Church Road McDonald Series Marzemino

Marze-what? Mino-who?

Don’t worry – we’d never heard of Marzemino either! In fact even in its native country of Italy it’s quite rare. Back in 1995 Church Road planted a whole bunch of experimental grape varieties, like this one, and in true Kiwi “No.8 Wire” style even fermented some of these backyard vino experiments in plastic buckets!

It took over ten years to understand the grape and how it grows best in the backyard of one of the best red wine spots in the country, Hawke’s Bay.

So, what’s it like you say? Who better to ask than the winemaker himself, Chris, who says “In Hawke’s Bay the variety produces ripe, medium weight and aromatic red wines with great colour, supple texture and an element of rusticity that works well with food.”

Branch out and try something different! After all it’s taken over a decade to perfect – and we’d have to say it’s well worth the wait. Pair it with a cut of Kiwi lamb or go Italian and try vegeterian or cheese based pasta dishes, cured meats and olives!