Depth, potential and interest
I’ve had a soft spot for Hawke’s Bay syrah since stumbling upon the Stonecroft cellar door some 30 years ago and discovering the 1989 syrah: the inception wine of our modern syrah category in New...
Food & Wine
Red blends show confidence
Red blends show confidence
The 2018 vintage Gimblett Gravels dozen is split into six blended reds and six syrahs.
Changing times at wineries
Changing times at wineries
Karen and Murray Turner at River-T Wines in the Waitaki have sold "lock, stock and barrel", while there are new owners also for Carrick Wines in Bannockburn.
Pinot gris ascending
Pinot gris ascending
After talking to my regular tasting panel of Collins and McLaren, I’ve decided that I may be the odd one out.
Something for the barbecue
Something for the barbecue
Recent long, warm evenings are crying out for a bit more barbecue action and Mark Henderson shares some Kiwi wines to enjoy.
A tasty look at sav blancs
A tasty look at sav blancs
Mid-January. Depending on where you are as you read this, you may be basking in the glow of summer and dreaming of a cool sav blanc.
Enchanted by pinot noir selection
Enchanted by pinot noir selection
Sometimes, I sit down with my regular tasting buddies, Collins and McLaren, and it just feels like the stars align.
A white Christmas down under
A white Christmas down under
Attending end-of-year events recently was a stark reminder of how fortunate we are to be living in New Zealand with social interaction the norm, while outside our border many countries are doing it...
Regaining favour
Regaining favour
The red grape malbec is a native of France, where it is best known as one of the "so-called" Bordeaux varieties.
A taste for Beaujolais
A taste for Beaujolais
I recently attended a tasting of French wines from a specialist French wine importer based in Auckland.
A Central Otago winner
A Central Otago winner
The Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker 2020 final was recently held at EIT in Hawke’s Bay and congratulations to Ben Toombs - assistant winemaker at Peregrine Wines - who in...
Tickle the urge with chilled rose
Tickle the urge with chilled rose
Warmth, fresh air and the sun caressing the hilltops in a cloudless sky at the end of a busy day begins to tickle the Mark Henderson's urge for a glass of chilled rose.
Cheeky reds belie price points
Cheeky reds belie price points
A RRP (recommended retail price) is reached by adding a percentage mark-up to the "standard price" of a bottle of wine. This can be indicative of the final selling price when a retailer buys a few...
Liqueur Muscats sweet and sticky
Liqueur Muscats sweet and sticky
The Muscat grape comes in many guises, possibly best known here in a number of fizzy, Asti Spumante-style wines from Italy and similar still and fizzy wines from Australia.
Port complex on the palate
Port complex on the palate
Port is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. Its history dates back more than 300 years to the wars between the English and the French, which curtailed the supply of wine from France.
On the trail of tribidrag
On the trail of tribidrag
Mentioning the Croatian red grape tribidrag will likely result in blank looks. Its claim to fame, however, is that it was the end point of a great deal of research and DNA profiling centred around...
New releases tasting chance to get away
New releases tasting chance to get away
Feeling like a wine-focused weekend away? Then the Alexandra Basin Winegrowers Annual New Releases Tasting might be just the push you need.
Pinot noirs on parade
Pinot noirs on parade
Often when I’m deciding on what I’m going to taste for this column, I endeavour to maintain a bit of variety.
A show of diversity
A show of diversity
After making my way through today’s selection, I was left thinking that things are very positive in the world of New Zealand sauvignon blanc.
Experiments give taste buds a romp
Experiments give taste buds a romp
The old adage "variety is the spice of life" is never truer than with today’s selection of New Zealand white wines that include a few lesser-known grape varieties.
