For the Love of New Zealand Pinot Noir

For the Love of New Zealand Pinot Noir

Wellington, October 21

In a memorable ‘taste off’ between journalists and parliamentarians, New Zealand’s most prestigious international wine showcase will be launched at Parliament this evening.

Held every three years since 2001 in Wellington, Pinot Noir 2010 is the southern hemisphere’s most significant Pinot Noir event. And by the time Pinot Noir 2010 kicks off on February 1 next year 100+ of our top wineries will join up to 400 of the world’s most influential wine trade, writers and commentators in four days of wine and food heaven.

“Since the undisputed success of the 2007 event we have been working hard to create the next page in New Zealand’s Pinot Noir story,” said Pinot Noir 2010 Chairman and Villa Maria’s Group Winemaker, Alastair Maling MW.

“In 2007 we said to the wine world ‘come and see for yourself how good we are’ in 2010 we’ll look at our Pinot Noir based on its regional differences, our ability to grow fantastic wine using sustainable growing practices and our ability to create Pinot Noir that develops and matures with age,” he said.

The ability for our Pinot’s to hold true as they age is vitally important to the ongoing success of this tricky to grow variety, says Alastair. So in 2010 this will be put to the test in a never-seen-before formal tasting of a line up of 2003 New Zealand Pinot Noirs.

“We’re tremendously excited at the prospect of this special tasting as well as, once again, being able to attract some world class speakers and delegates,” said Alastair.

“Names like Matthew Jukes, Oz Clarke, Leslie Sbrocco, Nick Stock, Simon Tam and our very own Bob Campbell MW are hugely significant names in the wine world. And when you add them to the likes of Doug Bell, Global Wine Buyer for Wholefoods – a US-based $US8.5 billion turnover organic supermarket chain – you begin to get the significance of the event for New Zealand.”

And the significance of our Pinot Noir will not be lost on two teams of MP’s and Gallery journalists who will be asked to taste and answer questions about the Pinot Noir they are drinking to see whose palate’s are the most refined.

“The winner of the Great New Zealand Pinot Noir Taste Off will, apart from bragging rights, get five tickets to the Grand Public Tasting held as part of the event in February next year to use as they see fit,” says Alastair.

“Pinot Noir is a hugely popular and influential grape in the wine world – largely because of the mystique that surrounds its growing and the wine that it produces.

“We are blessed in New Zealand to have the regional climates, terroir and winemakers who are passionate about growing great Pinot. We also thank Government for its continued support of what is truly an iconic New Zealand wine and food event.”

Ends

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