Fairbourne Estate

Premium Sauvignon Blanc

Why Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine to take to a party…

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At Fairbourne, as specialist producers of premium hand-picked Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc we’re clearly in love with the vibrant and expressive fruit flavours this grape varietal yields. It seems that the Brits agree with us! A survey of 400,000 people, carried out earlier this year, found that Sauvignon Blanc wine is the top choice of tipple in every British town, city and county, bar one.

So why is the variety so greatly favoured? Well we think one answer lies in the wine’s versatility.

If you’re looking for the perfect wine to take to a dinner or lunch party look no further than Sauvignon Blanc. It has the capacity to honour plain, simple seafood, fresh oysters and steamed mussels, as well as salmon. Pair it with white meats like chicken and pork, and even if these are served with herb sauces or rubs the Sauvignon Blanc holds it own. The wine’s vibrant flavors also compliment spicy and ethnic cuisines. So whatever your hosts have on the menu a good bottle of Sauvignon Blanc will go down a treat.

Additionally the wine can be served as an apéritif, it can take centre stage or accompany the cheese course… Goat cheese, a delicious Chevre, and Sauvignon Blanc, is a match made in heaven.

The particular joy of Fairbourne Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which also makes it the perfect wine to gift to your hosts, is its consistency. Fairbourne is terroir inspired from a single hillside vineyard, and regularly receives 5 star reviews!

Now is the perfect time to tuck away a case of Fairbourne Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, safe in the knowledge that you will be able to turn up to enter the festive occasions that you’re invited to with your head held high and safe in the knowledge that your wine won’t be the last bottle standing!

Buy yours HERE.

 

Eye doctors and skipping school – my path to winemaking…

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Sarah Inkersell WinemakerA couple of weeks ago somebody asked me how I became a winemaker and it led me on a trip down memory lane… I can’t believe my 22 years in the industry all started with a visit to the optometrist as a teenager. It was Dr John Loughlin, who also owned Waimarama Estate, who asked me what I wanted to do when I left school. I replied that I wasn’t sure but I knew that I wanted a job with lots of variety that allowed me to work indoors and outdoors, he suggested wine making. The idea appealed to me, and not long afterwards, I found myself skipping an afternoon of school for an appointment with Kate Redburn (Villa Maria) to find out more…

My further education led me to Massey University (Micro & Plant Science). Eventually these studies were cross-credited to complete my Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science) from Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia. This was completed by distance education while I worked for various wineries, including:

  • Montana Wines at their Korokipo Vineyard, Hawkes Bay
  • Crab Farm Winery, Hawkes Bay
  • Delegat’s Wine Estate, Auckland
  • Soljan’s Estate, Auckland

After a spell as Assistant Winemaker and then Winemaker at Soljans Estate Winery, Auckland I moved to Marlborough.

In a recent post I wrote about whether I considered wine making art or science, (read it here), my next role within the industry definitely took the science side of the debate… I became an Oenologist for Pacific Rim Oenology Services, PROS in Blenheim. Find out more about Oenology here.

From 1999 to 2003 I worked at Grove Mill, (now The NZ Wine Company), again starting off as Assistant Winemaker before being promoted to Winemaker. After that the science bug bit me again and I went to work at Wine Bottlers Marlborough as Quality Manager to develop systems to meet BRC and even got to design the laboratory. In 2006 I returned to PROS as Consultant Oenologist and continue to support The Southern Pinot Noir Workshop on their behalf.

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It was around 2004 that Russell and I recognised a unique opportunity in Marlborough… Whenever one considers the great wines around the world, and inevitably Europe, there are some common characteristics, they are style and site specific and they age well; because of this they are considered rare and attract a price that reflects this. At the time Marlborough was burgeoning with Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but nobody had filled that gap in the market with a Sauvignon Blanc wine that had its own individuality because of its terroir, many were still winemaker influenced. That’s why we created Fairbourne, which has been made to reflect where and how it has been grown. The hand-picked grapes from a single vineyard translate into something very special, which is why it represents Sauvignon Blanc under the “Specialist Winegrowers of New Zealand”, something that Russell and I are immensely proud to bring you.

 

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – The perfect ingredient for a summer picnic.

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Here in Marlborough we’re pretty lucky, not only are we world renowned for producing the finest Sauvignon Blanc wine, but we have some pretty stunning scenery that makes appreciating the great outdoors an easy thing to do, no matter what the season… But as it’s summer time and you’re probably in holiday mode we thought we’d share with you our favourite ingredients for a perfect summer picnic with your love.

Kahuterawa Stream

  • Start with the main ingredient: It wouldn’t be summer without a chilled bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and there’s a reason Fairbourne represents Sauvignon Blanc as part of the Specialist Winegrowers of New Zealand… It’s pretty special!
  • Location, location, location: A riverside location is good for the wet stone minerality of this wine.
  • Get comfortable: Find a tree and relax under the dappled light, don’t forget to pack a soft rug. We love these from “Susie’s”.
  • And now for some food: Smoked salmon, a summer salad of peppery rocket or cress, fresh ciabatta with wasabi mayo, and for something sweet, succulent nectarines.
  • Be prepared: Now as you’re reading this, imagine Barry White playing softly, because the romance of this picnic is going to get to you…  remember… we advocate safe sex!

Now Purchase your Main Ingredient!
(FREE DELIVERY THROUGHOUT NZ)

 

A case for hand picking…

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Fairbourne Estate works hard to ensure we make you a wine that has elegant flavours and matures gracefully. This is partly achieved from hand-picking our Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Harvesting is one of the most crucial steps in the wine making process and Sarah will determine the right time to harvest the grapes through a number of factors, she’ll always keep an eye on the weather! But other considerations are the size of the crop, the taste and flavour of those beautiful grapes, plus a little science… the statistical measurements of sugar levels and acidity.

Once Sarah has determined the perfect moment, it’s time to begin.

At Fairbourne we’re fairly unique within Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc producers because we do choose to handpick. Some wineries in the region who have large quantities of grapes to harvest need to make the most of that perfect window of opportunity for harvest, and therefore machine-picking is the only practical way to go. As specialist producers our yields are lower and we can afford to take a little more time to bring you a wine that is truly unique in flavour.

Hand picking allows us to select the grapes more carefully, it means we can keep whole bunches of fruit and any botrytis can be selectively removed. We find less damage takes place to the grapes when hand harvested and damage is also reduced as they are transported to the winery in small crates; this is important because as soon as the skin of a grape is broken the process of oxidation begins, which may result in the loss of some of the aromatic qualities of the final wine. Hand picking reduces the grape’s skin contact with the juice, this lack of skin contact produces a better expression of juice flavours.

Our handpicking always takes place during the day, once they reach the winery the crates go to the coolstore overnight at 5oC to cool the grapes, this helps to retain flavour and lowers processing risks & oxidation.

The next day the fruit is destemmed (stalks removed) and placed into the press. The free run juice (the best juice) is released from the grapes, via gravity. Our handpicking and careful processing means the flavours from the vineyard site (not skin or yeast or other winemaking flavours) are retained in the final wine. Providing you with a glass of premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that has pure, elegant, long lingering flavours.

We like to think that this somewhat old school way of harvesting is what sets us apart from the crowd and brings you a wine that has earned a five star reputation and Fairbourne Estate a role within The Specialist Winegrowers of New Zealand where we represent our iconic Sauvignon Blanc grape.

Sauvignon Blanc

Here at Fairbourne Estate we make premium, handpicked, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The word Sauvignon is a derivative from the French word Sauvage meaning wild or savage and of course the word blanc is the French word for white. The wild or … Read More

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