Q:“Is the glass half empty or half full?”
A: It doesn't matter — there’s room for more wine either way.
All your burning questions answered below.
FAQs
Who is Swift Wines?
It’s us — Lauren and Henry! Our little boy Finn is often out & about with us in a backpack, along with our two sausage dogs. We LOVE to entertain with quality food & wine, so Swift is really just an extension of us. Read our story here.
Where is everything made?
Right here in sunny Hawke’s Bay, arguably New Zealand’s premier wine making region.
Where can I buy Swift Wines?
We’re exclusively online for now (with a membership option coming soon!) but we have big plans for the future — so watch this space. Make sure you’re following us on socials too to see where we’re being poured around NZ.
Some of your wines are pretty out there… how do you come up with these ideas?
Aw thanks —pushing the boundaries of winemaking innovation is fun. We get our ideas from research, travelling, years of experience making wine in New Zealand and overseas, and of course passionately taste testing as many wines as we can (ideally with a group of friends over yummy food!). As much as we enjoy exploring all the wild ideas, we never release a wine we don’t back 100%. At the end of the day we make wines that people love to drink. If it’s not setting our world on fire, it’s probably not going to set yours on fire either. So it’s back to the drawing board.
What’s wine fermentation all about?
The natural fermentation process is what turns grape juice into wine. When yeast is added to grape juice, it consumes the natural sugars and converts them into alcohol. Most winemakers use stainless steel tanks, but we like to do our thing inside the wooden barrel itself. One of our Syrah techniques, for example, involves carefully removing and replacing barrel heads so the barrel itself becomes the fermenter — integrating both the oak & fruit tannins simultaneously for a deeper flavour profile.
Random sided note — fermentation can happen inside animals tummies too! We’ve seen horses laying down absolutely boozed after munching on too many apples. True story.
What’s ‘tannin’?
You know the puckering, mouth-drying sensation that comes with eating an unripe piece of fruit? You’ve just felt the power of tannin! Tannin is a compound found in the skins, seeds, and stalks of grapes — as well as in oak. It helps define a wine's weight (light-bodied, medium-bodied, full-bodied) and keep the flavours persistent.
The interaction of tannin and acid can change the flavour, length and structure of wine. In our Syrah, for example, tannin on tannin makes for a softer tannin (weird but true). Tannin gives structure & colour to reds, but it’s also important in our white wines. Tannin is integrated into the wine by keeping the grape skins on or during the pressing stage —the harder you press, the more tannin you get.
In a nutshell: tannin is a good thing. It gives wine oomph!
Why have you chosen the ‘minimal intervention’ approach? What does this even mean?
It means we turn grapes into wine with as little intervention as possible — because minimal interventions (like additions, fining and filtering) mean maximum varietal expression. Our wines taste slightly different every season, but they always sing with a sense of place. Minimal intervention means the grapes are centre stage. You really cantaste the difference.
How should I store my wine?
Our Fun Wines are best enjoyed as soon as you get them — so round up your mates and drink ‘em up!
The modern classics like Chardonnay and Syrah age beautifully, so if you have a bit of self control (tell us where you got it, would ya?), feel free to stow them away in a dark wardrobe where the temperature doesn't fluctuate too much.
Already opened the bottle? No worries. Wine is best enjoyed the day it’s opened, but it can last for about 3 days if you store it in the fridge (whether it’s red or white) as the cool slows down the oxidation process. Take it out half an hour before pouring your next glass, and you should be good to go.
Where do you ship?
New Zealand wide, at the moment from us directly.
You can now find us via Wine Collective Direct to ship all over the world. Check them out here
How much is shipping?
FREE, if you spend over $149 or sign up to our email list ;)
Otherwise there’s an easy flat rate of $12 across New Zealand.
When will my order arrive?
We pack & ship orders pretty quickly, so about 3 working days if you’re in the North Island and 5 working days for the South Island. You’ll be sent a tracking number via email after purchase, so keep an eye out for that.
I’m based overseas - can I still get my hands on some Swifty goddess?
Maybe (you’ll have to butter us up first!). If you live abroad and want to make a purchase, please get in touch and we can make a plan.
I’ve got more questions. HELP?!
Don’t worry, we could quite possibly chat about wine until the metaphorical and/or physical cows come home. Flick us a note here and we’ll hit you back faster than you can say Chenin Blanc.