Greystone/Muddy Water

Greystone wines purchased Muddy Water in 2011 when the owners retired. The two sites couldn’t be any more different. Greystone is much bigger at 37 hectares and is on limestone. Muddy Water, on the other hand, is only 12 hectares and is on a clay substrate. The wine making philosophy however is very similar, both estates are certified organic and there is a philosophy of creating the best wines possible from the different terroirs.

Greystone Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Barrel fermented in old French oak. Wild fermentation. A very Loire Valley style of Sauvignon. Gentle gooseberry, nettle and delicate stone fruit. This wine is nicely balanced and has a good finish.

Muddy Water Estate Chardonnay 2015

A very nice lighter style of chardonnay which exhibits some lovely citrus fruit. Quite mineral in character.

Greystone Chardonnay 2016

A richer style of chardonnay with tropical fruit and fully integrated oak giving a nice balance to the wine. A good citrus finish.

Greystone Sand Dollar Pinot Gris 2016

Tropical and stone fruit abound in a wine which has a lovely balance of fruit and acidity. The finish is dry and lingers with subtle tropical fruit.

Greystone Sea Star Riesling 2016

A lovely bone dry style of Riesling with herby notes and apricot stone fruit. The wine has lovely texture and is well balanced. Very nice.

Greystone Riesling 2017

Off dry in style this wine is full of fresh flowers, tropical fruits and limes. There palate is rich but with crisp acidity. A very nice Riesling indeed.

Greystone Gewurtztraminer 2015

Aromas of herbs, flowers and lime make this a very appealing wine. The palate has spicy tropical fruit with a splash of Turkish delight. Another success, very drinkable indeed.

Muddy Water Estate Pinot Noir 2016

Aromas of cherry, red berry fruits and violets. The palate has cherries and red fruits with a subtle earthy element. Tannins have some grip but this is drinking well.

Greystone Pinot Noir 2016

Nose opens out to give dark cherry and vanilla. A more complex offering than the Muddy Water and perhaps with better potential to age. There are savoury notes and a nice red berry finish.

Muddy Water Estate Pinotage 2016

Aromas of black fruits, vanilla and tar. The palate has depth with soft black plummy fruit. it is smokey and savoury and nicely balanced. Very nice and a rare find in New Zealand.

Greystone Basket Star 2013 (167g/l residual sugar)

Gold in appearance. Light, fresh aromas of apricot and orange. Palate has great balance with caramelised oranges and a touch of honey. A wine of great pleasure.

Muddy Water Estate Sugar Daddy Riesling 2016 (108g/l)

Rich and complex with honey, oranges and caramel. It has great depth and richness  and is well balanced, it is a wine to savour.

Driving in New Zealand

  1. New Zealanders drive on the left as we do in the UK. This makes the transition very straightforward and driving in the country a pleasure.
  2. Most cars are automatic transmission as in the USA. Despite driving a manual car at home I always enjoy the opportunity to drive an automatic
  3. Most roads, except those around big cities like Auckland and Wellington, are single carriageway. there are frequent passing lanes which are found usually on up hill sections.
  4. Drivers of slow vehicles, such as lorries and camper vans, will move over to let you pass on single carriage way roads where it is safe to do so. There are far less lorries on New Zealand roads compared to there UK or USA and many of the big trucks are logging vehicles.
  5. Outside the big cities traffic is light. The population of New Zealand is only 4.7 million and you really notice this on the roads. Indeed 75% of the population live on the North Island so the South is relatively much quieter, however most of the camper vans are concentrated in the south.
  6. Petrol price is currently around £1.12 a litre though you will pay more in some of the more remote areas.
  7. New Zealand’s roads are incredibly well maintained. There are no pot holes!. If there are road works then that section of road is being actively worked on. There are not mile upon mile of coned off road works. Roads can become closed because of slips/landslides and diversions can add a long detour to your journey. it is always worth checking for road updates before you set off.
  8. Bridges, and there are a lot of them especially in the South Island, are single lane. Signs give priority and this is strictly adhered to. In general drivers are incredibly polite and courteous. I only saw on example of aggressive driving in nearly a month of travelling.
  9. Driving is much slower in New Zealand.  The speed limit outside built up areas may be 100km/hr but this is hard to maintain due to the twisting, turning roads.  In short New Zealand has a lot of bends and corners to slow the driver down. As a result it takes much longer to cover distances than in the UK or USA
  10. Road signage and markings are very similar to the UK. Yellow lines are used in the centre of the road. A solid yellow line means you must not cross, so no overtaking. A dashed yellow line means that a solid yellow restriction is about to start. More details can be found here

Further advice can be found here  

and here