Has it been six years? Really? When I first met Kirsten and Richard Searle they were a fresh-faced young couple bursting with nervous excitement having just taken possession of the iconic Matawhero Wines in Gisborne. It was 2008, they had three babies, a whopping mortgage, a rundown, rambling wine estate and wide-eyed dreams for the … Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Hawke’s Bay releases the nation’s first 2014 “Sauvy” Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand – April 1st 2014 – Marlborough may be the home of Sauvignon Blanc but this year Hawke’s Bay is its home-away-from-home, as the first Sauvignon Blanc of the season hits the market today care of local winery Moana Park. The “Crush … Read More
The team at Lake Chalice Wines love spicy food. So much so, that it has created an entire range of wines designed specifically to serve with dishes of all chilli levels. The wines are classed into four distinct “flavour” categories. The first, Spice Trail Hot, is a blend of riesling, gruner veltliner and a splash … Read More
As soon as the temperature climbs into the 20s, Kiwis abandon the confines of the kitchen table and turn to the art of eating outdoors. Ah, the joys of picnicking. I mean, what’s not to love? The inevitable sand that finds its way on to your food, sticky-footed flies hovering doggedly just out of swatting … Read More
I don’t usually post press releases verbatim – but this just came through and I think it’s rather cool… 27 November 2013 MEDIA RELEASE – PYRAMID VALLEY VINEYARDS A small high-end winery in North Canterbury is set to become the first wine business in the southern hemisphere to accept bitcoin payment to make transactions easier … Read More
This week I set myself a challenge to see if I could find six decent wines for under $60. There’s deep discounting going on left right and sideways out there in supermarketland at the moment, so it shouldn’t be too hard I thought. Because of the nature of my job, I do get to taste … Read More
Scarred by memories of clinging to the toilet bowl after one too many Marque Vues in the sun one troublesome, teenage summer, I thought my taste for sweet, fizzy wine had died a dreary death in recent decades. But the warming of the soil and the blossoming of spring flowers has sparked a desire deep … Read More
Last August was the 40th anniversary of the very first grape vines to be planted in Marlborough’s Brancott Valley. More than 1100ha were planted (by hand and by the sight of a rifle to ensure straight rows) in a smorgasbord of varieties, including riesling sylvaner, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and one nobody had really heard … Read More
A Year in Burgundy Now on VOD & DVD “Tender and real. It shows the hard work, the travails and tribulations of working the soil for a living.” — Wine Spectator VOD Streaming — Watch Now! A YEAR IN BURGUNDY is available now on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video and all other leading VOD platforms internationally. … Read More
Sacred Hill Helmsman 2010 $85 ★★★★★ My first taste of this wine was a few years before the millennium and back then I was told the name represented something that led the way that stood ahead of the pack and steered you in the right direction. A Helmsman is released only in years when the … Read More