Michael Cooper has 45 wine books and several literary awards to his credit. In the 2004 New Year Honours, Michael was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
One of this country’s leading wine importers, Vintners New Zealand, traces its roots to the early 1980s. A group of Auckland businessmen, frustrated by the lack of good-quality overseas wines in a heavily protected market, formed a consortium to source their own wine.
To defray some of the import costs,they launched a company to sell the wines in the local market. Known initially as Kitchener Wines, and later as Concerto Merchants, it is now called Vintners and distributes wines from New Zealand and overseas. The European labels below are worth discovering.
Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Reserve 2023
★★★★½
Instantly appealing, this French dry white is blended from varieties rare in New Zealand – grenache blanc, marsanne, roussanne and viognier. Mouthfilling and dry, it has well-ripened stonefruit flavours, fresh and deep, and a slightly oily richness. (13.5% alc/vol) $32
Nivarius Rioja Tempranillo Blanco 2023
★★★★
Full of youthful vigour, this characterful Spanish wine is from a white mutation of the Rioja region’s red grape, tempranillo. Grown at 700m above sea level and handled in tanks and oak barrels, it is full-bodied, with a touch of tannin and strong, peachy, gently spicy flavours, dry and lingering. (13.5% alc/vol) $28
A huge seller internationally, this pale pink French rosé is lively and medium-bodied, with peach, strawberry and spice flavours, offering very easy drinking. (12.5% alc/vol) $20
Méditéo 2024
★★★★
From southeastern France, this bright, light pink rosé is delicious in its youth. Buoyantly fruity, it has very satisfying depth of flavour, dry and sustained. (12% alc/vol) $22
Bargain-priced, this is a good, honest Portuguese red. Fragrant, with raisiny aromas, it’s slightly gutsy, with a berryish, spicy flavour, earthy notes and a good tannin backbone. It’s drinking well now. (13.5% alc/vol) $17
La Vielle Ferme Rouge 2023
★★★★
If you enjoy pinot noir, try this characterful French blend of carignan, cinsault, grenache and syrah. Deeply coloured, it is full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, with generous flavours of red berries and spices, ripe and well-rounded. (13.5% alc/vol) $25
Château Pradeaux 2023
★★★★
Already drinking well, this is a very moreish red Bordeaux. Merlot-based, with dark, purple-flushed colour, it is mouthfilling, with lush, vibrant blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, a hint of chocolate, and gentle tannins. Very harmonious. (13% alc/vol) $30
Wine of the week
Tocado Garnacha 2022
★★★½
This Spanish red offers top value. Bright ruby, it is mouthfilling and smooth, with generous, ripe plum, berry, spice and liquorice flavours. A good, all-purpose red. (13.5% alc/vol) $14-$15
