Wines of Waiheke

Waiheke Island is one of the more unique wine regions that I've had the pleasure to visit. It is situated off the coast New Zealand’s North Island in the Hauraki Gulf, just 11 miles east of Auckland. Its climate is strongly influenced by the surrounding sea. The ocean acts both as a fan and insulator. The sea breezes moderate the rising temperatures during summer and falling temperatures at night. This maritime climate allows a more constant temperature throughout the growing season and even prolongs the season into early autumn allowing later varieties to ripen fully over an extended period of time.

Waiheke can grow and ripen a wider range of grape varieties than other regions because of its long, mild season. The significant variations in soil types and vineyard orientation also play a big role in the different types of varietals that can be grown on Waiheke. The rock that underlies a vineyard is a major factor in determining varietal selections in different terroirs.

Though Waiheke is small in area and typically identified by the boundaries of being an island, it has many different characteristics and different soils with great age and complexity. The island rock is almost entirely of Jurassic age with most of the islands’ vineyards separated by only thin layers of weathered topsoil and clay from ‘massive sequences of Jurassic strata’ from 150 million years ago. Site variation is vast, but in general, Waiheke vineyards are high in mineral content with naturally low pH. This makes plotting new locations of vineyards rewarding to many wine connoisseurs in search of unique varietal expression.

The undulating hills of Waiheke offering different site conditions with each rise and fall

Bordeaux varietals used to dominate the island but growers have recognized the island’s suitability to grow other classic varietals such as the Rhone Valley variety, Syrah, and have selectively moved away from Cabernet Sauvignon blends with new plantings of different varietals.

The frequency and speed of the passenger ferry services from Auckland has boosted tourism and therefore encouraged the development of vineyard cellar doors. Within 35 minutes, visitors now have 26 cellar doors to choose from and many with cafes and restaurants. 

Stonyridge Vineyard is a world-renowned Cabernet blend producer. Stephen White started Stonyridge after a 3-year adventure where he fell in love with the great red wines of France and California. After his inspiring journey around the world, Stephen searched all of New Zealand for the ideal site where Bordeaux grape varieties could be ‘ripened to perfection’. In 1982, he completed his mission and planted the first Bordeaux vines on Waiheke Island. Nowadays, Stonyridge has built a reputation that precedes itself and is currently one of the most expensive red wine producers in New Zealand. 

Stonyridge Cellar Door

I was fortunate to have tasted Stonyridge’s prestigious flagship Cabernet blend, Larose, at our vintage party. My TK winemaker, John Kavanagh, bought this bottle at auction and was gracious enough to share it with us. The 2007 was lovely and dense. It smelled like Christmas with dark fruits, baking spices and hints of violets. The palate was flooded with ripe fruit. Richly textured with lots of oak evident but well balanced by the fruit intensity. Keeping true to its reputation, this bottle is valued at $250 and only goes up in price depending on the vintage…wow!

The first plantings of Mudbrick were in 1992 by owners Nick and Robyn Jones. Currently their plantings include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Chardonnay and Viognier which are all handpicked and basket pressed that reflect a certain character in their wines. 

Mudbrick’s 2010 Reserve Cabernet/Merlot was very impressive! Rich flavors present on the nose of ripe black concentrated fruits and hints of chocolate. Really intriguing palate…fruit on front palate, mineral/earth/barrel spice on mid palate and building tannins on finish. Big yet elegant wine!

Cable Bay has five vineyards located on the western side of the island. The winemaking process focuses on small lots from separate parcels of the various vineyards. Afterward, they blend the small lots to create a final product of balanced wines with many layers. 

2010 was a hot and dry year that produced beautifully ripe fruit on Waiheke Island. The Five Hills 2010 is a blend of 58% Merlot and 42% Malbec. It has an intensely fruity nose with notes of black pepper, black currant and ripe blackberry. The palate tastes less ripe than it smells but not under developed…very clean and elegant with notes of black currant, black cherry and a light spiced finish.

Cable Bay north facing vineyard to optimize sun exposure and fruit ripeness

Jurassic Ridge specializes in 100% unblended single vineyard single varietals made to express its unique terroir. The Italian style dry Pinot Grigio was left on skins to give it a peachy blush hue with notes apple, nasi pear and spice on the nose and dry minerality on the finish. Their lees aged Sauvignon Blanc is also worth mentioning with gentle flavors of passion fruit and lime, lively acidity and a lovely lingering finish. I liked this uncharacteristic Sauvignon Blanc so much that I bought a bottle and enjoyed it that night J

Man O’War Vineyard is located at the eastern end of the island by Man O’War Bay. They have carefully selected sites for each varietal and systematically planted their white varieties on the high volcanic hilltops for maximum sun exposure with the benefits of the cool sea breezes that give great concentration and minerality. While their red varieties are planted down steep sheltered clay hillsides for optimum heat and drainage to promote intensity and depth. 

Man O'War Bay

I found their reds to be dense and jam-packed with ripe fruit and more suitable with food rather drinking alone. But their whites on the other hand were very surprising! It was their Valhalla Chardonnay that I found most impressive. Valhalla comes from Norse mythology referring to the golden hall where the Viking warriors feasted with the gods. It is reserved for the best Chardonnay barrels selected by the winemaker each year. 2010 was an excellent dry, hot day, cool night vintage that produced a full bodied, textural and layered Valhalla. The nose has layers of tropical and stone fruits with hints of hazelnut and a slight toasty character. The palate is elegant with developed fruit and a creamy silken nutty texture with vibrant acidity and mineral finish. Top notch in my book and a pleasure to drink on its own or to compliment a wide range of foods. 

Man O'War Cellar Door...you can bring your own picnic to enjoy with their range of wines which we most certainly did!

And my lovely tour guides, knew much more about the island than I ever expected! Who knew you could learn so much from a 5 and 7-year-old??? But don’t worry it was their dad who was my tour guide to the different wineries J

Martinborough's Finest

The special character of Martinborough’s Pinot Noir is created by no one factor. A unique blend of location, soil and climate all contribute to the quality of the wines from Martinborough. Martinborough is located in a rain shadow with naturally breezy conditions. Most of the vineyards sit on a 20,000-year-old dry riverbed with mineral-laden soils. The cool climate results in low yields and allows for cool night and warm days over many months, which builds depth and intensity of flavor with finely textured tannins. These conditions not only create spectacular Pinot Niors with excellent concentration and texture but also distinctly fruity Sauvignon Blancs, aromatic and mineral Rieslings and elegant Chardonnays.

Te Muna Road Vineyard

Comparisons can be made to Burgundy, the classic home of Pinot Noir. Not only do Martinborough’s Pinots have the ripe cherry fruit components of a typical New World Pinot Noirs but also a savory and earthy quality traditionally associated with the great Pinots of Burgundy. One of the best examples of the region is 2011 Block B Pinot Noir from Schubert Wines. This wine has many layers, intense red cherry flavors with hints of herbs initially followed by savory spices and mushrooms with soft tannins, fine concentration and a fresh splash of acidity. 

At $40 per bottle, Schubert Block B Pinot Noir is better priced than most Burgundies and has the aging potential with the best of them. It has a wide range of food pairing possibilities and can go well with roasted or braised pork belly to chicken in a mushroom cream sauce to poached salmon.

The owners and winemakers of Schubert Wines, Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling have traveled the world in search for the best Pinot Noir site and they chose New Zealand over Oregon, California and Australia. The winemakers explored over 100 properties in New Zealand before settling in Martinborough in 1998. Their efforts were well worth it and their Pinots have out ranked many worldly competitors. In 2010, Schubert Wines’ 2008 Block B won the International Trophy for best Pinot Noir, beating 19 other countries including many of the world’s most famous wine producers of Burgundy.

The man himself, Kai Schubert, a truly lovely person

Another fine example of Martinborough Pinot Noir is the 2012 Pinot Noir of Poppies. After 12 years of grape growing and making wine at award winning Dry River Wines also located in Martinborough, Poppy and Shayne Hammond left to open their own boutique winery. They continue their same roles with Poppy as the Chief Winemaker and Shayne as the Viticulturist…a wine couple’s ultimate dream. The wine production is small scale and very personal. Shayne manages small plots of old vines while Poppy transforms the grapes into elegant wines. The inaugural 2012 vintage has proven more successful than even they anticipated. All their 2012 wines have sold out except the 2012 Pinot Noir, which they just released in May. The wine is perfectly balanced with clean fruit flavors of fresh cherries and a great mouthfeel.

Shayne has also worked as a chef and creates local seasonal platters to enjoy with their beautifully crafted wines. Not a bad way to spend a sunny afternoon in Martinborough!

The exceptional conditions of Martinborough also share some of the same qualities as the Rheingau region in Germany, which produces world class Rieslings. One of the best Rieslings in Martinborough is from one of the most surprising and interesting producers, Hiroyuki Kusuda. I say surprising because of his unique path into winemaking. Hiro is from Japan and with that said didn’t drink wine until he traveled Europe while on break from law school. He fell in love with wine upon his first introduction but continued to practice law after graduation and kept wine as a hobby. After very successful years of practicing law, he could no longer resist the idea of becoming a winemaker. In 1996 he moved to Germany to learn the language and then started studying Oenology and Viticulture at Geisenheim University the following year. This man learned a third language from his second language! How amazing is that?! An experiment for his thesis brought him to Martinborough where he fell in love the region. After graduation, he moved to Martinborough and started up his own wine label, Kusuda Wines, in 2001.

It was such an amazing experience tasting with Hiro. He welcomed us into his home, gave us slippers to wear [Japanese style as he would say], introduced us to his family and poured wines from his cellar.

Each vintage, Hiro gets about 20 Japanese student volunteers to travel to Martinborough for the honor of working for him and learning his craft. He prides himself on the careful selection of each berry. It is even said that he uses tweezers on the sorting table. He delivers impeccable purity of fruit and place with such finesse. 

Hiro didn't think he could make Riesling in Martinborough but found it a 'pleasant surprise' and so did I! The nose is mirrored on the palate with ample and integrated ripe peaches and apricots with fresh and bright green apple acidity. The fruit and minerality are in perfect harmony...clean, driven and well structured.

Research into its climate and soils has revealed small areas in Martinborough share the same qualities to some of the world’s finest wine regions. The Rhone Valley has many high quality sought after characteristics similar to Martinborough. Martinborough is sited in the driest location on the North Island. The soils of the Martinborough Terrace are alluvial loam layered over very deep gravels, which ensures exceptional drainage and warmer profiles similar to Rhone. The diurnal temperature, hot days and cool nights, allow fruit to ripen slowly and gently. It is a known fact to build depth of flavor takes time and with one of the longest growing seasons [from flowering to harvest] in New Zealand, Martinborough has no trouble with that!

View of the Martinborough Terrace from Escarpment Wines. 

Syrah is the dominant red grape varietal in the Northern Rhone Valley. It is common practice in Cote Rotie to blend Syrah with small amounts of Voignier, the dominant white varietal of the Northern Rhone. Syrah produces some intense and rich wines but blending with Viogner softens the wine both on the nose and palate. One of the best examples of this classic Syrah Viogner blend is made by Martinborough Vineyards and it was a pleasant surprise to find this blend in Martinborough's repertoire. 

The 2009 Syrah Viognier is a lush, spicy and complex yet delicate wine. It has intense aromatics of black pepper, cured meat and dark fruit with a lovely floral lift of violets. The palate is generous and succulent with velvety smooth tannins.