Wine: The best and the worst

Syrah is producing some excellent wines. Photos / Babiche Martens

NZ WINE IN 2009

Very good quality across the board, with significant bargains. Syrah continues to cultivate a loyal following with some superb examples from Hawkes Bay and Waiheke Island, and a growing interest in planting tempranillo.

WORST WINE I DRANK

A bottle of Elvis Presley Chardonnay purchased in Memphis while waiting to visit Graceland. It was appalling and had obviously died before Elvis.

BEST EXPERIENCE

Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne Rose 2000. Just one glass at the first ever New Zealand tasting, where our entire allocation was nine bottles. It retails for $885. Brilliance.

BEST WINE LIST AT A RESTAURANT

O'Connell St Bistro wins for clever selection and excellent balance between Old and New World. Some courageous, off-beat styles. Small and perfectly formed beats large and showy every time.

BRILLIANCE OR CRAZY GIMMICK?

Marlborough's Full Circle 2009 sauvignon blanc is being produced in a 750ml clear plastic bottle. Full Circle owner Peter Yealands stakes his claim as the country's most green-friendly producer and the plastic bottles apparently generate 54 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and use 19 per cent less energy to produce than traditional glass bottles.

BIGGEST TURNAROUND BY SOMEONE WHO MATTERS

International wine critic Robert Parker (and his tasting team), who have been scathingly critical of our wines in the past, are suddenly throwing out rave reviews and gold-plated scores to a lot of our wines.

SADDEST EVENT

The departure of the Blake Family and sale of their Gimblett Gravels vineyard. Their Redd Gravels 2006 St Emilion-style red was shaping up as one of New Zealand's finest wines ever. One more vintage to be bottled and that's it.

DUMB AND DUMBER

Some new players who pitch their first vintage at ridiculously high prices. Producers who charge and get more than $60 for a pinot noir are able to do so because they have paid their dues, the wines are consistently well made over many vintages and have developed a loyal following.

AND 2010?

More of the same - only better.