A chance to shine
Regular readers will know that I always taste the wines masked and in random order, but with Riesling there is another task: bundling the wines in levels of dryness/sweetness, which I feel is...
Wine times
Thoughts turning towards spring and summer rose
Thoughts turning towards spring and summer rose
A toasty 20 degrees at the weekend led to thoughts of chilled rose on the deck.
Chardonnays get their day in the sun
Chardonnays get their day in the sun
With two-thirds of today’s chardonnays being from Central Otago, I find myself casting my mind back several years to a time when they were far less ‘‘in demand’’.
A melange of pinot noirs
A melange of pinot noirs
I've mentioned in an earlier column that the 2019 vintage Central pinot noirs are in the majority on the shelves, but there are a number of wineries that hold their wines back for later release and...
Pinot noirs from beyond Otago
Pinot noirs from beyond Otago
As part of the school from home that all families went through during lockdown a wee while back, my wife and I did a little vocabulary exercise with our daughter.
Taste something new this spring
Taste something new this spring
Spring is a time to branch out and explore some of those less common wines that you’ve seen on the shelves, but parked in the back of your mind.
Fuller-bodied red adds warmth to cooler spring nights
Fuller-bodied red adds warmth to cooler spring nights
While there may be an urge to gravitate to springtime whites, there will always be a place for fuller-bodied reds, particularly on those cooler nights.
We can drink zeroes (if just for one day)
We can drink zeroes (if just for one day)
If you’ve been perusing wine aisles recently, you may have noticed growth in low and zero-alcohol wines.
Time to celebrate International Pinot Noir Day
Time to celebrate International Pinot Noir Day
I've said it before and I’ll say it again, ‘I like my job’.
Women in fore in winemaker contest
Women in fore in winemaker contest
What is it about Central Otago that attracts so many young women to the wine industry?
Style from an old Kiwi classic
Style from an old Kiwi classic
Inspired by the Greek god of wind (and their 1965 Mk III Zephyr), Zephyr Wines is very much a family business. The first vines were planted in 1988, and it is now moving to Bio-Gro certified organic.
Impressive variety of styles among recent sauvignon blancs
Impressive variety of styles among recent sauvignon blancs
Exciting for me in the latest collection to taste my very first wine from the 2021 vintage, from the Jules Taylor stable.
A grape by any other name
A grape by any other name
In life you might question someone who goes by an alias, but in the world of grape varieties this is all very commonplace.
Piquette, blends, ambers next trends
Piquette, blends, ambers next trends
Once just a light, lunchtime quaffer for French farm workers, piquette is undergoing a resurgence.
Time for luscious beauties
Time for luscious beauties
Fortified wines in all their guises, which may seem just a bit too full on in the heat of summer, truly come into their own as the temperature falls.
Taking one’s tastebuds on a tour of Central Otago
Taking one’s tastebuds on a tour of Central Otago
One of my regular tasting colleagues was in Central Otago recently and, as one does, managed to fit in a few pleasurable cellar door visits.
Unsung hero living in pinot noir’s shadow
Unsung hero living in pinot noir’s shadow
Today's line-up allowed me to compare a quartet of Central Otago chardonnays with a Hawke’s Bay pairing.
Never too cold for a rose
Never too cold for a rose
Today's collection covers a couple of bases with a trio of rose taking the lead.
Vintage highlights longevity
Vintage highlights longevity
A press release from Pegasus Bay arrived in my inbox recently, celebrating their 30th vintage.
Distillery shows spirited innovation
Distillery shows spirited innovation
Many wine enthusiasts enjoy a wide range of flavour experiences, and boutique spirits fit that bill.