During our recent visit to New Zealand, we stopped by the beautiful tasting room of Saint Clair Family Estate. Set in the midst of rows of Marlborough grape vines, the tasting room and its Vineyard Kitchen offer views of the dramatic Richmond Range. We knew we had a treat waiting for us. Winemaker Hamish Clark is the 2017 Winestate New Zealand Winemaker of the Year, and his Saint Clair wines are award-winning.
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Tag Archives: Marlborough
Summer Sippers and BBQ Reds
Oh summer! The time of crisp white wine or refreshing rosé during sultry warm afternoons or evenings on the deck or patio, or at the lake, ocean or pool. The time of rich reds at barbecues with family and friends. And the wines that pair well with a celebratory toast to Independence Day.
Here are some of our favorite whites and rosés to sip with a summer salad, or seafood such as prawns, scallops, sushi, crab or halibut. Or you can simply drink pink without food, watching the sunset reflected in its pretty color. In addition, here are some beautiful reds to pour at your BBQ.
There are so many wonderful wines to explore this summer. But we had to keep our lists short. As a result, these represent only wines that we have tasted in recent months, either at tasting rooms, events or in samples sent to us by wineries. Specifically, these wines are from Washington state, Oregon, California, New Zealand and Italy.
Greywacke New Zealand – Part 2
A couple of months ago, we had the fortune to visit one of our favorite New Zealand wineries, Greywacke. We have been fans of Greywacke Sauvignon Blancs for years, so a visit to their headquarters highlighted our trip. We learned about their storied history, and tasted five excellent wines in their portfolio. These wines are the focus of this second post in a two-part series.
Part 1 delved into Greywacke’s story, and its owner and talented winemaker, Kevin Judd. Understandably, harvest kept Kevin busy during our visit. Instead, his knowledgeable and entertaining wife and co-owner, Kimberley, poured five stellar wines for us. We recommend them all.
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Greywacke New Zealand – Part 1
We have been fans of Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc for years, because this crisp, refreshing wine is readily available in the U.S. More recently, we’ve also become fans of Greywacke Wild Sauvignon, which appeals to our funky palates.
So when we travelled to New Zealand a couple of months ago, a visit to Greywacke was at the top of our list. What a treat.
We spent a few hours at the Greywacke headquarters in Marlborough, learned the winery’s captivating story, and tasted many wines. This is part one of a two-part series, and focuses on the story of Greywacke. Part two features the five wines we tasted in Greywacke’s portfolio.
Of note, Greywacke’s outstanding wines are available in the U.S. and elsewhere.