Kina Cliffs Nelson Pinot Noir 2013 $30 ★★★★ The instant I stuck my nose inside the glass, I was met with a whoomph of cherry-chocolate, smoked coconut, dried herb and peppery plushness. It’s been sixteen years since Julie and Alistair Ashcroft purchased their 4.5 hectare block overlooking Tasman Bay and twelve years since the vines … Read More
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Pegasus Bay Waipara Barrique Fermented Noble Semillon Sauvignon 2011 375ml
Pegasus Bay Waipara Barrique Fermented Noble Semillon Sauvignon 2011 375ml $37 Wow! I love the amber-topaz colour of this glossy dessert wine. It smells like honey drizzled over oatcakes and there’s an exotic toffee note cloaking baked stonefruit and an intense sweetness encasing a monster 14.5% alcohol. Wild yeast fermented and aging for two years … Read More
Theory & Practice Gisborne Chardonnay 2014
Theory & Practice Gisborne Chardonnay 2014 $19.95 ★★★★ Crafted by Ant McKenzie, (wine consultant to the stars) and his viticulturist brother Bryce, this is a cracker of a chardonnay that’s jam-packed with juicy tropical fruit and grilled citrus notes alongside caramelised, toasty characters and edged with creamy, custard square pastry-like notes. Fresh and tangy. To … Read More
Goodwill & great wine at auction
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Tue 8 Dec 2015 Back on November 14th the Hawke’s Bay wine community achieved something rather incredible. They sold a record $141,000.00 worth of wine and gave every cent to Cranford Hospice in Hastings at the 24th Annual Hawke’s Bay Wine Auction. Cranford is one of the leading palliative care … Read More
A Tasty Trifecta for under $20
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Sat 1 Aug 2015 It’s about that time of year when couples the length and breadth of the country start to freak out because their spring wedding is just around the corner and they still haven’t organised the drinks for the reception! If your budget happens to be on the … Read More
Don’t ignore 2012’s from Hawke’s Bay
An email arrived halfway through January from Michael Henley, CEO of Trinity Hill Wines. “Trinity Hill are releasing our 2012 Gimblett Gravels wines and I was wondering if you would be interested in receiving some samples?” “Save your samples”, I wrote back, “I’m actually in Hawke’s Bay right now and I’m happy to pop over … Read More
Chefs Create ‘Zealous Passion’Tribute to Noel Crawford
MEDIA RELEASE NZ Top chefs join for top dinner Avid foodies will have to be quick to get tickets as some of New Zealand’s best chefs create a four-course dinner on 30th August 2014 in celebration of their friend and colleague the late Noel Crawford. But that’s not all. Their purchase will raise funds … Read More
Boost your wine know-how on a Budget
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked “How can I get better at tasting wine and deciding what styles I like?” This one is easy to answer. You’ve got to practise. Taste anything and everything you’re exposed to and soon grasshopper, it will all become clear which types of wines will … Read More
Sauternes 2001 Library Tasting
Library Tasting of 2001 Sauternes Here’s your chance to be one of the privileged few to taste 12 of the greatest sweet wines (including Ch. D’Yquem) from “Perhaps the greatest Sauternes vintage in modern times” according to Jancis Robinson MW. Held in Wellington, at the Tasting Room at Regional Wines & Spirits at 6pm, Thursday … Read More
Go Go Greystone!
If you thought great New Zealand pinot noir only poured out of Central Otago, then here’s a nugget of knowledge for you. Waipara is fast becoming where it’s at. Well, this week it was anyway, with the announcement that the Greystone ‘Brothers Reserve’ 2012 ($69) scooped the prestigious International Pinot Noir Trophy at the Decanter … Read More