Phil Parker is a wine writer who also runs wine tours around Auckland New Zealand.
Last night we caught up with friends from Wellington – up here for the Spandau Ballet/Tears For Fears concert on Thursday.
The venue was Vivace – longstanding Italian style restaurant, upstairs off High Street. Big and noisy, the place was pumping with a thirty-ish crowd. Brisk service, good food, and reasonable prices – I’d go back.
To wine – I’d started with a glass of our NZ made Deutz sparkler. Very pleasant: apple/pear flavours with a nice acid balance. I’m not a huge fan of methode Champenoise, so one glass was enough. I checked the wine list for ‘other white wines’ and spied the Marc Brédif Chenin Blanc 2007. I haven’t had a French Chenin for ages so I took a punt and got a bottle ($NZ52). I was pleasantly surprised – the wine was ripe and crisp, with musky apple and pear flavours, just a hint of honey, minerality and some lime and quince flavours in the mix. Yum. More please.
Marc Brédif is one of the famous Chenin producers from Vouvrey in the Loire Valley. Vouvrey AC is always Chenin Blanc, but the style can vary from dry and flinty to sweet botrytised styles, depending on the vagaries of the season. Limestone soils provide minerality and natural acidity that help in making these wines very long lasting (some up to 70 years).
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