New Zealand Wine Visits Vancouver May 5, 2016
New Zealand is my birthplace and I have returned on far too few occasions and I’m left with a gap in my heart each time of think of my home country. I miss my relatives (four generations are still living as my grandparents are in their 90’s) and all the great food and wine that occurs when we are together.
The last time I visited New Zealand I visited many cellar doors in Hawkes Bay where the majority of the extended family lives now, and have been to a few on Waiheke Island, but I have yet to venture further south to explore the many wineries that visit Canada during the spring wine tours. Fortunately the upcoming May New Zealand Wine Tiki Tour in Vancouver on May 5, 2016 provides a tour of the entire country’s wine regions.
Wineries flying over this time include those from the east, west north and south, and it isn’t all about Sauvignon Blanc , AT ALL, or even Pinot Noir. I can’t wait to sample Syrah, Pinot Gris, Gewurtz and some bigger reds.
Participating Wineries
Ara Wines
Babich Wines
Clark Estate
Invivo Wines
Marisco Vineyards
Marlborough Wine
Matua Wines
Mud House Wines
Oyster Bay Wines
Pernod Ricard Winemakers
Sacred Hill Vineyards
Saint Clair Family Estate
Sileni Estates
Spy Valley Wines
Staete Landt Wine Company
Stoneleigh Vineyards
te Pa Family Vineyards
Toi Toi Wines
Villa Maria Estate
Whitehaven Wine Company
Wither Hills
Vancouver May 6 Consumer Tickets here
Trade Tasting Tickets here
In addition to the New Zealand Tiki Tour, NZ Wines is celebrating Sauvignon Blanc Day on Friday May 6, 2016 (and you can win through social media from May 1-May 20)
Snap, Tag and Win with #NZWine
Celebrate #SauvBlanc Day with NZ Sauv Blanc on Friday May 6 2016. Details here.
SNAP a pic of you enjoying your favourite NZ Sauv Blanc
TAG your Instagram or Tweet with #SauvBlanc, #MyNZSauvBlanc, #NZWine and #BCLDB
WIN a $25 BCLDB gift certificate
Competition runs from 1 to 20 May 2016.
While you are celebrating NZ Wine by drinking Sauvignon Blanc, or visiting the New Zealand Wine Tour I highly encourage you to pay some attention to Sacred Hill Winery, one I recently visited while in Hawkes Bay. One of my favourite wines in the world (yes, the WORLD) comes from here, the Rifleman’s Chardonnay; proving, once again, NZ is way more than Sauvignon Blanc.
I’ve stood among the vines in the Rifleman’s Chardonnay is grown, a spectacular site overlooking the white cliffs of the Tutaekuri river. The soil is a mixture of 10,000 year old volcanic ash and deep red metals overlaying limestone, creating low yields and extremely concentrated fruit flavours. The vineyard is planted 22 year old Mendoza vines and the resulting wine is outstanding. I pray they bring it with them on the tour.
