The
winery is wholly-owned by Konrad and Sigrun Hengstler.
They originally migrated from Germany to Australia
and then, having decided to become involved in
the wine industry, made the move from there to New
Zealand
to plant Sauvignon Blanc grapes in Marlborough.
The
two company-owned vineyards are located in the heart
of the Marlborough wine growing
region at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. The
sites, one in the Wairau Valley (20 hectares) and the
other in the Waihopai Valley (10 hectares), have been
planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Noir
since 1996.
The Wairau Valley vineyard is
a very warm site producing early ripening wines. Waihopai
Valley, much closer to the frost line, is considered
more of a cool climate vineyard. The wines of Konrad
are selected from the two sites and then blended to
achieve an optimum balance
between rich, ripe flavors and fresh acidity. The technique
has been very successful, producing award-winning wines,
selected for medals in
Auckland, London, and Singapore.
With longer average hours of sunshine than any other
part of the country and the free-draining, silty, alluvial
loam, the terroir is superbly suited to viticulture.
Plants are irrigated throughout the summer and trained
on a vertical shoot positioning trellis. In early spring,
the Waihopai Valley vineyard is exposed to frost, therefore
frost protection through an overhead sprinkling system
has been installed. Reduced spray programs and focus
on traditional techniques, such as shoot thinning and
leaf and fruit plucking, are evidence of the company’s
commitment to vineyard-controlled quality.
This
wine features a wonderful array of lemon-lime mineral
notes coupled with tropical
apricot aromas,
leading
to an exquisite palate of citrus and passion fruit
flavors. The focused fruit expression is enhanced with
the lively natural acid balance which gives this Sauvignon
Blanc a wonderfully long finish.
The
wine pairs beautifully with seafood,
poultry, pasta and Asian dishes, or just by itself.
Red
Wine
2004 MEINKLANG PINOT NOIR
Neusiedlersee,
Burgenland, Austria
The
Meinklang wine estate is led by the Michlits family
and is Austria's leading organic wine estate. It
is located next to Lake Neusiedl in the eastern
part of Burgenland. The family has a large respect
for nature and follows the biodynamic principles
of the Demeter Association in their wine cultivation
and farming methods. The family also cultivates farmland
and manages Angus cows at the site.
The
excellent quality of the wines are evidenced by the
many accolades it has won: twice
named "best Austrian organic winery"; awarded
the highest rating for the Zwerest 2002 at the world's
largest organic wine competition; three gold medals
at Biofach 2006; as well as being rated in the top
three organic wineries worldwide.
The hot summer days and cool nights
of the Pannonian climate are perfect for making juicy
grapes with powerful deep expressional fruit flavors.
The
nose is dominated by ripe fruits and strawberry and
a smell of jam flavors suggests good
healthy ripened grapes. A dark ruby color and complex
berry aromas dominate this typical Pinot style. Due
to its well-balanced tannin structure, this Pinot is
a winning partner for nearly every dinner.
Wines
by Jennifer is also proud to announce our new "Cellar
Club", featuring a new wine each month suitable for
long-term aging. Call the shop and ask for Jennifer for all
the details on this exciting new Club, or visit our Featured
Cellar Club Wine page for details on this month's selection.
With longer average hours of sunshine than any other
part of the country and the free-draining, silty, alluvial
loam, the terroir is superbly suited to viticulture.
Plants are irrigated throughout the summer and trained
on a vertical shoot positioning trellis. In early spring,
the Waihopai Valley vineyard is exposed to frost, therefore
frost protection through an overhead sprinkling system
has been installed. Reduced spray programs and focus
on traditional techniques, such as shoot thinning and
leaf and fruit plucking, are evidence of the company’s
commitment to vineyard-controlled quality.
The
Meinklang wine estate is led by the Michlits family
and is Austria's leading organic wine estate. It
is located next to Lake Neusiedl in the eastern
part of Burgenland. The family has a large respect
for nature and follows the biodynamic principles
of the Demeter Association in their wine cultivation
and farming methods. The family also cultivates farmland
and manages Angus cows at the site.
The hot summer days and cool nights
of the Pannonian climate are perfect for making juicy
grapes with powerful deep expressional fruit flavors.