Our second group of intrepid explorers assembled in Napier and we kicked off with a terrific meal at one of best restaurants in Napier.
MINT is run by Ruth and Stephen Beere and in a very short time they have established themselves as one the premier dining venues in the region.
It was also a handy five minute walk from our hotel! Delicious prawns in a lobster bisque followed by 14 hour slow roasted shoulder of lamb with a miraculous tiramsu to finish meant we kicked off tour 2 with a bang!
Day 1
There was a whiff of cynicism in the air as we boarded the bus. How much fun could a visit to a commercial bottling plant be? Well……where do we start. Lachie Thomas and Steve White from the company Wineworks set the scene. They are a rapidly expanding business as many wine estates use their services to bottle their wine efficiently and professionally. Once bottled, these wines can be stored or distributed as required. This was a brilliant example of Just in Time factory management. Tankers were coming in from as far as Marlborough with a mix of small and large bottling runs. It allows the winemakers to focus on making the best wine without the investment in expensive bottling equipment. It was a revelation and the questions were nonstop. This was also the first time we had seen a screwcap bottling operation in progress. Still not convinced? Ask anyone what they thought!
De La Terre was our next stop. Owner Kaye Prichard gave us the low down on this very attractive estate, well away from the traditional wine making areas. The whole farm was pretty much hand built by Kaye and her husband Tony – who used to make wine at Church Road. Attention to detail and a desire to experiment are the watchwords here and we experienced an amazing tasting.
Four, very different chardonnays showing the difference between unoaked, no malo lactic style through to a 2006 which had spent an extended time on its lees..
The reds comprised, Cabernet Merlot, Syrah, Montepulciano, Barbera and Tannat – an extremely eclectic selection to say the least.
Production is small but the quality is extremely high.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch of locally sourced delicacies, local hams, organic cheeses and the most amazing pickled mushrooms.