Yvonne Lorkin: Full-bodied vintage from Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt forms partnership with wine company.

We've all heard how famous artists are often asked to design wine labels. Well, here's something a wee bit different.

Sam Hunt, New Zealand's favourite poet, and the owner of the best set of black stovepipe pants on this side of Castor Bay, has partnered La Cantina Wines, in St Heliers, to launch the Sam Hunt range of wines.

These New Zealand wines each feature a verse from one of Sam's poems on each bottle.

"A poem printed in a book often dies, I've noticed, from suffocation and neglect," says Sam. "Alternatively, a poem told or sung - or printed on a wine label, say - stands a much greater chance of life, of getting it across. So I am delighted to work with La Cantina and be involved with this range of wines. In poetic terms alone, it makes complete sense."

The wine becomes a "next level" experience with the use of QR codes on each label, making the poetry come alive. When the code is scanned with a mobile phone app (it opens a link to a sample performance of the poem by Sam, David Kilgour and the Heavy 8s). Ever since I first heard Anything Could Happen by The Clean back in the 1980s David Kilgour has been one of my favourite musicians. His solo album Sugar Mouth lifts me with every listen. The Heavy 8s' music is just fantastic and if I was asked to liken the sound to a famous New Zealander, Sam Hunt would leap to mind.

The performances are from the newly released album, The 9th, on which Sam was the lead vocalist. The team at La Cantina have sourced the individual wines from award-winning wineries around New Zealand and they include a Marlborough sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and chardonnay from Gisborne, pinot noir from Central Otago and a merlot malbec from Hawke's Bay.

Poetry in vino

Sam Hunt, New Zealand's favourite poet, and the owner of the best set of black stovepipe pants this side of Castor Bay, has partnered wine distributor and retailer La Cantina Wines, in St Heliers, to launch the Sam Hunt range of wines.

Sam Hunt Gisborne Pinot Gris 2014, $21.95

Rich nashi pear and spicy apple strudel aromas sit alongside caramelised stone fruit flavours and a creamy, toasty complexity on the finish of this deliciously dry drink. This would be a great match for a smoked chicken and almond salad.

Sam Hunt Hawke's Bay Merlot Malbec 2014, $24.95

"Winter is a warm hearth ... is a line from Hunt's poem Rainbows and that's exactly where I'd imagine you should enjoy this wine; either that, or with juicy, fatty snarlers sizzled and oh-so-slightly charred on the barbecue. Dark magenta-black in the glass and showing pepper, prune, rosemary and smoke characters, it's an easy, ribsticking red for any occasion.

Sam Hunt Gisborne Chardonnay 2013, $21.95

There's a subtle, creamy lift on the nose, while waves of green nectarine and grapefruit wash across the palate with every sip, which is nice considering there are lines from Hunt's poem Wavesong printed on the bottle. Just a tweak of toasty oak adds to the experience and the finish is ultra-long and tangy. Good stuff.