Author Archives: Gary Bowering

Château d’Yquem Winemaker’s Dinner

Posted on 24 August 2018 by Gary Bowering

On 24 August I was lucky enough to be invited to be one of 16 lucky wine enthusiasts to attend the Château d’Yquem Winemaker’s Dinner with Jean-Philippe Lemoine. Five wines with matching dishes from the talented Ben Battersby were served at … Continue reading →

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Tony Bish Fat n Sassy Chardonnay 2014

Posted on 17 October 2015 by Gary Bowering

Mid straw gold. Nose a little closed at the moment, but it’s all there – ripe stone fruit with some nice fragrant tropical and lemon/citrus too, yeasty/mealy lees notes and just enough malo butter to be interesting. With time in … Continue reading →

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Books on wine

Posted on 2 April 2014 by Gary Bowering

Best place to get great wine books is Book Depository. I’ll update this page with the ones I’ve found most useful. Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wine (good annual reference and guide – I generally agree with Michael’s palate it seems)

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Fairmont Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Posted on 7 December 2013 by Gary Bowering

Quite a deep colour for a SB – green/gold. Nose: wow! Ripe tropical fruit in the melon and guava spectrum but the varietal tomato leaf is there, and even a hint of tomato skin as well; palate is a slightly … Continue reading →

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Consumer NZ 2013 whites tasting

Posted on 1 December 2013 by Gary Bowering

The December issue of Consumer NZ has the report of the panel blind tasting of New Zealand whites under $30. We tasted 60 wines, all purchased off-the-shelf by Consumer NZ. As with any panel, the scores among the judges varied, … Continue reading →

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Church Road Sauvignon Blanc Hawke’s Bay 2012 – quick note

Posted on 23 August 2013 by Gary Bowering

Neither here nor there, this lacks both the punch of a good Sauvignon Blanc and the complexity and interest of a wine with the oak. Back label says a small proportion was fermented in a 7500 litre oak cuve. I … Continue reading →

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Chemical common sense – Letter to Decanter

Posted on 18 August 2013 by Gary Bowering

Update: Decanter has published my response in the November 2013 issue. Let’s hope this puts an end to it. I’ve just sent off another letter to Decanter magazine. Seems some chap in the US didn’t like my balanced response to … Continue reading →

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Stick to the science – Letter to Decanter, July 2013

Posted on 24 June 2013 by Gary Bowering

It’s not often that I’m moved to write a letter to the editor of a magazine, but a news item in the April Decanter annoyed me. My letter was published in the July issue. The original story is here. Here’s … Continue reading →

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Mt Olympus Chardonnay 2011

Posted on 24 November 2012 by Gary Bowering

Green gold, mid depth. Nutty, mealy lees; ripe peaches. Ripe fruit style but with acid and mineral backbone. Clean with a good finish. A very good wine for the price. 13.5% Marlborough, New Zealand 17/20 [tasted 24-11-2012] Bought www.blackmarket.co.nz. Very … Continue reading →

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Waipara Riesling Challenge 2010 overview

Posted on 12 September 2012 by Gary Bowering

Early this year I bought two cases of the 2010 Waipara Riesling Challenge wines at the bargain-basement price of $9.99 a bottle (from www.blackmarket.co.nz). The challenge was an interesting idea: does the grape or the making make most difference? Or, … Continue reading →

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