Good and bad weeks in the wine world

It was a good week for:

* Kumeu River Pinot Gris. The just released 2006 version is the best New Zealand pinot gris I have tasted and increased quantities of it are flying out the West Auckland winery's door. This year there were 4000 cases made; double last year's production.

Winemaker and Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich says people were impressed by the pinot gris because its just-off-dry style and body mean it tastes good with food.

* Brit-turned-Kiwi wine lover Chris Carrad has opened a wine store in Huapai, West Auckland, called Wine Circle. The shop is a mix of domestic and imported wines with some hard to find labels such as Muller-Catoir, Devil's Rock and Grans Fassian from Germany, Au Bon Climat and Jim Clendenen wines from California, Domaine Viret from the Rhone and Champagne Gimonnet. There are also more than 25 different malt whiskies and imported beers from 20 countries. Wine Circle is at 329a, SH16, Huapai, Auckland, phone (09) 412 2258.

* Ascension Vineyard at Matakana, an hour's drive north of Auckland, is having an open weekend on September 30 and October 1 from 10am to 4pm each day. There's no charge and visitors can check out The Belfry, the winery's new function facility and look at the winery and vineyard.

On October 7 and 8 visitors can indulge in free wine tasting at Ascension's Spring Wine Release Weekend. 480 Matakana Rd, Matakana, phone (09) 422 9601 or visit www.ascensionvineyard.co.nz

* Riesling is a pet love of winemaker Michael Brajkovich, who says he wants to have a crack at making one that everybody likes. "Wine writers love it, wine judges love it but a lot of rieslings are just too acidic and too hard to drink. Winemakers need to figure out why and fix it."

It was a bad week for:

* Chardonnay is now the third most planted grape in New Zealand after sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. It has slipped from sharing the second spot with pinot noir. Winemakers predict there will be an increasing number of unoaked chardonnays made using cheap styles that taste like a caricature of good chardonnay.

* Merlot and malbec plantings in West Auckland are declining due to pinot gris' popularity. Although most West Auckland merlot and malbec have never tasted like great wines, the 2000 Kumeu River Melba Merlot Malbec is drinking very nicely now - as an everyday red. It was one of this country's first reds to be sealed with a screwcap and now tastes like a red wine with age on it, showing that screwcaps allow reds to age in the bottle.

* New Zealand pinot gris. Yes, another moan about the wine that has the most potential to taste insipid if not harvested at levels that allow a concentration of flavour. There are still New Zealand pinot gris being made that taste of very little at all.