As timing goes, the launch of a new global wine guide in New Zealand last month is great news. It’s free, it’s online and it’s all about drinking wine by the glass.
It is the Coravin Guide to New Zealand.
The inaugural edition features 25 places across the country with a great range of wines by the glass, with rankings ranging from Excellent (20-40 wines by the glass) to Exceptional (more than 60) to ‘Greg’s Hidden Gems’; category highlighting smaller venues with creative wine listings by the glass.
For those who are not familiar with ‘Coravin’, it is a hand-held wine device that allows you to open a bottle of wine, without actually removing the screwcap or cork. The Coravin uses a thin needle and argon gas to pour wine by the glass while protecting the remaining contents from oxidation, enabling both wine drinkers and restaurants to enjoy high-quality wines – by the glass – without having to open an entire bottle. The thinking behind the Coravin is that we can all open a bottle, enjoy a glass – or two – and then come back to it in a day, a few days or a week and it will remain fresh. I use a can of argon gas (inert, with no flavour) to keep wines fresh so that I can enjoy a glass, without wasting a bottle. Wine is also best stored in the fridge, once open. But back to Coravin, which now has an online ‘print’ companion, giving wine drinkers a practical guide to find places (cafés, bars, restaurants) with great by-the-glass selections.
I’m on board with the notion of drinking better rather than more and am impressed by thoughtful hospitality venues with great wines by the glass.
Here in Martinborough, we are well catered for with wine by the glass, but the vast majority are – as might be expected in a wine producing village – local.
There are tasty alternatives, for those with curious palates and minds. My top picks of wines by the glass currently available in Martinborough village (rather than at the outstanding wineries around the township) are listed below.
If you’re venturing further afield to eat and drink, check out the Coravin Guide to New Zealand online. Coravin founder Greg Lambrecht says the guide grew from the same principle that inspired his invention of Coravin: wine by the glass can encourage discovery.
The Coravin Guide (and the Coravin itself) both align with the global trend to drink less but drink more diversely.
Three top wines by the glass in Martinborough
Mesita – Maior de Mendoza Albarino – if you love freshness, try this zesty Spanish white.
Nara – Hunter’s MiruMiru – lovely bubbly made the same way as champagne for a fraction of the price.
Karahui – 2024 Domaine de Pasquiers Cotes du Rhone – if you love big, bold reds, try this French wine.
Try this – by the bottle
2025 The Graduates 777 Pinot Noir RRP $38
The Graduates is one of Martinborough’s newest Pinot Noirs and is made by a trio of winemaking graduates; Martinborough-based Irene Noval alongside fellow founders Matthew Walker and Chelsea Millar. This fresh new 2025 The Graduates 777 Pinot Noir is made from hand-picked grapes, with partial whole bunch fermentation and 12 months in French oak before bottling. It opens with aromas of wild strawberries, red cherries and raspberries, layered with subtle spice and lovely integration.
Find out more at thegraduates.co.nz
