Putangi Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019

8 March 2020By Yvonne

Putangi Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $24 Putangi was the name of the dingy that pioneering conservationist Richard Henry used in 1894 to ferry endangered birds to the safety of Resolution Island in Dusky Sound.  Saving the kiwi, the kakapo and hundreds of our rarest birds, he was truly ahead of his time, and the … Read More

Neck of the Woods Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018

4 March 2020By Yvonne

Neck of the Woods Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018 $38 Neck of the Woods is the brainchild of AJ Johnson, a long-time television industry professional who got the wine bug bad and set about securing sites that’d deliver pinot noir that wasn’t “mass-produced sh*t”.  This vintage hails from two Bendigo vineyards, one on a flat … Read More

Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2017

2 March 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2017 $39.99 Wow and what-the-blazes and woah Nelly!  This chardonnay is all about a-hollerin’ and a-hootin’ to the world how exceptionally fantastic the Gimblett Gravels is at turning out clean yet character-packed chardonnay that handles oak like a brain surgeon, light-fingered yet powerfully in tune with what they’re working … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017

2 March 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 $23.99 If you’re able to get your hands on this vintage then you’re a lucky sausage – because there’s precious little available and yet it’s drinking SOOOOO (that’s 5 ‘o’s so it’s a banger)  nicely.  Smooth and cherry-driven, layered with black tea and cocoa and showing a luscious … Read More

Te Awanga Estate Quarter Acre Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018

2 March 2020By Yvonne

Te Awanga Estate Quarter Acre Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 $49.99 I’m convinced Rod McDonald, winemaker and owner of Te Awanga Estate, actually has syrah running through is veins instead of blood.  He’s so intuitive with each vintage, it’s like he and those grapes have telepathic connections that work to create deliciousness in the bottle every … Read More

Millton Riverpoint Vineyard Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2015

28 February 2020By Yvonne

Millton Riverpoint Vineyard Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2015 $26 Righto.  So it’s to be kind of expected that a wild and woolly, funky and frisky, organically, biodynamically produced gewurztraminer will look, smell and taste different to the norm.  This is what you’ll find in the Millton 2015.  Bronze-coloured in the glass and offering manuka honey, fusel, spice … Read More

Summerhouse Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019

26 February 2020By Yvonne

Summerhouse Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $16.99 It’s a tropical nirvana of guava, passionfruit, pineapple, papaya and plane-loads of punchy citrus for good measure.  It’s exactly the style of sauvignon blanc that will wow the crowds and please the masses and bring the grins.  Ripe, fleshy and riddled with wham-a-lam-a-ding-dong deliciousness for under twenty bucks that … Read More

Te Awanga Estate Quarter Acre Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018

25 February 2020By Yvonne

Te Awanga Estate Quarter Acre Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 $49.99 Te Awanga Estate’s owner Rod McDonald, has been named in the inaugural ‘Master Winemaker 100’ list, a prestigious who’s who of top global winemakers compiled by reputable magazine the drinks business (UK) – so what you’re holding in your hand is a glass of his … Read More

Kererū Tommancho Ancho Chili & Smoked Nectarine Golden Ale

25 February 2020By Yvonne

Kererū Tommancho Ancho Chili & Smoked Nectarine Golden Ale 500ml $8 I thought about whether 5 minutes of my time was best spent doing something productive or whether that time would be better used to fang out to the fridge in the shed to grab a bottle of the brand new Kererū Tommancho Ancho Chili … Read More