Metro

Saturday May 17, 2008

NZ wines set to make their mark

By CHARLES FERNANDEZ


AFTER a long search for the perfect vineyard site, former merchant banker Martyn Nicholls and his family bought and settled on a 40ha block of premium vineyard land in the upper Wairau Valley in the heart of Marlborough, New Zealand in 1993.

The Marlborough region is one of New Zealand’s most outstanding tourist destinations: it is not only the country's seafood capital, but the wine capital, too.

From New Zealand: Nicholls showing one of the wines that will be introduced in Malaysia.

It is also the region with the most hours of sunshine per year – an average of about nine hours a day – and Nicholls’ main vineyard is at the top of the Wairau Valley where the temperature and soil characteristics produce wines that exhibit an interesting range of fruit characters and a distinctive mineral note.

During a wine dinner at the Courtyard Garden restaurant in Kuala Lumpur recently, Nicholls explained why his labels were ready to take the local wine market by storm.

The wines, which are marketed under the Gravitas label (from the Latin word meaning “something that is of great stature, seriousness and elegance”), have garnered a sizeable following in nearly 60 markets worldwide and a restaurant following that is largely unrivalled by other New Zealand wineries.

Main course: The Duo of comprising Vanilla Marinated Duck Leg with Pan Roasted Duck Supreme served with Balsamico would have ideally paired the Chardonnay, according Nicholls.

“The wines are already available at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur,” Nicholls revealed, adding that they were listed in virtually every Michelin-starred restaurant in several countries, including England.

There are five wines under the Gravitas label but during the wine dinner, Nicholls introduced only two – the Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot Noir.

The others are the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay, the 2006 Wandering Piano Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc.

The dinner started with Oriental Crispy Tiger Prawns tossed with Oats, which was paired with the Sauvignon Blanc, and Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Ketaifi Cheese Mushroom, paired with the Pinot Noir.

The 2004 Gravitas Sauvignon Blanc is multi-layered, complex and has a mid-palate, and has been hailed as one of the 100 most exciting white wine finds of the world.

Meanwhile, it would seem that the Pinot Noir suggests the winery has a fantastic future with its red wine as well.

Nicholls said the Pinot Noir, usually harvested between March and April, was allowed to ferment in the finest quality French oak barrels for 10 months.

Starter: The Vietnamese Spring Rolls was paired with the Pinot Noir.

“This wine is special as it has a deep cherry-red colour and a concentrated aroma of berry fruits. The grapes are all handpicked, so only the best go into the wine making process,” he added.

The starters were followed by a hot soup – Cream of Potatoes and Leek – again paired with the Sauvignon Blanc.

The main course was Duo of Duck, comprising Vanilla Marinated Duck Leg Confit with Pan Roasted Duck served with Balsamico Juice.

According to Nicholls, this main course is best paired with the Chardonnay but since it was not available, he promised he would be back with the full range of wine for another winemakers dinner next month.

Wrapping up the dinner was German reisling with three varieties of New Zealand cheese. Though a simple offering, it was a nice end to a satisfying meal.

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