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. 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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Lowburn Ferry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

September 24, 2023

Lowburn Ferry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $115 Presented in a gift box inscribed with ‘150’ as a nod to 150 years of continual human interaction with the land which is now home to a biodynamically-farmed vineyard where regenerative farming is now the norm. A 1ha parcel from the original 23yo vines in … Read More

Penfold’s Max’s Adelaide Hills Rosé 2022

September 13, 2023

Penfold’s Max’s Adelaide Hills Rosé 2022 $35-$40 Crafted from pinot noir fruit grown in the Adelaide Hills and sitting at Bin Range level, this rosé has a stylishly dry yet generously juicy mid-palate and aromas of soft redcurrant, cherry, and pink peppercorn merge with soft salinity and deliver an attractively lengthy finish. Stockist Video Review

Rapaura Springs Rohe Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022

September 10, 2023

Rapaura Springs ‘Rohe’ Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022 $35 You’re immediately struck by intense florals on the first sip, exotic, spicy tones and layers of pot pourri. Lush, soothing, lightly coloured yet generously proportioned, this pinot bursts with crushed rhubarb, red cherry and smooth berry tea flavours. The tannins are youthful and nicely clingy … Read More

Giesen 0% Sparkling Brut

September 9, 2023

Giesen 0% Sparkling Brut $20.99 Hands down this is one of the best zero alc sparkling wines I’ve ever tasted. Crafted from a blend of sauvignon blanc and pinot gris which has been put through a spinning cone system of dealcoholisation, this sparkling has soft lemon and pear notes, a generous mid-palate mouthfeel and boasts … Read More

Rockburn Twelve Barrels Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

September 8, 2023

Rockburn Twelve Barrels Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 $99 Wow. This is one of those wines that cause you to stop, stare into the distance and contemplate the beauty in nature, the mastery of man and the meaning of life. It also makes you wonder if winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis isn’t some sort of warlock of … Read More

Valli Bendigo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

September 7, 2023

Valli Bendigo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $65-$75 A powerfully structured pinot noir comprised of a mix of Abel, 115, UCD 5, 667 and  777 clone fruit grown in the Chinaman’s Terrace where 65% of it was fermented hot (30°C) in 31% new French oak barrels, where it spent a quiet, sleepy 11.5 months maturing … Read More

Te Mata Hawke’s Bay Bullnose Syrah 2020

September 7, 2023

Te Mata Hawke’s Bay Bullnose Syrah 2020 $68-$80 One of New Zealand’s true icons, not just for Syrah but for wine in general. Grown in the iron-rich soils of the Bridge Pa Triangle, Te Mata’s Bullnose vineyard, is a 15-hectare site planted in 1990 and it’s home to former winemaker Peter Cowley and his family. … Read More

Trinity Hill 125 The Gimblett Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021

September 4, 2023

Paired with Baked Brie with honey, walnuts and thyme in the NZ Herald Canvas Drinks matches Sept 9th 2023 Trinity Hill 125 The Gimblett Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 $80  Deeply golden in the glass, this roasty, toasty, citrus-centric chardonnay was hand-harvested fruit from Trinity’s “Tin Shed” vineyard, gently pressed then fermented with wild yeasts in a … Read More

Village Vineyards Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020

August 31, 2023

Village Vineyards Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020 $30 Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives. I love spending time in our Auckland office because people put names on the food in the fridge which is really quaint. Right now I’m eating some spag bol called ‘Debbie’. It needs salt. This merlot … Read More

Black Cottage Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022

August 31, 2023

Black Cottage Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022 $20 20% of the fruit has been added into the ferment as whole bunches by winemaker Sanna Stander and this has given the wine extra plushness and silkiness in the palate. It’s an easy-breezy style from fruit sourced from Marlborough’s Southern Valleys that shows soft rhubarb, raspberry and redcurrant … Read More

Massey Dacta Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022

August 31, 2023

Massey Dacta Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022 $19 Named after the Glover family’s red Massey Ferguson family tractor – known to the kids as the ‘Massey Dacta’, this wine is an excellent introduction to good pinot engineering.  And like that farm workhorse, this wine gets the job done and creates an immediate impression, rolling soft cherry … Read More

Massey Dacta Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023

August 31, 2023

Massey Dacta Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 $19 Lemon? check. Passionfruit? check. Peach? check. Green herbs? check. Lime zest and grassy notes? checkitty check. Named after the way the little Glover brothers used to pronounce the word ‘tractor’, this wine is a tribute to their faithful family farm Massey Ferguson. These days they’re grown men, who … 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. Broadcast on Food TV (SKY ch.9), 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.