THE SEEDS OF GREATNESS

Creativity bubbles over in these examples of magical thinking, says MARY-THÉRÈSE BLAIR.

I’M ALWAYS enthusiastic to see what the ‘other sparkling’ category can throw into the mix but it’s not the most-anticipated category by judges. Why? Because anything goes: except in the case of the Spanish cava, no rule book exists in this category.

This is when the winemaking gloves come off and the end result isn’t always a winner. It’s the wine equivalent of a brainstorming session in which ‘there are no bad ideas’. While people can roll their eyes at that sentiment, the seeds of fantastic end products can, and do, come from less-than-inspired ideas. So, in an attempt to flip the script on this category, I see these wines as the tiny acorns from which great oaks can grow.

As you can see, there were no wines deemed outstanding or excellent but there are some very good examples to enjoy that offer fantastic value for money.

BEST BUYS

Those wines offering an outstanding mix of quality and price are awarded Best Buy status. Price points differ, depending on the varietal, but if you see the Best Buy sticker you can rest assured you’re getting a great wine at an excellent price. Look out for the sticker on wine bottles at all good wine retailers.

TASTING PANEL

The judges who tasted the Champagne also tasted the other sparkling wines.

Auntsfield Méthode Ancestrale 2022 (Marlborough) ★★★★ - 2 $38

Chiarli Il Mio Lambrusco Rosso IGT NV (Modena, Italy)

★★★★ - 1 $17 (A)

Delta Estate Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc 2022 (Marlborough)

★★★★ - 1 $20

Delta Estate Sparkling Rosé 2022 (Marlborough) ★★★★ - 1 $20

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava NV (Sant Sadurní d’anoia, Spain) ★★★★ - 2 $18 (A)

Henkell Trocken Dry-sec NV (Wiesbaden, Germany)

★★★★ - 2 $19 (A)

Villa Maria Sparkling Brut Rosé NV (New Zealand) ★★★★ - 1 $20

DISTRIBUTORS

(A) Hancocks hancocks.co.nz