Sip, savour and cycle... and drink a great dry aged Riesling
If you've ever heard the old saying that there are no great wines, only great bottles, then hopefully you'll have moved with the times and realised that great winemaking (and good closures) mean there are many outstanding wines in the world today. And we are focussing on one of them strongly in February this year because we have an impeccably aged 10 year old dry Riesling, which is selling for a song, so to speak, at $26.99.
The wine is the 2009 Forrest Estate Valleys Riesling. It is dry and tastes it. This wine is also super fresh and sealed with a screwcap, which is winemaker John Forrest's closure of choice.
Forrest was one of the first to make screwcaps his preferred method of wine closure because, like many New Zealand winemakers in the 1990s, he was fast tiring of poor quality cork and the disservice it did to his wines. Enter the brave new wine world of consistent closures - also known as the screwcap, which he began using in 2001, along with a group of 27 other New Zealand winemakers. He has never looked back.
Three years later, in 2005, he launched this country's first official sports and wine event, calling it Graperide.
This is the 15th consecutive year his winery team have hosted this annual event, which attracts cyclists from all over the country to the day-long cycle around the Marlborough region. If you're a serious cyclist, the 200 km ride will be right up your alley. Otherwise, there are 100 km rides, 42 km rides 40 km rides and, well, you get the idea. There's something for everyone and it's all followed by a sunny afternoon of music, wine, craft beer and healthy local food at Forrest Estate Winery.
The winery is collaborating with Regional Wines for the month of February in a give away that includes a brand new bike (valued at $599 and soon to arrive in store) and three sets of double passes to this year's Graperide event on Saturday 30 March in Blenheim.
It all kicks off before the crack of dawn at Forrest Estate Winery on Blicks Road, Blenheim.
And if the cycle doesn't take your fancy, a bottle of extremely modestly priced, aged, 10 year old, dry Riesling just might do - at $26.99, this wine represents outstanding value for money.
I'm calling it dry because I know the "R" word can polarise some people and Riesling is so shrouded in confusion in the minds of many.
We will crack open a bottle of this and many other Forrest wines during February, but don't wait till then - come on down to Regional Wines now to buy a bottle of... 2009 Forrest Estate Valleys Riesling for $26.99.
Be a winner - buy Forrest Estate
Every bottle of Forrest Estate wine you buy in February puts you in to win one of four great prizes.