Its not just about the beer

It seems I have been unfair to wine. My belief that I disliked wine was driven by the fact that the majority of wines tried to date weren't very nice. But when on honeymoon on New Zealand we found a few wines that changed that.

The first (and a wine synonymous with New Zealand) was Sauvignon Blanc. I love New Zealand hops and one of the best is Nelson Sauvin, named for its ability to produce similar flavours as the aforementioned grape. Cracking open a fresh bottle of wine in New Zealand and this comparison is immediately apparent with sherberty lime and passion fruit notes at the fore with gooseberry grapey flavours.

We enjoyed the Lawsons Dry Hills interpretation of Sauvignon Blanc so much that we came away with a bottle of it (you can buyit from Majestic in the UK)! This could easily be substituted for a pale ale or IPA with less of the associated bitterness and a higher alcohol to make you drink it more slowly (and thus not be filled up by drinking too much liquid!). I also very much enjoyed the Riesling whilst daisy favoured their award-winning herbal Gewürztraminer.

Another we enjoyed was the Syrah from Topknot Hill on Waiheke island. This a red wine unlike any we had tried before. Intensely fruity with well rounded body and long blackberry finish. More of a sipper this would substitute well for a malt-led imperial stout or old ale as an after dinner drink or with robust red meat like beef or venison. They're worth a visit as they also have a microbrewery and restaurant on site.

We also visited a vineyard in Kaikoura, and whilst we were gave warm welcome by our host, we weren't as taken by any of the wines on offer. They're a fairly young operation though, so the wines will only improve with time.

It seems I will have to give wine a chance more often...but not so often that it becomes a costly habit!