KEY POINTS:
As olympic fever cools, New Zealand's wines have been limbering up to compete in their own wave of contests as show season hots up at home and the awards start flooding in from overseas. Wine competitions are as varied and various as the wines that enter them, and this month I've judged two very different but equally relevant events on opposite sides of the world.
Last month I was back in Britain at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). Now in its 39th year, it's one of the world's longest-running and largest wine shows, attracting over 7000 entries hailing from most of the world's wine producing nations.
Although I only put in a couple of weeks, judging at the IWSC is an almost full-time affair, with French wines getting the show on the road back in March until the New Zealand finale in September.
As well as providing the first chance to try a large line-up of our wines from the 2008 vintage - which, despite its challenges, has produced some very smart wines - judging at international competitions like this is particularly rewarding in offering an opportunity to chew the fat over wine styles with tasters from across the globe, as well as helping to ward off cellar palate!
As at the Olympics, New Zealand again punched well above its weight. The country's athletic achievements may have made us rank fourth in the world for Olympic medal wins in a per capita context, but our wines ranked 4th regardless of our population size in gold medals gained at this year's IWSC.
In contrast, the Hawkes Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards was a far smaller affair, with 400 entries from just the one region. Running for the past nine years, it's New Zealand's only major regional wine show.
Historically, New Zealand's show system developed from the aim to eradicate wine faults, rather than simply awarding excellence like British-based competitions. However, this has changed.
"The role of wine competitions in New Zealand has morphed in recent years," says Sacred Hill's Bish, chairman of the judges at the Hawkes Bay Show.
"Through the earlier fault finding, faults have largely been removed, which has been one of the benefits: having wines judged by peers really does improve quality."
Standards were certainly high among 2008's contenders, with some excellent examples, particularly in the chardonnay and syrah categories this year. The diversity of the wines produced in Hawkes Bay makes a local competition like this viable and fosters links through the A&P society to the region's wider pastoral community.
Two very different competitions, but some highly creditable results that you can taste for yourself.
IWSC Award winners
The Hawkes Bay Show announces its winners next week, but the results from the IWSC are already out. New Zealand excelled in sauvignon blanc and pinot noir again at the IWSC, triumphing over global competition to win the trophies for these varieties, as well as notching up a record-breaking haul of awards for the country overall.
SUPREME SAUVIGNON
Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $22.95
Astrolabe is no stranger to international success, having scooped the IWSC's Sauvignon Trophy in 2006 with an earlier vintage of this cult wine. It's done it again in 2008, which is no surprise as this is another stellar sauvignon that's a riot of gooseberry, currant, fresh herbs and citrus, with a pure minerally elegance.
(From Caro's, Glengarry, Hamilton Wine Company.)
PARAMOUNT PINOT
Remarkable Gibbston Valley Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006 $39
A remarkable feat indeed to scoop the IWSC's Pinot Noir Trophy with your first vintage, but that's what this new boutique winery has just done. Silky textured and tangy, savoury and gamey, this pinot hails from a vineyard that the winery's owners have since sold, while the winemaking is now in different hands. However, Remarkable has continued to source pinot from this Gibbston site, so there's a chance future release will be equally impressive.
(From Glengarry.)
GOLDEN GEWURZ
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 12 Lone Gum Gewurztraminer 2007 $24.95
New Zealand's sauvignons and pinots have gained the most global accolades, so it was great to see Spy Valley's 2007 Riesling (previously recommended) win the Single Estate White Trophy and Saint Clair's fresh and exotically spiced gewurz get gold. Sadly there's not much of the gewurz left, but Saint Clair also struck gold with its punchy minerally grapefruit, nettle and passionfruit infused 2008 Pioneer Block 6 Oh! Block Sauvignon ($26.95).
(Limited stocks of Block 12 from Glengarry & Oh! Block Sauvignon from First Glass, Glengarry, Liquorland.)
