Aromas of citrus, tropical fruits, baking spices, and smoke, but not wine texture. Flavors of lemon curd, sour cherry, black currant, savory herbs. These are terms and descriptors we typically think of when describing wine. At Mount Edward Winery in Central Otago, however, wine texture is how winemaker, Anna Riederer, describes their style. Popping a cork and sitting down at the table with Anna, I firmly believe this truly is the right descriptor.
Not only is the descriptor of Mount Edward’s wines slightly unusual as a leading thought, so too are its wines. Pinot Noir reigns king in Central Otago. I’ll get to that in a bit. But I never expected to fall in love with a Grüner Veltliner in New Zealand! Was I dreaming of being back in the Wachau of Austria? Snapping back to reality, the wine im tasting in front of me truly is a magical, and textural, example of the grape. How is this achieved, you ask? With a style of winemaking that permeates across all of Mount Edward’s wine. Let’s dive deeper.
How is Wine Texture Created?
To accurately describe these wines, one must start in the vineyard. Without prompting, Anna leads us through Mount Edward’s charge to leave the earth better than they found it. On the Cellar Door and vineyard property itself, flora and fauna co-exist in harmony. Fuzzy bee covered lavender graces the landscape intermixing on the edges of the vines. Their motto, “Grow Your Own Way” translates beyond vineyard into the cellar.
Minimal intervention, skin contact on whites, no fining, filtration, additives, and absolutely no rulebooks drive their style. From the Grüner to the Chenin Blanc. the Pinot Noir to the Vermouth (yes, they’re the first in NZ to produce vermouth and it’s delish!). and never leaving their sight from vineyard to bottle. Mount Edward’s wines are truly special and truly textural. How the wines are made, how the wine feels, referring to mouthfeel, along with tannins (in red wines), acidity, and alcohol, are points of reference for texture.
The Remarkables mountains are Mount Edward’s range, and the name truly reflects their wines – remarkable! Winemaking principles around texture and skin contact whites enhanced by neutral oak. Grapes, or varieties, typically unheard of in NZ. Experimentation and bottle aging for years before release. Vineyards are owned by the brand, 26 hectares, 4 blocks, with the such diversity it’s impossible to fathom. But they’ve locked in on a style expressly Mount Edward and it’s definitely a great one!
Texture in wine, I’m a believer
Thank you Anna for an amazing visit and for letting me explore the breadth and beauty of Mount Edward! Stay tuned for more posts on my NZ adventures! Cheers!
For those in the U.S. looking to find Mount Edward wines, they’re represented by K & L Wines in CA! We’ve also been introduced to another amazing way to purchase NZ wines and have them shipped right to your door though wine consolidator Wine Collective Direct – check them out!
Yes. Alcohol, acidity, sugar, tannin, and other elements will create a textural mouthfeel in wine. Depending on how much of any element exists, a wine may feel more textural than one with less of any element
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