Have a glass of wine with the PM
According to a recent Mud House wine survey, an independent study* which looked at New Zealanders' attitudes to the consumption of wine, Prime Minister John Key is the man Kiwis would most like to ring in the new year with.
Almost one in three (32 per cent) of Kiwis selected the prime minister as their preferred person to share a wine with and a chat. This sentiment increased with age and was the strongest preference among males. Rugby coach Graham Henry was the next most popular choice with 13 per cent of the male vote.
Females were divided between the prime minister and actor Robyn Malcolm while TV star Jacquie Brown was the next popular choice.
The respondents also showed that despite our reputation as a rugby, racing and beer nation we are really a nation of wine lovers with 71 per cent of us having a preference for either red or white varieties.
More than a third of men preferred red wine compared to less than a quarter (24 per cent) of women. Fifty per cent of women preferred white wine compared to men with less than a third (31 per cent) saying they enjoyed white.
Nearly half the respondents, 46 per cent, agreed that the choice of wine can make or break a meal and we're parochial when it comes to choice with 66 per cent saying we'd prefer to buy New Zealand brands over international ones.
Who would we like to sit down with for a New Year's chat and drink? I have a late uncle who I think would have been tremendously interesting to chat to, but unfortunately I was very young when he died.
Uncle David was an engineering officer on the Cap Line shipping company and he worked his way around the world stopping off and spending time in the places that interested him most.
A traveller in the 1960s, David was a young man of his time, keen to experience different ways of life; he lived on a South American Indian reservation, hitch-hiked around Europe and at one time slept in caves somewhere on the Italian coastline. He also lived in London for a time and one of his favourite places to visit was Big Sur on the Californian Coast.
David was a man of surprises, often arriving home at my grandparents' place unannounced and just in time for Christmas – he would quite literally be under the tree on Christmas morning. The gifts he brought with him were extraordinary and alluded to his travels – Indian textiles, handmade ethnic jewellery and trinkets. We were fortunate to have had such a person in our lives. If only I had been older, able to converse with him before he died at a tragically young age.
Ad Feedback Peter says he would like to see in a new year with John F Kennedy for a drink and chat. "I'd like to better understand what made the man tick; did he have that American sense of public service? Why did he want to become president, was it genuine or simply a case of the straw man for other interests. Most of all I'd really like to know whether he'd have pulled troops out of Vietnam had he remained president in the early days of the war."
As for what we'd drink during the evening, any of the following would do nicely ...
*The Mud House wine survey was conducted by Perceptive Research in October/November 2010. Two surveys were conducted online with sample sizes of 1007 and 1500.
Gladstone Vineyards Viognier 2010 ($27)
The nose is an extraordinary blend of ripe apricot and rich mandarin teamed with some perfumed notes and interesting dusty, funky aromas – complex and inviting.
The palate is unctuous with some taut tannins providing essential balance as the apricot, ginger and cream flavours take hold.
The finish is citrusy, floral and lingering – its crispness is a lovely foil for the wine's fat, rich flavours.
An enjoyable winewell-worth seeking out – go to info@gladstonevineyard.co.nz
Mt Beautiful Cheviot Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($21.95)
The aroma is floral with sweet grassy notes and a generous dollop of marmalade citrus – quite exotic.
A different style of sauvignon blanc but no less enjoyable. The texture is slightly grainy with good acidity while marmalade, melon and tropical flavours sit smartly beside some grassier notes.
The broad, lush, weighty palate finishes crisply – just perfect.
Another wine you may have to seek out – go to mtbeautiful.co.nz
Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling 2009 ($32)
Looking glorious in all its straw gold splendour, this wine packs some powerful punch.
The aroma is citrusy – Roses Lime Juice and lemons with some lemon and honeysuckle notes.
The palate is full bodied and complex, carrying the 14 per cent alcohol relatively lightly on its broad shoulders.
Spritzy acids and creamy citrus combine with floral and light kero flavours; there's sweet ripe fruitiness and spice mid-palate yet the finish is crisp, mineral, drying and moreish.
This wine embraces the senses and doesn't let go – superb.