Wine of the Month - April 2016

Hot climate = low acidity. That's one of the truisms of winemaking. Unless you're talking about Assyrtiko from the Greek island of Santorini, where the volcanic soil helps the grape maintain its acidity even as it ripens. Courtesy of a civilisation-wiping volcanic eruption thousands of years ago, the whole island is blanketed with this porous, sandy soil, making the wines a great expression of terroir.

Wine: Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko 2013

Tasting note: Crisp, citrussy and full-bodied, the standout character of this wine is its ability to combine high levels of alcohol with piercing acidity. There's a touch of honey to the crystal clear nectarine and mandarin orange fruit. Considerable undervalued, although getting hold of a bottle is as difficult as completing the twelve labours of Hercules.

Black to Basics

Producer: Black Estate

It’s comforting to know that despite increasing decrepitude I can still muster enough energy to do the things I want before losing the ability to distinguish a Pouilly-Fuissé from a Pouilly-Fumé. While visiting the South Island of New Zealand, the timing was perfect to squeeze in a refreshing morning swim with wild dolphins in Kaikoura before driving one and a half hours to Waipara for an appointment with Black Estate. There was scarce time to admire the coastline but I did manage to get a few shots of the ruggedly beautiful scenery at one of the thoughtfully placed pitstops along the way. Road accidents, many caused by driver fatigue, is taken seriously here.