Postcards From Here and There

Hawkes Bay Wine Region Part 1

Hawkes Bay is situated on the east coast of New Zealand’s north island. It is the oldest and second largest of the wine growing regions in the country. Grape vines were first planted here as long ago as 1851. The climate in the region is well suited to grape growing; low rainfall, 2220 hours of sunshine annually on average, long growing conditions and cooling onshore breezes.

Vineyards are found around the cities of Napier and Hastings. these are also both interesting places to visit. The Hawkes Bay region was devastated by an earthquake in 1931 and the subsequent rebuilding meant that many buildings, especially in Napier, were built in the Art Deco style. Napier is now known as the Art Deco capital of the world!

There are three main clusters of wineries in the area that make planning visits carefully as the distances between them can be large. From the Napier vineyards to those around Bridge Pa/Gimblett Gravels near Hastings for example is a 18Km (11 mile) drive. We found the isite tourism information in Hastings to be particularly helpful in providing winery maps of Hawkes Bay along with wine and food guides and details of local bike hire. you can visit their website here

Church Road

Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay. 2016

Tropical fruits, nutty, marzipan flavour abound in this complex wine which has lovely balance. the finish is long and Lingering. Excellent.

Church Road. Classic Range Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon. 2016

Red fruit and plum flavours with some savoury and spicy notes. Medium bodied. A good everyday wine to have with food.

Church Road McDonald Series Merlot 2015

Good depth of colour to the wine. Dark berry fruits, plums. The palate is rich and full with warm spice, vanilla and a nice savoury finish.

Church Road Grand Reserve. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2014

Great colour, red and black fruits, plums. Soft, round, hints of spice. Tannins integrating. Well balanced. Very nice wine

Church Road Grand Reserve. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2013

Black fruits , plums abound in this very inviting wine. There is a touch of star anise to add a warming spice. Powerful with great depth and structure and a dry, spicy finish. Excellent.

Visit their website here

2. Te Mata

Te Mata Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Very pale with feint lime tinge, with aromas of gooseberry and some tropical notes. Use of some oak gives a nice weight and depth. Nice finish

Te Mata Estate Chardonnay 2016

Peaches and lemon citrus in this very drinkable wine. A lighter style of chardonnay which is crisp and dry.

Te Mata Elston Chardonnay 2016

Single vineyard wine with 40 year old vines. Pale lemon, clear and bright. Lemon citrus, peach, toasty, vanilla give an intense flavour profile but without overpowering. Has nice weight and a long lingering finish. Excellent.

Te Mata Estate Gamay Noir 2017

Light cherry red. Aromas of cherry, strawberry, fruit chews, bubblegum. Light on the palate, fruity, easy drinking style of wine. This is s fun wine to be enjoyed now.

Te Mata Estate Vineyards Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Youthful in appearance this wine is full of black fruit and plums with a little spice. Palate has nice balance with tannins to soften a little. A wine for drinking with food.

Te Mata Awatea Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2016

Youthful appearance with a great depth of colour. Aromas of black fruits, violets and a warm savoury/herby complexity. Palate is delightful and complex and there is a long savoury finish. Excellent.

Visit their website here

Craggy Range

Craggy Range occupies a stunning location, nestled at the base of Te Mata peak in New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay. No expense has been spared in creating not just a winery and tasting room but also a restaurant and accommodation in the form of vineyard villas and a lodge.

The Whites

Sauvignon Blanc. Family Collection. Te Muna Road. Martinborough 2017.

98% vinified in stainless steel with 2% vinified in barrel, with a view to smooth out the acidity. Gooseberry, limes and a touch of stone fruit. Palate is full on, zingy, fresh and dry. A Sauvignon that offers a little more than most.

Riesling. Te Muna Road. Martinborough. 2017

The demand for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is enormous and this can make it difficult for growers to experiment with different varieties. It took 3 years from 2014 to sell 1000 cases of Craggy Range Riesling. In the same period 250,000 cases of Sauvignon Blanc were sold! Go and search out these wines they are well worth the effort. This Riesling has richness, lemon citrus and is slightly off dry. It has a lovely balance.

Pinot Gris. Te Muna Road. Martinborough. 2017

Tropical fruit, lime and a hint of floral perfume. Nice weight and balance with a dry finish. A good example of the more aromatic style of wine that this grape can produce.

Chardonnay. Kidnappers Vineyard. Hawkes Bay. 2016

Lemon yellow with a delightful nose which invites the drinker to have a glass. A much lighter style of chardonnay which is medium bodied and with great balance. The restrained use of oak adds an interesting dimension to a very nice wine.

The Reds

Pinot Noir. Te Muna Road. Martinborough 2015

Cherry and raspberry fruit, palate is light but with red fruits and a lovely savoury backbone. A very nice example of Pinot Noir.

Aroha. Pinot Noir. Te Muna Road. Martinborough. 2015

Pinot Noir is a most difficult grape to grow and the prices for quality Pinot it, especially in Burgundy, have become stratospheric. The challenge for wine drinkers is to now explore other regions of the world that can make quality Pinot without the such high prices. Having said that quality doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. You pay for what you get, you just don’t have to pay too much. This wine is deep in colour with aromas of cherry and raspberry. The palate is complex with cherry, redcurrant and raspberry fruit flavours, its is savoury, slight cherry menthol, touch of vanilla. Soft, silky and with a great finish. A wine of real class.

Syrah. Gimblett Gravels. Hawkes Bay. 2011

This has a lovely nose of red and black fruits, plums and cola. The palate has depth with herbs and a nice savoury/peppery touch on the finish

Syrah. Le Sol. Gimblett Gravels. Hawkes Bay 2015

Wine is opaque with great depth of colour. Ripe red fruits and black pepper, a complex wine that has real depth and power. Tannins need to soften but this will be a great wine given time.

Merlot. Te Kahu. Hawkes Bay. 2015

76% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec

Merlot can sometimes have a bad name probably due to the over jammy examples that can be offered in some bars and pubs. Then there is the sideways effect to consider. Neither off these should put you off investigating the wines. This wine is a good example of what it can be, red fruits with blackcurrants, plums and cola. the palate has depth and softness with a savoury touch of pepper on the finish.

Sophia. Gimblett Gravels. Hawkes Bay. 2015

75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc

Full and complex with a lovely soft and enticing character. There are flavours of black plums, vanilla and leather. The finish is dry with hit of red fruit. a wine of great class that can only get better.

Visit the Craggy range website here

Craters of the Moon

An unusual name for a geothermal area but an apt description as I hope some of the upcoming photos will illustrate. A walkway has been made which circumvents the area and it takes about an hour to complete if you include the rather steep climb to the lookout which offers a stunning view of the whole area and the numerous steaming vents. It looks as if the area is a caldera from the collapse of an empty magma chamber but I have been unable to confirm this.

The area is not as active as Te Puia

The last major eruption was in 2002 and it was big enough to cover the walkway with mud, pumice and ash to a depth of 5cm.

The mudpools here are much drier but they still can be seen bubbling away. They are very deceiving as they look dry but are still very hot.

Much of the area is covered in a low growing shrub which looks at first glance like heather which is found on British moorland. It is in-fact called prostrate kanuka. It grows best where the ground is a little cooler, in the hotter areas the vegetation is quite different. Thermal mosses are found which can tolerate the hot conditions. Ferns and club mosses, usually found in tropical regions, can also survive here because of the protected by the warmer conditions found here.

The entry fee for this geothermal wonder is only 8NZD (about £4.50). The area is administered by a charitable trust and team of volunteers run the shop and maintain the grounds. The official website is here