This collaboration between Great Little Vineyards wine merchants and Starkwhite Gallery is a highlight of the year for me. Each year is different, but each time the line up of features artisans at the top of their game. It’s an inspirational and intriguing afternoon – I find something new every time.
As organiser Daniel Kemp says: “We bring together the visionary winemakers of tomorrow from 35+ cutting-edge artisanal producers with more than 100 wines under one roof, surrounded by New Zealand’s single greatest art collection. It is an all-encompassing cultural event”.
Last time I came it was a more head-down tasting session where I managed to taste through the entire line-up of a few producers. Today it was more of a catch up with existing friends, sprinkled with a few new discoveries. Even, new finds from old friends in some cases!! Apologies to those who I intended to get around to, but ran out of time. I’m just going to give a very top-level review of four highlights, but be assured that the standard across the board is extremely high at this expo – just because I haven’t mentioned it, doesn’t mean it’s not great.
My favourites wines of the day? I was very impressed with everything that Sierra Reed had out to taste. Reed Amplitude Waitaki Riesling 2024 edged it for me. Sierra said she could see it on my face when I tried it. So much for my poker career. You can’t go past the Puriri Hills Pope 2020 – an elegant but powerful wine that I gave a score of 97/100 in June last year. It’s probably even better now. Just as good…better, even – but it is a bottle at the zenith of its drinkability was Te Motu 1994. This was, undoubtedly, one the finest red wines I have ever tried from New Zealand. The Mélange Blanc was easily the best of any ‘alternative styles’ tasted – this young winemaker has star potential. Other great wines came from Sato, TakahiroK, Schubert and Joseph Perrier.
Best Art for me were the woodcut prints from Manu Berry. The first time I saw the artist’s work was on the label from Dragon Bones wine. Today there’s a whole selection of prints with winemaking and vineyard themes. The hardest part was choosing a favourite. I came away with two – labelled ‘Time’ and ‘Place’. They’ll be framed up and in place on the wall of my office – in time.
On a visual thread – there were some great label designs in the room today. With an ‘art school’ design background, I do appreciate a good bit of packaging. Dragon Bones and Kemp Road both showed well – a label should reflect well on what’s inside the bottle, and these did that. I thought one of the nicest redesigns of a label I’d seen in a while were the new Te Motu bottles, but I also really like what Eaton had done with their new labels.
I can’t go to a wine expo and not have a little section about Chardonnay! Two wines stood out. Valli ‘Mawson’ Chardonnay 2023 is a wine that I tried, and bought, on release. This was the first time I had tasted it again since, and it has developed beautifully. Giant Steps is a tried-and-trusted brand that I find delivers every time I have a glass. Giant Steps Circle of Fifths Chardonnay 2024 was a new wine to me – I hadn’t seen it when I visited Yarra in 2023. It’s a blend of the five single vineyards, and I approve. Has that regional signature of blazing acidity and green notes, but with depth, generosity and texture.
