Blend it like Beckham
Some things are made to go together: ham and cheese, Vegemite and avocado, Champagne and oysters - items that are delicious by themselves but form an even more enticing harmony and synergy when...
Food & Wine
Winners cover all the bases
Winners cover all the bases
My inbox is getting its fair share of press releases as results from a swag of recent wine shows go public and are published.
Southern syrahs shine
Southern syrahs shine
My first tasting after an overseas break, with Messrs Collins and McLaren champing at the bit to join me. A line-up of 2016 New Zealand syrah beckoned, covering the gamut of price points, and...
Life through rosé tinted glasses
Life through rosé tinted glasses
It cannot have escaped your notice that spring has, well, sprung.
Pleasing pinots
Pleasing pinots
In putting together today's column, I was struck by the similarity in my scores.
Northern (high)lights
Northern (high)lights
There is a wine term called "developing a cellar palate", which is particularly topical for winery staff, but pertinent for anyone who drinks the same wines over and over again.
Meeting friends, old and new
Meeting friends, old and new
Sitting down to a line-up of Central Otago pinot noirs always brings a smile to my face - there's a little bit of the catching up with an old friend sort of feeling about it for me.
Sumptuous fruity pinot gris
Sumptuous fruity pinot gris
There are times when there's nothing more enticing than the sumptuous fruitiness of a well put together pinot gris, writes Mark Henderson.
Anything but blanc looks
Anything but blanc looks
I have been bouncing around with all manner of wine styles recently, and have possibly neglected the grape variety that has made us famous the world over - sauvignon blanc - so today I will rectify...
Doing the can-can
Doing the can-can
The proliferation of cask wines in the 1970s and '80s proved to be groundbreaking for the wine industry: democratising wine, and making it accessible and affordable.
Pinot noir pleasure
Pinot noir pleasure - tackling a top-quality tasting
My tasting associate Mr Collins and I have been sitting down to a binge of pinot noirs recently ("binge'' - now that's an interesting addition to the collective noun compendium).
Otago rieslings worthy of praise
Otago rieslings worthy of praise
A couple of weekends ago, I had a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday visiting Central Otago cellar doors.
Drinking on the job
Drinking on the job
Wine judge Jim Harre spills on the good and bad parts of drinking for a job. Melissa Nightingale reports.
Muscat works the gamut of wine styles
Muscat works the gamut of wine styles
Geographers, and those with an interest in the Arab world, will recognise Muscat as the capital of Oman.
Wine tutorial promising for industry
Wine tutorial promising for industry
The inaugural Family of Twelve Wine Tutorial recently concluded in Hawke's Bay.
Future leaders put through their paces
Future leaders put through their paces
July is a busy time for young winery and vineyard staff from Central Otago, with competitions taking place.
Newcomers, old favourites doing fantastic work
Newcomers, old favourites doing fantastic work
Something old, something new, something from Bannockburn and Bendigo too.
Going for oak at Tonnellerie Damy
Going for oak at Tonnellerie Damy
Oak barrels are an integral element in many wines, writes Mark Henderson.
Is country of origin still important?
Is country of origin still important?
Nearly a decade ago as the GFC bit, we saw amazing wine specials in our supermarkets, as wineries, eager to shed inventory and gain turnover (in what were difficult times), slashed prices.
Rieslings that hit the 'sweet spot'
Rieslings that hit the 'sweet spot'
After several weeks of winter red-themed columns, it seemed like the right time to break out, and what better than one of my old favourites: riesling.