Oyster Bay
By Matt Steeves
New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Canada, Mr. Simon Tucker, hosted a lovely tasting of Oyster Bay wines at his official residence recently. A small group of trade professionals attended to sample and assess the portfolio of New Zealand wines that Delegat Canada Limited (agent and owner of Oyster Bay) were showcasing. Jason Hands and Camille Gemmell Johnston of Delegat kindly walked us through the tasting of their Oyster Bay portfolio.
My overall impression from the tasting was that each wine Oyster Bay produces is done very well, and sold at a very reasonable price point (virtually all were under $20) for the quality of the product. I was impressed with the fruit expression and overall complexity in their wines.
Stand-out wines for me were their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Both beautifully balanced, complex, 
and wonderful expressions of two of my favourite noble grapes. I should mention (for the second time) that they’re both under $20, and the Chardonnay is a Vintages Essentials product (326728) so it’s always available via Vintages (it also happens to be one of the top selling imported premium Chardonnays in Canada), so I guess I’m not the only one that enjoys it!
Of course their Sauvignon Blanc (also a Vintages Essentials product 316570) was a crowd pleaser (in the best possible way), and I was surprised to learn that this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the #1 selling wine in…(drum roll)…Australia! Go figure!? This fondness for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is proof that patriotism only goes so far when it comes to buying wines you love.
For many, your go-to Sauvignon Blanc may be Oyster Bay, and if it isn’t I’d suggest you give it a go. I’d also recommend trying their other products especially while they have some limited time offers at Vintages – Chardonnay on sale ($16.95) from Dec 1 to Jan 3 and the Sauvignon Blanc is also on sale ($16.95) from Nov 10 to 30. Keep your eyes peeled for the release of the Pinot Noir on Dec 6, and the Sparkling Cuvee Rose on Dec 17. I’ll be pouring both of those over the holiday season.
Matt Steeves, is an Ottawa-based accredited sommelier and co-founder of Quercus Vino (@Quercusvino). A passionate wine-enthusiast, Matt has visited many of North America’s wine regions which has given him an appreciation for the stylistic differences that each region’s unique climates and soils can produce.
Matt is also a Director with the National Capital Sommelier Guild, the region’s leading organization for sommeliers and wine enthusiasts. Matt is an avid supporter of the growing Canadian wine industry and is proud to say there are world-class wines being produced in each of Canada’s major wine making regions.
By Jane Staples
Last night’s tasting at the New Zealand High Commission was attended by a half dozen sommeliers, along with the High Commissioner and his wife. The wines, were of course, excellent and it was interesting to learn that Oyster Bay has recently purchased a vineyard in Barossa Valley. Their Ebenezer Shiraz, which was terrific.
Jane Staples – Sommelier-Wine Writer
Jane graduated from Algonquin College’s Sommelier Program with the Gold Medal in Food and Wine Pairing and a score of 94.5% in the final exam. She completed courses in Wine Tasting, Grape Varieties, Food and Wine Pairing, Old World Wines, New World Wines, Vinification and Advanced Sommelier Techniques. She also has a BA from the University of Toronto.
Jane is one of the most active wine reviewers for nataliemaclean.com as well as for her own site, bellovino.ca. Along with Shirley Plant, Jane the co-authored the book Finally…Food I Can Eat! She provides the wine pairings for the recipes as well as occasional articles for Shirley Plant’s blog. She also provides sommelier services and tastings for private functions, and is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
