Most wines can be made by following the textbook, a bit like following a recipe when you bake a cake. There are fundamental rules, certain processes to follow. Naturally, having grapes in perfectly ripened condition also helps. Where the winemaker tests his or her mettle is with pinot noir. It takes an accomplished winemaker to produce a truly great example.
New Zealand has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to selecting this varietal and at a wide range of prices. With pinot, more so than any other wine, you do get what you pay for and, frankly, not all pinots are created equally. There is a bit of dross out there but, by and large, we are well-served. My rule of thumb is: follow the producer. Two of the best are making pinot noir in different islands.
Grant Taylor plies his trade in Central and North Otago while Larry McKenna does the business in Wairarapa - Martinborough, in particular.
These men have been making fine wine for more years than they'd like to remember and seem to get it right (vintage willing) year after year.
Taylor, who has been making wine since the early 80s has impeccable credentials. His great-great-grandfather, who came to New Zealand in the 1870s, had an Italian winemaking background, so there was a fair chance he would follow suit.
