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
