Wine awards inspire a bit of thinking pink

The 22nd annual New World Wine Awards competition took place in Hawke’s Bay at the beginning of August.

To get some sense of scale, 20 pallets of wines, glasses and equipment were required by the team of 70, including 26 judges, as they sniffed, swirled, sipped and spat their way through the nearly 1300 entries.

In a further idea of scale, chief judge Jen Parr commented that the stewards would pour 10,000 glasses for the various panels of judges over the course of the show, in order to finally determine the Top 50 Wines under $25.

Thirty-five of this year’s Top 50 are from New Zealand, covering the length and breadth of the country, but it was perhaps fitting the gongs for top white and red were awarded to Hawke’s Bay wines, with Church Road Winery sewing up the titles with their chardonnay and syrah respectively.

Unique in its focus on wines selling for under $25, the NWWA Top 50 medal is a badge of confidence for consumers seeking quality wines at affordable price at the 140 New World branches across the country.

Writers are offered a sneak peek at a trio of wines. With the rose trophy going to Central producer Te Kano, I elected to taste roses this year.

30th celebrations for Maude and Carrick Wines

I’m mindful of the pioneering work of couples Dawn and Terry Wilson and Steve Green and Barbara Robertson-Green when in 1994 they planted the first vines on their respective vineyards in Central Otago.

Terry and Dawn chose the Maungawera Valley near Wanaka to found Mt Maude, which went on to become Maude upon the return of their daughter Sarah-Kate and her husband Dan Dineen from the Hunter Valley in NSW in 2006. Steve and Barbara planted the bare slopes of their Cairnmuir Rd vineyard in Bannockburn which later became Carrick, now in the ownership of Alison and Tony Cleland.

The Central wine industry was in its infancy; there were very few vineyards, let alone wineries and the vineyard landscape we take for granted today was almost unimaginable. These four visionary individuals have created a legacy which continues to give us both pride and pleasure today. Celebrations afoot for both wineries!

 

2023 Te Kano Life Central Otago Rose 


Price RRP $22.99
Rating Excellent

Perfumed, fruit 
sherbet, nectarine, 
moving to savoury 
nuances, very 
attractive. Quince 
joins nectarine on the 
palate, nice viscosity 
in the mouth, a little 
grainy touch adding 
detail to the texture. 
Fruit sweet, but 
closing relatively dry, 
developing lovely 
tanginess on the long 
close. Hits the spot 
very nicely and on 
the button to enjoy 
now.

www.tekanoestate.com


2023 Caythorpe Family Estate Marlborough Rose 


Price RRP $17.99
Rating Very good to excellent

The nose is about 
subtlety, strawberries 
dusted with icing 
sugar. Things ramp 
up in the mouth where 
there’s textural 
richness and 
mouthfeel matched by 
flavour depth. Initially 
ripe without being 
over-sweet, a tangy 
aspect keeping things 
fresh, nicely balanced 
with an engaging 
finish. Some candied 
sweetness develops 
with air. Very easy to 
enjoy, excellent vfm.

www.caythorpe.nz

 

2023 Ara Single Estate Marlborough Rose


Price RRP $16.99
Rating Very good to excellent

There’s a savoury/
umami element to 
this, spices, hints of 
apricot and stone 
fruit. Nicely rounded 
in the mouth, 
refreshing crispness 
too with some zesty 
piquancy showcasing 
the bright, dry finish. 
Perhaps a touch of 
baking spices too? 
Trying to pull out 
individual characters 
is redundant as it 
simply works well as 
a whole. Vegan 
friendly too.

www.arawines.co.nz