It has famously been said that there is nothing permanent except change, which seems like a brilliant way to get to grips with a friend's change of plan, a rainy day or any of life's interesting curve balls and when it comes to wine, it couldn't be more apt. Innovation and experimentation are alive and well but if there's one thing every winemaker has to hold onto their seats for each year it's vintage variation; that constant variable that keeps winemakers on their toes. The past two vinta ..read more

If you love wine, want to know a little more about it but don't have the bandwidth to do a night course, a day course or sign up to serious, qualification based study, what do you do?One of the best places to have fun while you learn about wine is Winetopia. Organiser and owner of the event, Rob Elliott, devised Winetopia with a fun approach to wine knowledge in mind and I am pleased to announce today that I will be part of the team again for the fourth (or is it the fifth?) year running. The ev ..read more

It was one hell of a ride, the 2023 vintage, with colder temperatures and more rainfall than usual. The words are Adam Eggins', who was chatting with me on the eve of vintage 2024 earlier this year. It's a stark contrast to 2023 in South Australia (and in New Zealand, incidentally) and is much appreciated as a result.This year has been a walk in the proverbial park by contrast to 2023, which says a lot about the interesting times we live in. Anyone who doesn't seem to believe in the concept of c ..read more

Wine of the week2014 Folding Hill Cellar Release Pinot Noir Libraries are always fascinating places, even more so when they contain wines that have been aging in bottle (or barrel) for a decade or more. The 2014 Folding Hill Pinot Noir is a small volume edition from one of the driest, warmest and windiest corners of Central Otago; Bendigo. This wine expresses the arid climate and summer heat of Bendigo in a wine with density, full body and a solid tannin structure, all of which suggest the ..read more

Appellation Marlborough Wine has appointed its first chief executive this year to drive forward the organisation's stamp of authenticity - all wines bearing the official AMW letters must be made from 100% Marlborough grown grapes.The new role is now filled by Michael Wentworth, who will oversee, promote and protect the AMW mark of authenticity. The AMW organisation was formed in 2018 and now has 50 member wineries. The organisation's key goal is authenticity and the guarantee that wines be ..read more

Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers has announced its fourth annual top 12 Chardonnays, all selected by wine consultant Cameron Douglas, MS, from the 2022 vintage.The wines are the current releases from most of the wineries and were chosen from a wider tasting of 42 submissions, all from Hawke's Bay. Douglas says he reaffirms his belief that Hawke's Bay's best Chardonnays can rival top Chardonnays from other countries and wine regions, including Burgundy, France.Chardonnay is one of the most significant v ..read more

One of New Zealand's highest profile wineries has made ranked in the world's top 50 Most Admired Wine Brands for the fifth year running.The independent top 50 list is compiled by Drinks International magazine, whose editor commissions a global group of sommeliers, wine buyers, wholesalers, Masters of Wine and writers to pin point their best wine brands. Competition gets tougher each year, says Drinks International editor Shay Waterworth."What's particularly important to me is that ..read more

It's never comfortable having to tighten our belts, literally or metaphorically, and with the rising price of, well, everything, these days, it has become extremely difficult for many wine retailers to keep their prices in check. Examples I could give from first hand experience in wine retail are numerous and range from low priced French rosé which is RRP $21.99 one month and $25.99 the next to top value Spanish wines which were RRP $23.99 on the shelf on one and are now $37.99. The wines remai ..read more

Forgive the use of the word 'mad' in the heading here, which is used purely to describe the frenzied rise in volume, both of vineyards planted and wines produced, in New Zealand's biggest wine region. There is precious little madness (other than fast and furious growth) to be found in Marlborough and as it was  the last Friday in March yesterday, the region's sparkling winemakers were celebrating their formal wine body which is known as Methodé Marlborough. Every year, this still relativel ..read more

PS: If ageing wine seems too tricky, the current releases of the two wines on this post are also stellar examples of the best of New Zealand wine and they put North Canterbury's finest vinous foot forward. Apologies for the long headline. It is always with a sense of dread that cellaring wine enters the discussion because most wine drinkers prefer to purchase their wine now to drink it now rather than invest now and wait a decade in the hope of... not being quite sure what to expect. It was exac ..read more