Brad Hickey's Wine Odyssey

TerraVin Tears Up Auckland

I first met Mike Eaton of TerraVin after drinking his 2004 Hillside Selection Pinot Noir at Gibbs Restaurant in Marlborough. Silky, aromatic, generous, yet balanced are words that spring to mind as I recall witnessing the wine blossom in the glass alongside a fantastic meal. The next morning I called Mike for the first time and we met and tasted through his range of wines. It was also the first time I saw his sweeping north-facing hillside vineyard responsible for the stuffing in that bottle I enjoyed the night before. It was a good meeting, one which caused me to miss my flight, but in the end was well worth it. Mike loves to talk about TerraVin and I was there to listen. Mike and Jo, his wife, are passionate about their wine. He's been a top viticulturist in Marlborough for decades now and has helped the region wake up to the potential of pinot noir and hillside plantings, much like Burgundy, with the establishment of the famous Clayvin site now owned by Fromm Wines. Mike also handles the winemaking duties at TerraVin quite deftly. A recent Wine Advocate issue scored many of his wines in the 90-94 range. A year later and TerraVin is now reentering the NY market with Sober Imports this Fall. I had the pleasure recently in Auckland of joining Mike and Jo at Vinnies Restaurant for a winemakers dinner. Renowned NZ wine writer, Michael Cooper, Cuisine Magazine's Food Editor, Lauraine Jacobs, and their wine and travel editor, Susan Buchanan, also joined the intimate dinner for 35 guests. Vinnie's chef and owner, Geoff Scott, and the Eatons designed a well thought out tasting menu to match the Terravin wine arsenal. The menu was as follows: Sashimi of gamefish, daikon & sorrel, himalayan salt & frozen leccino oil wine- Te Ahu sauvignon Semillon 2006; Ross sea toothfish tortellini & pernod poached northland scallops wine- Chardonnay 2007; Wild rabbit loin with pancetta, white butter beans & white truffle wine- Pinot gris 2007 & Pinot noir 2005; 14 hour poached cardrona lamb, panisse, fennel confit & butcher's sauce wine- Hillside Pinot noir 2004 & Hillside Reserve Pinot noir 2006; Vintage gouda souffle with spiced figs & walnut toast wine- J cabernet merlot malbec 2005; lime parfait, roast grapefruit, honey wafers & mandarin jelly wine- Noble sauvignon 2006. It was a terrific meal and really showed how well TerraVin works with food. I look forward to doing a similar type event in NYC one day. Look fast for TerraVin wines this October, since only small amounts of these handcrafted wines are created.

Waipara, New Zealand

Just north of Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island is an up and coming wine region called Waipara. Pegasus Bay has been shaping delicious pinot noir and riesling from this district for years, and now, finally, the rest of the world is starting to take notice. Waipara is overshadowed by Marlborough to the north and Central Otago to the south, but the rieslings and balanced pinots have captivated me for months now. Being an undervalued wine appellation isn't all that bad, at least from a selfish point of view. As a result there are some good values to be had for wine lovers willing to branch out into the New World. Two such producers are Weka River and The Crater Rim, both being imported into America by Sober Imports this Fall. These are exciting wines. Weka River, owned by well-known viticulturist Brent "Harry" Harris and Susan Laidlaw, makes hand crafted, deliciously floral pinot noirs and complex dry rieslings. Crater Rim, the passionate brainchild of Ben and Theo Coles, creates a point of difference with their Germanic-style rieslings and Bordelaise-style sauvignon blancs. Their pinot noirs from different regions are terroir driven and totally individualistic. There's not much of these wines made, so keep an eye out for them this October and try to get in on them early before they sell out. Pegasus Bay has a consistently good kitchen and lovely landscaped grounds. there is a bounty of great local food from here, and it's proximity to Christchurch bodes well for Waipara and the greater area known as Canterbury's development as a popular wine destination. There is an annual food and wine festival in March that highlights the 30 odd neighborhood producers. It's a special spot. I'm off to Auckland today, waiting for the fog to lift off rainy Adelaide. I will be travelling to Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, and Martinborough. I'll report back in the next few days.