Thursday, 27 October 2016 10:25

Fine wines fly high

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Producing a fine wine takes time. So too has the creation of the inaugural Fine Wines of New Zealand list, announced earlier this year.

The Fine Wines of New Zealand comprises 47 wines, chosen by five Masters of Wine, (Steve Smith, Michael Brajkovich, Simon Nash, Sam Harrop and Alastair Maling) and one Master Sommelier (Cameron Douglas). It has taken over eight months to fine tune, during which time the six wine professionals have discussed and tasted more than 130 wines, of all varieties.

Air New Zealand Chief Operations Officer Bruce Parton, says the Fine Wine List is the culmination of a plan put into action more than two years ago.

“We thought we could do something to really promote the top end of wine in New Zealand. But we wanted to ensure that it was independent from the airline itself.”

Hence approaching the MWs and seeking their ideas on just how that could be achieved.

“They came up with the idea,” Parton says. “Our role at Air New Zealand is simply facilitating the process.”

The MWs initially provided individual lists of wines they considered met the “fine wine” criteria. That criteria was that the wine had to be world class and to have held that status for at least five years.

“A key requirement of theirs, was that these wines had to have been made consistently for five years or more. So rather than just a one off top wine, this is about the longevity of the quality of the wine.”

Each of the six wine professionals was assigned an effective grouping. It was their job to find a range of fine wines within that category. Parton says there was no set number allocated to any grouping, or a total figure the final list had to achieve. Once the individual had come up with their list, they then had to present it to the rest of the group and achieve a consensus on whether or not the wine was worthy of the “Fine Wines of New Zealand” moniker.

The final 47 now make up the Fine Wines of New Zealand list – a selection of which is served in Business Premier cabins. Not all 47 wines will be available on all flights, as the wines will be matched to the food being served on any given day and some are not available in the quantities needed.

While this is a first for any airline in the world, Parton says it is also a first for the New Zealand wine industry. There has long been talk of establishing a “classics” category in this country. Most other producing nations have such a list, although the majority of these are based on auction prices. That is something New Zealand cannot really emulate, given the auction market here is somewhat fragmented. Having a group of independent experts working together to create a list is unique says Parton.

“That was the point of it, to create something that would generate value and be a first for New Zealand wines.”

For the wineries whose wines have made the final list, being served in Business Premier is not the end of the road. Parton says in many ways it is just the beginning, as Air New Zealand is providing a range of options to help promote the wines to international clients.
“Our aim from an Air New Zealand perspective is to make these wines more commercially viable through how we work with them under our plan to make New Zealand business more profitable.”

A new wine channel on the inflight entertainment system will have the Masters of Wine discussing how they came up with the Fine Wines list. Each winery will have the opportunity to provide material for this channel that highlights the company, the vineyards and the personnel behind the wines. Given many travelers after trying a certain wine like to know where they can purchase it, Parton says an inflight system will allow them to purchase cases for home delivery, either via credit card or Airpoints dollars should this be of interest to the wineries.

“We often have customers on board trying the wines and asking if they can buy it. Now we can facilitate it, so basically it is an easy retail channel for the wineries.”

The Fine Wines will also be used in off shore promotions.

“We do about 100 events off shore each year in different countries and in many of those we serve wine. So the question we are putting to the wineries is; do you want to be a part of that? In which case you need to be able to sell us some wine, (we are not asking for free wine here, we are buying it). I really want to see these Fine Wines of New Zealand at these events.”

Secondly in countries where events are being held, and winery reps are also in the region, Air New Zealand is keen for them and distributors and/or customers to attend.

“You will start seeing branding of Air New Zealand and the Fine Wines programme together offshore. It can be really hard for small wineries to get penetration in these offshore markets. So if we can assist and open some doors, making it easier, we think this is a really good thing to do.”

The other promotional tool available to the wineries will be offering their wines via the airline’s online Airpoints store, Parton says.

All of these promotional avenues are free of charge to the wineries, which he says will help them to promote their wines, raise the profile and hopefully help them create even more fine wines in the future. That is a sustainable business plan which is something Air New Zealand feels strongly about.

“We want the New Zealand wine industry to grow and continue to make the very best wine. The more they can keep on delivering and improving the good quality product, the better. We feel strongly we have a part to play in that.”

The opportunities available to the wineries on the Fine Wines list is immense and Parton is aware that there will be many companies who will be keen to be included in the future. “But it is no good talking to me about it, as it is all independently created by the Masters of Wine. The simple way is for five years or more, to make the very best wine in your category, to a world class level. If you do that, the Masters of Wine will know about it and then you have a chance to be part of this with us.”

The fine wines of New Zealand for 2016

Aromatics

Felton Road Dry Riesling 2014

Felton Road Block 1 Riesling 2015

Framingham F series Riesling Kabinett 2015

Johanneshof Cellars Gewürztraminer 2014

Stonecroft Gewürztraminer 2015

Te Whare Ra Toru SV5182 2014

Millton Vineyards Clos de Ste Anne Chenin Blanc 2014

Prophet’s Rock Pinot Gris 2014

Dry River Pinot Gris 2014

Bordeaux style

Te Mata Coleraine 2014

Craggy Range Sophia 2013

Villa Maria Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013

Esk Valley The Terraces 2013

Stonyridge Vineyard Larose 2014

Church Road Tom 2013

Chardonnay

Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard 2014

Neudorf Moutere 2011

Sacred Hill Riflemans 2014

Dog Point 2013

Felton Road Block 2 2010

Villa Maria Keltern Vineyard 2014

Dessert wines

Forrest Wines Botrytised Riesling 2012

Framingham Wines Noble Riesling 2013

Framingham Wines ‘F’ Gewürztraminer 2014

Pinot Noir

Felton Road Block 3 2013

Burn Cottage 2014

Valli Bannockburn 2014

Rippon Vineyards Tinkers Field 2012

Bell Hill 2012

Ata Rangi 2013

Dry River 2013

Craggy Range Aroha 2013

Kusuda 2013

Sauvignon Blanc

Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2011

Astrolabe Province 2015

Dog Point 2015

Greywacke 2015

Saint Clair Reserve Wairau 2015

Vavasour 2015

Sparkling

Nautilus NV

Akarua Vintage Brut 2010

Deutz Blanc de Blanc Vintage 2011

Quartz Reef Vintage 2010

Syrah

Craggy Range Le Sol 2013

Trinity Hill Homage 2013

Bilancia La Collina 2013

Te Mata Bullnose 2014

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