ITEM:
TOTAL:
Wine Blog

Peregrine Wines At Zealandia In Karori

By Anto Coates

Last night we had the annual Peregrine fundraiser at Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary. Peregrine and Regional have both been long-time supporters of Zealandia and all the proceeds from the evening go towards the wildlife sanctuary.

The evening worked like so: Guests were greeted with a glass of Peregrine Sauvignon Blanc 2011, a delicious drop with generous ripe tropical fruit and bright acid. It took many guests by surprise who, I got the feeling, were expecting something a little more austere from the Central Otago climate. (This was also one of the wines that was in tank when I did vintage at Peregrine so I had a hand in making it, albeit mainly testing pH and brix levels).

Then guests wandered through to the Zealandia interactive exhibit, which as Greg Hay from Peregrine said is a "world-class facility". Last time I visited Zealandia I'm ashamed to say I missed the exhibit, preferring to walk the valley. After seeing it though I felt foolish...it's truly amazing and I could have spent hours in there watching videos about Takahe and listening to the clarion call of the Bellbird. In the exhibit Richard Sherriff was pouring the Peregrine Riesling 2008 and the Peregrine Rastasburn Riesling 2008 - the Rastasburn is the slightly sweeter of the two, though still largely off-dry. Both found considerable support on the night and their lovely lime and apple flavours were well-suited to make the transition out to the sunny lawn.























The view from the wharf looking up the lake last night

On the lawn guests had the choice of two pinot gris: the Saddleback 2010 and the Peregrine 2011. People loved both, with their fragrant apple and pear aromas, mixed with pretty florals. The Peregrine was noticeably younger, with more Cromwell Basin fruit and a textural palate from lees stirring, while the Saddleback had a nip more sweetness left in it. The Peregrine Chardonnay 2010, which is in our Regional Pocket Guide to Summer this year. It's a lovely wine that skirts the balance between breadth and focus beautifully, with tactical lees work and a peaches and cream finish.

Finally it was the two pinot noirs: Saddleback 2009 and Peregrine 2010. The Saddleback is the little brother of the much-vaunted world champion Peregrine Pinot Noir 2009 and clearly shows the quality of the vintage in a more accessible style. It's drinking very nicely and we sold a lot on the night. The Peregrine Pinot Noir 2010 was also extremely popular, with its lovely Asian spices and black cherry flavours. The nose on the wine takes me right back to vintage this year and doing punch downs on the open-top fermenters on frosty Gibbston mornings. That's why I love wine, and the 2010 Peregrine will be a great addition to my cellar for drinking over the next 5-8 years.

At the end of the evening, after guests had taken the boat up the lake and wandered back down, there was a special treat. Sirocco, the celebrity Kakapo, woke up a bit early and started booming. For those who haven't seen this wonderful bird there's a funny video of him getting a little amorous with Stephen Fry here

We'd like to thank everyone who supported us in this venture. Greg Hay and Peregrine for their generous support every year, the staff and volunteers at Zealandia and of course our customers for turning out to support this great cause. Those who missed out can also support Zealandia by joining as a member, which is a fantastic way to make the most of this amazing resource on our doorstep and do your bit for the conservation effort.      

The Products...
PEREGRINE RIESLING DRY 08
Peregrine Riesling Dry 08
The 2008 growing season was long with above average temperatures providing the ideal con...
$21.25 750 MLS
More...
SADDLEBACK PINOT NOIR 09
Saddleback Pinot Noir 09
Saddelback 2009 is the little brother of the IWSC Trophy and Air New Zealand Wine Awards B...
$25.50 750 MLS
More...
PEREGRINE PINOT NOIR 10
Peregrine Pinot Noir 10
Very much in the same vein as the all-conquering 2009 - still sulking a little bit but sh...
$41.30 750 MLS
More...

1 2   
Staff Recommendations

DAVID

Easter weekend I flew up to Auckland and had a great time visiting family. I made sure I went to Maison Vauron, a must if you enjoy French wines and also Galbraiths to try a few craft beers.

RICHARD

Roast Chicken for dinner evidently. Which Kumeu River Chardy shall I choose?
Breaking News
16-May-2012 - RT @Wellington_JAG: One of the most amazing wine experiences of my life with @regionalwines & Christopher Canan tasting @DOMAINEGUIG ...
16-May-2012 - Absorbing read...the full gamut of emotions from envy to schadenfreude. Click Here
12-May-2012 - Free Mt Difficulty wine tasting starting in 10 mins. Plus we have 20 fill your own taps as of yesterday...great... Click Here
12-May-2012 - Free Mt Difficulty tasting starting in 10 mins until 4 pm today. We now have 20 beer taps too...gerat day to be... Click Here
View More...
Sign-up   below to be the first in the know on everything from tastings to specials...
Library Tasting: 1992 – 1994 Cabernet and Shiraz From Several Countries
Thursday 17th May, 6.00pm start, Cost $50.00 pp Limit 22 places. Upstairs Tasting Room, Regional Wines and Spirits, 15 Ellice St, Mt Victoria. Booking

Craggy Range 2010 Prestige Release with Steve Smith MW
Tuesday 22nd May, 6.00 pm start, Cost $30.00 pp, Limit 80 places Venue: The Boatshed, Taranaki St Wharf Bookings: With Regional Wines, Tel: 385-6952

Burgundy Tasting - Maison Drouhin 2009
Thursday 31st May, 6.00pm start, Cost $35.00 pp Limit 30 places. Upstairs Tasting Room, Regional Wines and Spirits, 15 Ellice St, Mt Victoria. Booking

Contact & Enquiries
Main Line: - 04 3856952

Orders Line: 04 3849735

Fax Line: 04 3828488

Hours: Mon – Sat 9am –10pm
Sunday & Public Holidays
11am - 7.30pm
Need Help?
Try our FAQ Section

If you can't find what you are after, give us a call or pop into the store!
People! Who we are
We're a talented mix of people who love what we do, and we've been doing it for over 20 years! Click here to find out more
Copyright © 2010 Regional Wines Limited
Website by: Slice Of HAM   Design by: Plastic Studio