The flavor of peony in wine of South Island

Discover the of South Island wines revealing the of peony 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

Grand Marnier moves into luxury sphere with two high-end expressions

The liqueur – famed for its use in making Crêpes Suzettes, but also a classic cocktail ingredient – has created a new Exceptional Range, beginning with the launch of Grand Marnier Quintessence. Quintessence combines rare old hors d’âge Cognacs from the Grande Champagne sub-region with the essence of bitter Citrus bigaradia (Seville orange) peels, double-distilled to intensify their flavour. The blend was taken from an old recipe found in the Marnier Lapostolle family archives by Grand Marnier ma ...

Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2020: report and top-scoring wines

Tasting the 2020 Côte-Rôties reminded me of the 2016s – while some are on the light side, the wines are ripe with a fine tannic frame. They are noticeably more slender and less potent than the previous few vintages and will drink well straight away. Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2020 top-scoring wines {"content":"PHA+U3TDqXBoYW5lIE9naWVyIGJlbGlldmVzIHRoZSBjb29sIG5pZ2h0cyB3ZXJlIGFuIGltcG9ydGFudCBmYWN0b3IgaW4gdGhlIGZyZXNoZXIgc3R5bGUgb2Ygd ...

Aldo Fiordelli: ‘The east-facing vineyard absorbs the morning’s first sunlight’

I’m fortunate enough to taste a fair amount of fine wine each year and I have come to the conclusion that each of us is forced to build our own stylistic preferences, regardless of the appellation or classification of a wine. Instead of simply choosing a bottle of Bordeaux over Barolo, for example, most of us probably aim to drink each on the right occasion and, in doing so, carve out our individual preferences for these wines. My personal bias – which I must confess, to be fair and transp ...