Food & Wine

A recent Sunday afternoon saw 15 friends and wine-lovers crowd my lounge to take part in the annual Blind Chicken Wine Options competition, Mark Henderson writes.

Mark Henderson savours some fine wine from Central Otago.

Recent years have seen more and more talk of sub-regionality in Central Otago: so rather than a Central style, we should think of the wines from Bannockburn, or Bendigo, Gibbston or Alexandra as being quite distinct, reviewer Mike Henderson says.

I recently attended a masterclass of d'Arenberg wines with winemaker Toby Porter. D'Arenberg is one of Australia's "First Families of Wine'', with four generations of family ownership dating back over 100 years, and is based a short drive south of Adelaide in McLaren Vale.

When it comes to serving wine it pays to read the label, reviewer Mark Henderson finds.  

This week reviewer Mark Henderson enjoys some very drinkable chardonnay.

As a relatively new vine-growing and wine-making nation, we are still working out what grows best where, reviewer Mark Henderson writes.

Mike Henderson savours some different flavours when it comes to pinot noir.

This week, reviewer Mark Henderson samples pinot gris - a variety growing in popularity and an important part of the wine industry.

This week, Mark Henderson samples wines on the sweeter side.

One of the nice things about reviewing a group of (in the main) "second label'' wines is that they are generally made in good volumes, making them widely and easily available, reviewer Mark Henderson writes.

Wine reviewer Mark Henderson samples some sauvignon blanc.

Wine reviewer Mark Henderson tries some different wines.

Wine reviewer Mark Henderson samples some riesling.

Wine reviewer Mark Henderson enjoys some chardonnays.