Warning – none of this is to be taken too seriously\u2026 but I sat at the weekend, at the end of the first month of 2021 \u2013 with COVID knocking on our door again \u2013 and wondered what the next year has in store for the New Zealand \u2013 in the bits where our world of wine and tourism intersect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First off, let\u2019s think about wine tourism. I reckon the borders will be closed for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the vaccination program goes well and we don\u2019t have a massive leak of the virus out of our MIQ \u2013 like is currently happening as we speak, domestic tourism will see some of the tourism operations through \u2013 including our rather fabulous and visit-worthy Cellar Doors, but now that the subsidy is all spent what will the autumn and, god forbid, winter hold? Winter is Coming, and even if we start to get vaccinated and therefore an inkling of hope starts to rise over the horizon\u2026 that would all have to hold, and prompt a travel bubble with our friends in \u2018Straya before we got even close to \u2018normal tourism\u2019 levels of spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can unfortunately expect a higher level of (at least, seasonal) closures to Cellar Doors, restaurants etc than in 2020. Hoping that events like FAWC<\/strong>, Winetopia<\/strong>, and Marlborough Food & Wine<\/strong> will continue to provide beacons for lovers of the wines to gather and celebrate, but also to provide promo opportunities for our wine labels. It may be a tough year after the summer. A couple of years ago, one of the marketing groups in the region close to where I live, ran a couple of \u2018Wine Days out West<\/em>\u2019 where the local Cellar Doors had special events, and you could buy tickets for a bus that ran between them \u2013 it was a FAB day out \u2013 and we bought heaps of wine. Particularly at our last stop \u2013 I recall one member of our group putting down their glass and declare \u201ctime to go shopping\u201d. Isn\u2019t that a result! If Waiheke, Matakana, Clevedon and West Auckland<\/em> all did that, say every fortnight, I\u2019d have a decently full calendar to see me through the winter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wine-wise, my crystal ball has been telling me that a couple of things are likely to happen in the near future. Number 1 is the resurgence of Sauvignon Blanc<\/em>. For a while now Sav has been suffering from the ABC effect (Anything But Chardonnay) where so many wine drinkers have been saying \u201cOh no, I don\u2019t touch the stuff\u201d. It\u2019s a form of wine snobbery \u2013 Sauvignon Blanc is the drink of the uneducated proles \u2013 \u2018if only they had a bit of wine knowledge they would drink something else\u2019. BS. There\u2019s a reason that Second thing that\u2019s likely to happen is the continued march of Syrah<\/strong>. We\u2019ve almost become complacent about how many international trophies our Syrahs triumph in, in the big overseas competitions. The IWC must wish someone other than Hawke\u2019s Bay would win! At WineFolio, we\u2019ll be having our next Top 10 Tasting<\/strong> in a few weeks time, and it\u2019s a go at Syrah. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing how everything\u2019s looking \u2013 and can anyone knock Hawke\u2019s Bay off it\u2019s perch. I\u2019ve tasted some great Syrah from around the country this last year, so we will see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Warning – none of this is to be taken too seriously\u2026 but I sat at the weekend, at the end of the first month of 2021 \u2013 with COVID knocking … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing-about-wine"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Zealand<\/s> \u2013 actually substitute Marlborough for that \u2013 Sav is so popular in the world of wine. It\u2019s really good, and it\u2019s blooming distinctive. And it\u2019s darn near impossible to replicate. I urge anyone to try one of the majestic 2020s of this varietal. I\u2019ll single one out \u2013 The Rapaura Springs Rohe – Dillons Point<\/strong> is a wine of dazzling intensity. That\u2019s a bit unfair on others \u2013 so many have been excellent this year. But, wait, it doesn\u2019t stop there. Try a Wairarapa Sauvignon Blanc<\/em> \u2013 the fruit profile is quite different, more tropical on the palate, and less on the herbaceous profile. Johner<\/strong> even make a sticky version (one of three magnificent sweet wines, including a Syrah) And Hawke\u2019s Bay is coming to the party as well \u2013 The Supernatural<\/strong>, or Halcyon Days<\/strong> both make \u2018natural\u2019 versions from this region that are a revelation. These may well turn your idea of New Zealand Sav in a whole new direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n