New post available on newly launched sportwinematch.com site

New post available on the newly launched http://www.sportwinematch.com:

http://www.sportwinematch.com/?p=106

New sportwinematch.com site launched

I have taken the leap of self hosting the Sport+Wine Match blog – now available at http://www.sportwinematch.com

At the new site you will find all the existing content, plus new blogs from here on in.

Looking forward to welcoming new followers; for those existing followers of the wordpress site, please sign up for the new blog at http://www.sportwinematch.com to continue to receive updates.

Ahead of saturday’s NZ vs Aussie match at Eden Park, the wines of the Auckland region

So on Saturday things really get heated with the co-hosts of the 2015 ODI cricket world cup tournament clashing at Eden Park. No extra incentive typically required when it comes to New Zealand vs Australia, but there will be extra angst-driven edge from the home team who have long been in the shadow of their more illustrious canary yellow-suited neighbours…

For those journeying to watch the action at Eden Park, the greater Auckland area boasts a wealth of diverse wine producing areas. For this post we will restrict ourselves mainly to Kumeu to the west, and the Matakana wine region to the north. Waiheke Island merits a post of its own – perhaps later in the tournament…

Kumeu can be reached from downtown Auckland via a short drive along southern highway 16. Once you leave the city and venture into Waitakere you soon find yourself in rural West Auckland. The Kumeu wine region boasts a number of excellent vineyards. Kumeu River is long established – like many of the vineyards in the region it has Croatian heritage and continues to be owned by the Brajkovic family. Kumeu River produces award winning wines, and is particularly noted for the chardonnay and pinot gris. For those visiting Kumeu for the day on a wine tasting trip, the Nobilo and Soljans vineyards possibly offer the best tasting experiences, with a range of good wines on offer at both.

Matakana is less than an hour north of Auckland City and is arguably worth it just for the scenic drive. Matakana Wine Country actually sprawls beyond Warkworth in the south, through Makana itself, and up towards Omaha to the north. Each of these places is worth a visit in their own right – the fact that they boast some excellent vineyards is a distinct bonus. One of my favourite vineyards in the region is one of the first that you will reach; Ransom Wines boast a fantastic range and is a great place to visit for a tasting, typically hosted by one of the owners (the story of how they discovered the identify of their carmenere vines is fascinating). I would also strongly advise you to stay for a platter in the restaurant, which are excellent. There are a number of other vineyard cafes and restaurants that merit a visit for both the food and wine. Ascension has fallen on harder times lately but they have had something of a revival, mostly focussing on hosting weddings and functions, albeit the wines on offer have always been excellent. An Ascension wine made the cut for our wedding wine list, for instance.

There promises to be fireworks on the pitch on Saturday; and those in the know can wind down with some local wine via a short trip west or north after the contest is over…

All set for NZ vs England in the cricket world cup: the local wines to enjoy in host city Wellington

All set for the New Zealand vs England game here in Auckland. But for those fans who have made the trip to watch the action live in Wellington, some leads on the local wines to enjoy:

An overview of the wine producing areas in the locality of Wellington has been provided in a previous post so here we will deal with specific producers and wines on offer. As always the majority of the planting in the region is dedicated to the flagship export varieties sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. The sauvignon blanc on offer in Martinborough is broadly similar in style to that associated with the far more famous Marlborough region. Likewise some award winning pinot noir hails from this region. Of more interest to me personally is the Riesling produced in Martinborough, and to a lesser extent the pinot gris. Pinot gris produced in New Zealand is highly variable in character – it can be very floral and fruit driven with a lot of residual sugar, but happily a few producers do produce some pinot gris that is much closer in character to the classic pinot grigio Italian style. Those who have read earlier posts will already know my fondness for the NZ style Riesling, which is dry and entirely unlike the German version. A Martinborough Riesling from Alana Estate made the cut for our wedding wine list – no higher honour, surely. Possibly the best known Martinborough vineyard for those in the key export markets overseas (UK, US, Australia) would be Palliser Estate. Palliser produce some excellent wines in their range, principally for export rather than the domestic market, albeit wines from the Palliser wines do appear on wine lists within New Zealand, particularly in Wellington.

So for those dining out in Wellington this weekend to toast their (or commiserate) after the result of today’s match, keep an eye out for Martinborough wines, particularly the Riesling…

To mark the start of the Cricket World Cup 2015 today in Christchurch, NZ: the wines of Canterbury

After the long countdown, the Cricket World Cup kicked off today in Christchurch, NZ, with the hosts taking on Sri Lanka.

Canterbury is one of the lesser known wine producing regions in New Zealand, but those who have made the trip for the opening fixture at Hagley Park can enjoy some good wine produced locally from both the Waipara Valley to the north of Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains to the west. After the ubiquitous Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, considerable planting areas are devoted to Riesling and Pinot Gris. Canterbury is noted for producing fine aromatics – in particular there are some excellent examples of the New Zealand style dry Riesling.

The Waipara Hills winery (owned by New Zealand Vineyard Estate, formerly Mudhouse Wines, who also own the Mudhouse label) is located on the drive north from Christchurch towards Kaikoura. It boasts a fine cafe and cellar door for tastings. Their range include wines grown in the local Waipara region, as well as from their other vineyards in Central Otago and Marlborough. I was lucky enough to visit in late 2013, so I can personally recommend not only the wine tasting, but  also the platter. The Equinox range are Waipara Hills’ premium wines, and if memory serves I took away a bottle or two of both the Riesling and the Sauvignon Blanc (both grown locally in the Waipara Valley).

Looking ahead to the NZ leg of the World Sevens series, the Wairarapa wine-producing region

The fans who attend the Wellington Sevens are not generally known as discerning drinkers – and to be honest the rugby tends to be a bit secondary too. You could say what they lack in this area is made up by plenty of enthusiasm: the copious alcohol consumption and fancy dress theme makes the Wellington leg of the world sevens series best known for the partying under the concourse of the stadium rather than the spectacle on the field.

Nevertheless for the rogue minority who might enjoy drinking good wine, the Wairarapa region near Wellington does have much to offer. Certainly among the lesser known of the wine-producing regions in New Zealand, the Wairarapa does however boast the Martinborough region, as well as the much smaller Masterton and Gladstone sub regions.

Martinborough is a relatively short drive (less than 90 minutes) north-east of Wellington along the Classic Wine Trail (better known as state highway 2). The soil and climate are conducive to producing those staples of exported NZ wines pinot noir and sauvignon blanc, and a much smaller number of hectares are also devoted to producing aromatics, notably Pinot Gris and Riesling.

Boutique producers reign in this region, and the number of vineyard within a small area makes for excellent opportunities for touring and tasting… and arguably a more civilised way to enjoy the coverage of the international sevens rugby!

A whirlwind introduction to the art of sport and wine matching…

The practice of matching wine with food is well established; when paired properly wine complements a dish and a particular type of food can bring out particular flavours in the wine. Here we take this a step further – pairing wine with sport (spectating rather than participating). Food may or may not be involved; and this works equally well when watching sport from the comfort of your home, or at a bar or restaurant, and even when attending the sporting event to watch the action live.

A recent feature in the Guardian newspaper (UK) broke the story that many viewers of football (‘soccer’ for those in the US and Australasia) confessed that they would often break from convention (the traditional union of football and beer) and open a bottle of wine when watching their team on television. This shocking revelation may ring true with readers in North America and the Southern Hemisphere, as this tends to reflect the culture in other football codes.

Whilst the shock waves caused by these revelations continue, and football fans continue to battle with tradition and the taboo of wine drinking when watching the game (at least in public), for spectators of other sports wine is considerably more socially acceptable. So here is a quick run down of some potential wine matches for different sports (including football), starting with the major ball sports in North America:

(North American) Football – assuming that fast food and snacks are likely to feature I am going to suggest an easy drinking Chilean Carmenere: matches well with meat and salt, and a red is probably slightly more manly for football fans who might baulk at a chilled white, or even a rose

Baseball – again fans will be battling social convention a bit here, and once more fast food and snacks to consider, but I am going to suggest the sports fan will just front it out and go the whole hog with a Viognier: a complex and serious wine that nevertheless matches well with fatty meats, as well asian fast food particularly

Basketball – depends a bit on what continent you are spectating from, but for similar reasons I am going with a Sangiovese: an accessible wine that will match nicely with fast food (particularly pizza)

Ice hockey – am going to use a bit of artistic licence here and say that as a winter sport fans will be enjoying something warming like a seafood chowder, and on that basis I am going to go for a pairing with a Sauvignon Blanc: nice acidity will cut through the cream in the chowder (and good with seafood)

So now that’s the major ball sports in North America wrapped up (I will leave soccer for now); the next post I will look at some other sports from Europe and the rest of the world…

NZ counts down to Cricket World Cup

The countdown continues here in NZ. In a few short weeks cricket fans from around the world will descend upon NZ and Australia.

The major powers in ODI cricket are showing some form in the approach to the big event. Even England showed some welcome signs of life in their comprehensive win against India! Whisper it quietly, but travelling England cricket fans may yet have more to look forward to than just the chance to sample some New Zealand wine! Australia, a team never lacking spirit, are further fortified by recent events and the tragic loss of one of their own; they continue to look dominant in this format of the game and will enjoy home advantage. South Africa will have high hopes having just toasted AB de Villiers spectacular record-breaking innings of 149 from 44 balls in the recent win in the home ODI series against the West Indies. The Windies boast star quality individual players in the short forms of the game and will be looking to emulate their 2012 T20 world cup win. After poor recent form, including a white wash in the 5-match series in India, Sri Lanka are currently showing better signs in the series against hosts New Zealand. Conversely, India have struggled recently in Australia and the heavy defeat against England will be seen as further cause for concern. Pakistan are always a dark horse in major championships and are a team to be feared.

Those following the lesser lights or the emerging nations will be buoyed by the history of upsets in previous cricket world cups. Ireland will remember fondly the famous win against England in the 2011 tournament and will be looking to contest Zimbabwe and Bangladesh for the top honours of the emerging nations. Fans of Scotland and UAE will be coming for the experience! Finally, Afganistan are one of the stories of the event…

Whatever fortunes befall their team, travelling fans can look forward to some fine fare and ample opportunities to taste the best of some great wine producing regions as they travel between each of the host venues (in New Zealand particularly..!).

It’s hard to have a bad time at a vineyard…

The picture is fairly typical of my mood when visiting a vineyard! Hence the theme for this post: it is hard to have bad time at a vineyard. Almost by definition the setting is generally highly picturesque – the views alone are almost worth the journey. And then you get to sample wine! Often accompanied with food! Magical places indeed…

When visiting smaller ’boutique’ wineries often the person hosting the tasting is one of the owners or the winemaker themselves (I find this is particularly the case when visiting either side of the peak summer season). As such these visits offer a unique opportunity to gain rare insights; I find most of what I know about wine and the process behind making great wine has been gleaned in this way. In general, I find that these individuals are usually very forthcoming and happy to share their knowledge. It is almost universally true that those directly involved in the wine industry have a passion for wine and as such are very happy to engage with an appreciative audience (especially when you are able to demonstrate that you are not entirely ignorant).

For those sports fans making the trip (for the forthcoming Cricket World Cup for instance), different regions in New Zealand offer plentiful opportunities for vineyard visits. The wine producing regions in the Greater Auckland area, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Martinborough, Marlborough, Nelson, and Central Otago all over a bountiful array of vineyards to visit, often without appointment. Often in these regions there are organised trips available via wine tour operators. There are up sides to this approach – for instance you might get to try a greater range of wines during the tasting and a greater level of behind the scenes access during tours of the vineyard when the visiting as part of a tour group (plus obviously the cost of the tastings is included in the cost of the tour).

On the other hand, tour operators tend to stick to preferred vineyards with whom they have a relationship; these are not necessarily the best vineyards in the region, or those that offer the best tasting experience. A good example, once more from New Zealand, are the major wine tours on Waiheke Island (a ferry ride from downtown Auckland) – the majority of the vineyards on the tour are the most commercial of those on the island, and absolutely not the best of the options available for a visit or to sample good wine.

So, if you are a bit more adventurous and amenable to doing a bit of research then I would suggest organising your own itinerary. To help with this, the major regions often have a wine centre (good examples in NZ are the Hawkes Bay wine centre in Napier, and the Gisborne Wine Centre in the town of Gisborne). In some cases (for instance Gisborne Wine Centre) these wine centers are run as a collective venture by the wine growers in the region. Generally the wine centre staff are a good bet for informed guidance and relatively independent recommendations on which of the vineyards in the areas merit a visit.

Finally, in the spirit of sport and wine matching, many regions now offer the option of touring vineyards on a bike. I can heartily recommend this approach – wine and food always tastes better when you feel you’ve earned it. Admittedly, this might not appear conducive to picking up a bottle or several as you tour around sampling the wines available if you have to cart the bottles around on your bike. To solve this increasingly many vineyards are able to accommodate those touring by bike by offering free delivery if you are staying locally, either direct to your accommodation or else for pick up at the local wine centre. Once more, I would recommend visiting either side of peak season as vineyards are more likely to offer this service during less busy periods in the year.

Below are some links to information for places mentioned in the post. Enjoy…

http://www.nzwine.com/
http://www.gisbornewine.co.nz/wine-centre/overview/
http://nzwinecentre.co.nz/
http://waihekewinecentre.com/index.php?route=common/home

Follow @sportwinematch

Some sporting events to match with wine in the month of January…

2015 kicking off with a bang with a full international programme in January:

Friday, 2 January 2015 FOOTBALL FA Cup  second/third round
Saturday, 3 January 2015 DARTS BDO Worlds
Tuesday, 6 January 2015 FOOTBALL Johnstone’s Paint Trophy area finals first legs
Friday, 9 January 2015 FOOTBALL Asia Cup (Australia)
Saturday, 10 January 2015 NETBALL Jamaica v England series
Sunday, 11 January 2015 SNOOKER Masters (London)
Sunday, 11 January 2015 CRICKET Tour match: Australian Capital Territory v England (Canberra)
Wednesday, 14 January 2015 CRICKET Tour match: Prime Minister’s XI v England (Canberra)
Thursday, 15 January 2015 BASKETBALL NBA Global Games, Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks (O2 Arena)
Thursday, 15 January 2015 SNOWBOARDING World Championships (Austria)
Thursday, 15 January 2015 HANDBALL World Men’s Championship (Qatar) – until 1st Feb
Friday, 16 January 2015 CRICKET ODI triangular series: Australia v England (Sydney)
Saturday, 17 January 2015 CYCLING Track Cycling World Cup, round three (Cali)
Saturday, 17 January 2015 FOOTBALL African Cup of Nations (Equatorial Guinea) – until 8th Feb
Sunday, 18 January 2015 CRICKET ODI triangular series: Australia v India (Melbourne)
Monday, 19 January 2015 TENNIS Australian Open (Melbourne) – until 1st Feb
Tuesday, 20 January 2015 CRICKET ODI triangular series: England v India (Brisbane)
Tuesday, 20 January 2015 FOOTBALL Capital One Cup semi-final first legs
Thursday, 22 January 2015 RALLYING WRC Monte-Carlo rally
Friday, 23 January 2015 CRICKET ODI triangular series: Australia v England (Hobart)
Saturday, 24 January 2015 ATHLETICS Glasgow International match
Saturday, 24 January 2015 FOOTBALL FA Cup fourth round
Saturday, 24 January 2015 SAILING ISAF World Cup (Miami)
Monday, 26 January 2015 CRICKET ODI triangular series: Australia v India (Sydney)
Tuesday, 27 January 2015 FOOTBALL Capital One Cup semi-final second legs
Friday, 30 January 2015 CRICKET ODI triangular series: England v India (Perth)

Follow @sportwinematch