Copperlake Wines launches Sundowner, a ground-breaking new blend
Sue Lindsay and her Sundowner wine blend.
Sue Lindsay, photo right, from Copperlake Wines in Rototai has launched this year’s wines with more than just the pop of a cork, announcing the creation of a new blend that has never before been tried in New Zealand.
In cooperation with Sue Shotton and winemaker Bill O’Neill, she has combined her Pinot Gris and Viognier grapes in a blend she has called Sundowner.
“As far as we know it has never been done before in New Zealand, and local winemaker in the Bay said it could not be done,” said Sue Lindsay. “But Sue and myself tried each of the wines separately and found that the Pinot Gris was slightly sweeter than we liked it to be, and the Viognier only had very little residual sugar left, so the three of us sat together combining the two wines and we created a fantastic wine. Sue and I decided what we wanted to produce, Sue came up with the recipe and Bill did the hands-on work. So far we’ve had a very good response to it. Sue thinks it is a medal-winning wine and we are going to enter it into competitions.”
The tricky bit was getting the balance right and the sugar levels perfected. Making a good wine had definitely been a team effort, said Sue Lindsay.
“There’s the work on the vineyard, then the labeling, bottling and marketing. The Golden Bay community has been wonderful and enthusiastic about our wine and the Dangerous Kitchen and supermarket have been very supportive. 2008/2009 has been a very good season for wine.”
Sue has also turned out a lovely, soft rosé, which she believes is the first ever produced in the Bay.
“Again, we went against what we were told by winemakers in the business, that a rosé was not a serious wine, but it is actually lovely and a bit drier than the Sundowner.”
Despite her success, Sue is having a rest this year and will not be harvesting for wine production this season. She will be selling Copperlake’s 2009 Pinot, which is still in the barrels and will be available next year.
The onset of the growing season has also been later than usual due to the cold and wet spring, and the flowering of the grapes started three to four weeks later than in other years.
The Sundowner and Pinot Noir are available from Fresh Choice Takaka. The rosé has already sold out.
Ina Holst
