KEY POINTS:
I'm watching the sun rise over the Tuki vineyard as the harvest starts, all from the comfort of my own home. I'll not be putting in the hard graft with the pickers as I experience vintage activity vicariously via the webcam that's been monitoring proceedings at this Hawkes
Bay vineyard.
Wine appears on the web in many guises, the most obvious being the recent explosion in bottles available to buy over the internet. From the virtual cellar doors of many wineries and the websites of a growing number of wine retailers, to 100 per cent online wine enterprises: wine is increasingly just a mouse click away.
One of the most intriguing developments, which frequently falls under the radar of mainstream media, is the rise of the wine blog. The US is awash with geeks keen to share their vinous finds and bicker about wine online; the UK has some serious bloggers such as the Wine Anorak, whose independent website launched him as one of the country's major wine columnists; and here in New Zealand the ranks of wine bloggers are slowly starting to swell.
As with blogs on other topics, some of these are as about as exciting as watching wine evaporate. Many share far too much of the mundane minutiae of their lives and nights on the vino to make for interesting reading. The quality of assessments can also be questionable, as can their editorial integrity, with reports of bloggers being paid by suppliers to write positive reviews.
In one blog, the scribe set out with some friends to chronicle a tasting of quite a large line-up of wines. After some seemingly astute observations to begin with, as the wines flowed and the prose lost focus, it was clear a bit of spitting and editing wouldn't have gone amiss.
When the writer knows their wine and has a gift for communicating, some blogs can also be very good. Informal, personal and often irreverent, the best certainly make a valid contribution to the world of wine writing, adding new voices and circumventing the limited space allotted to wine in print media.
Two of the better local blogs are those of the Wine Wanker and the more recent Sup-positions. Both are written by wine enthusiasts working in the restaurant trade and provide a sommelier's point of view, seldom seen in print.
"The great thing about bloggers is that we can give a different perspective," says Jules van Cruysen, aka the Wine Wanker, who has been sharing his thoughts on "food, wine and the life of a twentysomething Wellingtonian" on the web since the start of 2006.
There are also a number of local wine webzines worth visiting, such as wineoftheweek.com and its creator Sue Courtney's blog. Having more to say than could be crammed into her Rodney Times column inspired Courtney to set up the site 10 years ago, and it allows her to cover aspects like food and wine matching in a detail impossible elsewhere.
Another non-commercial site worth checking is geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz, a treasure trove of reflective and well-written reviews from this respected wine consultant.
Wine companies have also caught on to the power of the blog, with one South African brand, Stormhoek, virtually created in the blogosphere; while in New Zealand, wineries such as Seresin have been using a blog to keep their drinkers updated and engaged.
Being a writer whose main output still appears in newspapers and magazines, I'm suddenly feeling a little old-fashioned: at least my columns can also be read online!
SERIOUSLY SUCCULENT SAUVIGNON
Otuwhero Estate O:TU Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $19.95
A succulent and concentrated sauvignon from this new Awatere Valley Estate. Bursting with blackcurrant leaf and nettle, underpinned by the Awatere's characteristic zingy acidity and flinty mineral notes.
Stockists include www.truewines.co.nz, www.caros.co.nz, www.sceniccellars.co.nz, www.donjohnsons.co.nz, selected fine wine stores and branches of Liquorland & New World.
BIG AND BEAUTIFUL
Beresford McLaren Vale Shiraz, Australia 2006 $25
Rich and full-bodied, with its soft and velvety-textured boysenberry fruit and hints of spice and liquorice, this is classic big but not overblown Aussie shiraz.
From www.first-glass.co.nz, Blend Winestore, Cactus Liquor.
REAL BARGAIN
Frog Haven Marlborough Riesling 2006 $9.99
Wines at this price rarely deliver much interest or value, but this attractive off-dry riesling available from cut-price online retailer Blackmarket is an exception. Made by Grove Mill, it's light, bright and citrusy with a seasoning of ginger and spice.
From www.blackmarket.co.nz