Wine Showcase
Into The Fold
The Collection
Why a Traditional Long Corporate Wine Lunch Is In Order
Okay, so you’ve had plenty of meetings with your clients – and they’ve gone well. You’ve promised them this and/or that – then delivered (hopefully over-delivered!) You’ve talked often and have a good rapport, i.e.; you actually understand their business and goals almost as well as they do. Is that enough? Well, many would say; […]
Here’s To A Super Safe Bet On A Wine
If you are new to wine, one of the most intimidating things you can do is walk into a wine shop or, more realistically in these days of snap Lockdowns, look online for something to go with dinner. The sheer array of similar-looking bottles with labels that look pretty sexy is overwhelming, but they all […]
Three Most Underrated Tourist Gems In The World
It’s been two years since I’ve seriously considered traveling to anything further from my house than the local supermarket, let alone flying to another country. But as the world collectively decides that it’s bored of covid It’s time to see what’s happening overseas. We’ve picked three countries that are hugely underated on the travel scene, […]
Seeking The Exceptional
Waitiri Creek: The Triumph of Man Vs Machine
Winemaking has been around for a very long time, as evidence has been discovered that it was being made in the Middle East about 8,000 years ago. That makes it one of the oldest skills we as humans have developed and, amazingly, it has changed little over all that time. Other ancient arts like construction […]
Discover the World Beyond Your Central Otago Wine Glass
So, you’re heading to Central Otago for the wine but don’t want to spend your entire time parked at the restaurant table sipping pinot? Then you’re in luck as the region has a lot to offer, particularly if you’re a rugged outdoorsy type. There is a wide variety of things to do and places to […]
Spotlighting Four Of The Finest Restaurants In The Otago Region
When it comes to the culinary arts, Otago is most synonymous with its vast collection of vineyards, which produce some of not just the nation’s, but the world’s most celebrated wines. But we all know that a great glass of wine is at its best when accompanied by an equally exceptional plate of food, and […]
The Transcendence Of Terroir
Recently I went to the Central Otago region for a new vehicle launch and a couple of my colleagues were very excited – and not just about driving the new car: ‘Oo, when we get some time off we should go and try some of the local Pinot Noir!’ Of course, I thought that was […]
Waitiri Creek: Time To Check Out A Classic From The Library
If you are like me, a ‘library’ is a place where you cooled your heels after school until your parent(s) had finished work and could come and pick you up. I remember the library I used to wait in was full of these things called ‘books’ that were like movies but without the moving pictures. […]
The Science, Tradition and Art of Winemaking
Creating an award winning product that goes out to the world is hard enough when you can control all of the elements, but winemaking is a world full of variables. Waitiri Creek Winemaker, Pip Battley has built a career crafting these uncertainties into critically-recognised successes. Pip’s work has taken her from Martinborough and Central Otago […]
Cellar
Time To Celebrate 30 Years Of Bullnose Success
Syrah is a typically fruity and peppery red wine usually in a dark colour and with a strong tannic mouthfeel. Popular all over the world, it is somewhat confusingly called ‘Shiraz’ in some parts – especially Australia. This is despite the ‘Syrah/Shiraz’ grape having nothing to do with its namesake city in Persia; as […]
Three Very Good Reasons To Focus On Awatea
Ever since Time began, there’s always been something magical about the number 3. Stories have always had three phases with a beginning, middle and end; in mythology the hero always gets offered three wishes and the ancient king of the fable always had three strong sons or beautiful daughters. In more modern times, competitions of […]
Whatever You Like About Wine; This One Has It All
If the ‘Speed’ era Keanu Reeves came up to you right now and shouted in your face; ‘Pop Quiz; what is it that you like about wine?!’ What would you answer? Well, it probably might take you a few moments to recover from the shock of seeing Keanu so young again – and the fact […]
An Auspicious Offering
As history would have it, many great wines have been forged along the most unforgiving edge of that terroir deemed best capable of expressing its place in a wine. A complex of natural, environmental influences such as poverty in soil nutrients and water that force the grapevine to dig deeper into the ground to survive […]
Get the Latest Coleraine Vintage Before It Sells Out
Te Mata Estate makes some fantastic vintages. Last year we recommended the Coleraine ’21, and it has since subsequently sold out (according to their site right now). Available March 1st is the Coleraine ’22, which according to early reviews maintains the prestige of its predecessor. Critic Huon Hooke of The Real Review, suggests that “Coleraine […]
Experience The Jewels In The Crown Of NZ Reds
If you have something of great value you put it somewhere safe where it won’t get lost, and if you haven’t got an actual safe then you use a jewelbox. These can be ornate – even bejewelled themselves – but more importantly, they only contain items of very top quality. That is the philosophy behind […]