Bubblies are for all occasions - fruity, slightly sweet ones for barbecues or summer lunches,more serious methode traditionelles for savouring by themselves or with food.
Lindauer Summer, $13
Two and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
A sparkling pinot gris with a small proportion of chardonnay and a little sweetness make for a refreshing summer drink. Fragrant, attractive and best served chilled.
Quartz Reef Central Otago Methode Traditionelle non-vintage, $25-30
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
Always delicious, this crisp, elegant Central Otago sparkling has a mouthfilling mousse, a hit of nuttiness and a firm dry satisfying finish.
Saint Clair Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc Bubbles 2011, $19.50
Three stars (out of five)
Good value
A refreshing, zesty way to enjoy sauvignon blanc's typical passionfruit, capsicum and herb flavours, with a mouthfilling mousse and a crisp finish. Very drinkable.
Brancott Estate Waipara Pinot Gris Reserve Sparkling, $26
Two and a half stars (out of five)
Below average value
Lightly fragrant with hints of lemon, pear, and nuts, a mouthfilling mousse and a light, delicate, slightly sweet finish.
Quartz Reef Central Otago Methode Traditionelle Rose, $35
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
Pink with lovely creamy, nutty notes from the yeast, overlaid by suggestions of redcurrant and raspberry, and a slightly toasty, dry finish. A good wine to enjoy with food as well as by itself.
No 1 Rose Marlborough Methode Traditionelle non-vintage. $44
Four stars (out of five)
Below average value
Aromas hinting of strawberries, toasted almonds and freshly baked bread, this stylish, wine made by Daniel Le Brun is beautifully balanced with a long, dry finish.
ANOTHER GLASS
Toi Toi Prosecco, $17
Two stars (out of five)
Average value
Prosecco is an Italian grape variety also called glera, and an Italian denomination from the north east which produces a dryish, sparkling wine - neither has anything to do with this sweet, fruity wine made from Marlborough riesling, muller thurgau and pinot gris. These days it's disturbing to see this, and other New Zealand wines being called by this Italian name. It harks back to the bad old days when New Zealand winemakers used to call wine "chablis" or "burgundy",flouting the European wine law using famous European names for cheap wines from other varieties that didn't resemble the originals, except for colour.
Morton Estate Blanc de Blanc 2000, $28
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Average value
Gold in colour with funky aromas and flavours of a mature chardonnay, this is mellowed, with hints of toffee and toasted oak enlivened by bubbles. Complex, interesting and one for aficionados, it may well provoke discussions about whether it should have been drunk sooner.
Quartz Reef Central Otago Method Traditionelle 2007, $40
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
Quartz Reef's vintage bubbly is more complex that the non-vintage, with suggestions of freshly baked bread, nuts, hints of grapefruit and a long, crisp dry finish. A wine to linger over and think about, and to enjoy with food.
• Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations.
