How gay? Well, it's not only pink, its name is pansy. Or rather, Pansy!
Kim Crawford's wife's name is Erica. He's not a lesbian and neither is she, but they have a lot of gay friends and have for many years enjoyed a drink at a local Auckland gay bar. On a visit to Toronto last summer, Erica Crawford explained the name: "One night there was a group of us and someone said 'you should make a gay wine' and someone else said 'yeah, and it's gotta be called Pansy!"
Pansy! is quite probably the only "gay" wine in the world but, "it wasn't at all thought through or researched," said Erica. "We just did it. Gays have always been in my life. When I lived in Cape Town I shared a flat with a flaming queen from the Bronx."
For winemaker Kim Crawford it was obvious that a "gay" wine should be a rosé and he made the first one in 2002. The grapes vary from year to year and are sometimes blends - the 2007 is all merlot, for example.
Another of Kim Crawford's wines sounds suspiciously like a nightclub where the homosexually inclined might be found dancing with their shirts off, but that's not why it's called "Boyszone". The name is in fact a memorial to one of the Crawfords' main grape grower's sons. The family had four boys, all of whom helped out in the vineyard. The youngest, then 19 years old, was using a tractor on a hillside when it tipped over, pinned him down and he died. The block of vines he was working on had been managed exclusively by the boys and was called the "boys' zone". Kim Crawford has named the pinot gris that comes from it Boyszone in his honour.
At the recent New Zealand Wine Fair at the Design Exchange, four Kim Crawford wines were on display. Though he's well known for his fine sauvignon blanc, which is a Vintages Essential and is usually in good supply, Crawford was showing off some of his others.
Pansy! and other wines by Kim Crawford
Pansy! Rosé 2007. $16.95
Gisborne, North Island
Bright pink colour and a bold nose of red berry fruit and a hint of floral. This merlot-based rosé has zippy acidity and lighter red fruit, though it's quite full bodied. Nicely smooth, there's a bit of a sweet note detectable and there's a nice long finish. 88 points.
Boyszone Pinot Gris 2006. $29.70
Marlborough, South Island
Characteristic pinot gris here - muted but aromatic nose with ripe peach/pear notes. Very fresh and lively on the palate, which has lots more fruit, including some tropical notes. Fairly full bodied with a great mouthfeel and a nice finish. 89 points
Kim Crawford Pinot Gris 2007. $19.95
Marlborough, South Island
Fruitier nose, more in your face. Tropical notes of papaya and pineapple. Very full and fruity on the palate, which shows some plum notes too. OK finish. 88 points.
Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay 2007. $24.95
Marlborough, South Island
Quite fruity nose for a chardonnay, with lemon, apple and pineapple, and even a floral note too. Super full and ripe on the palate, which of course has no oak notes: this is pure chardonnay at its fruitiest, so if you want to take it bare, no oak masking it, this is the one to try for the fruit flavours. 89 points.
>>>
Pansy! is available now and there's a bit of Boyszone kicking around. To check availability near you, copy the name of the wine and paste it into the product search window in the top left corner of this page.
The others should be available soon, or contact Crawford's Ontario agent colin.brodie@vincor.ca for more information or to order.
