Guinea pigs, sheep and wine
Claudine Earley
SENSITIVITY to the environment is so hot right now.
But well before Al Gore made his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, New Zealand wineries were adopting green principles and raising funds for endangered species.
One of the latest initiatives saw Yealands Estate, in Marlborough, use animals to keep grass down rather than gas-guzzling tractor-mowers. The original guinea pigs were replaced by miniature sheep, however, after hawks developed a taste for the little critters.
Marlborough’s Wild South Wines are working with DOC to save the black-fronted tern. Project Your Tern aims to eradicate pests, control weeds and improve the breeding success of the dainty seabird. I reckon it’s working. I swear I spotted six of them soaring over Seatoun beach last Sunday.
If you feel like doing a good tern, grab a bottle of Wild South Marlborough Chardonnay 2009 ($18) next time you’re at the supermarket.
It’s unoaked, light and frisky – a good summer-drinking tipple. It smells nutty with nectarine nougat aromas and mandarin blossom notes. Its gentle acids go with melt in the mouth mineral water and tangerines.
Award-winning Waimea Estates has also launched an eco-label. Sales of its Spinyback wines support the efforts of Nelson iwi Ngati Koata to educate people and save the Tuatara on Stephen’s Island. There are six wines in the range. We tried their latest release whites and were impressed with the quality and price.
Spinyback Nelson Chardonnay 2009 ($18) has spent time on oak, so is nice and rich, with buttery biscuit aromas and good balance between sweet cashew nutty vanilla oakiness and apricot/citrus acidity.
Spinyback Nelson Pinot Gris 2009 ($18) has a nose of vanilla blossoms and musky honey mead. It’s rich, medium bodied and smooth. We found the wine complex: the main taste experience to begin with is pure, bright pear flavours, then pear skin as the wine dries out, ending with a hint of yeasty vegemite savouriness.
Wine of the week: As I poured my glass of Spinyback Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($15), the air filled with the aroma of gooseberry. When sipped, this wine brims over with mouth-filling passionfruit. If you’ve never tried Nelson savs before, this one is a great introduction. And all for a good cause.
But well before Al Gore made his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, New Zealand wineries were adopting green principles and raising funds for endangered species.
One of the latest initiatives saw Yealands Estate, in Marlborough, use animals to keep grass down rather than gas-guzzling tractor-mowers. The original guinea pigs were replaced by miniature sheep, however, after hawks developed a taste for the little critters.
Marlborough’s Wild South Wines are working with DOC to save the black-fronted tern. Project Your Tern aims to eradicate pests, control weeds and improve the breeding success of the dainty seabird. I reckon it’s working. I swear I spotted six of them soaring over Seatoun beach last Sunday.
If you feel like doing a good tern, grab a bottle of Wild South Marlborough Chardonnay 2009 ($18) next time you’re at the supermarket.
It’s unoaked, light and frisky – a good summer-drinking tipple. It smells nutty with nectarine nougat aromas and mandarin blossom notes. Its gentle acids go with melt in the mouth mineral water and tangerines.
Award-winning Waimea Estates has also launched an eco-label. Sales of its Spinyback wines support the efforts of Nelson iwi Ngati Koata to educate people and save the Tuatara on Stephen’s Island. There are six wines in the range. We tried their latest release whites and were impressed with the quality and price.
Spinyback Nelson Chardonnay 2009 ($18) has spent time on oak, so is nice and rich, with buttery biscuit aromas and good balance between sweet cashew nutty vanilla oakiness and apricot/citrus acidity.
Spinyback Nelson Pinot Gris 2009 ($18) has a nose of vanilla blossoms and musky honey mead. It’s rich, medium bodied and smooth. We found the wine complex: the main taste experience to begin with is pure, bright pear flavours, then pear skin as the wine dries out, ending with a hint of yeasty vegemite savouriness.
Wine of the week: As I poured my glass of Spinyback Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($15), the air filled with the aroma of gooseberry. When sipped, this wine brims over with mouth-filling passionfruit. If you’ve never tried Nelson savs before, this one is a great introduction. And all for a good cause.
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