Decibel
The team at Tablas Creek Winery in California is forging ahead into a new frontier, high-end box wine. Here at Decibel we will be closely following the results as it goes into the market. You may recall that we looked into alternative packaging and trialed canning our Giunta Sauvignon Blanc back in 2019 and while…
Decibel
On tough harvests and the changing marketplace for wines. This year in Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough (Wairarapa) we are seeing some challenging conditions where our talented growers had to fight off quite a bit of pressure with powdery mildew. The wet spring was followed by a very dry and hot stretch until early February where…
Holly Girven Russell
Parmigiana di Melanzane It’s been muggy beyond belief across New Zealand this last week and while turning on the oven during these conditions may be the last thing on your mind, if you too are laden with ripe eggplants and tomatoes and a garden full of basil, this recipe is worth the extra lick of…
Decibel
On Wine Competitions This week we received the results from the 2021 New Zealand International Wine Show. I have been wanting to enter my wines into this particular competition for many years. However, it seemed each year I would forget when the deadline is and miss it. Finally late last year I entered just about…
Holly Girven Russell
A perfect paella is something I’m yet to achieve; but endlessly work towards. Thus far, the closest I’ve got to perfection is a “pretty good” paella left overnight eaten cold for breakfast. I’m yet to achieve the revered crispy crust (socarrat); instead oscillating in my overcorrection between burnt and soupy. The good news is that…
Decibel
Brand new wine here, see what Dan has to say about it. Giunta Riesling 2021 A citrus bomb with a hint of sweetness to offset the classic varietal acidity that makes for great drinking now or cellaring for years to come. Grab take away from your favorite Sushi place and crack this one open!
Decibel
The largest Wine Show in New Zealand with Chief Judge Bob Campbell leading the tastings and it seems Dan makes a pretty good drop or two, or three or twelve… Gold Decibel Martinborough Pinot Noir 2019 Decibel Pacific Passenger Pinot Noir 2020 Silver Giunta Riesling 2021 Testify Pinot Noir 2018 Bronze Testify Chardonnay 2020 Decibel…
Decibel
We’ve taken a long look at the old wine club and decided we could do better. Introducing the Bandwagon Subscription, a subscription-based wine club that you can hop on or off whenever you need to. Gone is the rigid structure that sends predetermined wines with a set number of shipments a year. With the Bandwagon,…
Decibel
This week we will announce the inaugural winner of the Hawke’s Bay Writing Scholarship. A few folks on the HB Winegrowers’ Board reached out to me back in winter to help develop this as a way to nurture local writing talent. I hopped on the opportunity. This is because I feel strongly that, like in…
Decibel
It’s NZ Rosé day this Saturday! Dan talks through this year’s vintage and where you can get this wine to celebrate along with us. Decibel Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2021 Made from Pinot Noir, this wine jumps out of the glass with fresh fruit and floral aromatics and while very soft at first finishes with lots…