This isn't about a preferance but I'm taking Angus McKnee from Jim Barry(Grandson) out to dinner this evening. I will take a couple of bottles as will he I'm sure.

Should I take NZ red or NZ white? He has been working at Kumeu River for the last month (vintage) and maybe he would like some other NZ whites to try. Then againb he probably hasn't tried a great deal of NZ red so....

One of the bottles I will take will be a dessert wine so what should the other be?

NZ Pinot Noir Jeremy. So far that's my sole exposure to kiwi wines and i like them! i believe mine was from marlborough.

Jeremy - why not both? You can pick which you want once you get to the restaurant. Select whichever one "blows your dress up", so to speak.

Red. I know that is what I would want to try (since I never tried any N.Z.-red wines).

I know that by the end of the first bottle I'll want to open the second bottle and fourfull and one half bottle between two of us might be a little bit too much. Where as three and a half is do-able. Really its just because I lack self-discipline when it comes to wine!!

Take what you believe is the best bottle, red or white.

Dave,

Here are the choices

Stonyridge Larose Cabernets 1993 (96 Points Cuisine, Second in the IWC Cabernet Challenge in 1998, behind Lafite 95)
Esk Valley Reserve Merlot Malbec 1995 (97 Point Cuisine, Rated top NZ red for 1995)
Dry River Pinot Noir 1995 (NZ's top pinot)
Felton Rd Block 5 Pinot Noir 1998 ( Parker ravved about this although didnt score it, which has alaways confused me.)
Goldwater Eslin 1998 Merlot ( NZ's top merlot, 96 Points Cuisine.)
Te Mata Coleraine 1995 ( The Margaux of NZ)
Dry River Syrah 1998 ( NZ's top Syrah)

Neudorf Moutere Reserve Chardonnay 1994 (95 points Cuisine, confused at the Sydney top 100 for Batard Montrachet, and hasn't been allowed to enter since- the only wine to have had this happen.)
Dry River Pinot Gris 2000 ( Probably NZ's top Pinot gris.)
Fromm La Strada Auslese 2001( a pure Germanic style with exceptional balance and character.)
Mt Difficulty 2001 Chardonnay (95 Points Cuisine- very Chablis like.)
Morton Estate 1995 Black Label Chardonnay ( Winner of the 1996 IWC competition)
Ata Rangi Petrie 1998 Chardonnay ( 94 Points Cuisine, and more gold medals than you can count.)

So you can see I have a hard time even picking what is the best let alone red or white. What would you want if you don't know many NZ wines?

jeremy,

you don't have any bad choices there. i am intrigued by most of your options, but would probably choose the esk valley because it really intrests me. i would think your decision would be somewhat easier if you knew what your dinner companions were bringing. the restaurant or menu might also be influential factors, but it doesn't sound like you'll be drinking bad wine in any case.

Jeremy,
That list makes for a wonderful problem. Impossible to choose a bad one.