This month the World Wine Travel bloggers begin our exploration of New Zealand wines. For the uninitiated, I provided an overview of New Zealand wine in our invitation post.
Martinborough Wine Region
Our first stop in New Zealand is Martinborough! It is located in the southern part of New Zealand’s North Island about 55 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the captial, Wellington. It is one of the three main subregions of the greater Wairarapa wine region, where the first Pinot Noir vines were planted in 1883.
Martinborough itself is a small picturesque town. Its surrounding grape growing region is home to some of New Zealand’s most highly respected boutique wineries. Its cool climate and excellent soils are perfect for the production of balanced, elegant wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
In My Glass
Ata Rangi, meaning ‘dawn sky’ or ‘new beginning,’ is a small New Zealand winery with a serious reputation for Pinot Noir. Ata Rangi’s founder, Clive Paton, planted his first vines on a stony sheep paddock at the edge of the Martinborough village in 1980, becoming one of a handful of people who pioneered winegrowing in the area. Clive owns and manages Ata Rangi with his wife Phyll and sister Alison explains New Zealand Wine.
The winery is renown for its world-class Pinot Noir.
The 2018 Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir is sourced from vines 10-20 year-old parcels from Lismore, Waiora and Walnut Ridge blocks on the Martinborough Terrace.
Translucent crimson color with pomegranate, plum skin, dried herb, sandalwood, rose petal, and an intriguing mineral note. On the palate, it’s light-bodied and fresh with velvety tannins. It is remarkably persistent for a wine at this price. It shows plum, black cherry, pomegranate, black tea flavors accented with savory dried herbs. 13.5% abv| SRP – $24.99
This wine offers excellent quality for the price. I’d definitely purchased again!
On My Plate
Given Pinot Noir affinity for mushrooms, I paired the wine with a Portobello Mushroom Burger from one of my favorite cookbooks Fire + Wine by Mary Cressler and Sean Martin. The portobello mushrooms burger (I didn’t miss the meat!) are very flavorful courtesy of a savory marinade and a slow smoke. It’s definitely a recipe I’ll put on repeat!
The authors recommended a classic Bordeaux blend or a Washington State Merlot. I thought the pairing with the Ata Rangi Pinot Noir was “good”, but I think it would have been better with a wine with a bit more weight.
Looking for more Martinborough wine + food pairing inspiration? I invite you to check out my fellow World Wine Travel bloggers offerings:
- Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla will be serving up Chicken Salad, Calamarata Pasta, and the 2020 Craggy Range “Te Muna Road” Sauvignon Blanc
- Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm is Saying Farewell to Summer with a Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc
- Terri of Our Good Life is sharing Garlic Parmesan Baked Eggplant with an Astrolabe Province Sauvignon Blanc.
________________________________________________________________________
Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and for all things wine. As a wino with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find plenty of food and wine pairings, and wine related travel stuff! Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers!
Copyright Notice: This entire site is Copyrighted 2010-2022. All Rights Reserved. No unauthorized copying of any section of this site is permitted. If you wish to use any part of this site, contact me. For information on Copyright Law, see the official U.S. Copyright Office home page.
I love the opportunity to read about something different. This wine sounds delicious. I would have loved the pairing, though, as it is a favorite for me with a burger.
Had I had more time to dig up a red wine from Martinborough, I would have loved it, I think! But my Sauvignon Blanc was a delight. Thanks for hosting. Safe travels.