Summer Sippers

Xarel-Lo is famously used in the production of cava along with a few others - but here it is made as a varietal wine from vines planted in 1974 in the high altitude of Pendes.

Fermentation was in stainless steel tanks with fine lees contact for three weeks to retain the fruity freshness and add texture.

The result is a youthful and vibrantly fruited wine with sweet herbal scents and fresh green fennel.

Certified organic grapes were used to make this new 2019 Pinot Noir from Churton Estate's second generation of winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver. Fermentation was with indigenous yeasts and the result is a youthful, fruity Pinot with a lively flavours and a light to medium body. It's a great wine to drink lightly chilled in summer or as a light bodied winter red. Satisfying, refreshing and with complex notes; a lovely Marlborough Pinot Noir. 

Churton founder and winemaker Sam Weaver cut his teeth on the classic wines of the world while working in fine wine retail in the United Kingdom. His background is in microbiology and he was raised on a farm, so when he and his wife Mandy founded Churton Estate, it combined all of his passions. The couple and their adult sons, have created one of this country's most high quality small wineries, which lives up to the dream of creating 100% estate grown grapes, 100% certified organic production and 100% bottled on site, nearly all of the wines without fining or filtration. All grapes are hand picked and natural yeasts ferment the majority of Churton wines. These incremental qualitative decisions impact at every step of their winemaking provides exceptional quality grapes which in turn express themselves in outstanding wines.

The Natural State wines are the brainchild of second generation family winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver.

New wave Australian white which is a funky field blend of Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Kerner, which has deep aromatic flavours of Turkish Delight, lime zest and acidity to burn. This adds great length of flavour to every succulent sip. 

This wine comes from the Piana Rotaliano area in the recess of the Adige Valley, tucked between the Dolomites. This wine is neither a rosé or a red wine, but sits somewhere between the two. The Lezer manages to balance freshness, elegance and seriousness.

Juicy and refreshingly succulent pale ruby Pinot Noir, which has body and structure, building on winemaker Jannine Rickards' previous Waikura Rosé and is a lighter bodied red wine with structure and flavour interest but freshness that suits being served as a lightly chilled wine. 

Made from old vine 10/5 Pinot Noir (25% whole bunch with gentle pump overs) and new plantings of Abel clone Pinot Noir, all grown on the Stad_Ko Vineyard; the new name for the old Arapai Vineyard in Martinborough.

Jim Barry's Clare Valley Assyrtiko (pronounced 'As-err-teek-oh') comes from 15 kilometres south of Clare township in the village of Watervale on the Florita Vineyard, best known for fino sherry prior to 1962 and great Riesling ever since. A small block of this elevated vineyard is devoted to the Assyrtiko grape, which originally comes from the volcanic island of Santorini where hot days and cool nights allow it to retain freshness derived from the grape's naturally high acidity. The result is an outstandingly succulent, refreshing dry white. This wine will take you by surprise, in the best possible way. It was Australia's first Assyrtiko, made by Peter Barry, who fell for the grape and wine after a trip to Greece. 

Foradori means easy and this wine definitely ticks that box with its savoury, interesting layers of flavour underpinned by fruity notes and a dry taste. Elisabetta Foradori is one of northern Italy's key protagonists of organic and biodynamic winemaking. She is based in Alto Adige in the north east, home to the indigenous Italian Teroldego grape. It is made using a blend of ferments in barrel, amphora, stainless and cement. She and her sons called the wine Lezer, which means 'easy' and we agree it is exceptionally easy to drink. 

This wine is dry, savoury and has a lightly fruity edge. Great drinking lightly chilled. Super refreshing.

Teroldego is...

Teroldego is a red Italian grape variety grown mostly in the north eastern region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy.

Winemaker Paul Pujol is a dab hand at making this pale light bodied red from Pinot Noir. This refreshing lighter take on Pinot Noir has flavours of red berries, spice, excellent freshness and a long finish. 

Limited skin contact, wild yeast fermentation and no secondary fermentation has resulted in an intense, red cherry laced wine with fresh acidity and brightness. 

This is made to be served lightly chilled. 

Nautilus Albarino is a limited edition wine made by Clive Jones at Nautilus winery where the cool temperature fermentation preserves the briny, salinity of Albarino's refreshing dry flavours. A brief period of ageing on yeast lees following fermentation adds a creamy balancing textural note to the taste and mouth feel of this lovely wine. 

The Albarino grape is originally from north west Spain and north west Portugal, where it's known as Alvarinho; same grape, different name. In Portugal it is used to make refreshing light bodied whites such as Vinho Verde and an increasing number of great dry single varietal white wines. 

The Natural State wines are made by second generation Churton Estate winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver, sons of the winery's founders, Sam and Mandy. This Field Blend combines Petit Manseng (extremely rare in New Zealand), Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. All grapes were harvested on the same day and co-fermented then bottled, unfined, unfiltered with zero sulphur additions. 

Churton founder and winemaker Sam Weaver cut his teeth on the classic wines of the world while working in fine wine retail in the United Kingdom. His background is in microbiology and he was raised on a farm, so when he and his wife Mandy founded Churton Estate, it combined all of his passions. The couple and their adult sons, have created one of this country's most high quality small wineries, which lives up to the dream of creating 100% estate grown grapes, 100% certified organic production and 100% bottled on site, nearly all of the wines without fining or filtration. All grapes are hand picked and natural yeasts ferment the majority of Churton wines. These incremental qualitative decisions impact at every step of their winemaking provides exceptional quality grapes which in turn express themselves in outstanding wines.

The Natural State wines are the brainchild of second generation family winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver.

Kelly Washington wines are a collaboration of Simon Kelly and winemaker Tamra Washington, who source grapes from around Marlborough and other wine regions, looking for organic and biodynamically grown grapes. 

Chillable reds are a fabulous new wine trend where softer styles of red winemaking lend themselves ideally to a light chilling. This is a great example from Chaffey Bros in Australia. It is a juicy little blend of Grenache and Mourvedre, made to satisfy red and white wine drinkers alike. This is a pale red wine with bright ruby colour and flavours of bold raspberries and ripe cherries. It's made to drink lightly chilled and works a treat in the hot Australian heat, the country in which it was made. It travels well too… Buy at least a bottle to enjoy on warm days and nights.

This deliciously innovative red wine works well when lightly chilled. It is made in the style of a chillable reds by Jenny Dobson, who says it's her experimental new take on Merlot, made to taste plummy and juicy with earthy notes and a freshness that makes it taste ideal when served lightly chilled. Pronounced dark fruity aromas leap out of this wine, which was given approximately 10% carbonic intracellular fermentation, which lifts its perfumed flavours. A lovely take on Merlot…
The Hawke’s Bay winemaker also produces an outstanding 100% dry Merlot made in a deeper, richer style, which is impressive now and also a keeper for cellaring.

Bold, rich and dry with powerfully fruity aromas and depths of deliciousness. This wine is a super intensely purple hued red made from Alicante Bouchet, a red fleshed grape, which ripens to surprisingly low sugar levels and lends itself to having a modest level of alcohol with stacks of flavour intensity. Alicante is a cross of Petit Bouschet (itself a cross of Teinturier du Cher and Aramon) with Grenache. It makes wine that tastes of cherries and spice.

We love the interesting different take on light red vs rose that this wine offers. A must try in summer. Serve chilled.

Rockford Wines' legacy

Rockford Wines is an icon itself and a relatively new one, established in 1971 by Robert O'Callaghan, who has forged a reputation for preserving winemaking tradition and saving many of the world's oldest grape vines from being pulled up in the Australian Government's vine pull schemes of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Rockford vintage shed houses equipment from 50 to 100 years ago, which was discarded by other wineries as modernisation took over.

Vouvray is a French wine appellation devoted to the great Chenin Blanc grape, which is expressed vibrantly in this gorgeously fresh and light bodied but intensely flavoursome white wine. Its high acidity and expansive fresh flavours make Chenin Blanc one of the most versatile wines with its bold and bright lemon, honey and floral aromas. High acidity adds length and backbone to the palate of this lovely wine. 

The history, mystery of a long established winery

The Domaine Marc Bredif winery is one of the great names of the Loire. The estate has enjoyed a long and colourful history, having been established in 1893 under the original name of Château les Roches. In 1919, not long after the end of the First World War, Marc Bredif took over from his Uncle and renamed the property to mark the change of ownership. His focus was simple, to forge an unrivalled reputation for excellence amongst the estates of the Loire Valley.
He invested heavily in the estate during the 1930’s, building a tremendous circular storage room in the heart of its cellars, which today houses venerable vintages of sweet Vouvray, some of which date back to the 1900’s. The property managed to survive the Second War World War relatively unharmed and remained under family control until the 1980’s. As is so often the case, family intrigue and financial necessity meant that the Domaine had to be sold, and in 1980 Baron Patrick de Ladoucette acquired the estate. Thankfully, the Baron was every bit the conscientious owner and has given new life to Marc Bredif – investing heavily and expanding their holdings to include some of the most prized Vouvray vineyards – 20 hectares in total. Picking exclusively by hand, the Domaine produces some of the most profound and immortal expressions of Chenin Blanc, in a range of styles to suit all wine lovers.