+ News and Press
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New Zealand Wines with a Zing
"The Cayman Islands Journal", September
2007
by Lindsey Turnbull.
Babich is a name that is synonymous with some exciting
New Zealand wines that are currently finding their way onto
Cayman’s dining tables. Earlier this year one of the
coowners of the winery, David Babich, visited Cayman
and presided over a typically laid back Antipodean-infused
menu at Mezza that featured five of his best wines. The dinner
was co-hosted by Jacques Scott. Business
Editor, Lindsey Turnbull reports.
The History
The story of the development of Babich wines is one that
could fill a historical novel to the brim, with daring young
émigrés involved in tremendously humble beginnings
finally realising their dreams of running a multi million
dollar business Babich Wines’ founder Josip Babich was
born in Dalmatia ( part of modern-day Croatia) in 1895 and
at the age of just fourteen years old he said goodbye to his
parents, never to see them again, emigrating to New Zealand
to join his brothers who were earning a living by digging
and selling kauri gum in New Zealand’s far north.
After planting his first vineyard four years earlier,
Josip made his first New Zealand wine in 1916, selling it
in cask and bottle under the name Babich Brothers. He expanded
his property, got married and had five children and saw the
business grow, but it was not until the Sixties and Seventies
that the expansion of winery and vineyard really took off.
In 1980 Babich first began exporting to Europe - a highlight
of Josip’s winemaking career. David Babich, the company’s
general manager, recounts the turning point in the export
market for Babich, “In 1981 a German tourist arrived
at the winery and asked if we could provided a container full
of 1000 cases of wine that he could take back to Europe with
him. That was a pivotal moment for us because it was such
a huge order and now around 92% of all our wines are made
for export. The United States is our biggest importer.”
Josip died three years later leaving his winery in the capable
hands of his family and by the early Nineties Babich was processing
1,000 tonnes annually with exports to countries such as the
UK, Australia, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark and Germany.
The Vineyards
Babich Wines has vineyards dotted all around New Zealand.
In Auckland the company’s Henderson Valley vineyard
is planted mainly in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. At Gisborne
they work with trusted grape-growing partners, sourcing Chardonnay
from this East Coast region. In Hawke’s Bay babich grows
vines from which some of its most impressive wines are made.
The Fernhill and Gimblett Gravels production districts of
Hawke’s Bay are distinctively different, providing varieties
such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Chardonnay,
Gewurztraminer and Viognier. Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot
Gris and Pinot Noir are sourced from Marlborough, with Babich
Wines offering a variety of Sauvignon Blancs that reflect
sub- regional terroir.
The Menu
Chefs at Mezza created a light and flavourful dinner to complement
the food friendly wines of Babich. Diners began with steamed
mussels infused with Babich Sauvignon Blanc and placed atop
herbed mashed potato. The accompanying wine was naturally
a Sauvignon Blanc – a 2006 variety from Hawke’s
Bay.
Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes, this wine is made
from grapes that were crushed and pressed at the Babich Auckland
winery upon arrival. To enhance the varietel flavour expression,
fermentation took place in refrigerated stainless steel tanks
at cool temperatures using a variety of yeasts. After two
months on lees the blend was assembled and bottled in June
2006.
David explains this wine, “ The grapes are grown in
vineyards that were actually stony old river beds. There are
delicate floral notes which intermingle with ripe melon and
apple on the nose. There is a good concentration of tropical
fruits and granny smith apples and a well balanced acidity
that leaves a crisp and lingering finish.”
Next on the agenda was a delicious dish of Alaskan king crab
leg salad on a crispy pappadum with a local mango relish.
This was served with a glass of Babich Premium Varietel Marlborough
Sauvignon Blanc from 2006.
David says, “This was a fantastic year for Sauvignon
Blanc in Marlborough. The grapes were in excellent condition
and we have been able to capture this vibrancy in the 2006
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. As with the Hawkes Bay Sauvignon
Blanc, after harvest the grapes were quickly crushed and pressed
into stainless steel tanks where the juice was fermented
at controlled cool temperatures to capture the intense
varietal flavours. The wine was then blended and bottled.”
This wine was awarded 90 points and a ‘Best Buy’
by Wine Spectator magazine in January, which also carried
the follow review: “Serves up concentrated, fleshy flavors
of grapefruit, lime juice and intense minerality. Baby powder,
wet gravel and a hint of jalapeño pepper linger on
the finish. Drink now.”
David notes that although the grapes are the same in each
wine, they were grown 200 miles apart and therefore display
very different characteristics.
According to David, this wine is particularly suited to
the Cayman climate with its tropical fruit nuances marrying
well with the tropical fruit of this location. He says, “There
is a pungent nose of ripe tropical fruits overlaying
zesty lemon and lime greet the taster. The palate explodes
with fruit and leads into a lengthy finish of citrus, especially
lime. This is a powerful yet balanced and refreshing wine.”
With regard to the food pairing, David says that seafood
is a natural match with the clean acidity of the Sauvignon
Blanc. In particular, the aromatic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
was a natural match for the crab salad with mango relish.
A phyllo pastry bake that consisted of herbed goat’s
cheese, pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes then followed, accompanied
by a pear and granny smith apple chutney. The wine chosen
was a Babich Riesling from 2005. Made from 100% Riesling,
this wine has an amazing scent with a good balance between
acid and alcohol.
David furthers, “With this wine we are getting dryer,
with firmer acidity. Making Riesling is a testament to good
winemaking as it is tricky to harvest as it is extremely
sensitive to rot. The result is a wine with an aroma of orange
blossom and red apple with just a hint of lime/citrus. There
is a good acid backbone moderates the upfront sweetness and
leaves the wine with a crisp dry finish.”
The firm acidity here was a great match for the herbed goat’s
cheese dish with the fruity chutney a great choice in accompaniment.
Hot on the heels of this dish was a lamb tartare with organic
lettuce, served with a Babich Cabernet Merlot from 2004.
David explains that the grapes that make this wine (55% Merlot,
45% Cabernet) are again grown on stony soil which provides
free drainage which is extremely beneficial for Bordeaux blends
such as this.
Confirming that this wine pairs really well with a “solid
meat dish” David describes the characteristics
of the blend, “Blackberry notes from the Cabernet mingle
on the nose with the softer plum aromas of Merlot. The palate
is of medium weight and round with upfront sweet fruit. The
fruit lingers on the finish over a savoury background with
light cedar oak notes.”
A pan roasted tenderloin of venison served with parsnip puree
and poached figs followed as the main course, accompanied
by a 2004 Syrah.
David says, “ There is a really good future ahead for
New Zealand Shiraz/Syrah, which was not particularly expressive
in the first few years. We experimented by blending the Syrah
with a small amount of Viognier grapes which appeared to really
lift the nose.”
Syrah is a native of the Rhone in France with the appellations
of Hermitage and Cote Rote showing the best examples. And
it is from Cote Rote that the inspiration came for Babich’s
blending of a little of the Viognier grape. David says the
result is a fuller, richer palate and the addition of
an elusive floral note to the aroma of the wine.
Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand
Wines, 2007, says of this wine, “Full but not dense
in colour, with fresh, very lifted and peppery aromas, strong,
vibrant plum and pepper flavours, ripe, slightly earthy and
dry, with firm tannins and good harmony.”
If diners could possibly manage it, a Sandemans Founders
Reserve Port and a duo of chocolate mousse and torte was the
final offering in this well though out and highly informative
and entertaining diner.
David Babich presides
David Babich: "Making Riesling is a
testament to good winemaking as it is tricky to harvest as
it is extremely sensitive to rot."
New Zealanders Andrew and Sheryl Dean enjoyed the meal
and chatting with the winemaker himself. |
Mezza’s Guy Jackson, right, is one of the hosts,
for the evening
|
