Page 2 - The Merivale Collection

WINE MYTH S: Myth-busting with Andy Gutschlag - Merivale Wine Merchant
Unravelling the mysteries of Wine
Andy Gutschlag from Merivale Wine Merchant shares wine tips, busts some wine myths and tells us about the hidden ‘Bat Cave’.
Andy’s love of travel, especially his time in France and Germany, ignited his passion for wine and for ‘living like the locals’: enjoying wine with authentic, local cuisine.
He returned to New Zealand in 2008 and worked in the liquor industry, determined to become a wine specialist.
Secret wine cellar
FreshChoice Merivale owner, Craig Grant, is also passionate about wine. His private, temperature-controlled wine cellar off-site, is proof of that. Built in November, 2018 to prepare well ahead for the creation of Merivale Wine Merchant, the cellar location is a closely-guarded secret. “I call it the Bat Cave,” laughs Andy. “Even I haven’t been there. However I do taste some of Craig’s extra-special wines, to choose which ones we’ll stock at FreshChoice.”
Andy and Craig plan 10 years ahead and some of their wines are 20 years old. “Younger wines are all about the fruit flavours. Over time in the bottle, those disappear and develop into more complex flavours,” Andy explains.
Busting Wine Myths
An important aspect of Andy’s work, is to dispel commonly-held myths about wine, including:
Myth: The more a wine costs the better it is.
Not necessarily true. “Wine became a bit ‘snobby’, so it scares
a lot of people,” says Andy. “But you can get good wines from about $15. Just find out what you like, by trying a lot of different wines.”
Myth: If it won an award it must be good!
Andy says an award sticker doesn’t always mean it’s a quality wine. “Some wines are what we call ‘show ponies’: the award may just be a sticker sold by a wine writer purely to make money.” He adds: “I think good wine begins by being made with passion - ideally by a wine maker in their own winery.”
Snobbery-free advice
As ‘Wine Enthusiast’ at Merivale Wine Merchant in FreshChoice Merivale, Andy helps break down the perception of pretentiousness some associate with the wine industry. “Wine is for everyone to enjoy - we cater to all budgets and tastes,”
he says reassuringly.
Rather than bamboozle people with the science of winemaking, Andy keeps his advice simple. “I talk about why I think certain wines are good, who the wine makers are, and food matches.”
Andy’s personal favourites for pairing food and wine?
“Riesling with Thai seafood ... Shiraz (Syrah) with a chargrilled T-bone steak ... And the acidity of a sparkling, Chardonnay based Blanc de Blanc is perfect with fish and chips!
Like to learn more?
Andy is at Merivale Wine Merchant from Tuesday to Saturday.
Come in and say hi.
Wine Club Tastings - meet the Wine Makers
Andy also hosts monthly
tastings at local restaurants, with wine makers.
You can find out more and buy tickets in the Events section on Facebook: @FreshChoiceMerivale