Righto, I'm stripping everything back to the bare bones with this week's column. It's like the MTV Unplugged, the drum 'n' bass, the dub version of what's been happening in the wine week that was.
The major newspapers reported that, economically, things are finally looking less glum for our wine industry, with a lower 2012 harvest pushing grape prices up - so apparently we can kiss the glut goodbye. The jaw-droppingly gorgeous Grasshopper Rock Earnscleugh Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010 from Alexandra took out Champion Wine of the Show at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards (this is on top of it earning Top Wine of the Tasting and Best Buy in Cuisine Magazine and five stars from yours truly). In further pinot news, Neudorf's Tom's Block Pinot Noir 2010 was quaffed at the world premier of The Hobbit, although winemaker Tim Finn assures me that no hairy feet were used to crush the grapes.
There have been some nasty frosts affecting vineyards all over the show, particularly down in Central Otago, which is not good. The high dollar has meant there are loads of great value French champagnes on the market just in time for Christmas, which is good. Winemakers are playing musical chairs with people, shifting jobs about the place and Kate Middleton has changed her hairdo, which is not really wine news but it's big news. Apparently.
So that's it for the past seven days and now I can get to what's really important - the best wines of the week.
GRASSHOPPER ROCK CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2010, $30