Description

A beautiful collection of wines from Canterbury just outside of Christchurch. The wines all show lovely balance and texture and really highlight what New Zealand is capable of – Even the Sauvignon Blanc is good. Quite simply: Pegasus Bay is one of the best wineries on the South Island of New Zealand. And their entry level ‘Main Divide label’ label? Wow!

From a site that offers warm days but some of the coolest nights in the region, this means they get high natural acid so they actually select bunches with at least 30% botrytis. The wine is strikingly golden in colour it offers ripe, tropical, fragrant. Stone fruits and melons on the nose with white flowers and a hint of marmalade. It is such an inviting nose it is almost too good to sip. Almost… The palate is pretty intense and does appear to be quite sweet at first but upon second and third tasting the acid really shines through. But you still get all of those lovely sweet spices and floral notes as well as the ripe fruits. Very well balanced and tasty This will do well with a lot of dishes. Canapes, white meat, creamy cheeses, fresh fruit. As for cellaring, under screw cap and with perfect balance I’ll say this is easily a 15-20 year wine in a good cellar.

Waipara Valley – 40 mins north of Christchurch is a region that Bob Campbell describes as “one of the unsung heroes” of NZs wine industry. Great for ripe and silky Pinot Noir and aromatic and textural Riesling.

Riesling – One of the world’s most noble varieties and known transmitter of terroir. Riesling is an important variety for quality wine production although only makes up approximately 4% of the planted area. Wonderful wines are found in Germany, Austria, Alsace and Australia. They can be as dry as any wine you’ll taste or super sweet and luscious. It is a wonderful grape. See more about Riesling here.