Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling is an award-winning wine that hails from the Waipara Valley in New Zealand. This elegant and lively wine is made from handpicked Riesling grapes that are grown in a region with limestone-rich soils and a cool climate. It boasts a vibrant yellow-green color and an aromatic nose of lime, lemon, and peach. On the palate, it is exceptionally crisp, dry, and zesty with flavors of green apple, grapefruit, and mineral notes. The wine has a smooth and long-lasting finish with a precise acidity that makes it a perfect accompaniment to seafood, spicy foods, or fresh fruit. Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling is a wine that will surely impress any Riesling enthusiast.

Tasting Notes

Upon release it is lemon-straw in colour. The bouquet is an enticing medley of citrus and stone fruit, interspersed with floral notes of elderflower and honeysuckle. Layered beneath there are also hints of ginger, honey and spice. The long hang time and influence of botrytis has resulted in a wine that is rich and full bodied, with ripe phenolics that add structure and length. It is concentrated yet delicate, with invigorating acidity and a satisfyingly dry finish.

About the Winery

The story of Pegasus Bay starts with the history of the Donaldson family. The family has been involved and immersed in all the processes of the wine industry since the early 1970s. They were pioneers and developers of various unique and better ways of growing grapevines locally and producing wines from them. Ivan Donaldson, a consultant neurologist and associate professor, became interested in the art of winemaking. It started when Christine, his girlfriend, handed him a book named Wine, written by Hugh Johnson, a legend in the English industry.

The book set Ivan on an incredible and exciting journey, one that never ceased once it started. It urged him to explore the renowned wine areas of Europe. After his trip, Ivan came back to plant a vineyard that now is one of the first of the modern-day Canterbury. It was at this time that he married Christine. She, later on, became an integral element to the story of Pegasus Bay.

By the middle of the 1980s, the couple realised the worth that Canterbury had in the industry of winemaking. They grew the property and operations of Pegasus Bay extensively with the help and support of their four sons. The vineyards owned by the winery got planted back in 1985, producing exceedingly low yields per grapevine. They give small berries and loose bunches per harvest.

The vineyards remain in the vicinity of the Teviotdale Range, getting a high level of protection from the easterly breezes of the Pacific. The soil has free drainage properties with low fertility. They help in enhancing the naturally reduced vigour and flavour of the grapevines. It, in turn, helps develop and grow high-quality and juicy grapes ripened to an optimal degree. Wines produced using these fruits can express the characteristics and qualities of their unique setting.

https://www.pegasusbay.com

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