Stratford products at NZ tasting

LINCOLN VINEYARDS, HENDERSON, AUCKLAND

Lincoln Vineyards, one of New Zealand's most successful family-owned wineries, was founded in 1937. It is managed by Peter Fredatovich, who is the third generation of the family to produce wine in Henderson, Auckland. A combination of traditional winemaking and modern technology result in complex wines reflecting the characteristics of the individual regions and vintages.

This year sees the launch of the new Distant Land range in the UK with its striking, contemporary packaging. Grapes are sourced from selected growers in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. The following wines from the Distant Land range which retail from 7.99-12.99, will be on show:

Distant Land Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Distant Land Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2007

Distant Land Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris 2007

Distant Land Hawkes Bay Merlot/Malbec 2006

Distant Land Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Distant Land Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006

Distant Land Gisborne Gewrztraminer 2007

Distant Land Reserve Cabernet/Merlot 2006

Distant Land Reserve Chardonnay 2006

CABLE BAY VINEYARDS, WAIHEKE ISLAND

Cable Bay Vineyards was established in 1996 by a small group of wine lovers who are passionate about wine. Neill Culley, owner/winemaker, comments, "Our goal is to produce premium wines that express the unique attributes of the individual vineyard sites", says Culley. "Having a portfolio of vineyards provides a range of fruit with different characteristics, giving robustness while reducing the risks normally associated with single sites. Our process focuses on small lot winemaking to handle the separate parcels of fruit from the various vineyards. This results in wines with their own personality."

The Cable Bay range retails from 8.99-14.99. These are sophisticated wines with subtlety, elegance and complexity, displaying marked regional characteristics. The following wines will be available for tasting:

Cable Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Marlborough - new vintage

Cable Bay Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2006 -first showing in UK

Cable Bay Pinot Noir 2006, Marlborough

Cable Bay Five Hills 2005, Waiheke Island

The Culley range, named after Neill Culley, the co-owner/winemaker, retail at 7.99, The wines are all produced from Marlborough fruit, are stylish, fruit-forward and vibrant with modern packaging and aim to appeal to a new generation of New Zealand wine drinkers. The range also offers consumers an affordable introduction to the Cable Bay range of wines. The following wines will be on show:

Culley Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - new vintage

Culley Riesling 2006

Culley Chardonnay 2007 - first showing in UK

Culley Pinot Noir 2007 - first showing in UK

All Cable Bay wines have screwcap closures.

Source: Stratford's wine agencies

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