Wine

with Robin Ransom

www.matakanawine.com

President, Matakana Winegrowers

2012

Handcrafted wines - April

The description handcrafted wines is commonly used by winemakers and is especially apt when used by small winegrowers to describe their process and wines. 

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In anticipation - March

The next few weeks for winemakers are an incongruous mix of being busy getting ready for the vintage, but also getting impatient at the seemingly long drawn-out waiting period whilst the grapes become fully ripe.

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The magic of oak - February

Wooden containers have been used for storage and transport of wine for over 2500 years. According to Herodotus writing around 450 BC, Armenian merchants shipped wine in hollowed out palm-wood casks down the Tigris River to Babylon in the 7th Century BC.

2011

Celebrating with wine - December

We have operated a winery cellar door for some 15 years now so we have had plenty of opportunity to experience how people from other wine producing countries and regions take pride in and celebrate their locally-produced wines.

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Accolades for local wines - November

Last year, the University of Auckland wine science department established the upper North Island Wine Challenge. This competition “…was initiated from a perceived need for the region and its sub-regions to be recognised as making a unique and historical contribution to the NZ wine industry”.

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Taste is a fickle thing - October

Over the time since we opened our cellar door in 1997, it has been noticeable how much more experienced and confident people have become in their wine tasting. 

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Growing up savvy - September

New Zealanders are drinking more NZ-grown wine than ever.

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Excise – “A hateful tax…” - August

Excise is the tax administered by the Customs Department which levies alcohol products, tobacco and petrol.

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My, how we’ve grown - July

Winegrowing today is one of our elite primary industries in the sense that it has become a successful endeavour within NZ, with its products cherished by a large proportion of the population.

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Boom, bust or both? - June

Mahurangi Matters (1 June) reported that some local grape growers were removing some of their vines. This raises questions about whether this indicates a malaise either in the Matakana wine region or in the NZ wine industry as a whole, or what?

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Grape harvest a La Nina - May

Global weather has just come through a fairly intense La Nina episode. La Nina is one extreme of the phenomenon called the Southern Oscillation, the other extreme being El Nino.

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Strong case for regulatory relief - April

The Alcohol Reform Bill is presently being considered by Parliament.

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Seeing red - March

As reported recently, Syrah and Merlot are the most planted red grape varieties in the Matakana region.

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Matakana wines diversity - February

One of the interesting characteristics of the Matakana winegrowing community is the large range of grape cultivars we grow. A recent survey has disclosed 22 different varieties. 

2010

Stunning vintage - December

In the months since this column last appeared in Mahurangi Matters vintage 2010 has come and gone, and what a vintage!