6 May 2010 - Kate Fraser
The New Zealand Riesling Challenge
Take one block of Riesling grapes from Waipara, New Zealand’s most flexible and the winemakers’ favourite grape, and 12 renowned New Zealand Winemakers.
See what wonders can be revealed!
The New Zealand Riesling Challenge is a unique an opportunity to show-case this most versatile of grapes to the New Zealand public, to National and to International media…..and it is intended to be a lot of competitive fun to boot.
The Winemakers
Ant McKenzie (Te Awa Wines), Larry McKenna (Escarpment), Mike Brown (Waimea Estate), Paul Bourgeois (Spy Valley), Jules Taylor (Jules Taylor Wines), John Forrest (Forrest Estate), Simon Waghorn (Astrolabe Wines), Jeff Clarke (Pernod Ricard NZ), Simon McGeorge (Waipara Hills), Matt Donaldson (Pegasus Bay), Duncan Forsyth (Mount Edward), and Matt Dicey (Mt Difficulty).
All the participating winemakers – both young and old - have won awards and plaudits for their carefully crafted Rieslings. All enjoy a party.
Between them they represent the six principal Riesling-growing areas in New Zealand, each quite different in their allure, and all of them offering fantastic adventures for the visitor, whether they are into their wine…or not!
The Grapes
Mud House Wines will supply 4 tonnes of 2010 vintage Riesling grapes, from their Waipara vineyards, to each competitor.
All grapes will be hand-picked and every tenth basket will be loaded into a bin, ready for dispatch from the vineyard to each of the competing wineries, located in Central Otago (2), Waipara (2), Marlborough (5), Nelson (1), Martinborough (1) and Hawkes Bay (1).
Wine-Making
All grapes will be delivered to the winemakers individual wineries, where they will crush, press and ferment the grapes in any manner they see fit, in stainless steel or in oak, all in order produce the very best wine, dry or sweet!
There are no specific rules in relation to wine-making, except that all wines produced as part of the New Zealand Riesling Challenge must be made strictly in accordance with all export certification rules applying to the vintage.
These latter rules do however allow blend additions, provided no less than 85% of the grapes are from the original source! This blend option might indeed allow winemakers to introduce their own style and a greater degree of complexity into the wines.
All winemakers will complete and bottle their own wines, producing at least 250 cases of Riesling wine.
These unmarked cases will then be delivered to Wineworks in Marlborough for labelling and packing into 3,000 mixed cases, with each case containing one bottle of Riesling from each competitor.
This will be a unique offering to the wine-drinking public. One case. One block of grapes. Twelve of the very best wine-makers’ interpretations! A world first!
Judging
Judging will take place in mid-December at The Mud House Winery in Waipara, and each competitor will be required to take part in said judging. Bob Campbell will be the independent chairman of judges.
The wine with the highest points collectively…..having had the points awarded to their own wine deducted… will be announced as the Official Winner of the Riesling Challenge Trophy.
The Story
The Riesling Challenge is a feature story waiting to happen!
Great personalities, great talents, great landscapes, great wines and a great opportunity to show-case all of the above in a competitive and very grown-up event, for both domestic and international consumption.
View The Riesling Challenge Dozen
Download Article (pdf)
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