The flavor of mustard seed in wine of South Island

Discover the of South Island wines revealing the of mustard seed flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).

More information on of South Island flavors

Central Otago, near the bottom of New Zealand's South Island, vies for the title of world's most southerly wine region. Vineyards cling to the sides of mountains and high above river gorges in this dramatic landscape. Pinot Noir has proven itself in this challenging Terroir, and takes up nearly three-quarters of the region's vineyard area. The typical Central Otago Pinot Noir is intense and deeply colored, with flavors of doris plum, Sweet spice and bramble.

Two Paddocks, owned by actor Sam Neill, had thought the Last Chance vineyard was the world's most southerly (at 45°15'). But several major Patagonian projects are underway at around 45 to 46°, and Argentina can currently claim the honor for Alejandro Bulgheroni's new vineyard at Sarmiento (45°60'). The viticultural zone covers the mountainous area around the tourist resort town of Queenstown on the eastern side of the Southern Alps. The exact boundaries and sub-regional divisions are not official, but a geographic indication is in the pipeline.

Wineries are scattered around several distinct sub-regions: Gibbston, Alexandra, Wanaka and the Cromwell Basin, itself home to Bendigo, Bannockburn and Lowburn. Lakes Dunstan, Wakatipu and Wanaka all contribute to the terroir as well, along with the Kawarau and Clutha Rivers. Gold brought the first settlers to the region in the 1860s, and most of the towns in this Part of Otago have a Rich gold-mining history. The first vines were planted during this time by a French migrant but, unlike in the Sierra Foothills region of California where the European settlers provided a steady demand for wines, the tough, transient Otago miners had no interest in drinking wine, preferring beer and spirits.

News on wine flavors

Andrew Jefford: ‘Arresting and generous, but without vulgarity or excess’

Layers of colour in the sky before me: indigo, peach, salmon. In the rear-view mirror, the gold was catching fire. As I drove down through the lonely, Mistral-chilled vines of Babeau-Bouldoux towards nearby St-Chinian, I was thinking about what Christine Deleuze of Clos Bagatelle had just said. ‘When you came to visit 10 years ago,’ she reminded me, ‘you said we needed to wait another decade for a market breakthrough. Today you’ve said we need to wait another decade or two. So when, exactly, wil ...

Northern Rhône 2021: full report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2021 overall vintage rating: 2.5/5 Consistently excellent white wines, but reds very mixed due to severe frost and a mild, rainy season. Some are weak and green, others very good in a fresh and structured style. ‘The style of 2021 is light, lean and fresh, with high acidity, low alcohol and strict tannins…but for many producers making red wines, 2021 will be a year best forgotten. For white wines, the opposite is true.’ Northern Rhône 2021 red wine of the vintage M Chapoutie ...

Burge is back in Krondorf winery – for the third time

The Krondorf facility is where Burge’s enigmatic wine empire began in 1978, when he created the successful Krondorf Wines label in partnership with the late Ian Wilson. After selling the Krondorf brand to Mildara Blass Wines, he bought the winery site to establish Grant Burge Wines in 1988, a label that grew to produce 750,000 dozen wines a year and turn over $70m. Grant Burge Wines is a brand now owned by Accolade Wines, having been sold by Burge and his wife Helen in January 2015 [announcement ...