Mar 25 2009
To whine or wine …
… that is the question. In light of a good number of wine events I’ve come to learn about in recent weeks, I’m not convinced that we’re as naïve a wine drinker as we make ourselves out to be.
Buyers and distributors must be noticing a growing appreciation in the local market.
We’ve complained about the high cost, but good wine has grown increasingly affordable. Heck, just check out the supermarkets these days and you’re sure to find more than a few labels under $25 to toast to.
And I’m not just talking about New World Australian labels.
What? Did you say you want only the best? Well, did you know that in the last 20 years, the province of Marlborough has moved from virtual obscurity to become New Zealand’s largest and best-known wine region – with a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest sauvignon blanc, if you didn’t already know this.
Nestled in the picturesque Wairau Valley, Hunter’s Wines (set up in 1983) currently outputs around 60,000 cases of wine annually, and nearly half of these are exported.
Hunter’s Wines have won more than 100 gold medals at national and international wine competitions. Want a taste? Visit the good guys at Indoguna, or logon to www.greengrocer.com.sg to shop online.
Another middle-earth vinous moment to celebrate this month is Cloudy Bay’s international launch of its limited release: an alternative style of sauvignon blanc. This is a new identity, inspired by the story behind the wine. Developed for the release of which wine, you ask? The 2006 Cloudy Bay Te Koko (the eleventh vintage of this intriguing and sought-after wine), of course.
According to a recent press release, the original label developed for the 1996 release was designed to clearly differentiate Te Koko from Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. More than a decade later, a new identity has been created – one that justly captures the spirit of the place and its people, both past and present.
Visually, the story of Te Koko is told on the new label through a Maori pattern (of the waka cutting through the waves into the bay).
[Made in limited quantities, Cloudy Bay Te Koko is available in selected restaurants and fine wine stores. For sales enquiries, please contact Moët Hennessy Diageo Singapore Customer Service at 6838 9826.]
