It is very pleasing to see the growth of Californian wines available in the New Zealand market. For many years the wines from one of the most important vignobles in the world were well underrepresented in this country, bar for some of the most expensive or the cheapest. The mid-range which offers varietal expression, character and good value is now being explored by the adventurous wine distributors, such as Procure Liquor, who import the McManis Family Vineyards range. A broad range of this brand has been brought into New Zealand for the last four years, very successfully, as continuing demand grows. Here, I review the new release 2017 McManis ‘River Junction’ California Chardonnay. www.mcmanisfamilyvineyards.comwww.procureliquor.co.nz