Years of refining has resulted in the 2021 vintage being named the Champion Other White Varietal

Years of refining the Wairau River Reserve Grüner Veltliner has resulted in the 2021 vintage being named the Champion Other White Varietal at the Marlborough Wine Show.

Sponsored by Move Freight, formerly TIL/TNL, the category attracted 14 entries at the show, including Viognier and Pinot Blanc, with an Albariño also picking up a gold medal.

Wairau River Wines winemaker Nick Entwistle says it was satisfying to receive the trophy after years of work to perfect the wine.

“[This] is a wine style that we have been developing and refining since 2015. Back in 2013, Sam [Rose] and I were looking at which alternative varieties might be a good fit for the Marlborough climate,” he says. 

The winemaking duo planted 0.3 hectares each of Grüner Veltliner and Albariño in Sam’s Angler vineyard, a stone’s throw from the Wairau River.

“Although produced in miniscule volumes each year, both varieties have shown they are more than capable of producing outstanding wines,” Nick says. 

“[They] tell a unique story of their variety, the vintage, and the stony Rapaura in which they are grown.”

Meticulous work in the vineyard is required to ensure the Grüner Veltliner crop load is balanced each year, with a hand harvest conducted early in the morning to retain freshness and acidity. 

The whole bunches are foot trodden by the Rose Family grandchildren, founders of Wairau River Wines, liberating a small amount of juice and aiding in the extraction of flavour and phenolics from skins and stems during overnight skin contact. 

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, with extended times on lees post fermentation building additional layers of texture and complexity, Nick says.

Move Freight Branch Manager Stephen Smith said the company is privileged to sponsor this category of the awards.

“We have a long association with the Marlborough wine industry, from harvest time to delivering of palletised and bulk wine throughout the region and nationwide.

“To see the joy and happiness on the faces of the Wairau River team when accepting the trophy for the spoils of their hard work was great to see. This is truly a team effort and was well deserved,” he says.