Whatever you're planning this summer, toast the occasion by opening something special.
Scapegrace Gin's Uncommon
One of New Zealand's most prestigious boutique gin labels has released two new expressions in time for summer. First up, the Central Otago Early Harvest, and the Hawke's Bay Late Harvest, each with its owndistinct botanicals inspired by the two regions.
The Central Otago is fresh and bright with nectarine and smoked hay, and the Hawke's Bay is slightly sweet with pear, raspberry leaf and olive brine. Both are beautiful served chilled and almost neat, with the tiniest dash of white vermouth and a twist. The Uncommon series are limited – just 3000 individually numbered bottles will be made available. But with two new flavours being released every six months, you won't have to wait long for your next chance to buy. Scapegrace Uncommon, $79.99
Scapegrace's new releases. Photo / Supplied
Greystone's 2019 Vineyard Ferment
Greystone's organic, hand-harvested, naturally fermented Vineyard Ferment is an exceptional pinot noir created with wild yeasts – left to ferment in an open-top container, the fruit waits to be populated with the yeasts in the air, and is undisturbed until nature has spun its magic. The wine is then aged in oak for 15 months before bottling.
This experimental wine has led to the identification of native yeasts found only in the Waipara Valley, already famous for its delicious and unique drops (think Black Estate, Pegasus Bay and so many more), and was listed on international wine critic Robert Parker's Top 100 Wine Discoveries last year. The 2019 Greystone Vineyard Ferment is available from greystonewines, $75.
Greystone's 2019 Vineyard Ferment. Photo / Dave Risdon
Pet nats (petillant natural, or natural sparkling) are low-intervention wines, produced to traditional methods, without added sugars or yeasts (which is how the flavour and fizz of champagne tends to be achieved). They have exploded in popularity lately and if you're wondering where to start, here's a perfect bottle to pop on a special occasion. Splash! is a delicate, summery, and lightly sparkling pet nat, made from semillon vines, and finished in the bottle for five months. It's a little citrusy, and very refreshing. Plus it's not at all heavy (the ABV comes in at 10%), so it's as suitable for sipping on Christmas morning as it is for popping on New Year's Eve. Splash!, is available from barewine.co.nz, $42
