Wines worth hunting for

UNO’s new wine columnist Jess Easton is introduced to the wild Wairarapa through a unique fine wine.

Photos Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

JESS EASTON

Jannine Rickards arrived for our Martinborough meeting adorned with luscious wines and an apology. She'd wanted to catch up earlier but needed to break down a boar she'd shot, she explained. And the day before that was a write-off, landing a hefty kingfish while out fishing.

Any further attempts to say sorry by the Wairarapa winemaker – who sells under the crazily appropriate Huntress label – were met by our group with thoroughly deaf ears and a barrage of questions, which she quickly silenced by opening a bottle of her Waihonga.

Fermented with wild yeasts, each of her vintages is a unique expression of the wild Wairarapa. Jannine (Ngā Puhi/Ngai Te Rangi) has an uncanny knack of conveying her love of nature and passion for hunting and foraging through her wine. Her own wairua (spirit) shines through, with an earthiness and intense connection between whenua (land) and palate.

Waihonga is Māori for “nectar” and the honey-coloured amber wine comes from pinot gris grapes fermented on skins with a dollop of skin-fermented riesling. It's fresh and vibrant with a deliciously long finish, dragging tones of peach, honey and spice along for the ride.

And what a ride it turned out to be. Tasked with finding wine matches for Kitchen Takeover's “Ki Tua” event earlier this year, combining delicious liquid offerings with the culinary mastery of Kārena and Kasey Bird, meeting Jannine seemed like a sign from the gods. One sip and I knew immediately this wine was going on our menu.

Fast forward a few months and Jannine's Waihonga sat serenely alongside Kārena and Kasey's Kai Kōhua dish, a deconstructed boil-up featuring bacon broth, nasturtium and watercress.

Ki Tua presented diners with five delectable courses, each inspired by legends of female Māori atua (gods), each paired with wines from Māori-owned vineyards or winemakers.

It was entirely fitting we opened things up with Tohu's Rewa Rose Méthode Traditionelle 2017. Tohu is acknowledged as He mātāmua taketake – the original and first Māori-owned and operated wine label. The stunning Greywacke Riesling 2021 was next up, made by winemaker Richelle Tyney (Ngati Tama ki te tau Ihu/Te Atiawa/ Ngāti Maniapoto/Ngāti Porou).

The Tiki WJM Waipara Pinot Noir 2017 followed The Huntress as the fourth match, produced by Sue (Ngāi Tahu) and Royce (Ngāti Ranginui) McKean. The second Tohu offering – the Raiha Reserve Noble Riesling 2016 – provided silky apricot and honey flavours with a dash of zesty lemon meringue and sweet citrus to finish.

Showcasing Māori wine talent was such a proud moment for our team.
And while New Zealand is renowned for our Marlborough sauv blancs and Central Otago pinots, plenty of sensational boutique offerings are
out there. Using Jannine Rickards as inspiration, sometimes you've just got to go hunting for them. 

Jess Easton is a director and owner of Kitchen Takeover, complementing her career as a Tauranga-based lawyer. Her lifelong love of wines has been taken to the next level, tasked with crafting the wine list and wine matches for Kitchen Takeover's culinary masterpieces.