Glengarry's Sunday ramblings of all things vinous, grain and glorious. The Sunday Sediment. Issue Ninety-Eight Sarah, Welcome to the Ninety-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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ITALY | EMILIA-ROMAGNA
Emilia-Romagna is a cornucopia of delights; in Modena you’ll find the world’s best vinegar, the ham of Parma, and the region is also home to Parmigiano-Reggiano, Ferrari, Maserati and Armani. It also has one distinctive vinous treasure in the form of Lambrusco, to which there are many faces, including high quality sparkling wines that are white, dry and quite superb.
CHIARLI
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Founded in 1860 By Cleto Chiarli, the winery is the oldest producer of Lambrusco, as well as other wine, in Emilia. The meticulous care and principle of honesty, plus the highest regard for quality, has been handed down by Chiarli through the generations. After many years of success, Mauro and Anselmo decided in 2002 to start a very ambitious project: the building of a brand-new winery, which would have a new state-of-the-art production line, fitted with the 2
latest technology, thus enabling them to process the grapes grown in the Chiarli estates in order to produce Lambrusco of the highest quality. Lambrusco has ancient origins, right back to the Roman times and has a natural fizziness which complements a variety of modern dishes. In 2003, the new winery, dedicated to Cleto Chiarli, the founder of the Chiarli Company in Modena, started to produce Lambrusco, and since then the best selections of grapes have been collected, processed, bottled and signed with the Cleto Chiarli label. The Cleto Chiarli winery represents a crucial turning point for the Chiarli family ever since the start of the Company’s history. Read More..
ITALY | TOSCANA
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Along with Piemonte, Tuscany has the highest percentage of top-tier DOCG wines, and is home to the scarlet giants Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It is here that the new meets the old head-on, giving rise to the so-called Super Tuscans. The region’s premier grape variety is Sangiovese, which used to make the ubiquitous Chianti. Read More..
CECCHI The heart of this distinguished winery is the Cecchi family, who have been involving themselves with things vinous since 1893, when ancestor Luigi first took a job as a wine taster. Today, the family-run company is headed up by Cesare and Andrea Cecchi; not ones to stand still, they currently own a total of 300ha spread across four different areas in central Italy, with their home-base nestled in among the Chianti vines in the heart of
BIONDI SANTI
Tuscany. Special care is taken at Cecchi to protect the land and preserve the characters of
The Biondi-Santi family are the original
the vineyards, a quality that shines through in
champions of the legendary Brunello, the
all the wines they make.
Sangiovese clone isolated in the 1800s by local farmer Clemente Santi that evolved into
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one of Italy’s rarest and most expensive wines, Brunello di Montalcino. Not ones to rush into things, the Biondi-Santis had by the end of WWII released only four vintages in 1888, 1891, 1925 and 1945. The residing Patriarch was, until recently, Franco Biondi-Santi, described intriguingly by his grand-daughter Clio as being ‘a hard man, but he has a good heart.’ In the way of families, Franco and son Jacopo parted company, not without acrimony. Now, sadly, the Patriarch is no longer with us, and Jacopo has returned to the fold to head up this historic and iconic family enterprise. Read More..
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MUD HOUSE | SUB-REGION SERIES
The founders of Mud House purchased land in Marlborough in 1996, and while preparing the land for planting they built a mud brick home from the local earth, inspiring the birth of the Mud House brand. Twenty-plus years on, Mud House has seriously evolved and today owns sustainably certified vineyards in Marlborough, Waipara Valley and Central Otago. Headed by Cleighten Cornelius, the winemaking team produce a variety of award-winning styles, expressed through their regional, estate and single vineyard collections, which have been joined of late by the Mud House Sub-region Series, a good-drinking, price-friendly range of wines celebrating the unique characters of individual Marlborough terroirs. Read More...
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A TASTE OF PORTUGAL | 2016 VINTAGE PORTS ARE HERE
Any Port house can declare a vintage in any year, but when the majority of the leading houses produce a vintage port from a specific vintage, it becomes known as a general declaration. General declarations tend to occur perhaps only three times in a decade. With 2016 the first generally declared vintage since 2011, the implication is, of course, that the 2016 vintage Ports are exceptional; and yes, indeed they are, with a superb freshness to the wines that bodes well for their future aging potential. The 2016s are going to become hugely sought-after, particularly since the total yield was relatively low. Our advice is to get in early and squirrel away some of these legends in the making. Read More..
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ABOUT WINE MUMM CHAMPAGNE TASTING WITH OPHELIE NEIL
There is only one thing better than drinking Champagne and that is sampling an entire range of Champagne, with a French person, who is passionate about what they do. Last week we were fortunate enough to have Ophelie Neil, the Brand Ambassador for Mumm, here in New Zealand.
From the very beginning, Ophelie brought with her an infectious enthusiasm for the product that she represents. We started with a Blanc
This was such a whimsical way to start the
de Blanc 2012 and our customers who
tasting and it relaxed the whole room. After we
attended were very respectful and sedate. The
all settled down to taste through the range,
next wine was the non-vintage, always a crowd
every wine a delight, all differing slightly in
pleaser. However, instead of just opening it,
style, but all with a hallmark of excellence.
Ophelie asked two members of the audience to Read More..
open the non-vintage using the ‘sabrage technique’. This involves a very stylish sword. This, of course, meant there was a lot of spraying, a lot of laughter, and a lot of filming!
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TASTINGS AND EVENTS
MALT CLUB | GLENMORANGIE GRAND VINTAGE 1991 LAUNCH Tonight we will be getting an exclusive look at the new 1991 Grand Vintage single malt, the 4th release in this series. With Glenmorangie one of the first distilleries to release and market a cask finished single malt we will taste through their extended maturation range, the likes of Lasanta and Quinta Ruban, before finishing the evening with the 1991 which was
WHEN: Wednesday 28 August
aged in ex Oloroso Sherry casks and finished
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
in Burgundy barrels.
118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
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NEW FROM THE GLENLIVET | JERVOIS RD Glengarry Spirits will play host to The Glenlivet Brand Ambassador, David Wallace, to launch a new release from The Glenlivet range. Selected specifically for New Zealand, this Single Cask edition is ex American Oak and bottled at cask strength and with only 204 bottles produced we had better check one of them! We will also taste our way through the
WHEN: Friday 23 August
age range (12 year, 18 year and 25 year old)
WHERE: Glengarry Jervois Rd,
as well as the new Captain's Reserve Cognac
54 Jervois Rd Ponsonby
finish.
TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
SHADES OF ROSE | SOUTHERN FRANCE To think, 10 years ago, the word 'rose' in New Zealand meant nothing more than a beautiful flower. Fast forward to 2019 and now it’s as much a 'go to' wine style as any Marlborough Sauvignon, and what’s not to love? The only problem with rose is where to start! We thought, why not run a tasting series that's all about rose? So that's just what we've done.
WHEN: Thursday 8 August
Four nights of five-star rose tasting.
WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden
Night one, we zoom around Southern France
TIME: 7.00pm
and compare the three appellations of Languedoc, Southern Rhone, and Provence. Night two, we explore roses from Europe, Australia and South America. Night three, we taste roses from New Zealand's 2019 vintage. For our fourth and final night, we focus on methode traditional rose and of course Champagne. Read more.... 9
DEVONPORT WINE CLUB | A TASTE OF FRANCE Mark the date, a not to be missed French wine evening at Devonport Glengarry. Let us take you on a sojourn to France to discover the beautiful wines this country has to offer. Read more....
WHEN: Wednesday 17 July WHERE: Glengarry Devonport, Cnr Clarence & Wynyard Devonport TIME: 7.00pm
BURGUNDY 2016 | THORNDON The 2016 Burgundy vintage was very complicated. You would almost think that they are getting used to this in Burgundy now as they seem to be constantly challenged by the weather, but 2016 seemed to throw everything at them. However the Burgundians have managed to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and produced a stunning vintage. There is a draw back and that is that yields are down, so much so that it is being described as a rare
WHEN: Wednesday 17 July
vintage. The wines are generally thought to be
WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd Thorndon
more classic and less weighty, with intense
TIME: 6.00pm
fruit and fresh aromatic qualities. These wines are classic and unique and this is a great opportunity to gain insight in to this tricky vintage. We will taste two wines from four producers. Read more....
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GLENGARRY WINE ACADEMY | STAGE TWO 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 also widely used by the hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts. Informative, but never intimidating, the Glengarry Wine Academy WHEN: Wednesday 17th July,
courses are an opportunity for beginners as
Wednesday 24th July, Wednesday 31st July,
well as experienced aficionados to expand
Wednesday 7th August
their knowledge and develop their interest.
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, In stage 2 you explore their differing
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
personalities around the world. This course
TIME: 7.00pm
dives under the cover, you learn all about the great wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and many more. Read more....
TAKAPUNA WINE CLUB | THE WINES OF THE RHONE With a winemaking history stretching back to pre-roman times, a long geographical spread encompassing hundreds of communes and a long list of grape varieties approved under AOC regulation, the Cotes du Rhone region produces a truly breath-taking range of wine. Rose, white, red and sweet fortified wines are all made in the Rhone, and in a range from
WHEN: Thursday 11 July
everyday good value table wine right through
WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna,
to some of the most rare and fine wines in the
Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna
world. Despite this, the wines made there are
TIME: 7.00pm
often overlooked in favour of the more glamourous regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. In time to celebrate Bastille Day the July Takapuna wine club will be devoted to exploring some classic examples of Cotes du 11
Rhone, so come and hear and taste why these wines are so deserving of extra attention and acclaim. Read more....
MALT CLUB | WORLD'S SMALLEST INDEPENDENT BOTTLER, WEMYSS As an independent bottler of whisky, Wemyss (pronounced ‘weems’) is a family owned business based in Scotland and has a long association with whisky dating back to the turn of the 19th Century. Wemyss approach to whisky aims to select only the very highest quality of malt whiskies and in doing so make them more accessible and understandable by
WHEN: Thursday 11 July
using the tasting and aromas of individual
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
whiskies to identify each bottling. Book your
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
seats for July’s Malt Club early because it will
TIME: 7.00pm
sell out! We’ll have the latest release bottlings full of eclectic drams, hand selected by Jak Jakicevich. Read more....
MOUNT EDEN WINE CLUB | CHAMPAGNE VS WORLD With centuries of experience, and a unique terroir, is it no wonder the Champagne region is seen as the ancestral heart of sparkling wines. Though over the recent years, we have seen the popularity of previously overlooked styles, like Prosecco, rise across the global landscape. So how does it all stack up? Tonight, we will blind taste four different
WHEN: Thursday 4 July
champagnes against various styles from Italy, 12
Australia, NZ, and Spain. Who knows, you may
WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden,
even find a new potential favourite for an
417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden
upcoming mid-winter Christmas!
TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
HEROES OF THE BAROSSA - WITH CRAIG STANSBOROUGH & STUART BLACKWELL | AUCKLAND & WELLINGTON A very special evening with two of the greatest winemakers from the Barossa Valley. Grant Burge's family history in the region dates back to 1855, with their outstanding Meshach Shiraz WELLINGTON
one of Australia's most iconic wines. Their chief
WHEN: Thursday 3 July
winemaker Craig Stansborough has been with the company 24 years and was AUS
WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon,
winemaker of the year in 2014. St Hallett has
53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
been producing fine wines since it was
Read more...
established in 1944. No one knows the Barossa Valley better than senior winemaker Stuart Blackwell, who has been making wine there for over 40 years. These two produce wines from some of the oldest vineyards in the
AUCKLAND
world. Craig and Stuart know the nuances of
WHEN: Thursday 4 July
the region intimately, the seasons, the soil, and
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
the varieties. They have a deep understanding
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
of the rich tapestry of site and climatic
TIME: 7.00pm
variances, but also an appreciation of the
Read more...
importance of dedicated growers and ‘old vine’ Shiraz.
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MALT CLUB | SMALL CRAFT DISTILLERIES OF THE WORLD As with craft beer, craft whisky has enjoyed a growth boom in the past couple decades with new distilleries popping up worldwide. There’s no rush when it comes to whisky distillation and the new kids on the block seem to welcome that. So, what does it mean to be a ‘craft distiller’ and how do they match up to the big guys in the market? Join us on the 27th
WHEN: Thursday 27 June
June as we explore their artisan with Jak
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
covering Scotland, America and New Zealand.
118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
ORNELLAIA & MASSETO - SUPER TUSCAN MASTERCLASS Tonight is a very special vertical tasting that we have been preparing for many years. Positioned in DOC Bolgheri district on the Tuscan coast of Western Italy, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is one of the world's finest wine estates. For many connoisseurs, Ornellaia is more consistently excellent and polished than
WHEN: Thursday 20 June
its immediate neighbour Sassicaia, the original
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
'Super Tuscan'. Ornellaia is also a classic
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon,
TIME: 7.00pm
Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Read more....
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PIEDMONT UNRAVELLED | JERVOIS In June, our focus at Glengarry is on Italian wines. Italian wines can be confusing, and Piedmont is no exception. Barolo, Barbera, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Cortese, Asti, Alba, Arneis, Turin, it goes on and on. The wines are awesome but even more so when you can get your head around them. Join us in the Jervois cellar to try and unravel some of
WHEN: Wednesday 19 June
this enjoyable mystery. As always, we will
WHERE: Glengarry Jervois Rd,
match the wines with dishes from Dida's. This
54 Jervois Rd Ponsonby
tasting is limited to 12 guests so please book
TIME: 7.00pm
early. Read more....
ITALIAN ROAD TRIP | THORNDON Italy is a country that is swimming in wine, but how do you decide which wine to buy?We have made it our personal mission to try as many Italian Wines as we can, from the brooding Barolos produced in Piedmont in the north to the sunshine vines of Sicily in the south, Italy has something for everyone. The range of styles varies tremendously, there are sweet effervescent bubbles, stylish roses and WHEN: Wednesday 19 June
of course their red wines that they are
WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon,
renowned for. This is a great opportunity to try
53 Hutt Rd Thorndon
wines from different regions side by side. We
TIME: 6.00pm
will also be serving wonderful Italian cheeses and charcuterie as an accompaniment so we can immerse ourselves in all things Italian. Read more....
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WESTMERE WINE CLUB - JUNE | WITH PATRICK STOWE FROM RIMU GROVE In the early 1990s, Patrick Stowe toured New Zealand, falling for Nelson’s Bronte Peninsular. He returned to buy seven hectares there and, in 1995, he established Rimu Grove. His philosophy was simple: do everything it takes to get the most out of the vineyard – hands-on, plenty of hard work, very little machinery but
WHEN: Wednesday 19 June
loads of buckets. Patrick loves great Burgundy,
WHERE: Glengarry Westmere,
and believes if any country in the world was
164 Garnet Rd Westmere
tailor-made for Pinot Noir, it’s New Zealand,
TIME: 7.00pm
with its intense sunshine, special soils and long growing period so perfect for ripening grapes: “The vineyard has a temperate, maritime microclimate with high sunshine hours. We don’t use machinery in the vineyard; it is entirely hand-managed to maintain low cropping levels and all the fruit is hand-picked.” Read more....
GLENGARRY WINE ACADEMY | STAGE ONE 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 also widely used by the hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts. Informative, but never intimidating, the Glengarry Wine Academy WHEN: Wednesday 12th June,
courses are an opportunity for beginners as
Wednesday 19th June,
well as experienced aficionados to expand
Wednesday 26th June, and Wednesday 3rd July
their knowledge and develop their interest.
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, In stage 1 you learn about the varieties, stage
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
2 you explore their differing personalities
TIME: 7.00pm
around the world. In Stage 3 you take a major 16
look a key wine making regions in the world. This course dives under the cover, you learn all about the great wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and many more. Read more....
MOUNT EDEN WINE CLUB | THE PECULIAR REDS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN With over 300 different red grape varieties across the globe, it's safe to say there will be a decent handful (or more accurately, a bucketful) of varieties you have yet to try – or have even heard of! We'll focus on the reds from Europe, where centuries of history helped carve the foundation of today's wine producing
WHEN: Thursday 13 June
regions, from the Middle East to the Spanish
WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village,
Coast.
417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
Tonight we will taste various grape varieties, and explore the different wine making traditions and regulations. Our tour will begin in Lebanon, one of the oldest wine producing regions, where the Phoenicians domesticated grapes 5000 years ago. Then we'll visit the northern Provinces of Italy, hike the volcanic slopes of Sicily, and finish with a quick visit to Galicia and Valencia in Spain. Read more....
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TAKAPUNA WINE CLUB | THE VOLCANIC WINES OF ITALY Towering high over Sicily, Mt Etna was said to be the home of the fiery forges of Hephaestus. While still one of the world's most active volcanoes, more recent visitors might be forgiven for thinking that an association with Dionysus might have been just as appropriate. Indeed, Etna itself is the oldest of all DOCs in WHEN: Wednesday 12 June
Sicily, established before even the much more
WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna,
well-known Marsala denomination. Tonight, we
Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna
will try some of these uniquely situated wines,
TIME: 7.00pm
tasting the range of Terrazze dell'Etna. Hand produced in small volumes atop incredibly inhospitable slopes, these are special wines. Don't miss the chance to try these back to back! Read more....
That's it for this week's Sunday Sediment. Issue Ninety-Nine will be winging its way to your inbox next Sunday. Cheers,
Jak Jakicevich