Awesome Astrolabe aromatics
Astrolabe Wines is our new winery of the month for October at Regional Wines...
The well known Astrolabe wine brand is a family owned Marlborough wine producer run by two generations of the Waghorn family with its founders, Simon and Jane Waghorn, and their daughters.
* Buy Astrolabe wines here
Or read on for more about the wines and the family who make them...
The winery was founded in 1996 and the family have since forged strong relationships with 10 grape growers in the region, all of whom they respect and have long term contracts with. This means the wines are made from excellent quality raw material. Organic and sustainable viticulture is high on the list of priorities at Astrolabe and winemaker Simon Waghorn has long held a passion for pushing boundaries in everything from how the land is managed to where the grapes are grown to what type of grapes he uses.
One of the few champions of Chenin Blanc in New Zealand, he makes two outstanding examples from grapes grown on the Wrekin Vineyard, a north facing sloping clay site in the region's Southern Valleys. The wines from here are top tier. Chenin is affordably delicious while the Pinot Noir from Wrekin Vineyard is a stellar cellar drop to stash away for at least another five years.
Barrel fermentation adds noticeably delicious depth of flavour to the dry and refreshing Chenin Blanc which was fermented with wild yeasts to accentuate the character of the vineyard. This dry Chenin Blanc will also age for the long haul; 10 years plus. That's the beauty of Chenin Blanc, which can age superbly, thanks to its naturally high acidity, which acts as a preservative of the complex flavours, holding its freshness together and adding zesty brightness. This is a delicious dry white wine.
Then there's the Astrolabe Albarino, which also ticks the delicious dry white box, as does the dry Pinot Gris and the other wines made from the Kekerengu Vineyard on the coast south of Blenheim; Marlborough's southernmost vineyard.
* Buy Astrolabe Kekerengu Coast wines here
These and other wines from Astrolabe will all be on special this month.
Pop in store to try and buy awesome aromatics, both white and red, from this exceptional family owned winery - our winery of the month.
We look forward to seeing you in store, hopefully with tasting glasses - as soon as Wellington gets back to Alert level 1.
What's in the name Astrolabe?
The name Astrolabe was chosen to reflect the history of the region. As the story has it, French explorer Dumont d’Urville charted the Marlborough coast in 1827 aboard a ship named L’Astrolabe.
Simon liked its connection with Marlborough.
Buy Astrolabe wines here
Pop in and check out the range - we'd love to show you the display and see you in store this month... See you soon.