Inspired by one of the ‘take home’ messages from the New Zealand Pinot Noir Celebration 2013, so eloquently articulated by Sam Neill, I have been doodling away on the “Bastards of Pinot Noir”.

It’s meant to be a song although reads more like a poem but I’m thinking if someone can come up with a musical score, along the lines of Led Zeppelin ‘Stairway to Heaven” or Johnny Lee Hooker Mr Lucky with some long guitar riffs, it might sound… well…more like a song.

What do think?

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Last November, 2012, the Family of Twelve, www.familyoftwelve.co.nz a fraternity of 12 of New Zealand’s most successful and enduring artisanal private winemakers visited Singapore. I had the privilege of organizing their programme titled “Twelve reasons to get excited about New Zealand Wines”, which was thoroughly action-packed, as detailed in F12 member, Nigel Greening’s account – click here. Read More >

“Does anyone not drink wine” I asked in my opening address to a table of ten ladies that I was about to entertain for lunch and talk on the merits of pairing wine with Asian cuisine. Read More >

By all accounts, vintage 2011 was a challenge for most Australia wine growing regions. Phillip Jones is quite forthright about it by describing the conditions at his Leongatha South vineyard as “wet and cold” on the back labels of his current releases. Read More >

We just had Sam Neill and Jeffrey Grosset visiting and a great evening was had by all imbibing in fabulous riesling, pinot noir and the wife’s legendary duck curry. The Two Paddocks Riesling did itself proud in the slipstream of the almighty Polish Hill, with Sam declaring he’s a big fan of the Polish Hill and something about it being as “Dry as Taranaki on a Sunday”. There was a dominance of Two Paddocks Pinot Noir with the duck due to unfortunate accident with Grosset’s luggage, his Pinot Noir the main casualty. Still, there were no complaints from Jeffrey as he dipped his nose ever deeper into the 2008 Two Paddocks, still brooding away (see note) although drinking superbly on the night and a perfect match for the duck. Read More >

“Mutton today, Mutton Yesterday, and blimey if it don’t look like mutton tomorrer!”

It seems even Hobbit’s have a taste for Pinot Noir… A little news clipping came across my desk from Judy Finn at Neudorf announcing, “Neudorf Tom’s Block Pinot Noir 2010 has been selected for the world premiere of Sir Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit”. The wine will be served at the launch and the dinner in Wellington next week.” Read More >

Visit these links

https://vimeo.com/52806019#signin or http://www.pinotnz.co.nz/

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Our Shanghai correspondent, Mick Knuppel, senses a change of the old guard as the new generation Shanghainese move away from pretentious French burgundy and discover that New Zealand’s deep-fruited pinot noirs are not only more generous and accessible they are brilliantly suited to this region’s cuisine moreover, offer exceptional value for money. Read More >

I just had lunch with Alan Brady, the pioneering father of the Central Otago wine region in the deep south of New Zealand’s South Island. As Brady puts it, “…at 45 deg south it was a lonely place for grape growers when a few of us planted vines here in the early 1980s”. Read More >

Our Wandering Palate Melbourne correspondent, Matthew Wilson, goes mushroom hunting down on the Mornington Peninsula armed with a bucket load of local pinot noir. Read More >