Here’s a selection of some great NZ wines, including three from Martinborough, as tasted by Phil Parker. Bohemian ‘The Dancer’ Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2019 $26 Dry, crisp and mineral in the Provence rosé style. Cranberry, red berry fruit and red…
This month, folks, we are exploring the theme of dichotomy. It’s a very cool word and I don’t often get to use it in casual convo. It also rhymes with lobotomy but that’s not particularly relevant. Though … years ago…
Over the last twenty years or so, Central Otago wine has established itself as the New Zealand Pinot Noir wine region. The area was previously better known as a winter sports playground. But now wine is a major drawcard in…
Akarua was founded in Bannockburn, Central Otago in 1995 by South Island businessman and former Mayor of Dunedin Sir Clifford Skeggs. Initially plantings consisted of 50 hectares, (70% in Pinot Noir). To keep up with demand, from 2014 Akarua began…
There is a worldwide trend in grape growing and winemaking, where very few or no chemicals are used in the process. This is variously called organic, natural or sustainable. However, defining those three categories is subject to a lot of discussion…
Are you a supertaster? Having been a wine tour guide, plus doing wine writing gigs for over twenty years, I have observed literally thousands of people tasting thousands of wines. And I have noticed that they do fall into two…
After finding local supermarket Worcestershire sauce not what it used to be, Tracey Steel decided to make her own. After about 15 years of sharing her sauce with friends and family, Tracey finally gave in to pressure and has launched…
While big NZ producers are pumping out millions of litres of wine a year, there are small wineries doing things a bit differently and on a much smaller scale. There is a huge amount of fairly predictable large volume wine…
Seabreeze Café is appropriately not far from the upper Waitemata Harbour, and located in the Westmere shopping village. For a long time it has been my regular Friday lunch venue with a good friend of mine. The spacious interior offers…