Gift-worthy wines: Three picks to impress even the toughest critics.
Wine expert Yvonne Lorkin has your last-minute Christmas shopping sorted, with the perfect wines for all types of people.
Giving the gift of good grog is a time-honoured way to win friends and impress people. Now that’s all well and good when you know the kind of wine the recipient normally drinks – but what if you don’t? Well here are three, sure-fire sips that’ll hit the spot no matter what. For starters, does your giftee take their coffee strong and black? Do they love spicy food or peppery steak? Then chances are, a bold red wine will bring the grins. Do they prefer a flat white, a milky tea, or maybe they’re the one who goes for the fish of the day or the chicken when you’re out lunching, then go a white wine with broad appeal all the way, like a chardonnay.
But if you’re really stumped and you have absolutely no clue about your giftee’s tastes, then scoot down sparkling street. Why? Because gifting a bottle of bubbles says two things. One, “You are a good time and deserve a gift that reflects your zesty energy” and two “I don’t know you very well, but even if you don’t personally like sparkling wine or whatever, you can stash this away for the next party you get invited to or the next Secret Santa you have to participate in, and you can re-gift it and I won’t care in the slightest”. Excellent.
Mission Estate Reserve Syrah 2021
$23
How crazy is it that a wine that scooped both the Champion Wine of the Show trophy AND the Champion Syrah trophy at the recent Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards can be scored for under $25! It’s also earning so many gold medals and five-star reviews, the team at Mission Estate are having to hammer extra brackets to the trophy cabinet to stop it from falling off the wall. It’s a soothing, pepper-dusted, blueberry-boosted beauty, with fine, elegant, elastic tannins with delicious cling and chew. Softly smoky, statuesque and singing with dark fruit and exotic spices, it’s a seductively sippable treat that’s exceptionally priced. caros.co.nz
Elephant Hill Salome Chardonnay 2021
$95
When winemaker Hugh Crichton gets hold of perfect chardonnay grapes he roars into happy-place mode, because he’s basically a chardonnay shaman. A Shamandonnay if you will. His 2021 Salome is Elephant Hill’s exquisitely textured flagship chardonnay, boasting a softly smoky, toasty, nutty nose and then it floods your face with ripe nectarine, punchy pineapple and citrus zest flavours before finishing with peachy, creamy complexity. Incredibly elegant, soothing and cellar-worthy, it’s a spiritual experience. elephanthill.co.nz
No 1 Family Estate Assemblé Méthode Traditionnelle Brut NV
$32
You simply cannot go wrong with this wine because not only is it gorgeous to drink, it also looks like money on the table and will bring oooh la lahs the minute it’s presented. Pronounced “Assom-blay”, this ultra-classy, 60:40 blend of pinot noir and chardonnay is lovingly crafted by New Zealand’s first family of fizz, Daniel and Adele Le Brun. It’s so fresh and clean and crisp, it’ll definitely get your bells ting-a-ling-ing, from the second the cork pops. Creamy, dreamy, edged with soft, biscuity layers, nutty notes and citrus-laced loveliness, it’s absolutely perfect with celebratory oysters or crayfish or even that brie with a dubious best-before date in the fridge. goodwine.co.nz
