WELCOME

Top Tastes is designed to help you find the best food and beverage venues and products; whether you want delicious fish chips, beautiful café food in a winery setting, finely crafted formal dining, food ideas, wine reviews or cocktail recipes this is your guide to the best New Zealand has to offer.

Top Tastes was created by Neil Hodgson and managed by him, he has invited other writers to contribute to the site, this means more regional information will be added as time goes by. You will find a range of opinions, reviews and recipes from people who know their stuff when it comes to food and beverage.

Only reviews written by this select group will be published on the site (you are welcome to leave comments of course) so you will be able to trust the review – no fake reviews, no ranting, just good information to help you choose great things to eat and drink as well as the best places to eat out.

THE LATEST REVIEWS

Mahi Wines – Start the Revolution!

Recently, I was extremely lucky to be invited to lunch at the excellent Alpino restaurant in Cambridge, to try new offerings from the legendary Brian Bicknell’s Mahi Wines. Brian’s philosophy is to make food friendly wines with minimal intervention – wines that while excellent early drinkers, will also stand the test of time. All Mahi […]

Partners in life and in wine - Big Sky Vineyard

It’s a small winery with a big name. Literally. Big Sky Wines…

Mahi Wines – Start the Revolution!

Recently, I was extremely lucky to be invited to lunch at the…

FEATURED ARTICLES

Roaming the Lower North Island from Martinborough to Wellington via Hawke's Bay

Recently I spent a couple of weeks exploring a loop in the lower…

Rust Kitchen & Eatery

When Nelson’s favourite French couple, Greg and Mylene Auphan,…

Bob’s Rock Wines

Bob’s Rock Vineyard is a tiny producer tucked away on a hillside…

The Big Score Bread

It all started with a home-built bread oven in the backyard... Bread…

Goodbye 2023 and buy Nelson products

It’s time to say goodbye to 2023 and for some, including me,…

Someday Somewhere

I have huge respect for people who are prepared to put everything…

TOP WINES TASTINGS

We’ve put together a team of experts who have a passion for writing about food and beverages.