400 wines from 100 producers were presented this time at the Amsterdam Amstel Van der Valk Hotel. Many producers are looking for a distributor in the Netherlands and others in Europe in general. From Eindhoven it only took me 2 hours by train to get there, but for many Kiwi’s and Aussie’s this took a whole day.
I was fascinated by the joy and energy with which they welcomed us and answered a variety of questions: the effect of El Niño, the influence of the world economy on their projects and how they have managed to preserve the essence of their typicity, introducing Pinot Gris for example, or continuing to preserve the authenticity of Pinot Noir in Central Otago and Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough.
I was fascinated by the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale, Australia. There were two more things that I found modern, since they were using screw caps on many of the wines I tasted, wines of excellent quality and ageing potential. In addition, I finished my tasting round with a Brut sparkling wine from New Zealand, which gave me a lot of energy.
There were some delicate topics, such as the term “de-alcoholised wine”, as this is becoming another category in the Netherlands. A Chardonnay, for example, extremely authentic to its region in New Zealand, would be a shame to see without alcohol. And I wonder, if they were given the challenge and a distributor asked them to remove the alcohol, could it be done with other varieties? Especially when they had 29 different varieties here just as samples. A topic to investigate, I think.
The Ginger: no more than 2 weeks ago I tried a ginger shot with slightly sparkling mineral water, which I prepared myself in a machine. Who would have thought that a wine could have such a strong profile? It was at the Spy Valley stand where I tasted a Pinot Gris C Block 2024.
I think I went 17 years back in time when I tasted another style of Pinot Gris in Martinborough, even another colour. This Pinot Gris had 14% alcohol and it was a challenge for me to realise it, because I was so concentrated on this ginger taste and aroma.
The Super El Niño: there is already preparation for this event in 2027, since it is going to be very demanding. They will manage water and irrigation to prevent the low yields caused by the low rainfall in the northern area. On the southern and western side of New Zealand are expected rain and flooding .
Oysters: something that became very clear to me is that the Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2025 should be tasted with oysters. I have always been a woman of Sancerre with oysters, every year for my birthday and during the holidays. I only had this combination in my mind.
It is good to change your tastes from time to time, because if there is one thing we have to promote, it is a gastronomic challenge.
I asked many producers: tell me, what food can we pair with this delicious Chardonnay or this Sauvignon Blanc? The answer was mussels, Indian food, heavy fish or turbot.
So, we also have to observe these gastronomic paradigms.
Passion fruit and guava: I also found this descriptor in the Sauvignon Blanc 2025 wines from Babich Wines. The undeniable elegance on the palate, given the contact with the lees, seemed to me to be the most remarkable thing and something that should be preserved.
They have 800 hectares under cultivation (750 ha in Marlborough and 50 ha in Hawke’s Bay).
Residual sugar: with only 3.4 g of residual sugar, this was the first Sauvignon Blanc with a touch of sweetness that literally intrigued me.
Babich Classics Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2026 has this great diversity, coming from nine different vineyards in three valleys, reaching a rich minerality and elegance on the palate. They produce 2 million bottles.
Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra: I tasted Shiraz 2021 and Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, the Gregori Family Reserve version from Portia Valley Wines.
The Cabernet Sauvignon was noticeably much more at the level of what I am accustomed to. Remember that I was born in Chile, and I have spent a large part of my life tasting between Chile and Argentina. My impulse was to compare apples with pears!
You shouldn’t look at it that way. I went in another direction and realised that it does have all the strength of the variety. Here we were left without a clear answer to the question of ageing potential, but on one thing he was emphatic: you had to eat a good steak with this wine.
I had the same experience with the Shiraz. We discussed with Chris Grigoriou what processes could help improve it. He told me there was nothing to do in the vineyard and that they use micro-oxygenation.
I even started thinking that it could be something related to the temperatures and the point of harvest, but that needs to be investigated.
The Shiraz was also under screw cap, which I considered modern.
Barossa Valley: I had the honour of discovering the wines of Lambert Estate. They want to sell wine in Europe.
They have Silent Partner, a Cabernet Sauvignon planted at the highest elevation in the whole Barossa Valley. Here it is cooler and it ripens later, up to 2 weeks later, and this is how they develop these flavours.
It is matured in new oak barrels for up to 3 years.
It is an exceptional wine.
The expression of Central Otago: Te Kano Estate surprised me this time with Te Kano Kin Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023.
Definitely, it was like being live in the valley itself. I will never forget this freshness and the character of its soft tannin, the red fruits and the sherry.
The most vibrant and refreshing in one second.
Ready for BBQ: Cape Barren Native Goose Mc Laren vale Shiraz Grenache 2022, 14,5% alcohol is presented as a cool wine region wine. Close to the ocean, Shiraz is very spicy and intense, while Grenache is earthy, softer and round. Goes well with BBQ! I just imagine this so intense.
Drink Now: this is not new, an old concept, but immediate sale. If I consider that I should not wait, and that I should enjoy it now, there are two wines that left me open-mouthed:
Te Kano Landwalker Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 reminded me of a Christmas dish with lobster, those dark fruits and the power of its aftertaste, so integrated with its soft tannin, opened my appetite.
And finally, the golden finish:
Gardo & Morris Brut Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025: I almost fell backwards. How refreshing! Excellent as an aperitif, not only elegant and gastronomic, but a real competitor among the sparkling wines already existing in Europe.
They told me they have a website where you can see the vineyard in 320 degrees and a YouTube video with educational material, which I will share shortly.
Conclusion: there were many moments when I enjoyed imagining the grilled meat or the view of the sea. Everywere visible the sustainable labels or the organic methods, I see this as strong differentiation inside the market.
I could also feel the energy that they all bring from these enigmatic lands. There were many familiar faces there, some of whom I could not recognize because of the passing of time.
But there was everything to enjoy during the evening. They had a large room where only professionals registered. In the morning there was also a master class.
Yesterday the tasting was in Antwerp and on Thursday it will be in Warsaw.
Today 200 people came to the event.