Yvonne Lorkin: Supermarket wine made easy (+sips to try)

Yvonne Lorkin

When you turn the trolley past the end of the supermarket chippie and cracker aisle and launch yourself into the wine department, it's almost an automatic response to slow down, regroup and try to focus on finding something that's going to taste good.

The sheer volume to navigate these days is daunting. If you're wanting to branch out and try something half-new and interesting, it's natural to gravitate towards wines with an 'on special' ticket, wines with a stylish label or a bottle with shiny medals slapped all over it.

The problem is (or rather, was) the wines that used to clean up at awards shows around the country tended toward the pricey side.

There were rumours of 'insider trading' in the bad old days when those involved in the awards shows would let their mates know who'd won all the medals and trophies before they were announced to the public - there'd be precious little left even if you could afford them.

Thankfully the New World Wine Awards came to the rescue, a competition for under $25 wines wines retailing at a supermarket, AND there had to be a decent amount produced to give everyone a chance of securing an award-winner.

This year the competition attracted a massive 1309 entries from New Zealand and overseas, 300 more than in 2010. Of those entries, 805 won medals - which is a big deal. I judge at many competitions and it's darn difficult to earn a bronze medal, let alone a silver, gold or the top gong - a trophy.

Marlborough, our largest wine region, won the most awards (240) claiming Champion Sauvignon Blanc, Champion Aromatic, Champion Pinot Gris, Champion Sparkling and Champion Pinot Noir trophies, while Hawke's Bay, Australia and France scooped the rest.

Grab grapes with gusto

Pinot gris has proved an unstoppable force in this country, particularly over the past decade. Kiwis have grabbed the grape with gusto and our wine producers are now crushing almost one-and-a-half thousand times what they were in 2005. Here are three that tickled my tastebuds this week...

Ceres Composition Central Otago Pinot Gris 2014, $29

Ceres (seh-rez) is a Bannockburn-based company run by Central Otago royalty, the Dicey family. They know pinot gris comes in a vast array of styles, so they've included a 'fuel gauge' on the label telling us this wine sits ever-so-slightly in the 'medium-dry' spectrum. It's a nicely crafted wine with aromas of nashi, peach-fuzz and soft mineral notes, while on the palate it's ultra-clean, focused and deliciously dry. cereswines.co.nz

Mudhouse Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015, $14.99

Scented with apple strudel, poached pear and all sorts of enticing spices, this pinot gris has serious 'drink-me' factor. Layered with white fruits and showing a tangy flavour profile, this definitely ticks all the boxes for fruit, style and sippability. Widely available.

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2015, $24

I love the heady quince, spiced apple and peach custard aromas, while in the mouth the wine has a sexy, creamy dryness. There's a lovely rich, yet chalky, texture to this wine and it's all wrapped up in a long, full, finish. Clean, satisfying and a darn good example of Hawke's Bay gris. millsreef.co.nz