If you're sitting around trying to decide on a new wine to try tonight with you dinner, may we suggest a little something from New Zealand?
Forbes picks 15 "Five Star" wines from the tiny country that served as backdrop to a giant movies about hobbits:
- Cable Station Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2004 ($18) - "bright, ripe fruit flavors balanced with just the right amount of acidity to keep it food-friendly. Forget those ponderous zins and shirazes, this is the red for a barbeque"
- Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 2005 ($26) - "Deceptively light at first, it slowly evolves in the glass to eventually reveal a long, rich finish packed with a smoky minerality."
- Craggy Range Merlot, Hawkes Bay, 2003 ($35) - "a perfect balance of silky tannins, lush ripe fruit and good acidity for a robust structure that's unusual for this varietal."
- Crossroads Destination Series Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay, 2003 ($16) - "Rich and lush with ripe fruit in the front of the mouth, but with a fine, tart, green apple finish."
- Drystone Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2003 ($30) - "bright flavors of red cherry fruit and June strawberries abound, pulled together by a soft touch of oak and round, ripe tannins"
- Glazebrook Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 2005 ($14) - "lush flavors of tropical fruit"
- Jackson Estate Unoaked Chardonnay, Marlborough, 2003 ($15) - "bright fruit flavors shine through with dazzling sparkle. A delightful, clean, uncomplicated wine that's perfect for an al fresco summer lunch."
- Kim Crawford Pinot Gris, Marlborough, 2004 ($17) - "simple, unpretentious wine, clean and well made, showing just the right balance of ripe fruit and crisp acidity."
- Kumeu River Village Chardonnay, 2004 ($19) - "zingy acidity and pronounced minerality balancing the ripe summer fruit flavors"
- The Navigator, Alpha Domus, Hawkes Bay, 2002 ($21) - "bursts with glorious red summer fruits like strawberries and cherries, accented by subtle spicy highlights"
- Spy Valley Riesling, Marlborough, 2005 ($20) - "Steely dry but with an intense citrus flavor for balance. Superb with shellfish or simple grilled chicken, swordfish or tuna. Or even barbeque, it's so rich in flavor."
- TeAwa Sauvignon Blanc, Hawkes Bay, 2005 ($16) - "not astringently dry and has some body to it, and not made "interesting" by the addition of a lot of grassy flavors."
- Whitehaven Pinot Noir, Marlborough, 2004 ($30) - "a bit angular at the moment, with assertive tannins and unresolved acidity"
- Woodthorpe Syrah/Viognier, Hawkes Bay, 2003 ($25) - "soft, juicy and delightfully approachable"
- Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 2005 ($15) - "a polished sauvignon blanc, with real body"







