To most Kiwis, the Milawa-based Brown Brothers brand is like an old friend that's been around forever - a quiet, dependable Aussie cobber churning out reliable favourites such as Everton Red; the sweet Crouchen Riesling and Lexia; the light, ruby-red Tarrango; and peppery, plummy shiraz.
It's been one of those brands
that has been there through the ups and downs of fashion and through the ins and outs of outrageous fortune that have dogged the wine industry in recent years.
But far from suffering in the recession, this proudly innovative, family-owned winery is charging along nicely - expanding, even.
In addition to launching its ultra-premium Patricia range here in New Zealand, Brown Brothers has also decided to pop into the bank for the first time in half a century to ask if it might possibly have an overdraft. "Thirty million dollars," whistles CEO Ross Brown as he pours me a flute of Patricia Brut 2005 ($40).
The Patricia range of wines was launched 10 years ago as a tribute to Brown Brothers' much-loved matriarch, Ross' mum Patricia - a dedication of sorts for the love, commitment and endless supplies of tea and scones that kept her family and business in, well, business for over 60 years.
"Every day we'd have a morning family meeting and she would actually heat the cups so the tea would stay hot longer so we wouldn't rush away," says Ross.
"She loved those meetings; it was her bonding time with her boys. As we married she would never invite the wives, they weren't allowed to the morning cup of tea, to Pat they were an intrusion.
"But if you actually wanted to know what was going on with the company or get that final approval on something, Pat would have it all summed up.
"When we were looking for a name for this elite, top-of-the-tree range, I asked her if she'd be alright with us calling it Patricia, she burst into tears and said 'Ross, that's fine, but they better be bloody good!"' he laughs.
She was an engaging lady, scrawny but "tough as nails" reckons Ross; nothing like the elegant, refined, sophisticated wines that carry her name.
"But Patricia is a halo to the Brown Brothers brand and unless a wine yells and screams excellence then it's not going to get anywhere near having Patricia on its label," says Ross.
Pat's favourite wine was shiraz, but just two days after our interview, Brown Brothers' vintage sparkling pinot noir/chardonnay blend was named Champion Sparkling Wine ahead of 20 other bubblies from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa at the annual Tri Nations Wine Challenge. "Mum always enjoyed a glass of sparkling and I know she'd be thrilled that a wine named in her honour has received such an impressive accolade," Ross said when the results were announced.
"All the fruit for this wine is sourced from our cool-climate Whitlands Vineyard 800m above sea level," he explains with a grin. "We used to refer to it as Australia's highest, coolest vineyard until someone rang us up and said, 'hey, I'm higher than you,' so now we say that we're Australia's largest, highest and coolest vineyard."
But Tasmania soon ended up on the company's radar. "Eighteen months ago a couple of scientists presented a global-warming scenario to us. Having vineyards in Victoria's high country with quite nice dams and good winter rainfall, we thought we were drought-proof - but we've actually had 10 years of drought and that's been a wake-up call.
"We were told our existing vineyards will warm up by two degrees over the next 15 years and that really changes the game, particularly for really fine sparkling."
The company sent viticulturalists off to discover where it should be planting if it wanted a good, long-term vineyard for sparkling wine grapes - and it finished up in Tazzy. It also happened that a forestry company which owned one of the island's largest vineyard holdings was looking to exit.
"It was a case of being careful what you wish for because we ended up getting 20 per cent of Tasmania's production," Ross laughs.
Settlement day coincided with Ross' birthday. "My daughter called and said 'Dad, you must be really excited to have such a nice birthday present'. I told her $30 million of debt wasn't quite what I had in mind."
In the supermarkets, Brown Brothers might appear devoted to introducing new styles of crisp, sweetish wines like moscato, cienna and zibbibo, "but to create a halo for the brand we need to show that we can do the classics at the highest level, take them anywhere in the world and put them in front of the most critical audience," says Ross.
"That's what Patricia is all about."
But wait, there's more ...
On our shores, Hunter's Wines is synonymous with pioneering top-quality Marlborough sauvignon blanc, and it's a powerful force when it comes to riesling, gewurztraminer and pinot noir as well.
But what many don't know is that Hunter's is also dedicated to creating fine fizz, and its efforts were also rewarded at the 2010 Tri-Nations Wine Challenge with a gold medal for its MiruMiru 2006 Reserve ($34).
MiruMiru - Hunter's trademark sparkling - translates to "bubbles" in Maori. MiruMiru Non-Vintage is the more readily available of the MiruMiru range; chief winemaker Gary Duke reckons the non-vintage is a sparkling wine for "everyday drinking and all occasions", while the 2006 Reserve is a "more serious aged sparkling that is quite complex, well-structured with good persistent layers of flavour on the palate".
The 2006 Reserve was made by employing traditional methode champenoise techniques, using the champagne varieties - pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier.
The MiruMiru was served to me recently on a trip to Marlborough and it really is stunning stuff. What's even more stunning is that Jane Hunter CNZM OBE actually met me at the airport! I was a tad star-struck and tongue-tied to begin with, because she's one of my wine heroes and (as I quickly found out) a very friendly, witty woman and an excellent driver as well.
Hunter's joined forces with the highly talented team at Blenheim's Hotel d'Urville to match its new-release wines (together with some cellar treasures) with superb dishes featuring local produce from The Honey Company and Regal Salmon.
The cheese course was the highlight for me - ginger gems served with a slab of blue cheese and a slice of fresh honeycomb, all washed down with a sublime late-harvest sauvignon blanc 2002.
But wait, there's even more
Once you've filled your boots with top-notch bubbly from our Anzac isles, you can immerse yourself in the finest of French fizz at the Champagne Laurent-Perrier Weekend on October 23 at The Farm in Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay.
Hosted by Ludovic De Lageard, the event will see champagne-lovers enjoying a sublime five-course dinner matched with champagnes from Laurent-Perrier.
Founded in 1812 in Tours-Sur-Marne, about an hour's drive from Paris, Laurent-Perrier is one of France's great champagne houses and is synonymous with style and celebration.
So if you have a sneaky $800 per person floating around, you can ring in spring with a weekend of indulgent bubbly, playing golf on a world-class course, relaxing at the spa, striding out on scenic walks or venturing further afield for fishing or winery visits. For reservations, phone (06) 875 1900 or email reservations@capekidnappers.com
Brown Brothers proudly presents the mother of all wines
To most Kiwis, the Milawa-based Brown Brothers brand is like an old friend that's been around forever - a quiet, dependable Aussie cobber churning out reliable favourites such as Everton Red; the sweet Crouchen Riesling and Lexia; the light, ruby-red Tarrango; and peppery, plummy shiraz.
It's been one of those brands
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