Full of It

With plantings since the 1600s South Africa is the oldest of the new-world wine nations. Societal transformation, also improved their wine. Merchant Martin Cahnbley, grew up there and imports SA wine. In four glasses, (two red, two white) he guides us around SA. Swaartland to Stellenbosch, old world styles, to the very new. Teaching host Timothy Giles how to pronounce and taste, SA Wines. 

Cambridge Road wines are boundary breaking, innovators in organic, low intervention wine making. Lance Redgewell explains his passion for making distinctive wines of place, of Martinborough, Aotearoa. Assertively kiwi wines, but Lance’s job title is the French word; Vigneron. Perhaps because grower, maker, sales rep, lab-tech and cleaner is a bit long. He should add storyteller and peacekeeper too. Talents he reveals when Timothy Giles begins by giving Lance a frank assessment of his wines. Cambridge Road wines are boundary breaking, innovators in organic, low intervention wine making. Lance Redgewell explains his passion for making distinctive wines of place, of Martinborough, Aotearoa. Assertively kiwi wines, but Lance’s job title is the French word; Vigneron. Perhaps because grower, maker, sales rep, lab-tech and cleaner is a bit long. He should add storyteller and peacekeeper too. Talents he reveals when Timothy Giles begins by giving Lance a frank assessment of his wines.

Harvest, is the most hectic time of the wine year. Imagine flying in, to make wine with a team you don’t know, in a new region, on a tight timeline. Success is not guaranteed. Stress is.  Lynnette Hudson, owner and winemaker of Tongue in Groove wines, has worked more than 40 vintages in regions from Otago to Oregon, Hungary to the Hunter Valley and her beloved Burgundy. We lured her to Beau restaurant for a glass of Pecorino and a chat, on what she’s facing in vintage 2023. At a winery she’d never seen before.

Making wine is challenging, technically, physically and creatively. Harvest also takes a mental and emotional toll. At Westbrook Winery in Kumeu, we sit with Chief Winemaker James Rowan. Recording as vintage rolls on, James shares how he tries to protect his team and himself, from the pain, strain and worries, that are the wine workers’ experience of vintage.

Italy has made wine so long that the ancient Greeks called it, “Land of Wine”. How do we approach, modern wines, from ancient climes? Over a glass of La Valentina Pecorino, Lynnette Hudson, owner/winemaker Tongue in Groove wines, tells why and how to love Italian whites. Just a sip are succinct wine briefs edited especially for wine and hospo professionals.