Fashion and Wine. You’re wondering, what do these two things have in common and why would a fine wine company be writing about them together? Well, the commonality is a lot more than you can imagine! The words ‘trends’, ‘fads’ and ‘limited release’ are frequently used in the fashion industry but also, these expressions are extremely common in the wine industry too. Wine, just like any other consumer product and also particularly fashion, is subject to the fickle tides of trends.

“[It] seems like the new wine buying generation is looking for different things all the time. It’s not about the comfort of knowing, it’s about the excitement of experimenting.” – Ryan Arnold, Sommelier & Wine Director, McGuire Moorman Hospitality, Austin, Texas

In NZ Amanda Linnell the Editor from The Herald’s Viva magazine astutely noted that “there’s a playfulness and sense of joy in fashion right now that is wonderfully liberating” which closely parallels a similar focus in the wine world, especially amongst the new guard of winemakers having fun experimenting with pet-nats, natural wines, skin-contact wines, chillable reds and much more.

For decades already fashion and wine have been closely intertwined. The fashion elite loves to party at events fuelled by wine and fabulicious fizz, while wine companies love collaborating with a big-name designer. Think, Christian Lacroix with Chateau Sainte Roseline, Chanel with Domaine de I’lle and the Delevingne sisters with Della Vite Prosecco to name a few!

It’s a cool symbiotic relationship, a match made in heaven that inspires a sense of connoisseurship that lights up the collector in all of us.

Here at Dhall & Nash we want to have a bit of fun linking different styles of our wines to the personality of fashion creations. You’ve all probably enjoyed food and wine pairing at some flash restaurant degustation dinner or even at home with foodie friends – why not try a fashion-wine pairing?

Anything goes. Let’s have a blast…

Wine Essence – Champagne is champagne is champagne – nothing can quite compare! It is a liquid seduction and sings of sophistication. The Brut Nature is a brand-new cuvee for Maison Billecart, blended from 10 vintages (2006-15), with 48 months on lees. And by the way, it has ‘zero dosage’ which means NO added sugar! It is nuanced by the purity of a distinct and vibrant aromatic profile of orchard fruits, fresh citrus, and delicate pains au lait (milk breads). On the palate it is ample and harmonious, preserved by a deliciously chiselled mineral tension. A well balanced and nicely rounded sparkling sensation is further strengthened by appealing white fleshed stone fruits, lime, and almond cream.

Awarded 94/100 points by James Suckling, Wine Critic

Wine Essence – The stylish ‘Tiffany-esque” aquamarine labels will look fabulous on any table making the perfect aperitif for all celebrations. Not that we are swayed by just a very cool label… but this is classy Prosecco! Bursting with appealing fruit characters; apple, white peach, and honeysuckle aromas, with tart green apples and ripened limes offering a clean finish.

Awarded 95/100 points by Sommelier Challenge

Wine Essence – With a Japanese owner and winemaker, Folium wines are the epitome of fastidious artisanal winemaking. This is a crisp yet textured example of Sauvignon Blanc with a lemony core and some riper white peach and pear notes, as well as a touch of grapefruit and some green notes on the finish. There’s ripeness here, as well as good concentration. Crystalline and stylish with nice intensity.

Awarded 90/100 points by Wine Anorak

Wine Essence – Voted best Provence wine two years in a row by Wine Enthusiast and Vinous Wine reviewers. It is named after the roadside cross that stands at 946 metres above sea level on the summit of Mont Sainte Victoire close to the winery in Provence. This is a top cuvée from Château Gassier from a selection of their best vineyard parcels. It is as serious as any rosé can get, rich and packed with red fruits as well as a light tannic structure. Its fruit though is beautifully in balance, ripe with raspberry and red-currant that are shot through with lemon acidity. This is an impressively structured dry rosé.

Awarded 94/100 points by Vinous

Wine Essence – What’s not to love about voluptuous, sexy NZ pinot noirs. In particular this one from Hawkshead winery in Central O.

“It has a ripe, plump fleshy textured core of dark red berries led by fresh raspberry and cherry. There’s a tease of new oak with five-spice and clove. You’ll also find a savoury rugged Otago hillside layer adding complexity and mouthfeel. It has fine tannins and elevated acidity, fresh youthful, fine, and complex.” – Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Mindfood Review

Awarded 19/20 points by Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

In both the world of fashion and of wine, sometimes the catchphrase may as well be “the weirder the better” as sommeliers and fashionistas seem to relish proclaiming certain trends are the ‘hippest’ when the average consumer would take quite some time to embrace. Still, why not? The creatives are always there to spark our imaginations, our wardrobes, and of course, our palates.

Speaking with various winemakers and vineyard owners, 2020 looks to be a vintage never to be forgotten given the global pandemic on our hands, but the potential quality of the wines is outstanding. By and large, this year’s growing season has been exceptional for most wine regions in NZ. One exception is Central Otago, where, until the last fortnight, has experienced their coldest growing season on record. There are concerns some fruit may not ripen in time before the leaves begin to fall off the vines. The last two weeks have settled in well for Otago, though, and it’s too early to get a read on the wines yet. My hunch would be that this cool, long, growing season could present a challenge that many of the talented winemakers of the region are up for and are accustomed to from time spent making great Pinot Noir in cooler regions across the globe.

On my last visit to the Hawke’s Bay towards the latter half of March, winemakers were taking a well-deserved break following a Chardonnay pick that began as early as the end of February and carried into most of March across various vineyard blocks, with Chardonnay fruit of fantastic quality. So while the Chardonnays are fermenting, many of the red varieties will be picked in April, a vintage of two halves in the Bay.

 

I had a quick word with some of the winemakers with Dhall & Nash – Takaki Okada from Folium Vineyard in Marlborough, who was thankful to even be allowed to be harvesting his fruit. He was picking his first parcel of Sauvignon Blanc this year.

“The 2020 vintage is one which we won’t forget for a long time, but at the same time want to forget if it is possible.”
– Takaki Okada, Folium Vineyards, Marlborough

 

Takahiro Koyama from Mountford Estate in Waipara is so happy with the wines thus far that he has guaranteed this vintage will be outstanding. It hasn’t been without its challenges though, as due to the current Covid-19 lock-down, their grape pickers were not available and it was all hands on deck to harvest the last 20% of their fruit, all by hand.

“Despite this being a really tough time for everybody in the world, the quality of the 2020 vintage wine will be superb. I can guarantee this.”
– Takahiro Koyama, Mountford Estate, Waipara

 

Dennis Marshall of Hawkshead Wines in Central Otago is feeling confident his bunches will ripen from the superb weather of late, especially so as the vines age, they appear not to be so susceptible to climate variations.

“We are looking forward to another vintage season!”
– Denis Marshall, Hawkshead Wines, Central Otago

 

– Brandon