If you are serious about collecting wines of rarity and significance in this country, then you can't miss casting your eye over the offerings at the 21st Hawke's Bay Winegrowers' Charity Wine Auction this Queen's Birthday weekend.
But you'd better secure your paddle, sort out your phone bidder or register online asap, because the rest of the world will be nipping at your heels to get a piece of the action this year.
Responding to international demand for rare, one-off lots of the best Hawke's Bay can offer, the organisers of New Zealand's most prestigious wine auction have officially put out the word that potential ownership is now open slather come June 2.
"We trialled the online bidding last year and it attracted a number of bidders from around the country. Now that we know it can work well with our format, we're extending our audience overseas," says Bevin.
On offer at www.charitywineauction.co.nz are distinguished Hawke's Bay wines, a number of which have been created exclusively for the auction, plus degustation dinners and unique artwork including a sculpture by nationally renowned artist, Ricks Terstappen.
Hosted by the regional wine organisation for the past 21 years, with more than $2 million raised for Cranford Hospice in Hastings, the event offers wine lovers from around the country the opportunity to buy unique and distinctive wines and support the only palliative care organisation in the region.
Many of the lots are large volumes of wines and successful bidders will have these bottled for them by the respective winery with specially printed auction wine labels affixed, at no additional cost.
For the third year, Rapid Labels is covering the cost of the labels, which will feature an artistic photographic print of the Terstappen sculpture, created by photographer Shayne Jeffares. Hawke's Bay wine bottling business, Wineworks, will then label the wine bottles at no charge.
The Hawke's Bay Winegrowers Charity Wine Auction will be held on Saturday, June 2, 2.30pm at Orton@Sileni Estates. For tickets and more details please see www.charitywineauction.co.nz, phone 06 855 8365
WILD AT HEART
If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me "I hate sauvignon blanc, I'm bored with it," I would probably have about $23. Hand on heart, I can honestly say I love sauvignon blanc, but the trick to staying in love is to occasionally deviate away from the classic, passionfruity, tomato stalky, sweaty armpit styles that Marlborough is famous for, and instead savour the more funky, barrel-fermented styles using wild yeasts and all manner of groovy, natural methods in the making. Why? Because they're there and they're so good to drink this time of year. They're superb food wines and they also reward some patient cellaring (which totally goes against the "drink young" mantra we've been exposed to since sauvignon became a sensation).
Here are some of my "must try" recommendations this week:
CHURCH ROAD MCDONALD SERIES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011, $32
Fans of complex, quirky sauvignon blanc will be won over by the decent 14 per cent splash of sauvignon gris which is blended into classic, tropical Hawke's Bay sauvignon blanc sourced from Church Road's Matapiro and Redstone vineyards. Hardly a huge, toasty style, this is more a lifted, lemony example which has an intensely clean, zingy mouthfeel and a lovely nutty, minerally texture on the finish. www.churchroad.co.nz
GREYWACKE MARLBOROUGH WILD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010, $31
Funky, fabulous aromas of moist hay, fresh figs and preserved lemon simply ooze from the glass. In the mouth it is rich, deeply flavoursome, rich and satisfying - exotic even. This is sauvignon, and then some. I'd love to taste this wine again in another year to see how it's developing. www.greywacke.com
THE 3RD MAN DARNLEY CORNER WAIPARA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011, $22
This is a little North Canterbury cracker. There's lemon verbena on the nose and it's packed with white peach, crushed herbs and crisp, citrus-driven complexity. I love this barrel-fermented style combined with the floral minerality of Waipara sauvignon - stylish stuff. www.thethirdman.co.nz
SACRED HILL SAUVAGE 2007, $35
Angelina Jolie in a glass, basically. Voluptuous, smouldering and crackling with spicy intensity. Often described as "sauvignon for chardonnay lovers", and with decades of pedigree behind it, the Sauvage can lay claim to being an aristocrat of the barrel-fermented, wild yeast inoculated style. At 5 years of age, this high-end Hawke's Bay sauvignon has developed exotic aromas of japonica jelly on buttered toast with tangy mandarin and mealy, minerally flavours on the finish. Proof that sauvignon of a certain class can cellar beautifully. www.sacredhill.com