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Why wineries are in the pink
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Why wineries are in the pink
The rosé category is fast growing, with many, many wineries upping production to meet demand.
Wine times
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Summer sips for the savvy spender
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Summer sips for the savvy spender
The November and early December weather didn’t exactly shine with the promise of warm, sunny evenings where you’d want to fire up the BBQ, but I remain hopefully optimistic.
It's Christmas - break out the bubbly
It's Christmas - break out the bubbly
‘Tis the season to drink bubbly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
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Wanaka Riesling takes top trophy
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Wanaka Riesling takes top trophy
The National Wine Awards of Aotearoa is the country’s newest and only national wine show taking the place of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, Romeo Bragato Wine Awards and Royal Easter Wine Awards.
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Sherry - not just for nana
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Sherry - not just for nana
Sherry can be challenging for the uninitiated, but there's lots to enjoy about this fortified wine this Christmas.
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Not all just about the year
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Not all just about the year
Today's collection rounds up a number of Otago Pinot Noirs tasted over a couple of sessions that have been waiting for their moment in the sun.
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A clutch of Kiwi Chardonnays and a solo act from France
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A clutch of Kiwi Chardonnays and a solo act from France
I’m writing the preamble to this particular column from a typically bright and sunny Central Otago (the wines were tasted in Dunedin earlier).
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Awards reflect changing trends
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Awards reflect changing trends
Supermarkets aren’t always trend-setters, but they are exceptionally good at analysing and recognising trends, while tailoring their offerings to consumer demand.
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Pinots from beyond extend our Otago ‘cellar palate’
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Pinots from beyond extend our Otago ‘cellar palate’
There is an old wine phrase dubbed "having a cellar palate".
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Dry and sweeter Rieslings can get better with age
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Dry and sweeter Rieslings can get better with age
I was chatting to a Riesling-loving friend recently and he bemoaned having cellared some older dry Kiwi Rieslings back in the day when the accepted thinking was that they would age with grace.
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Sauvignons delivery zesty appeal in tough vintage
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Sauvignons delivery zesty appeal in tough vintage
Following a trio of strong vintages, there’s no doubt that Marlborough vintners had a much tougher time in 2022 with a colder, wetter season keeping them on their toes.
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A mixed bag for those who like a bit of variety
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A mixed bag for those who like a bit of variety
As a wine obsessive with a background in wine retail, I’m always fascinated by people’s choices.
Would you like a sweetie?
Would you like a sweetie?
A snippet of news during the recent heatwave in England caught my attention.
Pocket and palate pleasers
Pocket and palate pleasers
Inflationary pressures continue to be with us this year and wine hasn’t avoided this shift either, with both imported and domestic labels seeing price increases.
Taylors Wines launches Family Flagship Releases
Taylors Wines launches Family Flagship Releases
Taylors Wines from the Clare Valley in Australia held a webinar to launch their Family Flagship Releases with yours truly joining more than 100 wine industry attendees from Australasia and Asia.
Agreeing to disagree when it comes to chardonnay
Agreeing to disagree when it comes to chardonnay
Regular readers will know that my two tasting buddies Collins and McLaren regularly sit in on these tastings.
Competition congratulations
Competition congratulations
The Central Otago section of the 2022 Corteva Young Viticulturist competition recently took place at Otago Polytechnic’s Bannockburn campus; the evening dinner and speech component held at Carrick Winery.
Zesty, tangy Sauvignon Blanc awakens the senses
Zesty, tangy Sauvignon Blanc awakens the senses
Sauvignon Blanc has been dubbed our "hero" grape variety as it is not only enormously popular domestically, but also our key wine export by some considerable margin.
A classy all-Central pinot noir line-up
A classy all-Central pinot noir line-up
Readers sometimes ask how I go about choosing the wines that grace this column.
A veritable ‘Forrest’ of grape varieties
A veritable ‘Forrest’ of grape varieties
The mists of time tend to cloud one’s memories, but my first exposure to Forrest wines must have been the late 1990s when I was working for a (now closed) Dunedin wine store.