Strong start for ‘strange’ gin

Finding a use for the spirits from a popular zero-alcohol wine has seen a unique gin launched by a Marlborough winery.

Upon tasting the spirits removed from some of their popular wines using specialist spinning cone technology, Giesen bosses decided it was too good to waste.

And Giesen have gone against the grain with their wine-based gin – spinning off a boutique company to market and sell the premium spirit, Strange Nature.

Spirits manager Shannon Dimbleby says the gin has had a great reception.

“We’ve been blown away with the response in not even two weeks,” Shannon says.

“The gin category is so competitive.

“Having a premium gin that tells such a unique story is exciting.”

The spinning cone process is gentle, preserving the aroma and flavours of the Sauvignon Blanc wine as the alcohol is removed. Giesen Group general manager Kyle Skene says it took 18 months of experimentation – trialling a range of botanicals and taste testing each batch.

“The winning recipe was the one that allowed the aroma and flavour to jump out of the bottle,” he says.

“We tried all sorts of combinations of botanicals. In the end, we realised the Sauvignon Blanc aroma and flavour captured in the spirit tasted so good that we only needed a single botanical – juniper.

“The result is a unique gin with real provenance. The fact we’ve grown the grapes and made the wine before we even think about crafting the gin means we know our spirit inside and out.”