Wine Showcase
Into The Fold
How To Host Like A King
Now that we’re starting to relax restrictions, it’s time to catch up with old friends over a bite to eat and a good bottle of wine. We assume you’ve got the mains sorted out, but it’s good to have some nibbles and a platter going to keep everyone occupied till the real event gets kicked […]
4 Limited Edition Penfolds Wines You Have to Get Your Hands
If you’re heading over the ditch to Australia now that the borders are getting back to normal, make sure you have plenty of room in your bag for what you’re going to be hauling back. Penfolds has a slew of limited edition wines for you to try. If you aren’t planning on doing any traveling […]
How To Convincingly Be A Wine Connoisseur
Ever wanted to feel like something other than a fraud when a sommelier shows you a bottle or gives you the opportunity to swirl the glass and give it a whiff? We’ve got you covered, welcome to the five-minute masterclass where we’ll show you how to not only act, but also BE a professional at […]
Why You Should Have A Wine Cellar
If you are worried that out of control global inflation might be eroding the value of cash and are looking at other investment options, now might be the time to stock up on some wine. Sure, people will bang on about gold, Bitcoin and property, but some wine investors are making a fortune from buying […]
The Collection
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, […]
These Are the Best Euro Cities For Luxury Living, The First Is No Surprise
Recently, we covered off on the best cities in the world for living in, but it was quite family friendly. It was safe. It may as well have been called “The Best Places with access to emergency rooms and the lowest number of muggings.” That’s all well and good, but where is the best place […]
5 Private Islands That Cost Less Than a House In Auckland
New Zealand’s property market is insane. In one study, Auckland was found to be the fourth most unaffordable city to buy a home in, with the median priced home being ten times the median income. Having been lucky enough to be invited into the home owning club myself, I’ll regularly see castles and mansions overseas […]
Seeking The Exceptional
George Begg: From The Deep South To The Very Top
There’s something about small town New Zealand that seems to breed world-class operators in the motor racing industry. Again and again we learn that some of our global household names in the exalted fields of V8 Supercars, Formula One, IndyCars and Superbikes got their start in rural New Zealand. Perhaps it’s those long straight – […]
Waitiri Creek: Not Your Usual Winery
It’s said that a business is always a reflection of its leadership. So, a CEO who has been given no mandate to grow his or her business from the shareholders will always cultivate a culture of conservatism within the company. On the other hand, a CEO who has been given a free hand is far […]
Here’s Everything To Do To Make The Most Of Your Next Queenstown Visit
Queenstown remains one of the country’s most beloved domestic holiday spots and is great to visit any time of year. If you’re making the journey down to the southern paradise in the near future, here’s five terrific ways to fill in the days. HIKING Many will know that Queenstown is renowned for its sensational […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Cellar
Rediscovering An (Almost) Lost Knowledge
Sometimes incredible knowledge gets lost to the human race; like how to make Wootz steel for example. Manufactured in India 2,500 years ago it was used to create swords that were highly prized for their strength and unique patterning in the metal. For a millennium it was regarded as the best steel in the world […]
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 […]
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 […]
A Flavour to Savour
There are two kinds of people in the world; those that like sweet, and those that like savoury. I definitely prefer to enjoy the umami delights that foods like mushrooms and game can deliver over the pleasures of chocolate every day of the week (and twice on Sundays!) Plus, if you are like me and […]
Why Wait for Quality When You Can Have It Straight Away?
Read any wine magazine – or indeed, the pages of this august website – and you’ll see a lot of how long fine wines will cellar for; five years here, ten there, even twenty plus for that one. But the problem is; the sun’s out, the barbie’s freshly cleaned and the lamb kebabs are ready […]
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 […]
