I’m super-proud to be the co-founder and CTO (Chief Tasting Officer) of WineFriend, the greatest personalised wine delivery service in all the land. Founded in 2015, we match wine to people. We help our subscribers navigate the crazy-vast number of wines out there in the marketplace by pairing them with wines that only suit their individual tastes. Wines that are delicious, unique and definitely not seen in your average supermarket. Read more about WineFriend

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Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2024 

23 February 2026

Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2024 $24.99 2024 is proving to be an absolute banger of a vintage for Hawke’s Bay reds, and I think this example is one of the best-value merlots on the market right now. Grown in their Gimblett Stones vineyard, this wine is a smoky sensation that’s rich, dense and yet … Read More

Valli Waitaki Valley North Otago Pinot Gris 2025

21 February 2026

Valli Waitaki Valley North Otago Pinot Gris 2025 $30 Ultra-crisp and bursting with freshly sliced apple, white peach, white pepper and nashi niceness. Cleansing, floral and buoyantly bright and boasting a marathon-like finish. Another magical Grant Taylor-made wine. More please! Valli

Te Mata Estate Hawke’s Bay Coleraine 2024

18 February 2026

Te Mata Estate Hawke’s Bay Coleraine 2024 $175 If there’s one way of describing the 40th vintage of Coleraine, a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, it’d be that it’s scented with gunflint and smoked blueberry, delicate graphite dust, black olive and freshly bitten liquorice. On the palate, it offers … Read More

Latour-Martillac Lacroix-Martillac AOC Pessac-Léognan 2018

29 January 2026

Latour-Matillac Lacroix-Martillac AOC Pessac-Léognan 2018 $56 Who says you need to pay hundreds of dollars for good Bordeaux? Not me! Definitely not after tasting this cocoa-dusted, tobacco-crammed blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 60% Merlot. Grown in a vineyard located on the plateau above the village of Martillac, it’s stacked with dark fruit, layers of liquorice, … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2023

27 January 2026

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2023 $20 Deliciously rich and softly smoky, this is an ultra-ripe style, typical of Hawke’s Bay’s warmer, Northern climate. Bursting with peach, lemon zest, bruised basil and lime notes laced with a hint of marzipan typical of a splash of barrel fermentation. Delicious. Mills Reef

Misty Cove Tamāhine Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024

20 January 2026

Misty Cove Tamāhine Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 $35 Named after the first ferry connecting New Zealand’s North and South Island, this is a stylishly crafted fumé blanc, where beautifully balanced French oak fermentation cloaks fresh apple, watercress, peach and passionfruit plushness. Soft white pepper, marzipan, pollen and bruised basil add extra layers of complexity to … Read More

Misty Cove Landmark Gisborne Albarino 2025

20 January 2026

Misty Cove Landmark Gisborne Albarino 2025 $25 If you’re a fan of green apple intensity, lime zest, elderflower and hints of honeysuckle, then you’ve skated into the right cul-de-sac with this shiny new Albarino. Grown in New Zealand’s birthplace of Albarino, Gisborne turns out some of the best examples in the country – and that’s … Read More

Misty Cove Rock Daisy Marlborough Pinot Noir 2025

16 January 2026

Misty Cove Rock Daisy Marlborough Pinot Noir 2025 $25 Designed with Summer in mind, this is a bright, light, juicy Pinot Noir that’s perky and punchy when popped in the fridge and serve chilled. Named after the native flower clinging to the cliffs of the Marlborough Sounds, it’s crafted in a vibrant Nouveau style and … Read More

Rock Ferry Trig Hill Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022

2 January 2026

Rock Ferry Trig Hill Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022 $45 Tom and Fiona Hutchison are the talented twosome behind the certified organic, biodynamically-farmed Rock Ferry vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago, and their wine director, Allan McWilliams, has been making wine for Tom Hutchinson and Fiona Harvey at Rock Ferry since they began in the mid-2000s. … Read More

Rock Ferry Trig Hill Central Otago Tempranillo 2022

2 January 2026

Rock Ferry Trig Hill Central Otago Tempranillo 2022 $50 Fiona and Tom Hutchison created Rock Ferry back in 2005 and developed the organic, Central Otago-based Trig Hill vineyard at the same time. It’s beyond a stretch for most to attempt growing this Spanish staple in the southernmost wine region of the world — but shiver … Read More

Two Rivers Clos Des Pierres Marlborough Chardonnay 2024

1 January 2026

Two Rivers Clos Des Pierres Marlborough Chardonnay 2024 $27-$32 Crafted from some of the oldest Mendoza-clone vines in Marlborough, this new Chardonnay is deliciously toasty, roasty, packed with golden, ripe peach and edged with fragrant grapefruit and creamy, brulee and oatmeal characters. It’s a Chardonnay that winemaker Dave Clouston can be rightly proud of. Sophisticated, … Read More

Rua Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024

31 December 2025

Rua Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024 $28 Prepare for the subtle scent of baked cherries and the aroma of thyme, rubbed between your palms. The scent of wild rhubarb, baking spices and raspberry. They merge into a flavour spectrum of redcurrant, black tea, and exotic spices, with textures that are fleshy and lithe, and a … Read More

Thirsty Work is a television show that unearths some of the personalities behind New Zealand’s successful and innovative Wine and Beverage Industry. Originally broadcast on Food TV (SKY ch.9) then on TV3 with subsequent eps on Amazon Prime, Thirsty Work soaks up New Zealand’s beverage landscape.  Not just vineyards, but barrel halls, tank rooms, cellar doors, wine stores, supermarkets, breweries and backyard vignerons.

Missed Series 4 of Thirsty Work? Fret not, just  click  here to zoom directly to view on demand.