New Zealand Pinot Noir Masterclass; Central Otago

Pinot Noir is renowned for being notoriously temperamental and will only grow in very specific vineyard sites around the world. However, with patience and dedication this grape makes some of the world’s finest wines, wonderfully perfumed, silky and opulent that beautifully showcase the characteristics of the site where the grapes are grown.

New Zealand has some of the best ‘terroirs’ in the world for Pinot Noir so when Matthew Abbey, winemaker at Norfolk’s Burn Valley Vineyard, told me he was a Pinot fan and explained he could help secure wines from highly sought-after producer, Valli Wines, I jumped at the chance!

Matt, who has worked numerous vintages in New Zealand, will co-host this Pinot Noir Masterclass and we are both thrilled to share a selection of wines that express the finer nuances of Pinot Noir made with grapes grown in different vineyard sites across New Zealand.

This will be a horizontal tasting of 2019 Pinot Noirs from some of New Zealand’s most coveted grape growing sites in Central Otago, North Otago and Martinborough. As we taste the wines’ we’ll explain how site specific terroir including soils, climate and grape growing techniques influence the wine in the glass.

The wines will include:

• Valli Vineyards Gibbston Pinot Noir 2019
• Valli Vineyards Banockburn Pinot Noir 2019
• Valli Vineyards Bendigo Pinot Noir 2019
• Valli Vineyards Burn Cottage Pinot Noir 2019
• Valli Vineyards Waitaki Valley Pinot Noir 2019
• Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2019

Fine wines deserve fine nibbles so there will be a selection of fine, locally sourced produce to nibble on as we enjoy the wines. This is premium wine tasting as all the bottles retail (when available!) for between £40 and £50 a bottle in the UK and places are limited and sold on a first come 1st served basis.