What a festival – The entertainment, crowd, cuisine and delicious wines really turned it on for New Zealand’s best and longest running wine and food festival.

The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival is a true highlight on the calendar for the public and for us at Two Rivers. It gives us a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company while sampling some of the best wines, local produce and world famous entertainment on offer.

You’ve probably already established, we don’t do things by halves at Two Rivers! So it was no surprise that we not only took out the best site, out of over 50 winery sites, but we also won the window display competition in conjunction with our good friends at Thomas’s Department Store.

Two Rivers Events Manager Kate Guthrie was blown away with the result. “For summer festivals, it’s all about our Rosé! We used a lot of white to make the wine pop, created a light, breezy feel and used a few simple pieces from home and fresh flowers from Verve to bring it all together. It really does help having the best looking rosé out there!!”

The chief judge Lucy Walter said “The Two Rivers site was simple and beautiful. It proves you don’t have to be big or create an elaborate site to catch the judges’ attention. Simple design and attention to detail is key.”

If you haven’t been to the festival – you absolutely should http://wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz/. And if you’re a regular, make sure you come and say hi.

Two Rivers Rosé is one of New Zealand’s most awarded rosés and has claimed the top spot in Cuisine Magazine for three out of four years. With great pedigree and a huge domestic following, the wine sells out each year. After six months with no Two Rivers Rosé in the cellar, the 2017 vintage is set for release on the 1^st September 2017.

“This year we’ve really tried to lift the bar aesthetically,” says winemaker/owner David Clouston. “The 2017 comes in an Eclat diamond punted bottle which no one else is using in the country that I know of. The beautiful punt really shows off the wine’s coppery salmon colour which I love. We finished off the package with a new cap and label and changed the name from French – L’Ile de Beauté, to the English version – Isle of Beauty, so it’s more recognisable and pronounceable. The wine style inside is really the only thing that hasn’t changed.”

Mediterranean in style, the 2017 vintage has fresh herb aromas of thyme, tarragon and dill overlaying nuances of orange blossom and mandarin. The zesty palate exudes fleshy tangelo, citrus and peach with a touch of wet stone. The wine is perfectly poised, delivering a briny fresh, clean and dry finish. An ideal pairing with all Mediterranean cuisine.

Available 1st September – while stocks last.

The largest and most influential international wine competition in America, the San Francisco International Wine Competition (SFIWC) has been setting the standard for professional wine judging since its debut in 1980.
A Double Gold in this wine show means the wine was –
“Outstanding; earning top marks from all judges”.
More information on the show can be found here: http://sfwinecomp.com/

Two Rivers has been making sauvignon blanc since the winery’s first vintage in 2004. Their flagship wine, ‘Convergence’ Sauvignon Blanc, has enjoyed international success for years and winemaker/owner David Clouston believes sauvignon blanc should be cherished.
“Our mission is to select the finest parcels of fruit from the banks of both the Wairau and Awatere Rivers to craft wines that capture and emphasise this region’s intense power. The fruit for this wine is sourced from five separate Marlborough vineyards, each bringing a unique flavour spectrum and giving an abundance of fruit profiles to work with. The wine is then aged on fine yeast lees for 3 months, increasing the texture, complexity and mouth-feel of the palate, making a more age-worthy and food-friendly style”.

The Convergence Sauvignon Blanc has received many other notable accolades including the following:
• “The appeal of this style is undeniable.” – RH on Jancisrobinson.com, UK – 17/20
• “Impressive purity and bright, high energy flavours.” – Bob Campbell MW, NZ – 94 points
• “A stunning and exceptionally aromatic Sauvignon Blanc.” – Matthew Jukes, UK
• “A terrific Marlborough sauvignon blanc” Vic Harradine, CAN – 4.5 stars
• “A touch of complexity and finely balanced.”– Michael Cooper, NZ – 4.5 stars

Two Rivers ‘Juliet’ Riesling has always been a wine with great purity of fruit in an off-dry style but in 2016 the winemaking team wanted to step it up a notch. “We wanted to experiment making a Riesling with more texture and greater aging potential, while retaining fruit purity and balance.” notes owner/winemaker Dave Clouston.

The fruit was all hand harvested from the Two Rivers Brookby Hill Vineyard in the Southern Valleys. The two Riesling blocks on this vineyard ripened at different times so the blocks were harvested over multiple picks, nine days apart. “The fruit off the first block was very floral and delicious tasting,” recalls production winemaker Sanna Stander. “While the grapes off the second block seemed more complex with greater palate weight.” The two portions were fermented separately and stopped when the acidity and sugars were perfectly in balance. The two portions were then blended together before resting on lees for four months.

“The 2016 vintage was basically one big experiment but an experiment that has definitely paid off.” says Sanna. “We’ve received a string of great reviews and awards for this vintage, even before the wine’s official release. This latest gold is super encouraging and we’re all loving drinking this wine.”

Among the Two Rivers ‘Juliet’ Riesling 2016 accolades:
• Easter Show Wine Awards – GOLD
• NZ International – GOLD
• “Exquisite tension. Very impressed indeed.” – Bob Campbell – 95 POINTS
• “Lovely fruit quality here.”- Jamie Goode – 91 POINTS
• “Wonderful balance and harmony.” – Sam Kim – 95 POINTS
• “Exotic floral flavours on a poised, refreshing palate.” – Raymond Chan- 5 STARS

Two Rivers of Marlborough’s owner and winemaker, Dave Clouston, is excited to announce the appointment of Jason Yank as Commercial Director.

“Our business is experiencing rapid growth,” notes Dave. “We needed to bring more structure into the company and global experience to the team. We are thrilled that Jason has joined us.”

“I have been a long-time fan of the wines that Dave has been making,” says Jason. “Having the opportunity to join Dave and the Two Rivers team is a privilege. Bringing to the table over a decade of wine industry knowledge, people and places; both here in New Zealand and from overseas, makes for a very exciting and motivating future. I’m delighted to be here and I hope to see you soon.”

“He’s done it again…… Two Rivers winemaker Dave Clouston has claimed the top spot for the third time in four years.” – Cuisine Magazine

The January 2017 issue of Cuisine Magazine, on sale 12th December 2016, features the annual NZ Rosé tasting.
84 wines were tasted, only 3 wines scored 5 Stars and Two Rivers L’Ile de Beauté Rosé 2016 was awarded the No.1 NZ Rosé.

TWO RIVERS ‘L’ILE DE BEAUTÉ’ ROSÉ 2016 – No.1 NZ Rosé, 5 stars

“Pale salmon in colour and beautifully perfumed – rose petals and fresh strawberries come to mind – our top rosé, dry in style, impressed the panel with its lovely primary fruit and quiet authority. Crunchy acids provide tension, drive and length and a hint of leafiness adds complexity to the flavour profile.”

Winemaker Dave Clouston is understandably thrilled with taking out the top spot for the third time in four years. “Since learning to make great Rosé on the island of Corsica, I have taken Rosé production very seriously, aiming for a dry, pure, Pinot Noir Rosé in a Mediterranean style. I am overwhelmed my Rosé won again and incredibly encouraged that the wine style is on the right path.”

We are thrilled to announce Two Rivers ‘Brookby Hill’ Pinot Gris 2016 and Two Rivers ‘Juliet’ Riesling 2016 have just won GOLD medals in the New Zealand International Wine Show 2016.

The fruit for both wines came off the new home block vineyard, Brookby Hill, which was purchased by Two Rivers in December last year. “This is a huge moment for Brookby Hill, as well as a big tick for the new direction we took with this vintage”, notes Winemaker Dave Clouston. “It’s an outstanding result and certainly showcases the potential of the new home block”.

The ‘Brookby Hill’ Pinot Gris 2016 has 10% barrel fermentation and spent 4 months on fine lees before bottling. The wine is aromatic, textured and dry with beautiful flavours of marmalade, crystallised ginger, raw honeycomb and mineral notes. This wine is set for release early October.

The ‘Juliet’ Riesling 2016, named after Dave’s mother who adores Riesling, is also solely from fruit off Brookby Hill. Very harmonious, this wine is medium dry, with lime zest, cardamom, bitter orange and old fashioned ginger beer flavours. The ‘Juliet’ Riesling 2016 will be released later in the year and will age gracefully.

For a full list of medals, visit the New Zealand International Wine Show website:http://www.nziws.co.nz/awards/2016/?platform=hootsuite

We have just purchased a beautiful 23 acre undulating hillside block in Marlborough’s Omaka Valley. The majority of the vineyard was planted in 2000 and now a total of 15 acres are planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Syrah and Viognier.

“It’s exciting times for Two Rivers – a real coming of age for the brand.” said Dave Clouston, who established Two Rivers in 2004. “After years of exploring, we’ve identified that the southern valleys of Marlborough are the best place to grow top-end Pinot Noir.

Brookby Hill Vineyard will really come into its own with the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and it’s a great feeling seeing the first fruit come off this block.” notes Dave. He’s also looking forward to making a Syrah – a first in the Two Rivers range.

Friends, family, growers and distributors gathered to celebrate the new vineyard and the first harvest with a long lunch on Brookby Hill.

Owner and winemaker, Dave Clouston, has been making Sauvignon Blanc since Two Rivers first vintage in 2004. Our flagship wine: ‘Convergence’ Sauvignon Blanc is a success story, enjoying worldwide acclaim, but by 2013 Dave wanted to try and make a less fruit driven, more complex, textural, age worthy style of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough’s Southern Valleys… And thus the first ‘Altitude’ Sauvignon Blanc was born.

Two vintages on, we have just released our ‘Altitude’ Sauvignon Blanc 2015. This time, Dave has tweaked up the interesting notch further, adding a concrete egg component to the wine. 40% was wild fermented in a concrete egg tank, while 60% went wild in 8 year old hogshead barrels. The wine was then aged for 10 months in these vessels, with a small portion going through MLF.

“I think barrel is great for texture and weight but the egg gives the wine more purity, elegance and freshness while still adding texture and complexity,” says Dave.

“Concrete is slightly more porous than stainless steel, so it lets the wine evolve naturally and gain more complex, savoury characters.”

The oval shape of the egg tank also plays a unique role in the aging process. “As the accumulation of lees increases from the widest part of the tank to the narrower part, the lees slowly starts rolling over itself, allowing a continuously mixing of the lees without any external interruption of the wine,” explains Dave. “I’m not sure if the egg is better than barrel but I think it brings a certain intellectual component to the wine which I really enjoy.”

Dave believes Sauvignon Blanc should be cherished and this exciting example demonstrates how diverse and age worthy Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc can be.

Here in Marlborough, the vines are yellowing and the leaves are starting to fall. It’s a serene time of the year for winegrowers, after the turbulent harvest period now behind us and the 2016 vintage wines fermenting away in the winery.

It was quite a season, one not forgotten in a hurry…. We faced record-breaking dry conditions, thanks to one of the strongest El Nino events in recent history. February measured the second warmest February on record, and this, coupled with a serious lack of rainfall through summer, and unusually warm nights, caused a bit of vine stress and Powdery Mildew pressure in some areas. Crops levels were above average so we were busy earlier in the season too; bunch thinning to restrict yields to desired crop levels.

We’re expecting 2016 vintage wines to have great physiological ripeness and will quite possibly have lower acids due to the warm summer nights.

Look out for our first 2016 releases in July/August.