Water judging is a thing, with waters judged across colour (translucency without white or brown tones), clarity (crystal clear with no turbidity), aroma (pleasing to smell/nice scent) and taste (pleasing on the palate).
Water professionals can use a Water Tasting Wheel that includes the four basic taste perceptions of sweet, sour, salty and bitter alongside mouthfeel, chlorinous, earthy/mouldy, vegetable/flowery, chemical/petrol and more. One of the characters listed was ‘fishy’ which was somewhat disconcerting, but thankfully did not appear in any of the samples I tasted.
The waters were to be judged at the Water Industry Operations Group NZ annual conference with the Water Taste Test sponsored by Ixom, where I was one of five judges. This has been happening in NZ since 2015, and even longer in Australia.
The whole experience had me thinking of the expectations one has as a ratepayer: you pay your rates and receive certain services, one of which is access to potable water when you turn on the tap. I take this completely for granted (I’m certain I’m not alone here).
The conference reminded me that there are people working night and day to ensure that provision of safe drinking water; something which Ixom & the Water Taste Test endeavours to highlight. Raise a glass to them!
Another local gin strikes gold
Boutique Arrowtown distillery Rifters recently secured gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for their Quartz Gin, topping up the trophy cabinet with silver for their Original Dry Gin. The San Francisco competition began in 2000 and is the oldest and largest of its kind.
Rifters was founded by two Central Otago builders who met on the job, the seeds of their gin endeavour sown in 2018, with recipe trialling getting under way in earnest in 2019. Rifters was born, and their gins are now available domestically and in duty-free.
2020 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Marsanne Viognier
Rating Excellent
Perfume leaps out of
the glass, fresh grapes,
wine gums, a Muscat
impression, perhaps
apricot & apricot
kernel, spices,
potpourri with time.
Creamy, oily richness
to the texture yet a
grainy, chewiness as
well, the sweet fruit
corseted by a nutty,
bittersweet quality.
Develops rose petal
with a tangy, grapey
aspect to the close.
Uncommon, but works
nicely.
2022 Misha’s Vineyard The Cadenza Late Harvest Gewurztraminer
Rating Excellent
Perfumed nose with a
lychee top note,
backed by rose petal
and a stonefruit
backdrop. Rather nice
palate, richness yet
not overwhelming
sweetness, good
complexity. Creaming
soda, apricot,
stonefruits, fruit
pastille/jube, a nutty
aspect to the close.
Delightfully long carry
with freshness too.
This would be magic
with fresh-cut fruit.
2017 Pegasus Bay The Encore Noble Riesling
Rating Outstanding
The nose oozes
richness. Barley sugar,
musk, smoky botrytis,
honey, beeswax,
mandarin, super
complex. Lush,
intensely viscous,
coats the palate, yet for
all its power and
sweetness there’s
lovely balance, with a
core of acidity that
keeps this fresh.
Incredibly intense,
dessert in a glass, the
flavours linger & linger.
Pair with blue cheese
perhaps.
