DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY

Natural is a much used and abused term. Literally, it means the state in which something is found in nature, without any interference from the likes of you and me. Very few things which we enjoy are thus truly natural and it is perhaps just as well. After all, we did not invent the many diseases of animals and plants, which occur quite spontaneously in nature. By careful observation and monitoring, it is often possible to anticipate harmful effects of nature and by minimal judicious intervention to prevent problems occurring. This is what we try and do at Pegasus Bay. Our philosophy is to carefully evaluate everything in the vineyard and winery and to let nature take its course unless we see something which will cause a problem with vine, grape or wine health. We feel that this is the best way to allow our wines to express the qualities of our very individual site.

We thus grow our grapes in a natural environment and encourage indigenous beneficial plants, such as wildflowers, between the rows of vines. These attract a variety of helpful insects, which in turn bring useful birds, such as finches, and this means there is less opportunity for their nasty fruit-eating feathered kin. We prune hard in the winter to keep the grape crop low and the summer canopy of leaves open, airy and well exposed to light. We also use special trellising systems to open the canopy even further and pick off any leaves around the bunches to expose them. Sunlight thickens the grape skins, enhances colour, intensifies flavours and prevents accumulation of moisture, which lessens the chance of fungal and mould growth. This, along with hot days, cool nights and low rainfall means that we keep application of sprays to a bare minimum. We are an active member of New Zealand Integrated Wine Grape Production, a scheme which certifies vineyards adopting such a high standard.

Our passion for nature, however, does not stop there. We adopt a similar approach to all winemaking stages from harvest to bottling. Thus, many wineries add sulphur dioxide to white wine grapes after harvest and before pressing to prevent oxidation, a practice which we have abandoned. At Pegasus Bay we are also making use of the grapes' indigenous yeast in the fermentation of the wine and allow malolactic fermentation to occur naturally, whereas most other wineries add cultures of single micro-organisms. The mixture of different microbes adds a broader spectrum of aromas and flavours and leads to greater complexity in the wine. We try to bottle our wines without filtration where practical. It was Louis Pasteur, the discoverer of micro-organisms and the inventor of pasteurisation, who said "Wine is the most natural and healthful of beverages". Naturally, we agree with him, if everything is kept natural.

RESTAURANT RESTS WHILE BUILDING AT THE BAY

Ever wondered about the gamy and black chocolate aromas of pinot noir, the toasty savoury flavours of chardonnay, the cigar-box hints of cabernet sauvignon/merlot, and the complexity of certain sauvignon blanc/semillons? While some of these characteristics are intrinsic to the grapes, a significant portion is derived from the winemaking, particularly from oak.

Some winemakers use the cheap alternative of adding chips or oak particles to wine in tanks, but aging in oak barrels allows the wine to breathe, become more complex and develop additional nuances.

Being a traditional-style winery, we have accumulated a large number of oak barriques and they have gradually come to occupy every available nook and cranny in our fermentation hall and warehouse. This means Matthew and Lynnette, our poor winemakers, spend half of their time playing "musical barrels" and silently cursing as they shuffle them back and forth to make a little working space. At last their pleas have been heard. We are now building a new barrel hall. The complex will also include tasting and viewing areas, a cellar below ground level, offices and a staff area.

The construction will be adjacent to our restaurant and because of this we will be closed for meals from mid May until spring. We will, however, be continuously open for wine tasting and cellar door sales. Come along and see the buildings progress while sipping a glass of wine. You are sure to find it interesting!

MANAGING THE MARKETS

Making decent wine is a hell of a lot of work. Marketing it isn't exactly easy either. It's no good having one without the other. They go together like pepper and salt, or should we say wine and food. When we started making wine at Pegasus Bay, we knew we needed someone to oversee marketing. Enter Ed. Edward Donaldson, our marketing manager, has been with us from the start and sort of grew into the job.

Kiwi wineries don't all have the same approach to marketing and many feel their main niche is overseas. We decided to see if we could float on the local pond before we tried to swim in the world's wine lake. We have had marvellous support, for which we are immensely grateful. Edward oversees marketing in Christchurch, while throughout the rest of New Zealand he is fortunate to have the superb professional services of our distributor, Eurowine.

Although we regard New Zealand as a vital market, we have had visits from many agents who have wanted to sell our wines overseas and we have been persuaded by their enthusiasm and persistence. As a result, you can now pick up a bottle of the winged horse in Australia, USA, UK, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Naturally, this keeps Ed busy as he has to visit most of these countries. Poor fellow. It's a tough job but someone has to do it!

WAIPARA GETS THE NOD

The recent Pinot Noir 2001 international conference held in Wellington was a resounding success, especially for Waipara. When the High Priestess of Wine, Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine and conference keynote speaker, was asked which area she would choose to invest in pinot noir production in New Zealand, she charmingly vacillated between Waipara, Martinborough and Central Otago. We would hate to argue with such a world authority and we can assure you that we will do our best to make sure her confidence is not misplaced.

FROM THE PRESCRIPTION PAD

The moonlight seeped through the overhanging branches and covered the two lovers in a dappled luminescence. They had started the meal with chunky asparagus soup accompanied by a zingy sauvignon blanc. It was followed by grilled prawns, artichoke hearts and a well-aged riesling. Next came grilled lamb, porcini mushroom sauce and thinly sliced black truffles matched with a pinot noir. A simple lemon tart and a botrytised semillon comprised the dessert. As their eyes met and their hands strayed over the table an unspoken question hung in the air, "Was there anything else to follow?"

When I went to medical school I was taught that there were only four primary taste sensations. They were sweet, sour, salt and bitter. These were all that our palates could define and the many tastes that we think we can distinguish are assembled by varying combinations of the four, in much the same way as all the hues which we see are made up from a small number of primary colours. "Hang on" you might say. "What about the taste of bananas, coffee and blue vein cheese? Surely these can't be explained by such a simple system?" You are right, of course, but these aren't tastes, they are flavours, and the way you experience them is by smelling them with your nose. If your nose is completely blocked you can't appreciate these things and all you can distinguish are the four primary tastes which come from the taste buds on your tongue and adjacent throat. The brain does a remarkable job of synthesising the information from the nose and tongue to produce a completely integrated experience. Smell and taste are seamlessly melded together.

When I trained in neurology I learnt that the brain achieves this trick using a vast network of interconnected nerve fibres which conduct electrical impulses. Electrical impulses, however, do not pass from one nerve cell to another. What happens is that when the impulse reaches the end of the nerve a chemical compound, called a neurotransmitter, is released and this immediately stimulates a receptor, which is a specialised sensitive area on the next nerve cell. This receptor, in turn, starts another impulse which then travels in the second cell's nerve fibre. Neurotransmitters are present in minute amounts. There are many important such chemicals but one is glutamate, which is a small subunit of a protein.

Dogma needs a good shake-up every so often and we got this in the early 1990s when a group of clever Japanese scientists showed that there was actually a fifth taste, which they called umami or "good-tasting". It is a savoury, meaty, mushroom-like taste and can also give an impression of cheese, particularly parmesan. Another group of researchers has recently discovered that the substance which triggers this sensation is a glutamate molecule which attaches to a shortened version of the same glutamate receptor on the taste buds. These in turn signal messages in the brain. This modification of the receptor blunts its sensitivity, which is probably good as otherwise a tiny trace of food containing umami would produce an overwhelming sensation.

But I digress. Let's go back to the lovers on the terrace. Hang on, they seem to have disappeared during my ramblings. Never mind, I expect they have gone to conduct scientific research into other forms of sensory experience. The point is that they clearly like to experience a wide range of delicious tastes but with some foods they can't get them all. Wines compliment the food so well because they can enhance tastes, give additional ones and, in many cases, provide the whole five. When you next try a savoury chardonnay, a gamy pinot noir or a meaty cabernet, think umami. It's a good taste.

Cheers, Ivan Donaldson