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Planet Wine Blog
Mayer brings back the funk
Bombastic, maverick and mad scientist are just a few of the terms people use to describe cult winemaker Timo Mayer. One thing we can all agree on: he’s behind some of the most exciting wines coming out of Australia today. Mayer was born and raised in the winemaking region of Württemberg, Germany, where his family have been making wine [...]
REYNEKE WINES - STELLENBOCH
We have been importing Johann Reyneke’s organic and bio-dynamic wines into New Zealand for a number of years. We have always loved his philosophy and approach to winemaking and looking after his community – whether that be family, his workers or the animals on the farm.In Johann’s own words:“Biodynamic Winemaking. The future lies right at [...]
To the Ends of the Earth - Naturally
The ‘natural’ wine movement and its emergence and fashionability have piqued my interest for some time now. The fact that this term, within the wine industry, has no specific definition or certification is a topic for a long discussion over many glasses of wine.I have been working in the wine industry for over 30 [...]
The Pisco Revolution hits New Zealand!
There’s a quiet revolution going on in bars across New Zealand – and its name is Pisco! Yes, the distinctive brandy-like spirit that both Chile and Peru claim as their own is capturing the imaginations and palates of mixologists and patrons countrywide, keen to explore new tastes and push the envelope with cocktails.Planet Wine first started [...]
Brothers in Wine – Hermanos Pérez Pascuas, Viña Pedrosa
When I was finding it difficult to arrange a suitable day to visit a prospective Ribera del Duero wine supplier last year, little did I know that the eventual invitation to a special ‘event’ was in fact a great honour – I was going to participate in Hermanos Pérez Pascuas’ 35th anniversary celebrations in the [...]
Dan Gillett of Scotch Wine Bar & Wine Shop
You could describe Dan Gillet as a brave man. Firstly, to run a wine bar in the competitive heart of our premier winemaking region. And secondly, to lead the charge in New Zealand when it comes to the sometimes polarising natural wine movement. But he’s made considerable success of both his Blenheim Scotch Wine Bar [...]
Kiwi Angela Osborne crafts rule-breaking grenache in California
Many of us in the wine world have been unaware that an Aucklander is making a significant impact on the US winemaking scene from a remote vineyard in the Santa Barbara Highlands of California. Angela Osborne was named by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of ten winemakers to watch in 2015, representing ‘the daring, [...]
Meet our YNGAL – Jemma Grobbelaar
A chance meeting at last year’s Game of Rhones festival in Auckland started a series of conversations that now sees wine specialist, world traveller, kite surfing champion and part-time model Jemma Grobbelaar as an integral part of the Planet Wine sales and marketing team.Going to school in the heart of South African wine country gave her [...]
Daniel Alba – The Monastrell Time Machine
Earlier this month, I spent a week in southern Spain; to explore new wine regions and wineries and also to cement relationships with several of our current suppliers.In Yecla, in Spain’s south east, just 50km from the Mediterranean coast, my destination was the eponymous Daniel Alba Bodegas. Daniel is a French engineer turned winemaker who [...]
SPAIN'S NEW APPROACH - WINE SPECTATOR
Spain's New ApproachA growing number of winemakers are upending tradition in their pursuit of terroir. Thomas Matthews. Issue: October 15, 2016"Rioja made a big mistake. We focused on gran reserva, rather than grand cru." When Álvaro Palacios made this observation, in 2012, he was standing in an old-vine Garnacha vineyard at his [...]