Like every year, the whole big New Zealand Wine Industry is going absolutely mad about the Medal and Trophy results of the Air New Zealand awards.
Now we have been told, that many customers like these nice stickers on the bottles, showing that this wine had won a special prize.
So this year we spent over 500 NZD$ in entry fees to take part in this event…
… but we have been warned, that our vinification style and approach to quality will not match the ideal of the tasting panel at Air New Zealand.
Now lets have a look at the image of New Zealand Wines over here in Germany.
Many clients, we get in contact are very sceptical about New Zealand wines.
First of all the absolutely up-front fruit leaping out of the Glass, which is very disturbing and many doubt, that this is all natural. It is then our job to convince them, that they should come over to New Zealand and taste the intense fruit in the berries.
The big NZ Wine Players (Medal Winners) have a great Technology of conserving this fruit intensity from the berry to the bottle with a great deal of interaction during the vinification.
But there is one great big Problem…
…Where is the complexity, structure and length?
… And where is the ageability?
Factors that really build up a sustainable quality reputation…
Just Imagine putting in blind a young Romanée Conti Pinot Noir into this competition…
Guess what? Would it win a prize or medal?
No way!
But it has the best Reputation World wide.
Why?
If you ever have the chance to drink 1875, 1900, legendary 1946, 1985 and 1990 as well as younger, then you will know!
Fruit yes! But more important structure, finesse, depth, minerality (terroir) par excellence! And a great ageability!
Yes, we know that the New Zealand industry is still young, but it has a great potential, and there are many great Pinot Noir Producers aiming for those prime french quality factors…
e.g. Dry River, Ata Rangi, Escarpment, Kai Schubert, Felton Road, Pyramid Valley,…
… and they don’t enter their wines into the Air New Zealand competition…
… now we know why!
By the way we have bought some of last years gold and elite gold medal winners and showed them to important germany wine collectors… eg. the Wineterminator.
All comments were: “Are you serious?”
We ensure trying to be great embassodors for New Zealand wine here in Germany. The greatest eye opener in Germany so far was when Kai Schubert achieved a top ranking in a big Pinot Noir tasting in Berlin against the best from Germany, Austria and some great Burgundys.
By the way… the Wine Terminator also tasted our 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir Gladstone.