Aaaaaah New Zealand!
Famous for its gorgeous landscapes, Māori culture, world-class rugby, being the place where The Lord of the Rings was filmed... and when it comes to wine, Sauvignon Blanc is considered the king of the land. Or is it?
There are so many wine styles and grape varieties in the country. New Zealand has several wine-growing areas and to learn more about them we talked to a winemaker who lives in the country. Daniel Brennan from the Decibel winery is an award-winning winemaker creating wines at Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough in New Zealand.
We tasted some of his flagship wines and spoiler alert, there is much more than Sauvignon Blanc.
Let's begin with a short and sweet introduction to Hawke’s Bay & Wairarapa, the 2 areas of New Zealand where Decibel wines are produced. We've created handy maps to help with visualisation and big bonus, wine and food pairing ideas directly from a winemaker.
You can use the Index below to jump between the sections.
🔸 We tasted five wines:
🔸 Pairing Food and Wine like a Winemaker
Hawke’s Bay & Map
New Zealand is formed of 2 islands: the North and the South Island.
On the East Coast of the North Island, we find Hawke’s Bay. This region is famous for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. These grape varieties thrive here in the moderate maritime climate with high solar radiation. This is the warmest of the wine-growing areas on the island and also has high annual rainfall.
Here we can find both hilly and plain areas; this is important because the location of the vineyard will have an impact on the flavour of the wine.
Gimblett Gravels is a smaller area within Hawke’s Bay that has a high reputation for Bordeaux-style wines of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. You can see it on the map below.
Wairarapa & Map
This area has a cool, maritime climate making it ideal for Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. This is a hilly area that comprises several small vineyards. Within Wairarapa, we find Martinborough which has an established reputation for Pinot Noir. The map below shows the location of Wairarapa and Martinborough.
All maps are from a book called "Explore Wine Maps, World Edition" by Amble Wine. This book has become our bible for wine maps. If like us you cannot get enough of a good wine map, we have good news for you. Use the code THEWINESNUG at checkout and get a special discount.
Disclaimer: We might get a commission from this.
Decibel - A Rock & Roll Winery
Decibel Wines was founded by Daniel Brennan who used to manage a rock band in the USA (très cool). He fell in love with New Zealand wines and decided to pursue the dream of creating rockstar wines. At the core of this winery are wines with minimal intervention that express the unique characteristics of this terroir and its winemaker.
Sustainability is big for this winery, all of their wines come from certified sustainable vineyards and are divided into three lines of wines:
Decibel: These are the wines that are top-notch representatives of the terroir in Hawke’s Bay and Martinborough. The Decibel line was launched in 2009 and is a very special one as it includes wines made using the flagship grape varieties of the area along with some that are not that common in the area. Daniel qualifies these wines as expressive & approachable.
Giunta: The wines from this line are fresh and fruity with a funky spirit. The line is an homage to his Italian great grandparents whose last name was ‘Giunta’. These wines are meant to drink young and are aromatic and fruit-forward.
Testify: The wines on this line are only produced in the best vintages and they are made to last. Think bold and powerful wines capable of ageing nicely in the cellar. Daniel says these are the very best wines he can produce and he testifies to that.
We tasted five wines:
1. Decibel 2021. Sauvignon Blanc. Hawke’s Bay - Crownthorpe
This wine is a fine representative of Hawke’s Bay. In fact, this wine is one of the champions of the Hawke’s Bay Awards. The grapes for this wine come from Crownthorpe which is an inland sub-region of Hawke’s Bay (highlighted in the map on the Hawke’s Bay section). This zone is a bit cooler than the Hawke’s Bay coastal areas, so Sauvignon Blanc thrives here.
This wine has notes of guava, stone fruit, gooseberry, herbal tones, bell pepper, passion fruit, lemongrass, and lime. It has medium+ acidity and it is smooth in the mouth.
2. Testify 2020. Chardonnay. Hawke’s Bay - Te Awanga
This wine is produced only on the best vintages and has good potential for ageing in the bottle. They have a special character and the grapes are picked by hand. Internationally, Hawke’s Bay has a reputation for Sauvignon Blanc. For the locals, Chardonnay from this region is a hidden gem since it makes precious wines. The grapes for this wine come from Te Awanga hills near the Pacific, an area with a long growing season moderated by winds coming from the sea. This wine is also a prize winner. It scored a bronze medal at the New Zealand International Wine Show. (Chardonnay for the win!)
This wine has notes of citrus, grapefruit, stonefruit, a nice oaky flavour and malolactic notes.
3. Giunta 2021. Malbec Nouveau. Bridge Pa. 13% abv
You might have noticed the word nouveau next to Malbec. And if this rings a bell (hello Beaujolais Nouveau!), you are on the right track. The winemaking for this wine uses a technique also used for making Beaujolais Nouveau called carbonic maceration. In a nutshell, carbonic maceration is a winemaking technique where whole bunches of grapes are placed in containers filled with CO2 (and drained from O2). This kicks off the fermentation within the grapes and causes the grapes to split and release juice. The grapes are then pressed and separated from the skin. This process allows for the extraction of colour but very little tannins. There is much more to carbonic maceration (even semi-carbonic maceration!), let me know in the comments if you want more info about this.
This wine is made in a lighter style, fermented in tanks and at a low temperature, which helps create a fruity and juicy wine. The Malbec grapes for this wine grow in the Bridge Pa area within Hawke’s Bay. This wine is also an award-winner! It got the silver medal at the New Zealand International Wine Show.
If you like Beaujolais, then try this one. Brilliant if lightly chilled.
This wine is juicy, fruity and lively with a light ruby colour and notes of red fruit (strawberry).
4. Decibel 2019. Pinot Noir. Martinborough. 13.8% abv
This is a single vineyard wine with low-yielding vines producing fruit of high intensity. The vineyard has clay soil and is slightly more elevated than others in Martinborough, giving a bit more exposure to a North East aspect which results in more heat. Decibel 2019 is from one of the oldest Pinot Noir regions in the country and is a robust and generous wine. It has savoury notes along with dark fruit, dark cherry, rip plume, spice, and cloves.
If we were to compare this wine with Central Otago -another New Zealand area famous for Pinot Noir-, Decibel from Martinborough has a style that is more earthy and a bit more tannic. Also an award-winning wine at the New Zealand International Wine Show.
Of all of his wines, this one is the one that Daniel Brennan drinks the most and honestly, we would do the same.
5. Testify 2018. Malbec & Merlot. Gimblett Gravels. 14.1% abv
This wine is made with 80% Malbec & 20% Merlot co-fermented. Yes, dear reader, talking about winemaking techniques, co-fermentation consists in fermenting 2 or more grape varieties at the same time. Nowadays, one of the most widely used practise is the opposite of co-fermentation, meaning that each grape variety is fermented separately and then, they are blended. In very simple terms, separate fermentation vs. ‘joint’ fermentation of grape varieties.
Gimblett Gravels is an area that has been influenced by the shifts of the river Ngaruroro throughout millions of years. The last shift recorded of the river path was due to an earthquake. This is relevant because the shift left a rocky soil behind which has an impact on grape growing. This wine has notes of red & black fruit (cherry, red currant), cedar, mint, spice, and cinnamon and spent 24 months in barrel.
Pairing Food and Wine like a Winemaker
Have you ever wondered if winemakers pair their wines with food and if so, what would they recommend? We asked Daniel for his best wine and food pairing ideas and boy did he deliver. Be warned, you will be hungry and thirsty after reading this!
✨🍴 Sauvignon Blanc wines pair well with Fish ceviche with lime and cilantro -but I don’t like cilantro! Well Karen, don’t eat it. Brilliant with Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Try it with Decibel 2021, Sauvignon Blanc.
✨🍴 Oaked Chardonnay wines pair well with naked oysters -Yes Karen, you don’t eat oysters, you can also try it with lobster or monkfish. Try them with Testify 2020 Chardonnay.
✨🍴 Light, fruity red wines that are low in tannins pair well with pizza Margherita, pasta marinara or even a charcuterie board. You can serve these wines slightly chilled and they will be fab! Try Giunta 2021 Malbec Nouveau.
✨🍴 Robust Pinot Noir wines pair well with mushroom risotto *types in mouthwatering*. Try Decibel 2019 Pinot Noir from Martinborough.
✨🍴 Wines that are a blend of Malbec and Merlot have that personality that
makes them a great match for a beef steak or venison. Try the Testify 2018 Malbec and Merlot.
Some people consider it a sacrilege to pair wine with food. Others wouldn’t do it any other way. We leave it up to you to decide. The most important thing is that you enjoy the wine and of course, the company -pet plants make for brilliant wine-drinking companions, no judgment here!
If you are team wine and food, what do you think of the pairings Daniel suggested? Would you like to learn more about other New Zealand wine regions? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to follow us on social for more wine content. Happy sipping!
In Ireland, Decibel wines are available to purchase at Ely Store. This post is NOT sponsored, I attended a portfolio tasting from The Irish Cellar. Opinions and reviews are my own, resulting from my experience, knowledge and research.
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