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New Zealand Wine and... The America's Cup!

8/21/2013

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I'm spending a few days in San Francisco! 

I'm here for a New Zealand wine masterclass; and because nothing goes better with New Zealand wine than an amazing New Zealand boat team, the class is followed by a boat ride on the bay to watch the ETNZ (Emirates Team New Zealand) compete for a place in the America's Cup race! 



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There is really no better way to get a handle on geography than to have a giant table map. This one is state of the art, and includes the most recent NZ wine region, Waitaki Valley! 

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I've met some extremely cool people on this trip, including.... two of Canada's greatest sommeliers! That's Veronique Rivest on the left-- she just won second place in the Concours Meilleur Sommelier du Monde competition! And there's Will Predhomme in the middle-- he runs a fierce wine program at Canoe in Toronto.  

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The Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) was prepping their boat for the race today; it was very special to see them work on it! These are the giant wings! 

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To stay fit the team has a gym just off the waterfront! 

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We are getting schooled on New Zealand wine history, and it is very fun to drink back vintages of these greats, like this Palliser Estate pinot noir- this was one of the most delicious pinot noirs I have ever tried from Martinborough! 

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And this Sileni 1998 Bordeaux Blend. 

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We are reacquainting ourselves with a different kind of NZ sauvignon blanc; here's a neat one from a flight of non-Marlborough sauvignon blanc that was very eye opening:

Mills Reef 'Reserve' sauvignon blanc, 2012 (Hawke's Bay, New Zealand)

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Aged pinot gris from Hawke's bay? 

This Bilancia 2009 was incredibly interesting! 

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The beautiful "Leah" pinot noir by Seresin was so delicate. 

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We also got to try this very special Fromm 'La Strada' syrah from Marlborough. 

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Things got a bit sticky towards the end of the tasting (in a good way!) with:

Seifried "Sweet Agnes" 2012 riesling (Nelson)

Forrest "Botrytised" 2011 riesling (Marlborough)


Jules Taylor 2011 late harvest sauvignon blanc (Marlborough)

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We took a walk to Waterbar, with a lovely NZ wine focus (they also pour Moa beer!). Here, there are giant aquariums that stretch from floor to ceiling, and a three-person team of oyster shuckers keeps up with the demand. 

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Then it was off to Prospect restaurant for dinner, where the bartenders measure spirits with gold jiggers! 

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We ended with a nightcap at Sky Bar, which has super-friendly staff and a great view of the city. 

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    Erin

    I’m Erin, and this is my wine blog. Here, you'll find information about wines from around the world, and Virginia.  



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