Unfulfilled promise proves case for the decanter

Most wine is consumed within 24 hours of being purchased, according to research data. This means people go home with their bottle, pop it in the fridge if considered appropriate and then a few hours later, unscrew the cap, pour a glass – end of story.

Not end of story at all. We are torn between two ways of tasting wine – whipping the top off and reviewing it as it's poured, thus doing what the average drinker does, or pouring the wines into jugs, leaving them for a few hours and then tasting them.

We recently tried two wines that we expected to be good. They were from reliable producers with a long history of consistent vintages. The first was a pinot noir we have always found very good value. The initial tasting came as a surprise – the wine was sharp and stalky. It made an invited guest at the tasting screw up her face, it was that unpleasant.

A day later, after some time to open up and "take the air", it was a totally different wine – soft, plummy and spicy. The remainder was duly consumed and enjoyed.

The other wine was a late-harvest sauvignon blanc that went from displaying little flavour at all, to opening up into a wine that was mouth-filling, sweet and loaded with delicate flavours of melon and lychees.

We think there's a problem here – people need to be made aware of the fact that wine needs time to breathe if it's going to deliver exactly what the winemaker intended. There is a strong argument for the return of the decanter – it's a bit more attractive than the old glass beer jugs we use – so that people get the best from their wine. While the examples we talk about here are at the extreme, all wines except for the very old and fragile benefit from some breathing space.

We have been told that winemakers have had to alter their techniques in order to accommodate the screw cap closure and maybe this is something that needs further consideration.

While there was a big problem with wine becoming corked just a decade ago, it would be stretching the truth to say that there aren't some challenges with the ubiquitous screw cap closure.

There's more about screw caps, and everything else to do with wine in New Zealand in the new book by Keith Stewart, Chancers and Visionaries – A History of Wine in New Zealand.

This is a gorgeous book in terms of production values and it's easy to dip into, although it really does demand a cover-to-cover reading. Although it's not exhaustive – every wine-producing region in New Zealand has a great many offbeat historical gems waiting to be told in a national context – it certainly covers a lot of ground and there are plenty of interesting hitherto untold stories here too.

Ad Feedback Stewart has always been a writer of strong opinions and his voice shines through loud and clear in certain sections of the book. His sharp observations will be of particular interest to those who are closest to the industry.

Excellent research, beautiful illustrations and lively, sometimes punchy writing make this book a must have – it has some guts to it and we like that.

Chancers and Visionaries, $49.99, is published by Godwit.

Sacred Hill Halo 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Eye: Lemon straw.

Aroma: The pungent aroma leaps out of the glass, predominantly grassy with a dollop of tomato leaf herbaceousness over a savoury background. Spiky and prickly on the nose, it smells like classic Marlborough savvy with its crisp acidity and powerful gooseberry notes.

Palate: Aggressive lemon acidity, all gooseberry and citrus through to the mid-palate. A lean wine that's quite hot; the finish redeems itself with a return to some crisp lemon acidity.

Price: If you enjoy a more aggressively styled savvy, this one's for you. $25.90.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block, Block 18, Snap Block Marlborough Sauvignon

Blanc 09

Aroma: Savouriness dominant over some creamy, leesy stone fruit characters and exotic tropical fruit notes, most notably guava and pineapple.

Given a shake-up, the savouriness blends with some punchy herbaceousness.

Taste: Creamy acids with floral, gooseberry and capsicum flavours on mid-palate; a line of sweetness complements nicely from start to finish. Some tropical creamy complexity adds to the texture and sets the taste buds up nicely for the crisp clean citric finish and creamy aftertaste.

Price: $24.95.

Thornbury Waipara Riesling 08

Aroma: All the usual suspects here with kerosene, flint and mineral aromas pushing everything else around, although some lemon-lime citrus notes provide some varietal relief. Lemon honey succulence (if an aroma can be succulent).

Palate: Firm acids provide some backup to some delectable creamy citrus flavours. Lemon honey continues the ride to some chewy mineral and flint flavours. The creamy and slightly sweet finish is complemented by a pleasing mineral/tangy lemon melange on the aftertaste.

Price: Excellent buying at $19.99.