Mick and I had such a great day today, meeting really interesting people who were very generous with their time with us (and Mick’s many questions).

We started the day by heading to the town’s Sunday Farmers’ Markets which are held in the Old Cromwell Precinct. While they were small, and the wind was blowing making Mick regretful that he hadn’t worn something warmer, we found something we’ve never seen before.

One of the stalls at the market, the most popular based on the number of people lining up, was a small French bakery. Mick wanted a croissant, but when I got to the front of the line I spotted this and had to try it. I asked the French owner if he had a half loaf, as I thought that would be enough, he explained that many people buy it to make French Toast or to use it to make sandwiches as he does. It was soft and fluffy inside made with swirls of plain and chocolate pastry. Quite delicious.

The first winery we visited was Misha’s Vineyard – established and owned by Misha and Andy Wilkinson.

Susie took us through the tasting, and because we were the only ones there, she was able to tell us so much about the wines and allow us to taste wines without being rushed.

I had read that the same winemaker, Olly Masters, has been making the wines here for as long as the winery has existed – 2008 was their first vintage. He was previously very well-known as a winemaker from the Martinborough wine region (just north of Wellington NZ). Interestingly, this vineyard does not grow Chardonnay.

One of the wines I selected to taste was their Starlet 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, mainly because the notes stated “will change your perception of Sauvignon Blanc”, and I was up for that as I am not a fan of the typically tropical Sav Blancs from NZ. And this one was delicious.

Susie was explaining that they do have some older vintages that are wonderful, and as if on cue, in walks Misha. She was carrying some small eskys (chilly bins in NZ) which we found out contained some recently opened bottles of wine she had just been sharing with a group of sommeliers from different parts of the world who had visited their steep vineyard – Ski Slope.

We started chatting to Misha and she was telling us all about her morning. She then said she had only just opened a bottle of the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc which she proceeded to pour for us to taste. Amazing is all I can say. Very soft, very French, very nice. And yes, we bought a bottle.

She also had a bottle of her 2011 Limelight Riesling open and gave us a taste of that as well. It is one of the two rieslings that they make, this one being slightly sweeter than the one they call Lyric.

Mick was in heaven; tasting special wines while talking with the owner. Eventually Misha had to leave and we continued our tasting with Susie. Mick also fell in love with their 2023 Gewürtztraminer and bought a bottle of that.

Susie explained that in NZ their is a company called the Wine Collective where just about any wine, in any quantities, from any region, can be purchased in boxes of 9 or 15 for shipment to Australia (and other parts of the world). The bottle price that comes up in AUD$ on the website includes the packaging and insurance as well as the postage. This may solve our problem of liking more wines than we can carry.

Both Susie and Misha also suggested a few other vineyards we should visit – some we already had – but at that point it was clear that we have not given ourselevs enough time to explore this wine region in full.

We only needed to walk a few steps outside of Misha’s to visit Cork & Cap, a business set up along the lines of the small communal wine stores found in many small villages of Piedmont. Warrick Hawker, Former Diplomat at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, set this business up to allow small winemakers, those mostly without a cellar door, to be able to showcase and sell their wines. Warwick’s daughter Sigrid helps run this business and the winery that they own.

The tasting fee was $20NZ, which seems to be typical for this area. And, it is good value when you are able to taste at least five wines. I let Mick do this tasting on his own here. Warwick gave Mick the list of wines and he selected two Rieslings (of course), and loved them both. It was then that Warwick said they were his Pisa Range wines.

Rudi Bauer is Warrick’s winemaker – he is the Austrian winemaker who makes Quartz Ridge wines as well. We are starting to get an understanding of the interconnectivity of winemaking here.

Mick also tried a Chardonnay from Brennan Wines, and a Pinot Noir from Stewart Town on Susie’s (from Misha’s) recommendation. But he really loved the Pinot Noir from Wiese Family Wines. This is their first vintage – two young winemakers, one from South Africa and one from Argentina who met working on a winery in California a few years back. They teamed up for a trip around New Zealand and found themselves stuck here during COVID. It was during this time they fell in love with this part of the world and decided to make it their home.

Weise Family Wines also makes a Pétillant Naturel Pinot Noir. Sigrid wanted us to try it, as we had said we do not like this style of ‘funky’ wine. We both sipped this and found it hard to believe it was a ‘Pet Nat’. It definitely wasn’t cloudy – instead it was crisp, clean and spicy. Obviously these two young winemakers have a good future ahead of them.

After a small break and some lunch, we headed off to find our final winery for today – Te Kano. This was one Misha and Susie had suggested, and we are so glad they did.

Next to where we parked the little Suzuki Swift, we spotted these Pinot Noir grapes – which had just started to change colour; the first colour we have seen since we have been here.

The entry to the Cellar Door at Te Kano’s looks a little like the Dr Who Tardis, in so much as it gives no clue as to what lies behind the bare entrance.

Our tasting here was led by a wonderful young woman whose name was Maddie. Her knowledge of the wines and the different vineyards was comprehensive. She had a very London English accent, and worked out quickly the differences in our palate and so added different wines for us to try.

We sat on the outside deck, overlooking some of the vines – specifically Pinot Noir. This was our view.

Te Kano was bought by Californian-born Rhonda Lloyd who married a New Zealander.

 Te Kano means the seed in New Zealand’s indigenous Māori language. Very apt for a venture and family with a far-reaching vision.

As well as this site on Felton Road (Bannockburn), they have established a site in Northburn (which is on the edge of the Bendigo sub-region); a site that had been left barren after the gold rush. In total, Te Kano has more than 60 hectares under cultivation across four sites.

During our conversations with Maddie, we discovered that she is one of the daughters of the owners of Te Kano. And, she knew her stuff.

Mick tried their Blanc de Noir, which was as clear as water. He had never had a white wine made from 100% Pinot Noir that looked like a white wine, with the exception of a ‘bubbles’. It was interesting. That’s all I’ll say.

But as we progressed through the range on offer from Te Kano we discovered that we really enjoyed it. So much so that we have ordered a case to be delivered through the Wine Collective but with an added 20% discount thanks to Maddie. What a gem!!

When we returned to our little home on the vineyard we opened the Sous Voile Chardonnay.

Mick insisted we try the wine that I bought the other day from Lucie – our host. This is the wine that ferments and ages beneath a veil of the yeast. It has not been filtered or fined.

A very different tasting wine – oxidative and nutty. It tasted and looked a lot older than its actual vintage of 2022. I’m glad we tried it, but we both prefer her Riesling!