We always expect so much from the ‘other reds’ class and while it rarely delivers in terms of the number of entries, it usually delivers something very interesting and delicious. Of course, as wine professionals our judges love to see the ‘other’ stuff as it represents the things that we don’t usually taste unless we actively seek them out. In New Zealand there are very few who can afford to distribute the less than obvious wines as it’s a costly endeavour and we are living in uncertain economic times. Those who seek out the weird and wondrous of the wine world are usually smaller players and in times of uncertainty the smaller players can be vulnerable when making fun decisions to try to impress the few who seek something a bit ‘other’. That said, we carry on, fully committed. The numbers might be small, but the results are beautiful wines that we hope you enjoy with gusto.