Produced as a salute to the beauty of ballet and the fine art of photography, this pinot noir rosé is fruity and lithesome, flowing with raspberry and watermelon and you’ll even find a ribbon of cherry and soft pepper sneaking through. It’s a pure, plucky and crunchy style that’ll have you pirouetting in seconds. Sip … Read More
Current Columns
Allan Scott Scott Base Central Otago Rosé 2017 $26
Ultra-pale and yet it definitely does not pale in the flavour stakes. Bursting with aromas of creaming soda, raspberry and cherry blossom, it’s shimmy-shakes across the palate clad in red berry and soft spicy, pink peppercorn layers. Fresh, frisky and fruity. Sip with: Watermelon panzanella. www.allanscott.com
Yvonne Lorkin Wine Column week beginning Sat 3rd March 2018
When I first really started to get into wine it was back in 1993. I was at University in Christchurch and I got a job waitressing at a restaurant on Cashel Street. It was called Bardelli’s and it was the place to be seen. A dark, broody, moody space it was and with the entire … Read More
Gibson Bridge Botrytis Pinot Gris 2014 375ml $38 (3.5 stars)
Deep amber-coloured, this sticky treat is so named after the sixteen rows of pinot gris grapes that were left on the vine to succumb to the noble botrytis rot. It’s toffee’d and toasty and nutty and has roast apricot, fig and quince characters on the palate. If you have any cavities in your teeth, prepare … Read More
Hihi The Full Monty Gisborne Chardonnay 2017 $15.99 (3 stars)
Aromas of crème brulee, roasted peach, sweet pineapple notes and a lick of luscious oak to round out the spicy notes. Creamy and nutty and plush – it’s a fruit fest on the palate and a total crowd-pleaser. www.winecentral.co.nz
Hopes Grove Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $45
If you’re looking for a violet and bay leaf fest on the nose then you’ve come to the right place. Grown in the limestone-laden soils of Hawke’s Bay’s lesser-known sub-region of Paki Paki, this is a lighter-styled, peppery syrah showing hints of smoke, black tea, boysenberries and leather. It’s just a puppy right now, so … Read More
Maxim Wines Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2016 $29.99
Organically grown syrah from the Gimblett Gravels was handpicked, destemmed into an open top fermenter, fermented with wild yeast then left on its skins for 20 days before being pressed straight into 33% new oak barrels where it slept like a baby for a year before bottling. But is it any good? Oh lordy yes. … Read More
Petane Station Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $36
There’s some serious floral intensity going on in this succulent syrah, it’s like florals pashing peppercorns boysenberries, cherries and liquorice. Philip Barber is the winemaking talent behind this inky-purple, Esk Valley-based brand and he’s a fan of elegance and soft, peppery persistence of flavour in his syrah – and so am I. Sip with: sizzling … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Canvas Column Feb 24 2018
Never seen the word ‘pashing’ in a wine review? Oh it’ll happen. Sooner rather than later… Hopes Grove Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $45 If you’re looking for a violet and bay leaf fest on the nose then you’ve come to the right place. Grown in the limestone-laden soils of Hawke’s Bay’s lesser-known sub-region of … Read More
Loveblock Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2014 $21.99 (4.5 stars)
I love the burst of lychee and honeysuckle and sweet citrus you get as soon as you drop your nose into the glass. Crafted by Kim and Erica Crawford from fruit grown with buckets of love in the middle of the Awatere Valley, this certified organic wine is absolutely heaving with luscious stonefruit and magical, … Read More