For those less nerdily inclined, Touriga is Portuguese, Nero is from Sicily and Castelao is also from Portugal; a country best known for cork and rich fortified “port” but which is also home to 250 indigenous grape varieties.
The queen of Portugal’s red grapes is Touriga Nacional. It’s prized for its deep colour and intense flavours, which bring depth to reds like the humbly priced (RR$27.99) 2020 Bons Ventos Casa Santos Lima. A blend of Touriga Nacional, Castelao, Camarate and Tinta Miuda, Bons Ventos is dry with bold liquorice and spice aromas. It’s available from specialist wine stores and online at confidant.co.nz.
Over the border in Spain, Tempranillo rules the vineyard roost and makes up a substantial portion of the 2023 Patria Chica Organic Vino de Pago, RRP $27.99 from blackmarket.co.nz. This blend of 35% Garnacha, 26% Tempranillo, 23% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Aragón at the foot of the Sistema Ibérico mountains; a region with a rich history. The name ‘Patria Chica’ is Spanish for small homeland but this is a big red wine.
Continuing our Mediterranean wine journey north to France, we meet Vermentino, a fleshy white that has adapted to retain zesty acidity in warm climates. The 2024 Extrait de Terre Vermentino Pays d’Oc is a refreshing, subtly peachy, full bodied, dry white for those who want a change from Chardonnay or other big whites; RRP $19.99 from blackmarket.co.nz.
While in France, the sun baked southern Rhone Valley is a treasure trove of deeply flavoursome red blends of Syrah and Grenache with a spicy touch of Mourvèdre for good measure. Guigal is one of the world’s greatest value, go-to wines for lovers of smooth, lush reds. The 2023 Guigal Cotes du Rhone is an excellent vintage and hard to beat at RRP $24.99 to $29.99.
Looking south to Italy, there is another world of wine to explore. One of the most interesting is Nero d’Avola from Sicily. I was blown away the first time I tasted a “Nero” with its ripe cherry and blueberry flavours but dry finish and freshness. Typically full-bodied, the best Nero d’Avolas have layers of spice and an affordable price, but very cheap versions today can taste sweet, with little else to commend them.
One of the best is from Planeta, a pioneer of Sicily’s modern wine movement. The 2024 Planeta La Segreta Nero d’Avola is RRP $29.99, available from Caro’s in Ponsonby and Parnell.
If something a tad more cerebral appeals, half bottles of classic wines are available at Maison Vauron in Newmarket. One of my top picks is the 2022 Chateau Vieux Chevrol Lalande de Pomerol (RRP $28, half bottle). Decent Pomerol doesn’t come along under $30 very often but here it is – offering depth and structure in an approachable blend of Merlot (80%) with Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon adding weighty black olive and blackberry aromas.
For a glass of spring freshness, German winemaker Dr Ernst Loosen over-delivers in the 2025 Dr L Dry Riesling (RRP $22.99), a wine that reflects the modern trend to citrusy dry flavours with tangy acidity from Caro’s and other specialist wine stores.
And if Chardonnay tops your wine wish list, the 2025 Main Divide Chardonnay (RRP $21.99) will exceed expectations, bringing decadent complex flavours, succulent freshness and a full body to your glass for an extraordinarily appealing price – and it’s widely available.
Top wines of the month
Best under $30
2023 Guigal Cotes du Rhone (RRP $24.99-$29.99)
Maison Guigal was established in 1946 by Etienne Guigal and is now on to its third generation with his son and grandson, Marcel and Philippe, at the helm. The family focus on quality comes through from high-priced single vineyard wines to this modestly priced red, of which about four million bottles are made each year. It’s a staggering number – equally as surprising is the consistent deliciousness of the wine. Guigal’s Cotes du Rhone is a great go-to red, year round.
Best over $30
2025 Neudorf Home Block Chardonnay (RRP$95)
Neudorf Vineyards is one of New Zealand’s greatest champions of Chardonnay. This new release delivers rounded creamy notes, great acid balance, a smooth mid palate and long rewarding finish with layers of citrus, fresh white peach aromas and subtle layers of toasted hazelnuts. Chardonnay may occupy slightly less land than it once did in this country, but its quality has never been better. Producers like Neudorf are refining, not retreating.
Meet the columnist
Joelle Thomson is a journalist, columnist and author who fell for wine after drinking a big buttery Australian Chardonnay in Wellington in the late 1980s. She later moved to the UK, and cemented her passion for wine, writing her first column when she returned to Aotearoa in the mid-1990s. She has since published 16 wine books, taught British (WSET) and NZQA wine qualifications, judged at wine shows and obtained the WSET Level 4 Diploma. She writes full time, loves the world of wine and is particularly partial to Pinot Noir, Chianti Classico and Barolo, among others. joellethomson.com