27 Seconds North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2020

24 June 2022By Yvonne

27 Seconds North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2020 $24.99 Pete and Alanna Chapman named their Waipara-grown wine 27seconds, after a UNICEF statistic estimating that 1.2 million children are sold into slavery annually, breaking down to one child every 27 seconds. Today 100% of their profits are donated to help survivors of human trafficking. Their certified organic … Read More

Lime Rock Kota Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020

21 June 2022By Yvonne

Lime Rock Kota Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020 $28 If you thought the oyster shell on the label was large, wait until you see one of these ‘kota’ shells in real life! They’ve got one on display in their tiny cellar door and it is literally as big as this bottle. No joke. The … Read More

Yealands Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020

18 June 2022By Yvonne

Yealands Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 $27 Red apple, tamarillo and cherry aromatics all wash through onto the palate of this super-smooth pinot noir. Fresh, youthful yet showing some density and weight, and finely tuned tannins to finish. A ribbon of smoke curls around the core of spice rather nicely. Paired with: Indonesian Style Coconut … Read More

Pyramid Valley Colours Collection North Canterbury Rosé 2021

1 June 2022By Yvonne

Pyramid Valley Colours Collection North Canterbury Rosé 2021 $39.99 Crafted from some of the oldest, organically, biodynamically-grown pinot noir vines in New Zealand, this rosé comes from their growers in Waipara, North Canterbury, and the image on the label is of mallow flower, a plant endemic in Pyramid’s vineyards and gardens. I love how delicately … Read More

Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020

24 May 2022By Yvonne

Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 $35 Paired with Annabel Langbein’s Spicy Duck Noodle bowl recipe in NZ Herald Canvas Sat 28th May 2022 Ah 1994. Nancy Kerrigan got kneecapped, Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s president, Michael Jackson married Lisa-Marie Presley, and we used Netscape Navigator to browse the newfangled internet thing. It’s also when Sue … Read More

Gold Digger Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

23 May 2022By Yvonne

Gold Digger Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $29.99 Years ago I bought a hobby horse for my little niece and told her it could be her noble steed, but she misheard and named it ‘My Noble Steve’. I never corrected her and Steve served her well. As will a serving of this gentle beast from … Read More

The Darling ‘Arnst’ Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

17 May 2022By Yvonne

The Darling ‘Arnst’ Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $49 This organic, unfined, unfiltered pinot noir is named after Bart Arnst, one-half of the power-pioneer duo of organic kiwi wine growing, Darling wines. Together with business partner Chris Darling, he’s sourced a parcel of superb Central Otago fruit to create a style bursting with tamarillo, rhubarb, … Read More

Black Quail Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

16 May 2022By Yvonne

Black Quail Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $49 This new release from the small, Bannockburn  vineyard owned by Rod and Mirani Keillor is garnet-red, scented with soft spices and subtle rhubarb, raspberry and cherry notes and lightly-styled on the palate. If you’re looking for a punch-in-the-face pinot then you’ve come to the wrong cul-de-sac my … Read More

Carrick Pot de Fleur Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

27 April 2022By Yvonne

Carrick Pot de Fleur Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $28-$36   Paired with Annabel Langbein’s Manti- Turkish dumplings NZ Herald Canvas Sat 30 April 2022 Spicy, sheepy morsels like these just sing out for a succulently funky, ‘natural’ pinot noir, and this Southern example has that in unfined, unfiltered, organic, spades. Winemaker Rosie Menzies has … Read More

Black Quail  Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018

20 April 2022By Yvonne

Black Quail  Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018 $49 Grown on the ultra-prestigious Felton Road (the Paritai Drive of Central Otago vineyard addresses), this tiny winery is named after one of the rarest birds in the world. The wine is pretty rare too, with only a couple of hundred cases made of just one wine each … Read More