BABICH WINES

When we think of New Zealand and its history of winemaking, most of us would not even guess how long it goes back.  Take Babich wines, for example.  This winery started in 1916 shortly after Josip Babić (later anglicized to Babich) moved to New Zealand from Dalmatia (now part of Croatia).  That was almost 100 years ago.  We tend to think of the ‘new world’ wines as having a more recent history than that.

Josip’s history in New Zealand began in Kaikino, where he was once arrested for selling two bottles of wine to a customer.  Where was the crime in that?  No, he wasn’t bootlegging.  The law stated that he was supposed to sell a minimum of two gallons.  The case was never prosecuted.  Shortly after that, Josip and his brothers moved from Kaikino to Henderson, which is fairly close to Auckland.  They started mixed farming again.  They had cows, vegetables, fruit trees and of course… a vineyard.  Josip passed away almost 30 years ago, but he passed on his passion to his children who have taken this winery to new heights.  From this very humble beginning, Babich wines took flight.

Josip’s children, Peter, Joe and Maureen all take an important role in realize their father’s dream.  Josip’s grandson, David (Peter’s son) is also involved on the sales and marketing side).  I grew up in a family business, so I understand how important it is to have the siblings involved.  It makes all the difference.

Today, Babich wines has grown from its relatively few vines to vineyards in Henderson, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Gisborne.  They have wineries in not just one location, but two (Henderson and Marlborough).  They have an extended range of wines.  Some of which we see in Alberta, but the only way to see the rest is to take a trip to New Zealand.  Richard and I are up for that.  How about you?

Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Winery: Babich Winery
Location: Marlborough, New Zealand
Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m

Richard and I will remember this wine forever.  It was one of the wines that we had on our blind tasting for our exam in May.  If you like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, you will love this wine.  Bright and crisp is how we would describe it.

The winery’s tasting notes say:  “Musk melon, lime and an intriguing minerality dominate the nose. The entry is all upfront fruit salad, with extra lashings of pear and some kiwifruit. Fresh and juicy fruit, with nettle and herbal notes take the mid palate to the finish to join agreeably with guava and lime. A very well balanced wine with a lovely medium weight.”

Food Pairing:

Oysters Rockefeller (just for fun); Chicken with Roasted Lemons Green Olives and Capers;

CSPC:     560144
Price:

$16.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

Babich Hawke’s Bay Merlot

Winery: Babich Winery
Location: Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Blend: Merlot
Tasting: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Hawke’s Bay is located on the North Island of New Zealand.  As Marloborough’s connection with white wines, Hawke’s Bay is known for its red wines.  Having said that, whites also play a role here, but red truly is the dominant factor.

Merlot has its friends and foes, but one cannot deny its ability to pair with food.  This particular wine is very easy drinking and foods that will pair with it abound.  If you haven’t tried a Merlot before, take time to try this one.

Food Pairing:

Braised Chicken Thighs; Spice-Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops

CSPC:     106906
Price:

$14.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

New Zealand = Sauvignon Blanc.

While it is true that when one thinks of New Zealand, their most successful wine, Sauvignon Blanc, does comes to mind.  It is the most widely cultivated grape variety (approximately 13,600 acres and growing) However, there is a lot more wine to choose from… Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Muscat, Sémillon, Verdelho, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinotage, and Cabernet Franc.

The wine regions in New Zealand stretch from latitudes 36°S in the north (Northland) (comparable in latitude to Jerez, Spain), to 45°S (Central Otago) in the south (comparable in latitude to Bordeaux, France).  Although the climate is considered maritime, like anywhere there are areas that receive more rain and less rain.  Even though the daytime temperatures can get quite high, generally speaking the evenings can cool down which is perfect for nice acidity in the grapes.

The region we are talking about today is Marlborough.  It is located on the north side of the south island.  Aside from the warm days and cooler evenings we just spoke about, the growing season here is nice and long.  Now we are off to the winery.

Villa Maria Estate

Villa Maria will be celebrating its 50^th Anniversary in 2011.  The winery was founded in 1961 by George Fistonich.  Passionate from a young age, wine was a central part of George’s upbringing. “Being Croatian, wine is part of my blood,” George says ‘It’s always been a part of life and I’m pleased to have spent my career pursuing this life-long passion.’ (Source:  Villa Maria Website)

George understood that the different regions played a part in how the various grape varieties made different styles of wine.  “He pioneered the use of contract growers and led Villa Maria to become the first New Zealand wine company to initiate payment for grapes based on quality rather than a flat contract price.”  George also saw the potential for people visiting the area and opened the first vineyard bar and restaurant in 1979.

The 1980’s saw more change with the purchase of the Esk Valley Estate Winery (just north of Napier), which was refurbished and turned into a boutique winery.  A second tier of wines made its way into the Villa Maria portfolio.   A ‘reserve’ line was made from the best vintages and the best quality grapes.  This proved to be very successful for Villa Maria not only locally, but internationally as well.  These wines have received numerous awards/accolades over the years.

“In 2004, George Fistonich was shortlisted as one of the 50 most prominent figures in the wine industry by UK Wine International magazine and in 2005 he was named New Zealand’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.”  In 2009 George received the honour of being knighted.    “One of only 85 to be knighted this year and the first ever to be acknowledged for services to the New Zealand wine industry” (source:  Villa Maria Website)

In June 2010 Jeremy McKenzie, Villa Maria’s Senior Marlborough winemaker, visited our fair city of Edmonton.  If I remember correctly, this was Villa Maria’s first trip into our part of the world.  Jeremy led a great tasting of all of Villa Maria’s wines that we see here in Alberta.  People from all areas of the wine industry were in attendance to listen to Jeremy talk about Villa Maria and his obvious passion for wine.  The night before we attended this tasting, ironically Jeremy was on TV on the Travel Channel talking about Villa Maria.  The next day, we mentioned that it was kind of surreal seeing him on TV the night before and then meeting him in person.

There are a large number of wines that we are lucky to receive from this estate.  Today we are sampling a Riesling and a Pinot Noir.

Winery: Stoneleigh
Vintage: 2008
Location: Marlborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13%
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting: Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

New Zealand is located in the picturesque South Pacific.  New Zealand wine has been on the Canadian radar for a number of years.   Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough has been a perennial favourite.  However, we are seeing much more coming from these beautiful islands:  Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, Viognier. Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah.  That is quite a selection to quench our thirst!

“In Rapaura, Marlborough there lies a vineyard studded with precious stones. Once the bed of an ancient river, today they form the bed of our vineyard.”  That is the beginning of the Stoneleigh Winery history.  As we were reading the story of Stoneleigh, the first thing we thought was that it sounded almost magical.  Lo and behold at the bottom of the page didn’t it say “Stoneleigh - Made with the Magic of Sunstones.”  The Rapaura region of New Zealand is slightly warmer than other regions of Marloborough, so the fruit will ripen a little earlier.

We usually think of harvest time as the fall - September to October.  Well these grapes were harvested between March 23 and April 15, which is their fall down under.  Jamie Marfell, Senior Winemaker for Stoneleigh Winery said “The 2008 vintage was a fantastic grape growing year for the wines of Stoneleigh. Periodic rainfall events throughout summer gave strong vine health, boosting what is needed on our stony, gravelly vineyards. Starting harvest in late March, the fruit was in premium condition with intense flavours and balanced acidity.  Making picking decisions based on flavour, I was able to target passionfruit and grapefruit flavours, minimizing the greener notes.  The resultant wine is a true expression of the Rapaura region with strong aromatics, an intense palate and clean, fresh acidity.” Now if that doesn’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what would!

Stoneleigh began winemaking at the Marlborough Estate in the 1980’s so its history is relatively short.  However, a number of their wines have won awards.  The Stoneleigh Marlborough Chardonnay 1996 was named White Wine of the Year at the 1998 International Wine Challenge in London.  This was followed by two successive vintages of the Sauvignon Blanc receiving Best Buy recommendations from Wine Spectator Magazine.  Now awards are great, but what is most important is what you think of the wine.

In North America we are used to mega filtering of everything.  Well, if you over filter the wine, you will lose some of its character and flavour… and that would not be a good thing.  At Stoneleigh the winemaker takes a minimalist approach when making the wine and only subtly intervenes to add some complexity and to enhance the fruit’s unique characteristics.  The wines are fined very lightly, so that they maintain all the qualities of the fruit.

It has been a few years since we last tasted this wine, so we thought it was well time to do it again.

When you taste this wine you will notice the citrus, ripe grapefruit and passionfruit right off the bat.  There are also some mineral notes as well.  The acidity is nicely balanced with the nice fruit on the palate.

Food Pairing:

  Asparagus, chicken (fried, roasted, or sautéed), goat cheese, white fish (poached or sautéed), oysters, pasta with a cream sauce, light salad, turkey.

CSPC:     293043
Price:

      $17.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice.

Come join myself and Richard in Spain next week.  Our frequent flyer miles are adding up!!