17 May 2012

From science to wine

Rebecca Taylor

30/11/2011 10:38:00 a.m.

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A friend of mine recently mused on the number of winemakers who have moved into the field after a successful career in science. What made them leave the laboratories, and does their scientific background make them better winemakers?
One such winemaker is Andrew Hedley from Framingham in Marlborough. He is an exuberant character, with a bit of a punk rocker attitude, and he makes some excellent wine. The Rieslings from Framingham are a particular favourite of mine, and carry some sentimental value as an early wine moment for me was drinking some aged Framingham Classic Riesling one Christmas afternoon many years ago with my dad.
Framingham produces several different Rieslings under two complementary labels. Sitting alongside the standard Framingham wines is the “F Series”, a family of wines that are a bit less mainstream and packed with personality. I was lucky enough to taste several different Rieslings from both the standard and F series over an extremely pleasant couple of hours. We tasted them in ascending levels of sweetness.
We started with the Framingham Dry Riesling 2004. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this vintage is the current release! The amount of money tied up in holding the wines back before releasing them must be substantial, but apparently the wines are austere to the point of being unapproachable when first released, so I’m glad they do. This wine is beginning to develop some secondary characters, with nutty, toasty notes, honeyed lemons and a balanced acidity. The palate is quite creamy in texture, and it feels great in the mouth. $37.90.
Next we tried the F-Series Old Vine Riesling 2010, which is a much faster developing wine than the dry Riesling and doesn’t show the kind of meanness in its youth that is in its sister. Delicate florals, apples and stonefruit lead to a lemony finish. Again the texture is very generous. $39.90
Framingham Classic Riesling 2009 is a dangerously easy drop. The slightly higher sugar content helps to give it a bit of breadth, and lovely notes of stonefruit and mandarin are present on the palate. $24.90.
Framingham Select Riesling 2010 is quite a yellow colour, showing heady florals, peach, grapefruit and sherbet notes with a hint of meal. Brisk acidity balances against the sweetness. $37.90.
Framingham Noble Riesling 2011 is viscous, showing tinned apricots and syrup, great weight, some straw notes and yellow florals. On the finish I got a real lemon cheesecake character. $39.90.
Vineyard conditions were perfect for botrytis last season, and in the best mad-scientist fashion, Andrew Hedley made a range of sweet wines following the German Praedikat system, which defines the wines according to sweetness and quality. I haven’t had a chance to try them, but I’ve heard amazing things from those who have. They’re not cheap, but would make a marvellous treat on the table at Christmas.
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Cover Story

Best of Wellington 2011

Briefs

  • A question of nutrition

    Controversial Washington-based nutritionist Sally Fallon-Morell is to speak in Wellington on March 29.
    Fallon-Morell is the co-founder of the American food lobby group the Weston A. Price Foundation and the author of Nourishing Traditions. She advocates for the consumption of nutritionally dense foods such as lacto-fermented vegetables, stocks and broths, and whole raw dairy products.
    Fallon-Morell will speak at St Patrick’s College Hall on March 29.

  • Relay for cancer

    Organisers say Sunday’s Relay for Life is full to capacity with hundreds of Wellingtonians registered for the event.
    A total of 88 teams, made up of 10 to 500 members, plan to take part with a further 25 teams on the waiting list.
    The 24 hour relay, the Cancer Society’s biggest fundraising event of the year, takes place at Frank Kitts Park from 4pm on March 31.

  • Osteoarthritis awareness

    Arthritis New Zealand has launched a nationwide campaign raise awareness about osteoarthritis. 
    Arthritis is New Zealand’s leading cause of disability, affecting 305,000 adults, and osteoarthritis is its most common form.
    The campaign features television commercials and an interactive website.


  • Wild walk

    Take part in the Big Walk at Zealandia on March 31.
    Walkers can choose a two, five or 10 kilometre walk catering to all fitness levels.
    Money raised will go to the Foundation for Youth Development.

  • School pool

    The opening of the new Khandallah School pool this week means hundreds of children will be able to continue their swimming lessons.
    The pool was the first to receive a grant from Wellington City Council’s Schools Pools Partnership Fund, a fund set up in 2010 to help schools improve their pool facilities.
    Grants from the fund have also been made for pools at Wellington East Girls’ College, Barhampore School and Tawa School.

  • Easter bikers

    Motorcyclists are invited to get on their bikes and collect Easter eggs for families support from the Wellington City Mission.
    The charity run on April 1 is organised by motorcycle lobby group BONZ.
    Eggs can be donated at Red Baron Motorcylces in Alicetown. The registration fee for bikers is $10, plus the cost of Easter eggs.

  • Crafty

    Made on Marion opens on the site of the former Golding Handicrafts site in Marion St, from April 1.  They will continue to supply craft materials.

  • Ze upgrade

    Taranaki Street fuel users will notice that the Z Energy’s former Shell Service Station is closed.  Z are doing a “total revamp”.
    The job will take four weeks.

  • Newlands Moves

    Developer Ayal Aharoni has agreed to build only 90 instead of 220 houses on his six and a half hectares above Ngauranga Gorge in Newlands.  Only low density occupation will be allowed on the remaining 8.4 hectares.


  • Baring Head

    There's a new  draft plan out for what should happen at Baring Head.  It outlines how the Greater Wellington Regional council would like to manage the newest addition to its regional parks network. Grazing animals will go, motorised vehicles will be prohibited, predators will be controlled, and the lighthouse will be preserved. Submissions are invited.


  • It’s a wonder

    A new childcare centre in Newtown says it is dedicated to helping kids grow up healthy in mind, body and spirit. Little Wonders Childcare on Rintoul Street is an independent early childhood education and learning centre, the sixth centre to be opened by its Auckland-based owner. It caters to 100 children aged between three months and five years old and has been open for a little more than seven weeks.

  • Festival treats

    CHILDREN have not been forgotten by organisers of the New Zealand International Arts Festival.
    For a perfect first theatrical experience White tells the story of friends Cotton and Winkle who live in a world where there is no colour and everything is startlingly white. That is until a brightly coloured egg tumbles out of the sky and changes their world for ever.
    White plays at Capital E from March 7-11.
    The tale of Peter and the World also promises to be a magical night for all ages. Sergei Prokofiev’s classic children’s tale is told through film and live music from the NZ Symphony Orchestra at the Michael Fowler Centre on March 9.
    March 11 is Young Writers and Readers Day and readings from children’s writers and illustrators Lynley Dodd and Gavin Bishop.

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