The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2014

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30  /  the tasting panel  /  april 2014 INTRO-VINOUS A s we sat on the patio at The Little Next Door in Los Angeles (an annex of popu- lar restaurant The Little Door), welcomed by yet another warm winter's night in Southern California, the mood was set to taste and discuss Brancott Estate's newest white wine ventures, a lower-calorie Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio appropriately named Flight Song. There to represent the eminent Brancott Estate was none other than Chief Winemaker Patrick Materman, a well-spoken man with a delightful predisposition to making one feel at home. "This is an excellent climate for a wine like this," he grinned. In the realm of low-calorie wines, a category that has yet to break through with consumers, Brancott Estate is flying high over the competition by overcoming two of the biggest challenges facing other brands: compromised taste and social stigma. "When developing these wines we understood that taste had to be our number- one priority," says Materman. Their efforts definitely paid off. With an array of bright aromatics from fragrant lemongrass to pink grapefruit, Brancott Estate Flight Song Sauvignon Blanc soars with the sensational signature taste one would expect from Marlborough, New Zealand, while naturally lowering calorie content by using grapes harvested earlier in the season when sugar levels are lower. Select estate vineyard parcels are used which deliver higher levels of aromatics earlier in the season. This unique winemaking approach led to the first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc, 2012, win- ning a Gold Medal in the New Zealand International Show. Flight Song Pinot Grigio equally excites with ripe golden kiwifruit and Nashi pear notes. Both wines capture palate length and freshness that has yet to be seen in low-calorie wines. "This is a unique proposition that will open up new occasions for wine consump- tion," says Matt Foley, Brancott Estate Brand Director for Pernod Ricard USA. Hoping to overcome the stigma in the industry of low-calorie wines, Foley explains that "Flight Song is about delivering high quality wines from Marlborough that happen to be lighter in calories." As the conversation came to a close, Materman's dedication in winemaking was as clear as our empty glasses. Brancott Estate is introducing U.S. consum- ers to a low-calorie wine option that one can be proud of serving on a hot summer, or winter, night. Now, with Flight Song, any doubt or speculation in this evolving category should flutter away—much like the whimsical hum- mingbirds in the bottle's display. PHOTO: BRIAN KUSTERA A New Expression from Marlborough BRANCOTT ESTATE TAKES FLIGHT by Brian Kustera Flight Song's whimsical and uplifting art direction establishes the wine as light and airy—a fantastic option for many occasions. Patrick Materman, Chief Wine Maker for Brancott Estate, proudly holds a bottle of Flight Song at The Little Next Door in Los Angeles. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANCOTT ESTATE Enjoy Our Brands Responsibly. ©2014 STRONGBOW ® Hard Apple Ciders. Imported by Bulmers Cider Company, White Plains, NY strongbow goLD APPLE ALso AvAiLAbLE in cAn AnD DrAught contAct your hEinEKEn usA rEPrEsEntAtivE AnD cAPitALizE on high consumEr ciDEr DEmAnD toDAy! Strongbow iS launching with gold apple and honey & apple varietieS, available in market now! TP0414_001-33.indd 30 3/24/14 4:44 PM

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