1861)

Info@sur.co.nz 021 44 95 96 sur.co.nz

Info@delmundo.co.nz 021 282 0110 delmundo.co.nz

Applications close soon for Family of Twelve Wine Tutorial New Zealand’s Family of Twelve wine group is taking applications for its second tutorial following the success of the inaugural event in 2018.

The 2019 Wine Tutorial will take place on August 4-6, 2019 at Family winery Villa Maria’s Auckland estate. Applications close on Friday 22 February and are open globally to those working with New Zealand wine in the spheres of sommelier, retailer, wine trade or educator.

The Family of Twelve says the tutorial’s purpose is to “pass on firsthand knowledge and the mantle of excellence to the next generation of industry leaders taking New Zealand wine into the future”.

Family Chair, Paul Donaldson, says it is a world-class wine event.

“The Family of Twelve’s collective background presents an unmatched opportunity to develop palates and generate 12 ambassadors for New Zealand wine. Once again, we will identify 12 candidates within the global wine market involved in promoting New Zealand wine.”

The two and a half-day wine tutorial will feature eight workshops and three dinners, with Family members presenting a selection of Family wines alongside fine international benchmark examples.

At the conclusion of the tutorial one of the 12 candidates will receive the ‘The Family of Twelve Award’ for the tutorial’s standout communicator, based on the strength and persuasion of their communication and on their tasting ability. The winner will receive a dozen magnums of the Family’s hero wines for their cellar.

For further information and to apply visit: familyoftwelve.co.nz/ application-information-wine-tutorial-2019/ or contact Kate Pritchard at: info@familyoftwelve.co.nz

44 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

WINE NEWS

New Chief Winemaker at Craggy Range CRAGGY RANGE has appointed Julian Grounds to the role of Chief Winemaker, with the new position due to start in early 2019.

Julian is relocating to New Zealand with his wife Sara and their two young children, nearly 10 years after they first met during harvest in Central Otago in 2010.

Craggy Range says Julian is a phenomenal talent with exceptional international experience, having worked in Central Otago, Oregon, Burgundy, Yarra Valley and more recently in Margaret River as Chief Winemaker for Cloudy Bay founder, McHenry Hohnen.

He was the Dux of the 2017 Len Evans Tutorial, one of Australia’s most prestigious wine industry acknowledgement for individuals, as well as Dux of Viticulture and Oenology at Curtin University, winning the Leeuwin/ Talijancich award for future leadership.

“Julian is one of the most talented young winemakers in the industry at the moment,” says Craggy Range Advisor Kym Milne MW. “He is passionate, ambitious and truly visionary. It is really exciting to think of how he will evolve Craggy Range in the future.”

Julian says he is excited to take up the role. “The potential of the New Zealand wine industry is unrivalled in the world at the moment. Add to this Craggy’s international reputation, absolute focus on quality and an aspiration to sit alongside the great wines of the world, makes it a really exciting opportunity. I am

really very humbled by the opportunity and look forward to making a positive contribution to what is already an iconic New Zealand brand.”

Craggy Range CEO Michael Wilding says it is arguably the most exciting period for the winery since its inception in the late 1990s. “We are not only achieving incredible success both here and abroad, but after a three-year search, the Peabody Family are making their largest new vineyard investments in more than a decade. Julian will play a pivotal role in defining the plantings and trials as we embark on this journey, which will not only support our growth, but most importantly will push our quality and leadership in the ultra-premium New Zealand wine category further.”

“Julian is one of the most talented young winemakers in the industry at the moment.”

craggyrange.com

SHOWCASE

Accolade launches Saving Grace Wines New from Accolade Wines comes Saving Grace – a range of wines made from grapes grown in the North Canterbury region.

This is a story about a place like no other.

On the edge of the world, watched by the Three Deans range to the West and sheltered from the stiff sea wind by the Teviotdale Hills, our place is in the heart of the North Canterbury wine region.

It’s as if the mountain sprawled there, high ridges along its spine. In the crook of an elbow, sheltering us from the sea wind, it made a place for us, and this place is our Saving Grace.

With the Southern Alps rising away, helping funnel the nor ‘wester down the valley, you’re quickly left in no doubt about who’s in charge. It’s Mother Nature.

And our people take their kaitiakitanga seriously: we’re here as guardians.

It’s a tricky place to grow grapes, on the edge of viticulture nirvana, the wind is sometimes playful, sometimes a relentless howl, it tests you, teases you and tramples on your heart, wearing you down to your last ounce of energy, and then it without warning it can be gentle and work with you to deliver the most pristine fruit to make into wine. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Over a quarter of a century, viticulturist Jean Luc has tended our vines, many of which he planted all those years ago. Together with diverse companion plants and the beneficial insects they encourage, we’ve learnt how to keep things in balance.

Our people are everything. We call them lifers, because they’ve dedicated decades to this place. Jean Luc, Ben, Chris, Tina, Alastair, Doug, Dennis, and Jude. These people are the family of Saving Grace. They’ve welcomed winemaker Brownie like family too. We all look out for each other, and we’re proud of it.

Saving Grace Wines will be available from 1 March 2019.

• • • • • • •

Sauvignon Blanc (oaked) Riesling 2018 (Spätlese style) Dry Riesling 2018 Chardonnay 2018 Grüner Veltliner 2018 Pinot Noir 2018 Noble Riesling 2018 savinggracewines.co.nz

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 45

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WINE NEWS

New wine studio and lounge in Hawke’s Bay A NEW tasting studio and wine lounge space called the Smith & Sheth Oenothèque has opened in Havelock North – one of the latest projects by Steve Smith MW’s Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates (AONZ).

AONZ is a partnership between Smith and US businessman Brian Sheth, in which they have built a portfolio of premium wine companies focused on providing unique wine experiences.

Located in the Porters Hotel complex, the Smith & Sheth Oenothèque is a modern space with an outdoor courtyard and is open from 10am to 8.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday. It takes its name from the French term ‘oenothèque’ which refers to a wine shop, cellar or collection of wines, or a wine bar.

Brown Bros adds Spritz BROWN BROTHERS has added a Prosecco Spritz to its range – combining orange and aromatic bitters with Brown Brothers Prosecco. Prosecco Spritz has the classic pear aromas of Prosecco, with the citrus and bitters adding a unique spin.

Brown Brothers recommends serving it as an aperitif, over ice in a wine glass.

Caroline Brown, fourth generation of the Brown Brothers family business, says it’s a twist on tradition that creates a new, easy to enjoy summer drink. “It’s blended to perfection and so simple to serve. Just add some ice and a slice of orange.”

8.5% ABV, RRP $17.99.

Taylor Brown

The day-time wine list showcases the Smith & Sheth CRU wine range and new boutique wines from around Hawke’s Bay in a traditional cellar door format. In the evening, there is a greater selection of wines on offer, including examples from Pyramid Valley Vineyards in North Canterbury and Lowburn Ferry from

Central Otago. There is also a grazing menu available.

Next door to the new space is the Smith & Sheth Heretaunga Studio, which offers wine tasting experiences (bookings required). smithandsheth.com

New Toi Toi low alc Sauvignon Toi Toi Wines has launched Toi Toi 8.5, its first lowalcohol wine in a can.

The family-owned brand says it is New Zealand’s lowest alcohol wine in a can and was created in response to growing customer demand for conveniently packaged, naturally lower alcohol drinks.

Toi Toi 8.5 is blended from 40% Toi Toi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and 60% Toi Toi Sauvignon Blanc.

The Reserve wine won the Perpetual Trophy for the Best Sauvignon Blanc Wine at the 2018 Sydney International Wine Competition in late 2018.

“More people are looking for a quality wine drinking experience without the high alcohol,” says Toi Toi Sales & Marketing Manager Samantha Joyce. “We’re sure Toi Toi 8.5 will prove popular as the festival season approaches. These new aluminium cans can go where bottles can’t. They’re perfect to pack in a picnic and they have the benefit of being unbreakable and recyclable too.”

Toi Toi Wines DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 47

BEER & CIDER REPORT

HIT REFRESH

Summer is here and the crowds are clamouring. Here are the latest releases in the beer and cider world…

48 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

BEER & CIDER REPORT

(Note: Beers and ciders are listed by % ABV.)

Steinlager Pure Light – available from March 2.5% ABV, 330ml 6-pack RRP $13.99 and 12-pack $20.99 Lion

Lion is expanding the choice for Steinlager fans with this new iteration that is lower in alcohol, calories and carbs. Steinlager Pure Light uses the same combination of hops as Steinlager Pure, with Pacific Jade and Nelson Sauvin. It has 72 calories per 330ml bottle, 1.5% carbs and at just 2.5% ABV is a good option for those not wishing to overindulge.

DB Export Gold Extra Low Carb 4% ABV 330ml 12-pack RRP $22.99 DB

This new offering builds on DB Export 33 by reducing the carbs even more: it has just 0.5 g/100ml compared with 1.5g/100ml in Export 33. As with its sibling, DB Export Gold Extra Low Carb uses an extended brewing process to achieve this and DB says it has 80% less carbohydrates when compared with the average carb content of leading beers (by sales volume). The beer is a crisp golden lager with a smooth, mild bitterness.

Sawmill Passionfruit Sour 4.5% ABV, 500ml RRP $10.99 Sawmill Brewery

Zipfer Weizen mit Citra 5.3% ABV 330ml RRP $3.50 and 4-pack RRP $12.99 Beer Labels

A great example of the current sour craze – this version from Sawmill won Gold at the 2018 Brewers Guild Awards and is now in bottle for the first time (previously keg only.) Brewed with hibiscus flowers and passionfruit, the beer has tropical fruit aromas and a tart, sour punch along with flavours of cranberry and a light spice note. Munich malt provides complexity as a toasty, bready character to the beer which is also topped with a light saltiness.

Fruity and refreshing.

Zipfer is a west Austrian brewery with a reputation for producing excellent beers of balance and refinement. This beautiful Weizen is a slightly hazy wheat beer that will surely rate as one of the most drinkable wheat beers you’ll ever come across. The traditional brown bottle lends an air of traditionalism to this very well-made brew. It pours golden and has light spice on the palate. Would pair very well with seafood, particularly the iconic wheat beer pairing of mussels.

Edelweiss Snowfresh Weissbier 5.0% ABV 330ml RRP $3.50 Beer Labels

Zipfer Pale Ale mit Calypso 5.4% ABV 330ml RRP $3.50 and 4-pack RRP $12.99 Beer Labels

Talk about pedigree – Edelweiss’s Austrian brewery has roots going back to 1475.

Their Snowfresh Weissbier is an intriguing drop that is more flavourful than many New Zealand brews of a similar style.

Self-described as “flavoured with alpine herbs”, the nose boasts a sweet, banana lolly aroma. The familiar wheaty notes are there, but also a juicy fruit and herbaceous character. Real Austrian beer is unusual in this country, and this one is definitely worth your time. Try and find some Leberkäse to try with it – a corned beef and pork meat loaf that Austrian people love with their beer.

A very drinkable, well-balanced pale ale from the Austrian Zipfer brewery. Drawing on the Calypso hop, they have produced a brew that pours a golden, orangey brown and maintains a distinguished flavour profile throughout. On the nose there’s a bit of resinous fruit, but in the glass it’s a picture of restraint and flavours working in harmony. There is a hint of bitterness that encourages repeat trips to the glass but once again, it maintains cohesiveness.

Recommended.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 49

BEER & CIDER REPORT

Sprig & Fern Mr Giblin Strikes Again 5.5% ABV 500ml RRP $6.99. Available from 13 Feb Sprig & Fern

Sprig & Fern Golden IPA 5.6% ABV 1.25L PET RRP $12.99 Sprig & Fern

A nod to Sprig & Fern’s Gary Giblin who semi-retired in 2017 after 23 years brewing alongside the brewery’s owner/ head brewer Tracy Banner. Created originally as ‘Mr Giblin’ for Marchfest 2018, Mr. Giblin Strikes Again is again a dry hopped IPA that is the ideal partner for lazy summer days.

An all American hopped IPA that uses three hop varieties, each with its own characteristics of tropical, spicy and citrus. These combine to create a crisp and refreshing IPA from renowned Nelson brewery Sprig & Fern.

Okocim 5.6% ABV 500ml RRP $4.99 Q Liquid

Okocim is a Polish brewery founded in 1845 in Brzesko, south-eastern Poland.

Nationalised after WWII, the brewery was re-privatised in 1996 and became part of the Carlsberg group. Today, their OK Beer is a widely recognised European pale lager that will suit New Zealand tastes. The carbonation is low, so it comes across as a smooth, simple, direct lager. The taste has a slight floral aspect but it’s more about the overall effect of the drop: light, clean, low hops. Would go very well with fish and chips this summer.

50 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

Good George’s new Brut IPA is a bone-dry beer with intense citrus aromas and a crisp and refreshing flavour.

Good George Brut IPA 5.8% ABV, 946ml RRP $15.99 Good George

This is Good George’s take on the phrase: “champagne taste on a beer budget”.

They’re reluctant to give too much away, but will say that a special enzyme used in the brew process devours the sugar to create a bone-dry beer with a crisp and refreshing flavour. It’s pale to light straw in colour with intense citrus aromas along with mango and white grape. It is dry and fresh with a clean finish.

Deep Creek Oakily Doakily: Flanders Red Ale 6% ABV, Keg only: on-premise Hancocks

The first release from Deep Creek’s barrel aged sour programme, this Flanders Red (spot The Simpsons reference in the name?) has distinct notes of black cherry and redcurrant with hints of mild vanilla.

Full-bodied, lightly tannic with a dry finish. Deep reddish brown from the blend of malts, this beer has additional layers of complexity from the barrels in which it’s been aged.

Mac’s Pressure Drop 6.2% ABV, 330ml 4-pack RRP $15.99 Lion

Mac’s limited release Pressure Drop is a cloudy American IPA full of hops and bitterness. It draws on a combination of Chinook, Amarillo and Mosaic hops for citrus, fruity flavour plus a second addition of the same as dry hop into cold maturation for more fresh hop aroma.

Pacific Jade bittering hops are added to the start of the kettle boil to bring the final bitterness to 55 IBU. Pressure Drop is brewed with rolled wheat, pilsner malt and crystal malts to give the beer a copper/orange colour and thick white head of foam.

BEER & CIDER REPORT

Deep Creek Gin Lime Double IPA 8.5% ABV, Keg only: off-premise with flagon stations and on-premise Hancocks

Made in collaboration with New Zealand craft distillers Karven, this is a big, smooth Double IPA. The complex gin botanicals impart subtle flavours of juniper, manuka and lemon peel, while fresh lime jumps out on the nose, adding to the citrus flavours from the hops.

Epic Thirteen 15% ABV, 500ml RRP $14.99 (Also in 30L keg) Epic

This is possibly the strongest beer available in New Zealand. At a massive 15% it’s got more booze than a glass of wine and tastes like it’s halfway to being a glass of whiskey. Brewed to celebrate Epic’s 13th birthday, this is a quadruple brut IPA that aficionados will lap up, but the casual drinker may also like to sample. The nose is (of course) boozy and on the palate there is a warmingly alcoholic, piney treacle sweetness. While many are probably a bit freaked by the description of this fortified beer, it’s a lot more drinkable than you might suppose.

Epic recommends drinking it not-toocold (8-12°C) to preserve the balance of its bitterness. Share it with a friend but definitely don’t shy away from it.

CIDER Rekorderlig Arctic Berries 4% ABV 330ml 4-packs RRP $12.99-14.99 DB

This new addition to the Swedish Rekorderlig range is a ‘New Zealand exclusive’ flavour using blueberry and lingonberry (the ‘Arctic Berries’ in the name) blended with apple cider. DB recommends serving it over ice with fresh berries.

Good George Pineapple Cider 4.5% ABV, 946ml RRP $13.99 Good George

Pineapple isn’t widely known as a fruit for cider, but the brewers at Good George say they gave the tropical ingredient a go in a cider-making experiment and were stunned by the results. This new cider from the Hamilton brewery is cloudy and pours a pale sunshine yellow. It has a tropical, juicy aroma, while on the palate it is fresh and sweet with a burst of pineapple flavour.

Peckham’s Chisel Jersey 2018 5.5% ABV, 750ml RRP $19.99, 330ml RRP $5.99 Hop and Vine

Gold medal-winning Chisel Jersey 2018 is Peckham’s first special release of 2019 and is available in limited quantities.

It’s wild fermented and made from the single varietal of Chisel Jersey – a 19th century cider apple variety from Martock, Somerset. This cider has intense fruit to the fore, followed by molasses and sherbet. Full bodied with a long finish and integrated natural sweetness.

Peckham’s Reserve Dry 2018 6.7% ABV, 330ml RRP $5.99 Hop and Vine

Nine traditional cider apples go into this funky number from famed New Zealand cidery Peckham’s. Aged for 12 months, it has intense apple peel aromas with a subtle earthiness. On the palate it is bone dry with a slightly tannic yet refreshing finish. Recommended.

Peckham’s Decadence 7.1% ABV, 330ml RRP $5.99 Hop and Vine

A blend of Peckham's Reserve Dry Cider and its 'Champion' Ice Cider. The aroma has a subtle sweetness with a slight barnyard character. It's rich and full in the mouth with sweet apple peel and a hint of tannin from the Reserve Dry. This would have wide appeal while still delighting the cider connoisseur.

For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 72.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 51

OPINION – BEER

Michael Donaldson

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

Ready to pucker up?

Michael Donaldson has the low-down on the sour beer craze sweeping the industry and converting a few non-beer drinkers along the way…

THERE’S A joke running around social media beer circles – a meme – with a bartender telling a customer: “We got both kinds – a hazy AND sour.” In the last issue, I talked about the rise of hazy (or New England) IPAs – the cloudy, softly bitter, juicy version of IPA that’s taken the beer planet by storm.

While haze is the craze, it’s not the only one: sour beers are coming out of a niche corner and converting a swathe of drinkers who thought they didn’t like beer. In particular, what’s known as “kettle soured” beers (usually fruit-infused) are winning over wine drinkers as a refreshing, lower alcohol alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.

It’s easy to understand why people who normally hate beer, love sours.

While humans have evolved to be wary of bitter – it can indicate toxicity – we’re pretty good with acidic flavour: think old-fashioned lemonade, acid drop lollies and er, wine. So, all those hop-haters are having a perfectly natural reaction – that bitter is not pleasant – but give them an acid buzz and they can relate.

Sour was beer’s natural state dating back thousands of years when no-one knew anything about yeast and all fermentation came courtesy of bugs from the air, plants or barrels – all of which impart a funky, tart flavour. It wasn’t until breweries learned more about yeast – in the past 200 years – that beer came to resemble the beverage it is now.

Despite technological change, sour beers remained popular in Belgium and 52 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

Germany and many of the modern brews riff off these traditional styles. These Belgian and German beers often took a lot of time to develop, relying either on natural “wild” fermentation from airborne yeasts or the long, slow effect of micro-organisms in wooden barrels.

It was an art not suited to today’s modern fast-moving beer industry – which is where technology has helped with what’s known as “kettle” souring.

Sometimes the industry doesn’t help itself with these arcane terms, but another way of saying it is “quick” souring, where lactobacillus (as in the bug that makes yoghurt) is added to the raw beer before it’s boiled in a brew-kettle. Left overnight, the beer develops an acid tang and brewers can refine the acidity level before they carry on and brew the beer as usual, with the boil process killing off the bacteria so it doesn’t have any further effect. The result is an effervescent, slightly tart, very dry beer.

As an aside, these kettle sours have a completely different flavour profile to barrel-aged sours or wild ferment sours, which can be really funky, with an aroma of silage (we can talk about these another time).

The addition of fruit to kettle sours – raspberry, blueberry, peach, feijoa – enhances and dances with the acidity to create beers with a refreshing, dry quality and a depth of flavour that can mask a lower ABV beautifully. One of the best examples of this is Garage Project’s White Mischief, which is infused with peach and a sprinkle of salt. It is delicate, refreshing and flavoursome – and weighs in at a flyweight 2.9 per cent ABV. Raspberry sours, as exemplified recently by Sawmill and Bach Brewing, are other delightful kettle sours, as is Kereru’s award-winning Feijoa Weisse.

Another term you’ll hear that’s in the same ballpark as kettle sour is Gose.

This traditional east German style, from the town of Goslar, has gone through a renaissance in recent years as modern brewers rediscovered an almost extinct style.

The traditional method was a salty beer brewed with coriander and lemon (North End’s Become The Ocean is a great example) – the salt working in the same way it does with salt and vinegar chips!

Again, breweries are going for fruit additions to this style. Deep Creek from Auckland are masters of this with Gosestyle beers that include watermelon, kiwifruit and tequila, smoked chilli, tamarillo and apricot.

So yeah, it’s beer – but not as you know it!

Sour beers are coming out of a niche corner and converting a swathe of drinkers who thought they didn’t like beer.

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BEER & CIDER NEWS

Good George comes to Auckland HAMILTON BREWERS Good George have opened their first Auckland venue in the waterfront suburb of Mission Bay. Good George Craft House, which opened in early December, takes the number of bars partowned or under license to Good George to 10. The venue is upstairs on the corner of Patteson Ave and Tamaki Drive and features two 500L serving tanks built into the bar and is open for lunch and dinner. goodgeorgemissionbay.co.nz

Negociants to distribute Scoundrels & Rogues North Canterbury cider maker Scoundrels and Rogues has appointed Negociants New Zealand as its exclusive national (excluding Christchurch) distributor to the New Zealand licensed trade.

Paul Donaldson (GM and founder) launched the brand in 2013 with just one cider and the range has since grown to five, with each one awarded at the NZ Cider Awards. Donaldson makes his ciders once a year in a traditional style using whole fruit, wild yeast and ageing in oak barrels for more than 12 months prior to bottling.

Andrew Parkinson, General Manager Negociants New Zealand, says they’re delighted to welcome Scoundrels and Rogues on board.

“On first sampling these craft ciders our team was energised and excited at the prospect of taking them to market. Fantastic branding and packaging, and to taste they are complex, full flavoured and delicious ciders of the highest order!”

Negociants New Zealand will be distributing the following Scoundrels and Rogues ciders and has stock available now.

Morally Bankrupt Pear Cider (7.9% ABV) – 500ml and 330ml Pleasantly Corrupted Apple Cider (8.5% ABV) – 500ml and 330ml Evil Genius Imperial Cider (10.9% ABV) – 500ml and 330ml Cold Shoulder Ice Cider (10.2% ABV) – 375ml Negociants

New format for Rekorderlig WatermelonStrawberry DB HAS added a 330ml 4-pack for its Watermelon-Strawberry Cider variant in the Rekorderlig range. It was first launched in 500ml bottles. The new 4-packs are RRP $12.99-$14.99 in traditional liquor and grocery, while the individual 330ml bottle is also available in on-premise at RRP $10.

DB DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 55

BEER & CIDER NEWS

Don’t miss the New World Beer & Cider Awards THE NEW World Beer & Cider Awards are back for 2019 and again offering the opportunity for local top ranked beers and ciders to be stocked and promoted in New World stores nationwide.

Entries close on Friday 15 February and details are available online at newworld. co.nz/wine-and-beer.

In this fifth year of the competition an expanded panel of 24 independent expert judges and eight associate judges in training will work under returning chair of judges, Michael Donaldson, to assess the hundreds of entries.

The Top 30 entries will be rewarded with prime space and promotion in New World stores nationwide, while the next 70 highest ranked beers and ciders will be Highly Commended. This Top 100 list will feature on the New World website when

results are released later in the year.

Michael Donaldson says a top placing in the awards can be a game-changer for entrants: “These awards are an unmatched opportunity for local beer and cider businesses to build their brand and following, with the chance to showcase their product in 135 stores across the

“These awards are an unmatched opportunity for local beer and cider businesses to build their brand and following.”

Michael Donaldson

country and get in front of thousands of potential new customers.”

New Kiwi brewery, Fortune Favours, were first-time entrants in 2018 and experienced an immediate boost after they won gold for their American Amber Ale, ‘The Oregonian’. “The New World Beer & Cider Awards provided a great springboard for us as a new brewery,” says Fortune Favours CEO Shannon Thorpe. “Fortune Favours was only a few months old at the time and we entered with some of our very first batches of packaged beer. The win was a massive achievement and helped make so many more people aware of our brewery and our beers.”

The company has continued to make the most of its accolade, using the added awareness to grow its retail customers, including around 60 New World stores, and the clientele of its Wellington-based brew bar.

The New World Beer & Cider Awards are open to breweries and cidermakers from around New Zealand and the world.

Entrants do not need to be an existing New World or Foodstuffs supplier but must be able to meet the minimum stock requirements set for each class.

Entries will be judged blind in Wellington in March with each one assessed on its technical excellence, balance and drinkability. newworld.co.nz/wine-and-beer

56 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

BEER & CIDER NEWS

MarchFest reveals 2019 brewery line-up

Marchfest has announced the 15 breweries for this year’s event in Nelson – with beers from 10 local breweries and five from around New Zealand making the cut.

The event will be held March 9 at Founders Park and is unique in that it offers beers specially created for the day.

The chosen beers comprise five APA/IPAs, three Lager/Pilsners, two Pale Ales, two Wheat Beers, two Stout/Porters and one Sour/Fruit.

Organisers say the 2019 beers from local breweries will include ‘Panda Bear’, a North Korean style rice beer from The Mussel Inn; ‘HooHA! Pale Ale’ from Eddyline; ‘Dirty Harry’, a hazy New England IPA from Golden Bear; and a sour grapefruit IPA from Renaissance. From further afield comes a ‘Milkshake Porter’ from Weezledog (Auckland), a traditional Belgian-style Witbier from Parrotdog (Wellington) and a cask-conditioned hazy IPA served on hand pump from the Beer Baroness (Christchurch),.

Other New Zealand breweries selected are Boneface (Upper Hutt) and Mean Doses (Wellington) plus regional breweries Moa, Horsebox, Hop Federation, Sprig & Fern, McCashins and Townshend’s. marchfest.com

Rosé Cider now in cans GOOD GEORGE has released its Rosé Cider in 330ml can 6-packs. The 4.5% ABV cider launched initially in Good George’s traditional 946ml squealer. It’s a rose pink cider with flavours of tart strawberry, vanilla and a hint of lime.

Good George Brewing

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i c x o e wa M

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The craft behind tequila and mezcal has seen interest in these Mexican classics continue to grow

58 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

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TEQUILA & MEZCAL REPORT

T EQUILA & MEZCAL REPORT

Tequila – RRP $30-$60 Coyote Blanco Tequila 38% ABV, 700ml RRP $34.99 Silver Fern Imports and Exports

A crystal clear tequila with aromas of cooked agave, and a subtle molasses sweetness.On the palate it is smooth yet intense. There are flavours of rich agave, a wood character and an underlying sweetness.

Sauza Gold 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $45.99 Beam Suntory

Tequila Blu 38% ABV, 700ml RRP $46.99 Independent Liquor

With aromas of sweet caramel and fruit, Sauza Gold has flavours of fresh agave with a hint of caramel and vanilla.

Medium-bodied with a sweet finish.

A reposado (rested) tequila that has spent six months in American oak barrels, adding a smooth oaky finish to its balanced flavour.

El Jimador Blanco 38% ABV, 700ml RRP $46.99 Hancocks

El Jimador Añejo 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $49.99 Hancocks

A versatile tequila with aromas of agave, apple and spice and mild agave flavour.

The finish is smooth, clean and warming.

A rich tequila with aromas of vanilla, hazelnut and a hint of cinnamon.

Aged for 12 months, its agave flavours have mellowed and sit alongside earthy notes with light cinnamon and other spices. A smooth finish with hints of oak and cherry.

El Jimador Reposado 38% ABV, 700ml RRP $46.99 Hancocks

Two months in oak gives this tequila its light gold hue, along with flavours of spicy cinnamon and apple.

TEQUILA AND MEZCAL Tequila Takes its name from the city of Tequila in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Legally, tequila can only be produced in this state and in four other regions of Mexico and is recognised as a protected designation of origin product. To be a true tequila, it must be made from the blue agave plant (also known as Weber Blue Agave, after the German botanist who first classified it) and produced in one of those recognised areas.

Mezcal is an agave-based liquor that can be made from any of up to 30 different varieties of the agave plant. It is made in nine different regions in Mexico. While the harvest of piñas is the same as for tequila, mezcal producers generally use underground earthen pits in which to slow bake their piñas, which imparts the distinctive smoky flavour of mezcal.

Avión Espresso 35% ABV, 700ml RRP $50.99 Pernod Ricard

A blend of Italian espresso with Avión Silver tequila. It has a touch of sweetness with a clean, dry finish. Serve as a chilled shot, over ice, or use in cocktails.

Sauza Silver 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $53.99 Beam Suntory

A crystal clear tequila with fresh green apple notes, followed by jasmine and hints of fine spice. It has a fresh agave taste with green apple and hints of citrus.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 59

TEQUILA & MEZCAL REPORT

Espolòn Reposado 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $54.99 EuroVintage

Six months in American oak barrels gives this tequila a rich golden hue and a spicy nose with a hint of caramel fudge. The taste is bold and full-bodied with rich roasted agave, sweet tropical fruit, vanilla and a long spicy finish.

Arette Blanco 38% ABV, 700ml RRP $59.99 Tickety-Boo

Initial aromas of sweet cooked agave are followed by fresh citrus, black pepper and an earthy spice.

Patrón XO Café 35% ABV, 750ml RRP $59.99 EuroVintage

A dark, dry coffee liqueur combined with Patrón Silver. Aromas of fresh coffee, chocolate and vanilla continue on the palate along with a light tequila taste and a smooth, dry finish. Versatile in cocktails or serve neat over ice for a dessert alternative.

Tequila – RRP $60-$100 1800 Silver 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $64.99 Lion

A blend of specially selected white tequilas. 1800 Silver has a clean, balanced taste with hints of sweet fruit and pepper.

Versatile enough to serve on the rocks, as a shot, or in cocktails.

1800 Coconut 35% ABV, 750ml RRP $64.99 Lion

Arette Reposado 38% ABV, 700ml RRP $64.99 Tickety-Boo

Natural coconut flavour is infused into 1800 Silver to create this expression with its slightly sweet and medium-bodied tropical taste. Ideal for serving on the rocks or in tropical-inspired cocktails – it pairs especially well with pineapple juice.

Aged for six months in American white oak, this tequila has aromas of citrus, caramel and cooked agave, with citrus and vanilla flavours, an earthy note and cinnamon sweetness. The finish is rich and spicy, with an oily texture. Serve neat or in a tequila-forward cocktail.

1800 Reposado 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $64.99 Lion

This tequila is matured in American and French oak barrels for a minimum of six months. It has notes of buttery caramel, mild spices and a touch of smoke from the barrel finishing.

Essential 1800 Artist Series 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $64.99 Lion

Released annually, these limited edition bottles contain 1800 Silver Tequila and feature label art from world-renowned artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gary Baseman and Keith Haring.

Tequila Production Agave plants are succulents that grow well in Mexico’s hot, arid conditions and produce thick, spiky leaves. Careful tending by the jimadores (agave harvesters) allows the plants to ripen fully – often up to 12 years. When ready to harvest, the jimadores cut away the spiky leaves to reach the core, known as the piña, which resembles a giant pineapple without its top. The piñas are baked over hours or days (depending on the producer) and then mashed under a large stone wheel. The extracted agave juice (wort) is then fermented and distilled twice to produce clear tequila.

Ageing This initial clear tequila can be bottled as ‘silver’ tequila (also known as ‘plata’ or ‘blanco’), or further aged in barrel to create reposado (for minimum two to eight months), añejo (minimum 12 months) or extra añejo (minimum three years).

60 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

T EQUILA & MEZCAL REPORT

Casamigos Blanco 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $94.99 Federal Merchants

The Blanco rests for two months in American oak. It is crisp and clean with hints of citrus, vanilla and sweet agave, and a long smooth finish.

Herradura Plata 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $94.99 Hancocks

This ‘Plata’ expression from Herradura is aged 45 days and has aromas of green and cooked agave, with herbal and slightly woody notes. Flavours of agave, wood and citrus give way to a smooth, clean and warming finish.

Olmeca Altos Plata 40% ABV, 700ml RRP$ 64.99 Pernod Ricard

1800 Añejo 38% ABV, 750ml RRP $79.99 Lion

Herradura Reposado 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $98.99 Hancocks

The Olmeca Altos range is newly released in New Zealand. The Plata has aromas of sweet cooked agave with herbal notes and a subtle citrus quality. On the palate it is smooth and soft, with lime and lemon characters and a lingering sweetness on the finish.

A minimum of 14 months ageing in French oak barrels gives this tequila flavours of toasted oak, vanilla and butterscotch, with a spicy, well-rounded finish. Ideal served as a sipping tequila.

Eleven months in American white oak intensifies the aromas of cooked agave in this tequila, along with hints of anise, fruit and spice. It is rich with flavours of sweet cooked agave, vanilla, butter and dried fruit. The finish is smooth and sweet with a hint of brown spice.

Olmeca Altos Reposado 40% ABV, 700ml RRP$ 69.99 Pernod Ricard

Ageing for 6-8 months in white oak gives the Reposado expression of Olmeca Altos its woody aromas with a hint of sweet orange and vanilla. It is rounded and full on the palate with more sweet orange, cooked agave and subtle wood character.

Avión Silver 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $85.99 Pernod Ricard

An intense agave aroma with subtle mint and rosemary, delicate floral and black pepper characters and hints of grapefruit and pineapple. Crisp and clean, well balanced and smooth.

Patrón Silver 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $99 EuroVintage

This silver tequila from Patrón is handmade in small batches. It is soft, smooth and sweet on the palate with fresh agave, hints of citrus and a finish of light pepper.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 61

TEQUILA & MEZCAL REPORT

THE BRANDS 1800

1800 Tequila takes its name from the year in which the first tequila was distilled and aged and its bottles are a distinctive triangular shape that references the ancient Mayan stone pyramids found throughout Mexico.

1800 Tequilas are all made from Weber Blue Agave grown for 8-12 years in Jalisco.

Alipus

Alipus was created to provide a market for family artisan mezcal distilleries in Mexico so they could stay in business and continue their traditions. It offers premium artisanal mezcals hand-distilled in small family distilleries in rural pueblos in the state of Oaxaca, in southwest Mexico. The distilleries preserve the traditional centuries-old ways of distilling mezcal, which are slow and labour intensive. Each mezcal reflects the individuality of the family’s craftsmanship.

Arette

Arette tequila is made at the El Llano distillery in the town of Tequila.

One of the oldest distilleries in the region still in production, it is operated by the Orendain brothers, who are descendants of one of the most recognised families in the tequila industry.

Avión

Based in Jalisco, tequila producer Avión uses blue agave grown in the highlands of Los Altos on a single estate at 7000 feet above sea level, which creates a richer and naturally sweeter tequila. It describes its distillation processes as “the art of inefficiency”, referring to the fact its Master Distiller removes significant ‘heads’ and ‘tails’ during distillation, meaning it takes up to 30% more agave to make one bottle of Avión, versus other ultra-premium tequila. Each bottle is hand-filled and the batch and bottle codes are handwritten on the labels.

Avión also uses a proprietary ultra-slow filtration system to create a smooth profile in its tequila.

Casamigos

This tequila brand was created in 2013 by actor George Clooney with longtime friends Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. The name Casamigos translates from Spanish as “house of friends”. It was bought

by Diageo in 2017 for US$1bn. At the time, Diageo described it as “the fastest growing super-premium

62 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

tequila brand in the US.” Casamigos is a small batch, ultra-premium tequila and its traditional production includes slow roasting of the piñas in brick ovens, use of pot stills, a proprietary yeast blend and extra slow 80-hour ferment.

Coyote

Coyote brand tequila is imported and bottled in Australia by Carlton & United Breweries. The brand says it is inspired by the wild coyote that is indigenous to south west and central Mexico.

El Jimador

This tequila brand launched in 1994 and takes its name from those who harvest the agave plants used in tequila production, the ‘jimadores’.

Espolòn

A premium tequila-maker based at the San Nicolas distillery in Jalisco.

With its distinctive illustrated labels and reputation for playing rock music in the distillery to ‘inspire’ the agave, Espolòn is regarded as something of a cult favourite.

Fortaleza

Tequila Fortaleza traces its family roots back to 1873 and the establishment of a tequila distillery in Jalisco by local Don Cenobio.

A second family distillery in the region, La Fortaleza, was subsequently revived by his greatgreat-grandson in the late 90s and the brand launched in 2005.

Gracias a Dios

Gracias a Dios, which translates from Spanish as “Thank God” is an artisan mezcal producer in Mexico’s state of Oaxaca. It uses a range of agaves in its production. The agave’s piñas are cooked for four days in a dirt oven before crushing, fermentation and distillation.

Herradura

Tequila Herradura traces its origins in Jalisco from 1870, remaining family-owned for 125 years. The name ‘Herradura’ means ‘horseshoe’ in Spanish, and is said to relate to the discovery on the hacienda property of a horseshoe that was thought to be lucky.

Horseshoes are still displayed in the historic hacienda in Jalisco (now a museum) and, as with those on the bottle, they point downward “so that good fortune may pour out for those who enjoy Herradura”.

Mezcal Mala Idea

“Mala Idea” translates as “bad idea” and is said to refer to the Mexican company’s aim of sourcing the ripest and most mature agave plants for its range of mezcal, however challenging it may be. Mala Idea uses semi-cultivated/wild Espadin agaves through to wild varieties such as Tobala, Cuishe, and Tepextate.

It employs traditional methods to make the mezcal, including open-air fermentation to use wild yeasts.

Olmeca Altos

Olmeca Altos tequilas are produced in Jalisco, using agave from the Los Altos region, which is known for growing sugar-rich plants. The agave is harvested and processed using traditional methods, with brick ovens and a 2-ton tahona stone doing the final work before double distillation in small-batch copper stills. The brand is owned by Pernod Ricard and distributed in more than 80 countries.

Patrón

This ultra-premium tequila brand launched in 1989 and takes its name from the Spanish term for “the good boss”. Its entire tequila-making process is based at Hacienda Patrón in Jalisco, where the hand-harvested piñas are baked in small brick ovens then crushed by a two-ton volcanic stone tahona wheel and a roller mill.

The resulting mixture is fermented for three days, distilled and aged in handmade barrels where applicable.

The distinctive Patron bottles are handmade by Mexican glass artisans. Bacardi bought Patron in early 2018.

Sauza

Don Cenobio Sauza founded his tequila distillery in Jalisco in 1873, with his son and grandson following in the family business.

Now owned by Beam Suntory, Sauza tequila is still produced at the original distillery.

Tequila Blu

Tequila Blu is made in the town of Tequila, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. It uses water sourced from beneath the town, which flows from a local volcano, aptly named “Tequila.” Tequila Blu uses 100% blue agave grown in four different regions of Mexico.

T EQUILA & MEZCAL REPORT

Tequila – RRP $100-$199 Casamigos Reposado 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $104.99 Federal Merchants

This is the original Casamigos, with seven months ageing. A golden colour, it is soft and slightly oaky with hints of caramel and cocoa. It has a silky texture with a long, smooth finish.

Herradura Añejo 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $106.99 Hancocks

The Herradura Seleccion Suprema Extra Añejo is aged 49 months, giving it aromas of agave, dry wood, vanilla cinnamon and rose petal.

Ageing for just over two years gives this tequila a rich, dark copper hue. It has intense aromas of cooked agave and spices, which continue in the complex flavour, along with dried fruit notes and toasted oak. The finish is smooth, sweet and slightly spicy.

Casamigos Añejo 40% ABV, 700ml RRP $114.99 Federal Merchants

Aged for 14 months, this tequila has a complex aroma, with soft caramel and vanilla notes. There is balanced sweetness from the agave, subtle hints of spice and barrel oak, and a lingering smooth finish.

Tequila – RRP $200 and above Fortaleza Añejo 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $209.99 Tickety-Boo

This golden-hued tequila is aged for 18 months in American oak, creating aromas of caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and cooked agave. It is rich and complex with mouth-filling flavours of butterscotch, caramel, toffee, citrus, and hazelnut.

Herradura Seleccion Suprema Extra Añejo 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $629.99 Hancocks

This very special Extra Añejo is aged 49 months, giving it a dark amber colour and aromas of agave, dry wood, vanilla, cinnamon and rose petal. It has complex flavours of rich vanilla, oak and dried fruit.

It is creamy and soft in the mouth with a long finish. One to savour.

Gran Patrón Piedra 40% ABV, 750ml RRP $750 EuroVintage

The word “piedra” means “stone” in Spanish and refers to the large stone wheel (tahona) used to slowly crush the cooked agave piñas after harvest. This tequila rests in new oak barrels for at least three years and is a deep mahogany colour when bottled. It has a sweet aroma of fruit, fresh mushroom, light citrus, and toasted French oak. The taste is sweet, rich and complex, combining an herbaceous agave flavour with light vanilla and fresh mushroom. The finish is smooth and lingering.

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 63

TEQUILA & MEZCAL REPORT

Mezcal Gracias a Dios Espadín Joven 45% ABV, 700ml RRP $89.99 Tickety-Boo

This mezcal is made from 100 per cent Espadín Agave, grown for eight years.

Flavours of spice and smoke give way to sweet fruits and a hint of citrus. Dry and spicy on the finish.

Gracias a Dios Espadín Reposado 45% ABV, 700ml RRP $94.99 Tickety-Boo

This 100 per cent Espadín agave mezcal is aged for four months in American oak.

It has aromas of spicy oak, wild herbs and citrus pith, while the palate adds spice, smoke and minty, fruity elements.

Balanced and fragrant, with earthy notes.

Alipús San Baltazar 47-49% ABV, 750ml RRP $99 Proof & Company

This mezcal is produced by Don Cosme Hernandez and his son Cirilo using Maguey Espadin agave roasted in a stone oven pit, then crushed using mule-driven tahona and fermented in pinewood tubs.

It has aromas of lime, pineapple, orange and guava with subtle herbal notes. There is prominent citrus on the palate, with roasted agave and banana.

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Alipús San Andrés 47.7% ABV, 750ml RRP $110 Proof & Company

Gracias a Dios Cuixe Wild Agave 45% ABV,700ml RRP $129.99 Tickety-Boo

This mezcal is made from agave Espadín grown at about 5,000 feet on thin calciferous-soiled low hills and terraces.

It is fermented in cypress vats and has an intense roasted agave aroma with caramel and white flowers. There are hints of wood on the palate; good acidity with medium lingering flavour. Pair with grilled meats.

Unique agave Cuixe are harvested after 15 years for use in this mezcal. Agave Cuixe are easily recognised by their elongated “piña”, which grow out of the ground like a tall stalk, and have a spread of leaves at the top. This mezcal has strong aromas of moss and moisture and persistent flavours of clove, white pepper, cinnamon and apples. Ideal served with chicken, salads and Mediterranean cuisine.

Alipús San Luis 47.9% ABV, 750ml RRP $110 Proof & Company

One of the newer additions to the Alipus group, producer Don Baltazar Cruz Gómez and his children make their mezcal with 100% maguey Espadín, which is roasted in a stone-lined, wood-fired pit. It is fermented in pine vats and double distilled in copper stills. It has a smoky aroma with notes of roasted agave. On the palate there are hints of toasted seeds and a smoky flavour. Pair with seafood, such as grilled octopus or oily fish.

Gracias a Dios Tobala Wild Agave 45% ABV, 700ml RRP $129.99 Tickety-Boo

Agave Tobala harvested after 15 years are used in this mezcal, which is vegetal and funky, with notes of smoke and peat.

The palate is balanced and complex with subtle fruit and spice, and a hint of lime zest. Flavours of capsicum and thyme balance the sweet agave notes; slightly tropical with a hint of mint. The finish is long and well-rounded.

Gracias a Dios Tepextate Wild Agave 45% ABV, 700ml RRP $129.99 Tickety-Boo

This mezcal is full of character thanks to the wild agave Tepextate, found on cliff-tops, that is used in its creation. It has mineral flavours, along with citrus notes of grapefruit and lime zest.

Mala Idea Ensamble 45% ABV, 700ml RRP $200 La Fuente

Made from three different wild agaves, this mezcal has aromas of roasted agave and sweet smoke, quince, pears and green chilli. On the palate there are herbal agave notes, spice, and deep mushroomy characters; powerful but harmonious.

For distributor details see Distributor Index on page 72.

OPINION – SPIRITS

Dominic Roskrow

UK-based world spirits expert Editor - Whisky Quarterly

The write stuff Dominic Roskrow releases his inner grumpy old man and stands up for well presented pub chalk boards...

I DON’T know about you, but I can’t help feeling that the year has not started well.

Perhaps it’s because I’m living in Britain, and the combination of winter, austerity and Brexit have taken their toll.

Or perhaps it’s just an intense bout of post-festive blues. But I am concerned that I’m turning into a full-time grumpy old man.

It is true, I’ve always had the potential.

But I used to get angry about major things such as homelessness, right-wing extremists, and the incompetence of Leicester City’s manager. Now, though, trivial things are irking me. Like chalk boards displaying a bar or pub’s range of craft beers, gins or whiskies.

It is not an entirely new affliction.

I have a totally disproportional hatred of bad grammar, and particularly the misuse of apostrophe’s. Thats a joke. So’s that.

[Stop it. – Ed] I am not alone in this. The late and great comedian Bob Monkhouse once told me that if an apostrophe was misplaced on a restaurant chalk board, he wasn’t able to eat there.

It’s a definite affliction. I have to restrain myself from correcting other people’s Twitter messages, because doing so makes me appear arrogant and pompous. But I strongly believe that on a more general level a chalk board that misspells Johnnie Walker, Aberlour or Laphroaig, or presents the selection in scrawly rushed writing, or sprinkles commas and apostrophes like confetti, leaves a very poor impression on the customer.

It came to a head over Christmas when a friend and I went for a meal and the chalk board was brought to our table. It 66 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

Chalk boards can be a force for good. They add atmosphere and a personal touch. wasn’t the best, but it was Christmas so I swallowed hard and ordered the trout.

“We don’t have any trout left,” I was informed.

“Okay,” I said. “The sea bass please.”

“Sorry,” said the server. “We’ve just sold the last one.”

That was too much.

“So what’s the point of the chalk board?” I exclaimed. “Why didn’t you just rub off the dishes you no longer have?”

“We didn’t want to upset the girl who did the chalk board by messing it up,” I was told.

Of course. Silly me.

But there is a serious point here. Our local pub has something of an artist on the staff. There is a highly tasteful and colourful display of gins, tonics and

garnishes, complete with little pictures.

It cheers me up every time I see it, and it definitely makes the premium price that it ends with seem much more palatable.

Chalk boards can be a force for good. They add atmosphere, a personal touch, and a sense that the portfolio of drinks is fluid and dynamic. There is something bucolic and wholesome about a chalk board.

My favourite London pub is no longer with us, alas, as they’ve demolished it to build a high-speed rail line. But it was known for its extraordinary turnover of real ale and cider, requiring the extensive chalk boards to be changed on a regular basis. Eventually it became too much, so an electronic programmable display with garish bright red characters was put in.

New additions flashed. It changed the atmosphere of the pub, making it more sterile and remote.

So if you’re going to use a chalk board, make an effort. Make the writing legible. Check the grammar and punctuation. Go for bright and cheery.

And make a grumpy old man happy.

Thank you.

NEW

DISCOVER THE VIVID BLEND WHERE OLD MEETS NEW JAPAN

#TOKITIME For more information please contact our National Contact Centre on: 0800 69 23 37

SUNTORY TOKITIME.COM

SPIRITS NEWS

Tickety-Boo to distribute Stoli

Time for whisky

TICKETY-BOO LIQUOR has announced it is taking over the distribution, sales and marketing of the Stoli Group portfolio in New Zealand.

The change took effect in January 2019. The distribution was previously with Independent Liquor Ltd. Tickety-Boo Liquor says it will focus initially on Stoli Premium Vodka, introducing the 700ml in February 2019 as the future focus SKU for liquor retail, in-line with Stoli Group’s global brand positioning.

It says future planning includes the introduction of the complete Stoli portfolio of vodka, including its very successful flavour portfolio, the ultra-premium Stoli Gold, and ultra-luxury elit Vodka.

“Vodka is a key spirit category in New Zealand,” says Kevin Rowe, Managing Director of Tickety-Boo Liquor.

“Stoli is a well-established brand, with a strong following and, critically, real growth potential. The team and I are very excited about the opportunity to integrate Stoli into the Tickety-Boo Liquor’s spirits portfolio and work closely with our retail partners to grow the complete range of products.”

Tickety-Boo Liquor

NEW FROM Beam Suntory comes Suntory Whisky Toki – a blend of whiskies from Suntory’s Hakushu, Yamazaki, and Chita distilleries. “Toki” means “time” in Japanese and the whisky contains the unique pairing of Hakushu American white oak cask malt whisky with Chita heavytype grain whisky.

Suntory Whisky Toki has aromas of basil, green apple and honey. On the palate there is grapefruit, green grapes, peppermint and thyme, while the finish is subtly sweet and spicy with a hint of vanilla oak, white pepper and ginger.

Beam Suntory says consumers continue to discover Japanese whisky, as indicated by global category growth of +23%* and Suntory Whisky Toki is premium Japanese whisky that represents the entry to the House of Suntory portfolio and into the overall Japanese whisky category.

43% ABV, 700ml RRP $69.99

Beam Suntory * IWSR (2016): Sales Volume 2012-2016 CAGR (9L c/s) for above standard in the Int’l region

SHOWCASE

Finlandia unveils new bottle design FINLANDIA Vodka is now available in an eyecatching new bottle design that encapsulates the premium nature, quality and craftmanship of the award-winning spirit.

The new bottle features a distinctive ‘Flowing Ice’ design, continuing an almost 50-year tradition of ice-inspired bottles, while alluding to the natural quality of the vodka. It is now available in New Zealand for wholesale and retail through distributor Hancocks.

FINLANDIA Vodka is made from pure, glacial spring water and the finest Suomi barley, grown under Finland’s ‘Midnight Sun’ (a time over summer when the sun doesn’t set for 72 days). State-of-the-art distillation transforms these untreated, natural ingredients into the smooth, crisp taste of FINLANDIA Vodka, encased in the premium design of its ice-inspired bottle.

Drawing on its Finnish heritage, reindeer and the famous Midnight Sun are now embossed on the bottle’s shoulder, while an eye-catching new colour palette further reinforces FINLANDIA’s premium status. With a deep blue cap, neck wrap and label, striking copper detail for key messaging and a visual representation of the Midnight Sun, the new FINLANDIA Vodka bottle design is distinctive when compared with competitor branding.

Adopting bespoke font for its wordmark – surrounded by fine rays of light emanating from the midnight sun image – the bottle’s label

68 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

provides the level of detail consumers expect from premium brands.

Consumers have been quick to praise the design, with research* showing widespread appreciation of the new style, surpassing all benchmark expectations across quality, premium pricing, brand identity and purchase intent.

The new bottle scored exceptionally well in pack test research among key markets participants, with most-liked elements including the new blue cap, “Vodka from the Land of the Midnight Sun” messaging, the embossed shoulder design, the ‘cut sun’ label graphic and the refined wordmark.

The bottle’s evolution builds on FINLANDIA Vodka founding principles: Luonto (nature), Tislaus (distillation), and Muotoilu (design) and is influenced by Finland’s global reputation for quality and pristine nature.

Availability The new FINLANDIA Vodka bottle design is available from Hancocks (hancocks.co.nz).

FINLANDIA Vodka range includes: FINLANDIA Classic, 1L RRP $39.99, FINLANDIA Classic, 700ml RRP $34.99, and FINLANDIA Flavours including: Lime, Mango, Grapefruit and Cranberry, 700ml RRP $36.99 per bottle.

Contact Hancocks on 0800 699 463. * Source: Online Pack Test Research conducted by Incite, March 2017

SPIRITS NEWS

New cans for Woodstock Easy Roller INDEPENDENT LIQUOR has launched a new format for its popular Woodstock Easy Roller bourbon RTDs. The Easy Roller variants of ‘Crisp Apple’and ‘Ginger Beer’ were first released in August 2017 in 330ml bottles and are now available in 250ml can 12-packs.

Independent Liquor says Easy Roller was designed to open bourbon RTDs up to new occasions by offering consumers mixers other than cola combined with authentic barrel aged Kentucky bourbon, and the introduction of the new Easy Roller can format is ideal for summer. RRP $24.99 for a 250ml can 12-pack.

Independent Liquor

SHOWCASE

Hancocks to distribute Tito’s Handmade Vodka Hancocks has added international success story Tito’s Handmade Vodka to its portfolio and is now the exclusive New Zealand distributor.

Tito’s has become one of the fastest growing spirits brands in the world, driven by word-of-mouth and an army of loyal followers who appreciate its smooth taste and authentic values.

Hancocks Senior Brand Manager Jacqueline Nichols says Hancocks is very proud and excited to be distributing the award-winning vodka in New Zealand.

“It’s a fantastic brand and a must-have on any list or retail shelf.”

Founder and master distiller, Bert “Tito” Beveridge, created his recipe for the vodka when he opened the first legal microdistillery in Austin, Texas in 1995. His ambition was to make the best vodka out there, a smooth vodka that everyone can sip. Tito perfected his corn-based recipe by employing the same pot still methods applied to fine single malt scotches and the highest-end French cognacs. He sold his first case two years later in 1997.

The clarity and unmatched smoothness of Tito’s Handmade Vodka is the cleanest expression of the spirit, and one of very few suitable to be enjoyed neat. Distilled from corn, it is naturally gluten-free – an important quality in today’s market.

The Tito’s brand has also become known for its support of good causes around the world through its philanthropic initiative ‘Love, Tito’s’. This includes a range of charities and animal rescue initiatives, including its ‘Vodka for Dog People’ program.

For stockist inquiries contact Hancocks on 0800 699 463.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka • One of the fastest growing spirits brands in the world • Naturally gluten-free vodka • A smooth, sippable vodka made from a corn-base using traditional pot stills • Authentic brand story of artisan creation and support of good causes, including animal rescue • Signature drink in New Zealand is Tito’s Mule: Tito’s Handmade Vodka with Fentiman’s Ginger Beer & Lime

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 69

SHOWCASE

Win a trip to Jameson’s home in Dublin with your mate ALWAYS WANTED to visit the home of the world’s best-selling Irish whiskey?

Jameson’s St Patrick’s Day competition offers the keys to an unforgettable experience in Ireland. They’re giving a lucky winner the chance to win a weekend trip to Dublin with a mate. You won’t just be exploring one of the world’s coolest cities, you’ll also be given the keys to the distillery! Here, you’ll discover every nook and cranny of the Jameson Distillery on Bow St, including founder John Jameson’s office. Blend a whiskey as unique as your friendship to take home and have your name etched into Jameson history at the distillery bar. Two night’s accommodation is included, as well as a day pass for a Dublin festival.

So, the burning question is – how to win?

Enter at www.jamesonwhiskey.co.nz and tell us what you'd do with the keys to our distillery. Competition runs 11 February to 31 March 2019. Be in to win a taste of Jameson in Dublin!

ST. PATRICK’S DAY 17th MARCH DON’T JUST WEAR GREEN. POUR IT.

– WIN – A TRIP TO OUR HOME IN DUBLIN WITH YOUR MATE.

Tell us what you’d do with the keys to our distillery to be in with a chance to win.

Enter now at jamesonwhiskey.co.nz

To enter: Submit online entry form. 1 entry per person. Open to NZ residents 18+.

Promotion period 11.02.19 – 31.03.19. Winner drawn 04.04.10. Full T&Cs apply. See website for details.

Terms and conditions apply. See website for details.

Jameson Whiskey Makers Series Jameson Brand Ambassador for New Zealand, Roisin Oates, gives some insight into the unique Whiskey Makers Series…

The Whiskey Makers Series is a whiskey trilogy series where our Master Distiller, Master Cooper and Master Blender create a whiskey to reflect the passion of their trade. Each whiskey is named after the makers’ tools – the tangible connection between the person and the skill. The tools symbolise the world of craftsmanship in a concrete and realistic way. They provide a glimpse of the craft itself and invite whiskey lovers to learn more about the makers and their world.

Jameson currently has two of the Whiskey Makers Series available to the New Zealand market: The Distiller’s Safe and The Cooper’s Croze.

The Distiller’s Safe is a whiskey that celebrates the craft of our Head Distiller, Brian Nation, and his mastery of the Irish Pot Still. It also represents his command of the distiller’s safe, which allows him to confirm the quality of what’s inside the

70 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

pot still, without having to open it. Brian wanted to highlight the beauty and power of the distillates, aiming to capture their unique personality before there is too much influence from the casks.

With a focus on the distillate, this whiskey showcases subtle, delicate, sweet notes of Irish Grain Whiskey complemented by the robust character of the Irish Pot Still Whiskey.

The Cooper’s Croze is Jameson’s fifth generation Master Cooper, Ger Buckley’s whiskey, which honours his mastery at selecting, repairing and maintaining the treasured casks at our distillery.

This is Ger’s way of celebrating the wood that he has worked with all his life, through a heavily oak-influenced whiskey, with sweet tasting roasted hazelnut notes. His favourite tool, the “Croze” is used for making the grooves into which the head of the cask is positioned. To use a Croze correctly, many years of practise are needed, something Ger has in abundance.

This whiskey pays tribute to the wood used, achieving pot spice and floral grain notes with an oaky character.

The Whiskey Makers Series is the ultimate celebration of our craft. This collaborative effort from our makers has resulted in these unique and great tasting whiskeys.

Pernod Ricard roisin_jameson.nz

Kiwi makes best G&T in AsiaPacific Auckland bartender Arun Rodgers of 1885 has won the grand prize in the sixth annual East Imperial Gin Jubilee in Singapore COMBINING INNOVATIVE homemade ingredients with G&T classics proved a winning strategy for bartender Arun Rodgers of Auckland’s 1885 at the recent East Imperial Gin Jubilee 2018 held in Singapore. His cocktail ‘Message in a Bottle’ beat entries from 138 other bars around the Asia-Pacific region to be crowned the winner at the event in early December.

Arun had previously won the Auckland leg of the East Imperial Gin & Tonic Festival in April, before it visited Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, where bars competed for the top Gin & Tonic in their respective markets, creating innovative variations of the classic cocktail using East Imperial.

The festival concluded with the grand finale back in Singapore, where Arun’s overall win was announced at the nine-day event, which is regarded as Asia-Pacific’s premier Gin & Tonic festival. The winning cocktails were chosen based on popular votes and the verdicts of a professional judging panel.

Singapore’s winner was Bannie Kang of Anti:Dote with her “MAE:SIL” cocktail using Ford’s Gin, East Imperial Burma Tonic, berry cordial and citrus. facebook.com/ginjubilee

Message in a Bottle Created by Arun Rodgers - 1885 Ingredients 30ml Beefeater 24 Gin 15ml Aperol East Imperial Burma Tonic water 15ml Morning Sunshine Syrup 10ml Citric acid solution Method Garnish with lemon bubbles and fruitalicious toffee shard.

MAE:SIL Created by Bannie Kang – Anti:Dote Ingredients 45ml Ford’s Gin 40ml MAE:SIL verbena compote (see below) East Imperial Burma Tonic water Garnish: green herbs / Black pearl oyster MAE:SIL compote: maesil enzyme 30ml maesil tea 150g, maesil jam 30ml, citrus acid 2g, verbena 15g Method Pour Ford’s Gin into glass.

Add maesil compote.

Top up with half of East Imperial Burma Tonic.

Stir well and serve with extra tonic on the side.

(Note: Maesil are green plums that grow in Asia and are often used in cooking as an extract or made into wine.)

DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 71

DISTRIBUTORS DIRECTORY

Distributors Accolade Wines

Glengarry

03 520 6011 accolade-wines.com

0800 733 505 glengarry.co.nz

Beam Suntory

Good George Brewing

0800 69 23 37 beamsuntory.com

Beer Labels

07 846 9364 goodgeorge.co.nz

Hancocks

McCashin’s Brewery 03 547 5357 mccashins.co.nz

Moët Hennessey

Negociants

Sur Ltd + Del Mundo

0800 634 624 negociantsnz.com

Caro’s Wines

Hop and Vine

Peckham’s Cider

Churton Wines

Independent Liquor

021 083 04764 churtonwines.co.nz

DB Breweries 0800 746 432 db.co.nz

Emerson’s

03 477 1812 emersons.co.nz

Epic Beer

Taylor Brown

09 447 3801 taylorbrown.co.nz

Pernod Ricard

Tickety-Boo Liquor

0800 655 550 pernod-ricard-nz.com

Kono

Proof & Company

La Fuente

021 44 9596 sur.co.nz

03 543 2959 peckhams.co.nz

0800 420 001 independentliquor.co.nz

04 546 8648 kono.co.nz

Sprig & Fern

03 544 8675 sprigandfern.co.nz

0800 699 463 hancocks.co.nz

03 348 8278 hopandvine.co.nz

03 543 2031 spencerhillwine.com

0800 226 650 moethennessey.com

027 511 9882 sales@beerlabels.co.nz

0800 422 767 caros.co.nz

Spencer Hill Wine

022 350 9288 proofandcompany.com

Q Liquid

09 303 0238 lafuente.co.nz

09 636 7730 qll.co.nz

Lion

Quench Collective

09 377 7597 tickety-boo.co.nz

Toi Toi Wines

09 972 9498 toitoiwines.co.nz

Villa Maria

0800 505 656 villamaria.co.nz

Vintners NZ

0800 212 337 epicbeer.com

0800 107 272 lionco.com

0800 946 326 quenchcollective.co.nz

0800 687 9463 vintners.co.nz

EuroVintage

Maison Vauron

Red + White

Whisky Galore

0800 388 766 eurovintage.co.nz

Federal Merchants

0800 846 824 federalmerchants.co.nz

09 529 0157 mvauron.co.nz

0800 946 379 redwhitecellar.co.nz

03 377 6824 whiskytrade.co.nz

Marisco

Sawmill Brewery

Whitehaven

09 522 9684 marisco.co.nz

09 422 6555 sawmillbrewery.co.nz

Silver Fern Imports & Exports 0800 227 735

72 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

021 738 315 whitehaven.co.nz

NOW DISTRIBUTED BY TICKETY-BOO LIQUOR LTD Phone 09 377 7597 or email sales@tickety-boo.co.nz for further information. ww.tickety-boo.co.nz

LAST ORDERS

Just the Good stuff From small beginnings in a former church in Hamilton, Good George has become an established brand with its own outlets, faithful following and plans for more expansion. Good George Brewing GM Race Louden reflects on the brewery’s past eight years and where it’s headed now.

On the inspiration for launching Good George in 2011…

Good George was started by three mates that had some hospitality businesses and got sick of being told what to do by the big breweries, so thought they’d start their own. The idea gathered momentum when they found a site that was the perfect mix of character and potential – the old St George’s Church in Frankton. They thought that beer could be better so went about launching Good George Brewing.

On some of the early challenges in the business…

Keeping up with demand was an early struggle for Good George Brewing. It started as a brewpub with a brew kit only ever intended to produce enough beer to serve in the bar. Demand for the product outside of the original pub was growing though, and the production had to too.

Over the years the site has been stretched to capacity with additional brewing tanks taking over the beer garden at the bar and extra buildings surrounding the bar being acquired to allow enough space for production.

On some of the highlights so far…

There’s been a number over the years!

Awards are an easy one because you get a medal or trophy and that represents external affirmation that your product(s) are as good as you intend them to be – we never set out to make anything but the best beer and cider possible.

Really, each milestone is a highlight as it’s another chapter in us sharing what we think is a bloody good product with good people. Launching a proprietary bottle (our squealer) was huge, installing our new canning line is really significant, and opening a new Good George venue is always great. But there’s also all the little wins – overhearing someone in front of the beer chiller at the supermarket telling their mate our IPA is their favourite or being able to sponsor local causes and events – they’re all great parts of the story of Good George.

74 DRINKSBIZ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

On the growing number of Good George venues…

The Good George bars and restaurants are really key to what we do. They’re an environment where we know that team understand the Good George story and our range of brews, and can help each guest that comes in to one of those venues to find their favourite. Good George is all about educating people on how great beer can be and the venues are a great place to do that.

On how their consumers have changed since the early days…

Our biggest seller in the early days in the brewpub was Amber Ale – a malty, brown Ale similar to something in a brown bottle you’d expect to be made in the Waikato (but isn’t). As time went on we saw people’s tastes progressing – they’d experiment with our Pale Ale which is fairly lightly hopped but a bit of a step up, then IPA, then APA. Like most of the industry, nowadays our IPA is our most popular beer. It’s great to have been on that journey with our fans and customers as they try new things, and find new favourites.

On what he sees as the challenges and opportunities for New Zealand’s craft brewing industry…

The industry needs to keep delivering top quality products that customers are interested in trying. Quality is so important – if a customer decides to experiment and give something different a go but ends up with a faulty or average beer that puts them off, that affects the industry on the whole. We need to make sure we’re consistently delivering bloody good beers and ciders.

On future plans for Good George…

Cans are a big play for us this year – we see them as being able to work with our squealer range and provide a new opportunity for a different occasion to enjoy our beer and cider. Also keep an eye out for more Good George bars and restaurants popping up around the country. goodgeorge.co.nz