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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Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2020

11 June 2025

Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2020 $39 Crafted from small parcels of fruit sourced from Mt D’s Lowburn vineyards, this glossily golden chardonnay roars with roast nectarine, grilled grapefruit, buckets of toasted almonds, creamy complexity and bursts of buttery goodness. Beautifully balanced, nougat-nuanced oak notes combine with refreshing acidity and “drink me” personality … Read More

Soljans Barrique Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021

11 June 2025

Soljans Barrique Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021 $34 Bright and energetically spicy, this has classic Hawske’s Bay pepper, violet and plum signatures and boasts a smooth, soothing, savoury core. 2021 was a cracker of a vintage in Hawke’s Bay and this Syrah fits very nicely into that reputation. Juicy, refreshing and long on flavour. Soljans

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023

11 June 2025

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 $42 Fruit harvested from Rockburn’s Gibbston Valley Back Road vineyard and their Parkburn vineyard has been shepherded from berry to bottle by winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis, and every sip contains his signature, gum-tingling style. Prepare for baked rhubarb, dark cherry, 5-spice, black tea and redcurrant characters to wash across your … Read More

Garo’vin Lulu Berlue Loire Valley Rouge 2022

11 June 2025

Garo’vin Lulu Berlue Loire Valley Rouge 2022 $41 This blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Cabernet Franc and  20% Grolleau from the Loire Valley has a feral wildness about it which will appeal to anyone that hankers for dusty, earthy complexity in their wines, wines with walnutty, flavours, wines which challenge the norm. Vegetal, funky … Read More

Jenny Dobson Queen of Redness

9 June 2025

BayBuzz Magazine June 5th 2025 You’ve no doubt heard of the Ice Queen, and you’ve possibly heard of the Queen of Darkness, but you may not know that right here in Hawke’s Bay we have our own Queen of Redness. She’s Jenny Dobson. It’s a well-deserved, monarch-like moniker following her legendary achievements making fine reds … Read More

Soljan’s Kumeu Pinot Gris 2024

6 June 2025

Soljan’s Kumeu Pinot Gris 2024 $25 Ah, West Auckland. Holdens, leggings, Jim Beam singlets, dreamcatchers, roll-your-owns, beers from a crate, and AC/DC on high rotation. What’s not to love? It also has vineyards growing glorious pinot gris plush with nashi, nutmeg, pear, and perky crabapple notes alongside super-fresh textures. The team at Soljans has been … Read More

Mazuran’s Directors Hawke’s Bay Shiraz 2020

27 May 2025

Mazuran’s Directors Hawke’s Bay Shiraz 2020 $85 Softly styled and moving into its maturing years, this shiraz/syrah shows classic blackcurrant, plum and green peppercorn characters on the nose and smoky, spiced cherry characters on the palate. Slightly short, however there’s a leather-like layer developing in the mid-palate which accentuates its earthy finish. Mazurans

Moko Hills Bendigo Pinot Noir 2022

27 May 2025

Moko Hills Bendigo Pinot Noir 2022 $59 Donald van der Westhuizen clearly has Pinot Noir roaring through his veins as evidenced by his eking out bottles of brilliance from the schisty slopes of Bendigo. His 2022 vintage is unfined, unfiltered and scented with smoked cherry, freshly sliced rhubarb, white pepper and sous bois sensations (which … Read More

Mazuran’s The Governor’s Cellar Gisborne Blanc de Blanc NV

27 May 2025

Mazuran’s The Governor’s Cellar Gisborne Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay NV $65 Gisborne is New Zealand’s spiritual home for Chardonnay, meaning it’s also the home of the base wine for countless kiwi sparkling styles. This is a wine maturing into its lemon pith and brazil-nut spectrum. Very golden in the glass and travelling into its tertiary … Read More

Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Gris 2024

26 May 2025

Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Gris 2024 $22 Classically structured style here from an absolute guru of gris. On the nose there’s a subtle lift of persimmon, nashi, white pepper, soft peach, apple and a lick of feijoa – all of which osmose onto the palate leaving a fresh, energetic impression and a general “oh yum”. … Read More

Martinborough Vineyard Home Block Martinborough Chardonnay 2021

26 May 2025

Martinborough Vineyard Home Block Martinborough Chardonnay 2021 $39 Re-tasting this two years after release, all I can say is that if you have this in your cellar, see it on a wine list or discover a bottle hidden away on a shop shelf then dive in!! Oh lord, today this wine is overdelivering in every … Read More

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2023

23 May 2025

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2023 $35-$39 From one of the most challenging vintages Hawke’s Bay has ever seen, where Cyclone Gabrielle roared through the region and devastated so many vineyards and dumped an unholy amount of rain just a week or two before harvest was due to begin. Fortunately Trinity’s Chardonnay grows in the … 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.