Glengarry's Sunday ramblings of all things vinous, grain and glorious. The Sunday Sediment. Issue Seventy-Eight
Welcome to the Seventy-Eighth edition of The Sunday Sediment, a collection of what’s new, what’s on and what’s happening instore at Glengarry and within the world of wine. Sip away.
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DEMYSTIFYING FRANCE
While the Italians have at last wrested the
In France, ‘terroir’ rules; it’s all about where
crown of World’s Largest Wine Producer from
you’ve grown your grapes and the quality of
France’s reluctant grip, the French have
the fruit to be found in that region. The wines
decided, somewhat unsurprisingly, that size is
are generally labelled to reflect this ethos, with
no longer important. Their last two vintages
region taking pride of place over all other
have experienced a somewhat unfair share of
factors. It can seem rather mysterious at
natural disasters, challenging even the most
times, but as we’re all for taking the mystery
hardened French winemaker to harden up
out of things vinous, particularly when it
even further. Being the French, there is still an
comes to the French, we’ve grouped our
ability to produce great wines from these years;
offerings here into wine styles and grape
there are just a lot less of them. ‘Select
varieties; ‘quick ‘n easy’ is our catch-phrase.
judiciously and maintain the quality’ has become their catchphrase, which is quite
Glengarry have been importing French wines
admirable, really.
into New Zealand for three decades, which means that we’ve had the time to become experts. What sets us apart is the sheer amount of years we’ve spent honing our skills, expanding our ranges, reviewing our procedures, fostering relationships with our suppliers and refining our shipping techniques to ensure that the wines get to you in perfect condition. Trust. It’s a precious commodity that we never take for granted. 2
AROMATICS
Alsace is home to Pinots Gris and Blanc, Riesling, Sylvaner, Muscat and GewĂźrztraminer, while the Loire Valley plays host to Sauvignon Blanc. Alsatian wines are lauded for their richness, depth and ability to age gracefully. The French expression of Sauvignon is more restrained than our own, with a lovely subtlety and a sublime flinty minerality.
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ROSE
Rose is more than just a summer quaffer; the fine examples below illustrate the intensity, and indeed the surprising weight, of the French expressions. Made in various corners of France, one standout region is the CĂ´tes de Provence with its beautiful vineyards scattered along the Mediterranean. Here, the varieties used are Cinsault and Grenache.
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CHARDONNAY & CHENIN BLANC
Revered the world over, France’s very finest Chardonnays are the white wines of Burgundy. Located at its very northern tip is Chablis, where the cooler climate produces a leaner, more mineral style, while lusher, fruitier expressions can be found along France’s warm southern coast. Chenin Blanc, the variety behind Vouvray, resides in the Loire Valley alongside Sauvignon Blanc.
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CABERNET & MERLOT
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot both call Bordeaux home, with the 2009 and 2010 vintages some of the region’s finest ever. The vineyards on the Left Bank of the Gironde river are generally Cabernet dominant blends, the Right giving precedence to Merlot. Some very smart, ripe Cabernets are also produced on France’s southern coast.
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OTHER REDS & BLENDS
France’s ultimate appellation for blending is the Rhône’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where thirteen different grape varieties are permitted, while the Côtes du Rhône wines are traditionally a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. In this selection you’ll also find Beaujolais, made from the Gamay variety, and the brilliant wines from Minervois, where Carignan is king.
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PINOT NOIR & SYRAH
The northern Rhône is where Syrah reigns supreme. Although the same variety, this is not ‘Shiraz’ as we know it from Australian offerings; there is, in fact, more similarity between French Syrah and our own expressions. A number of appellations in the north produce excellent Syrah (or Syrah based) wines, including the villages of Vacqueyras and Cornas.
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SPARKLING
With France’s strict appellation laws, there are two simple categories: champagne, and not; some of the French mÊthodes though give the big boys a good run for their money in the quality stakes. With all bases covered (from $9.99 to $245.00) we have, in this lot, a damned fine sparkler for everyone.
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TASTINGS AND EVENTS
WINEMAKERS DINNER | JERVOIS What better in mid-January than a winemakers dinner? Guillermo Beltramín, from Emiliana in Casablanca Chile, is coming to NZ and will host a beautiful dinner in our wine lounge. Our Chilean Head Chef Loreto will match these Biodynamic wines with a selection Tapas that she’s creating just for this dinner. The dinner will feature six of the Emiliana wines. WHEN: Wednesday 16th January WHERE: Glengarry Jervois Rd, 54 Jervois Rd Ponsonby TIME: 7.00pm
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MEET MICHEL DRAPPIER | VICTORIA PARK We are delighted to be hosting Michel Drappier in Auckland in January 2019. A wonderful opportunity to meet Michel and taste the range. Drappier is based in the Urville region of Champagne. The house, founded in 1808, produces both vintage and non-vintage cuvee as well as a prestige wine WHEN: Thursday 17th January
known as Grande Sendree Drappier is
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
considered one of the finest boutique champagne producers in the world. We will
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
taste the entire range available to us! Carte
TIME: 7.00pm
Blanche NV, Rose de Saignee, Blanc de Blanc Signature Brut, Quattour Blanc de Blanc, Millesime Exception 2012 and 2013, Grand Sendree 2008 and Grand Sendree Rose 2008.
PRESTIGE CHAMPAGNE TASTING | THORNDON For a strictly controlled region such as Champagne it is surprising that there very few regulations regarding Prestige Champagne. However, it is clearly in the best interest of each House to make sure that these wines are the very best that they can produce. A typical Prestige Champagne is made entirely from Grand Cru grapes from the oldest vines. These
WHEN: Wednesday 30th January
wines are also aged a lot longer in the cellars
WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon,
and there are numerous examples of late
53 Hutt Rd, Thorndon
disgorged wines. There is also more thought
TIME: 6.00pm
put in to the bottle and the presentation to make it as luxurious and special as possible. We have a stellar line up and look forward to trying them with you.
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TAKAPUNA MALT CLUB | IRISH WHISKEY Ah, St Patrick's Day, a day that has become synonymous the world over for people both remembering and inventing their deep Irish heritage. Rather than wearing awful green hats and imbibing too much Guinness we have decided to take a deep dive into Irish Whiskey, exploring the wide range of flavours and styles
WHEN: Wednesday 13th February
that are made! The spiritual home of Whiskey,
WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna
it was the Irish monks returning from
Takapuna Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna
pilgrimage that first produced what was then
TIME: 7.00pm
called Uisce Beatha or the ‘Water of Life’. Join us at our Takapuna store as we try our way through Blended, Single Malt, Single Pot Still and Peated expressions to see which you like most!
WESTMERE WINE CLUB | SOHO Soho was founded in 2009 by Rachel Carter. In just a handful of years, Soho has earned various accolades as well as a reputation for creating top quality regionally-distinctive wines. Soho aims to take ‘both quality and fun in equal measures’. Whilst using relatively untraditional winemaking approaches, Soho uses family-owned vineyards from three of New Zealand’s best wine regions. Soho then WHEN: Wednesday 13th February
pairs award-winning winemakers with each of
WHERE: Glengarry Westmere,
the vineyards. On Waiheke Island they have
164 Garnet Rd, Westmere
James Rowan, in Marlborough they have Dave
TIME: 7.00pm
Clouson, and in Central Otago they have Grant Taylor.
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GLENGARRY WINE ACADEMY | STAGE 1 - INTENSIVE Over the last 20+ years, the Glengarry Wine Academy has established itself as one of the leading wine educators in New Zealand. Initially created to train Glengarry staff, it is
WHEN: Saturday 16th February
also widely used by the hospitality industry and
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park
wine enthusiasts. Informative, but never
118 Wellesley Street, Auckland
intimidating, the Glengarry Wine Academy
TIME: 10.00am
courses are an opportunity for beginners as well as experienced aficionados to expand their knowledge and develop their interest. The only prerequisite is a passion for wine! Usually staged over four weeks, this is an intensive two-week version run on Saturdays. Very much a hands-on course that encourages participants to gain 'wine confidence' by breaking down the intimidation factor and providing a good grounding in the sensory evaluation and perception of wine.
WESTMERE WINE CLUB | ZEPHYR WITH BEN GLOVER Zephyr’s name comes from the characteristics of the prevailing winds which is part of the Marlborough region’s unique ripening reason. Owen and Wendy Glover, the pair behind Zephyr Wines, converted their farm in Dillons Point into a vineyard in 1985. They initially planted Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling, and this has been
WHEN: Tuesday 5th March
mainly unchanged. In the early 1990s,
WHERE: Glengarry Westmere,
Gewurztraminer left a lasting impression on the
164 Garnet Rd, Westmere
Glovers. As a result, Zephyr is an aromatic
TIME: 7.00pm
specialist today. Zephyr Wines is Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand accredited. “Zephyr wines are created with the spirit, passion and values of the Glover family.” – Zephyr Wines
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GLENGARRY WINE ACADEMY | STAGE 2 In stage 1 you learn about the varieties, stage 2 you explore their differing personalities around the world. In Stage 3 you take a major look a key wine making regions in the world. A four-week course | Wednesday 6th March, Wednesday 13th March, Wednesday 20th March, Wednesday 27th March 2019. The course fee and content covers all four
WHEN: Wednesday 6th March
weeks.
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park 118 Wellesley Street, Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
GLENGARRY WINE ACADEMY | STAGE 3 For only the third time, a third stage of our Wine Academy is being offered. This course has been written recently and follows on from stage 1 and 2. In stage 1 you learn about the varieties; stage 2 you explore their differing personalities around the world. Now in stage 3 you take a major look at key wine making regions in the world. This course dives under
WHEN: Saturday 16th February
the cover, you learn all about the great wines
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park
of Bordeaux, Burgundy and many more.
118 Wellesley Street, Auckland TIME: 10.00am
This particular Wine Academy is a little different as it is the first time this stage is being presented and as such will also be used to train future presenters for this course.
A four-week course | Wednesday 2 May, Wednesday 9 May, Wednesday 16 May, Wednesday 23 May 2018. The course fee and content covers all four weeks.
With that in mind it will be presented by our General Manager Liz Wheadon, who knows this subject inside out and has written this new stage. So not only will you receive all the training you can expect at a Wine Academy, you’ll have four nights of stories, great wine and a fair amount of good humour from Liz.
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That's it for this week's Sunday Sediment. Issue Seventy-Nine will be winging its way to your inbox next Sunday. Cheers,
Jak Jakicevich
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