Yvonne Lorkin: Relax with a chardonnay (+sips to try)

Yvonne Lorkin

I don't know about you, but I've just had one of those weeks where anxiety rendered my shoulders permanently riveted up around my earlobes, my lips were locked in a pinched "be careful Yvonne, don't-speak-or-something-ridiculous-will-fall-out" expression and my breath seemed to live in this dry, ever-tightening pocket somewhere in the upper regions of my chest.

"Being busy is good" people say. "It keeps you out of trouble," they smile. Well it wasn't good; it felt like my lifejacket was coming loose. When you lose the ability to smile and be nice and do things like stop to pick up worms off the concrete and put them carefully onto some grass, then it's time to take action.

So the solution was to step away from the office, away from the computer, away from spreadsheets and deadlines and take an opportunity to zoom up to Auckland and taste a couple of very special wines at Villa Maria Estate. Dubbed the "Library Releases", a chardonnay and a merlot cabernet blend from Hawke's Bay were identified back in 2010 as having mystical powers upon harvest and have, until being released this week, been kept quietly aside in Villa's cool, dark cellars to evolve.

Only 190 cases of the Villa Maria Library Release Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010 $59 were made, carefully blended from the best barrels containing fruit from their Ngakirikiri and Keltern vineyards. With captivating straw-gold colour and jaw-dropping choux pastry, citrus pith, soft, toasty spices, cashew nut and roast stonefruit characters bound in succulent, youthful acidity - it's an absolute star. The Villa Maria Library Release Gimblett Gravels Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $69 is a 62:38 blend, with spicy dark berry, plum and cherry notes, edged with cocoa powder, graphite, black olive and Bovril flavours.

My happy wine spot

Along with great friends and good food, my happy wine experiences involve good music and good taste - which is why, with their QR codes linking your smartphone to smooth, groovy playlists, AND their new 'temperature sensitive' labels to tell you exactly when the bottles are perfectly chilled - these new wines are ticking all sorts of boxes...

VNO 'Skinny' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015, $16.99

"Light" or "skinny" wines are here to stay - completely putting me in my place because I was one of the early cynics who thought they'd be just a fad. With a limey, lemony lift combined with crushed herbs and a flick of passionfruit and a very soft, citrus note on the palate - it's very light and easy to sip.

VNO 'Skinny' Hawke's Bay Rosé 2015, $16.99

At just 9 per cent alcohol and 96 calories per serve, this is definitely on the light side of the swing, and with its aromas of soft raspberry, cranberry and cherry, you think it's going to stay there. However in the mouth this wine has WAY more punch, with loads of berry and melon characters, black boy peach and taut, tangy citrus flavours powering their way through.

VNO Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014, $16.99

If you're a fan of tropical, fruit-salad-like chardonnay, then this will become a new fave this summer. Its temperature sensitive label tells you exactly when to take it out of the fridge and pour, and you'll have no problem extracting a smile from every sip. Peaches, a splash of pineapple and melon - it's all here.