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Q&A with Fintan du Fresne, Winemaker at Chamisal Vineyards

As the son of well-known New Zealand wine journalist Fintan du Fresne grew up with an appreciation for the wine industry. Originally from the southern end of New Zealand’s North Island, he graduated from Victoria University with a degree in geology and set about exploring the relationship between geology and how it affects terroir in wines. He became winemaker at the historic Chamisal property (the first vineyard planted in the Edna Valley, located in San Luis Obispo County) in 2006, where the focus is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Describe your winemaking philosophy.

My philosophy is that there is no right way or wrong way to make wine. I’ve worked for enough different wineries in different parts of the world to have seen the same thing done in totally different ways. One winemaker will tell you “you can’t do it that way” while another winemaker is having complete success doing it “that way.” My job is not to make MY favorite wines or wines in the style that I like. My job is to make wines that our consumers love. Too many winemakers are making wine for other winemakers. However, I do believe in the concept of Terroir. A vineyard is going to produce a certain style of wine and that is not something I can change. I can help steer it in a certain direction, but that is all I can do. If Mother Nature is a raging river, a wine is like a kayak on that river. All I can do is steer it through the rapids.

Crisp and Refreshing Summer White Wines by Broadbent, Dr. Loosen, and Spy Valley

by Brad Prescott

Wines to Go Buy This Week: Crisp and Refreshing Summer White Wines by Broadbent, Dr. Loosen, and Spy Valley

The dog days of August are upon us and we have but a few weeks remaining before hot summer nights give way to crisp autumn leaves. This summer has been brutally hot for most of the US -though not too bad here in San Francisco, though September tends to be our hot month, if "hot" and "San Francisco" can actually be used in the same sentence- and I've had the great pleasure of discovering some fantastic white wines that are both tasty and refreshing for those hot nights. So before summer ends, here are three white wines to go buy this week:

Broadbent Vinho Verde - Vinho Verde is a staple of Portuguese culture. Translated it means "Green Wine" which refers to its youthful freshness. It's a low-alcohol, light, crisp, and slightly effervescent wine that is about as close to perfection as a summer wine can be. Broadbent makes a fantastic Vinho Verde and at about $9 a bottle, it's worth buying a case to serve at your Labor Day picnic. Your guests will love it. About $9. Buy Broadbent Vinho Verde

New Zealand Vintage Chart

by Loren Sonkin

Q&A with Nicholas Buck, Te Mata Estate

Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family owned, producing internationally recognized wines exclusively from its Hawkes Bay vineyards. Under the direction of John Buck, Te Mata Estate has, over nearly thirty years, produced a stunning array of red and white wines. Te Mata Estate has also developed a unique single vineyard from which it produces its Woodthorpe wines.

IntoWine recently caught up with Te Mata Estate to discuss wine and thoughts on current trends in the wine industry.

What prompted you to pursue winemaking as a career?

I was born into wine, grew up in it, and was exposed to too many wonderful wines at an impressionable age. I’ve since been unable to consider any other career.

Marlborough: New Zealand's Flagship Wine Region

by Nancy Parode

If you mention New Zealand wine in conversation, most people will assume you mean sauvignon blanc, and with good reason. New Zealand sauvignon blancs are considered to be the world's best by many wine experts. And, if you are looking for the best of New Zealand's sauvignon blancs, you will inevitably end up in Marlborough.

Hawke's Bay: New Zealand's Oldest Wine Region

by Nancy Parode

Hawke's Bay, the oldest wine region in New Zealand, is known for its top-quality red wines and chardonnays. In fact, 30 percent of all chardonnay grapes grown in New Zealand are planted in the Hawke's Bay wine region.

Best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc:

Sauvignon Blanc has a split personality right now. I say this because there are those who believe that New Zealand has found the best, true expression of Sauvignon Blanc the world has ever known. Because of this, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand has been all the rage in recent years. Interest and demand for a product, unfortunately, does not always translate into quality. Many New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc producers have simply begun to let quality slide in order to make a few more bottles of wine and cash in on the image of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. In my opinion, there are still some really good producers making consistent high-quality products, you simply have to find them.

My support falls behind the Saint Clair Pioneer Block 3 '43' Degrees Sauvignon Blanc. This is a focused, very direct, herbaceous, linear expression of Sauvignon Blanc – the sort of thing you want and expect and respect, when you get it. This single vineyard wine claims to have a unique planting scheme which delivers pungent, high-acid, gooseberry, pine resin aromas and flavors. At about $20, this wine is a bargain for any purist in search of the lost art of Sauvignon Blanc. – Ben Spencer is a diploma student with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and an IntoWine Featured Writer.