Hey syrah, syrah!

3 March, 2006

FOOD AND BEVERAGE: MEDIA RELEASES 2006

As this vintage's wine harvesting begins in the North, several of our winemakers are patting themselves on the back for planting syrah grapes.

The results from the Royal Easter Show wine awards, released on Wednesday, saw Northland wineries earn two silver medals for their 2004 syrahs and two bronze medals. This is a red variety that several growers expect the region to excel in over time. Okahu Estate's Kaz earned a gold medal in 1996, and now four more have been recognised for producing this distinctly spicy, gamey grape.

Silver medals went to Marsden Estate and Northland Wine Company. Bronze medals were awarded to Karikari Estate and Omata Estate wineries. Karikari Estate also earned a bronze medal for its Cabernet Merlot blend, and Marsden Estate for its Blacks Rocks Chardonnay. Longview Winery also took a bronze medal for its Riesling although the grapes are Hawke's Bay grown.

Karikari winemaker Ben Dugdale said he would've liked to have done better at the Easter Show awards but having earned 19 medals from two harvests, two of them golds, he's not really complaining. But he admits the future is looking exciting for syrah in the north because of the “fatter, broader palate” the wine delivers compared with syrahs from Gimblett Gravels in Hawke's Bay. Ben was one of several winemakers from Northland who attended the syrah conference, held at the Chateau, last week. “Our tannins are not so harsh either, and we have a sweet fruit concentration in our syrahs.”

Rod McIvor from Marsden says he's very excited about the results as he knows of three or four more syrah growers who are producing wine of equal quality. However, because they make less than 100 cases they can only enter the Bragato Wine Awards, which are being held later in the year.

Graham Cowley, director of The Northland Company, was encouraged by standard of the New Zealand syrah at the Easter Show awards. His 2004 Serine, which earned a silver medal, was one of the 38 syrah entries. Only six failed to win an award – six earned golds and 12 silver medals, which suggests that New Zealand is producing excellent syrah, or shiraz as the Australians call it.