Reviewing reviews
The life of a someone who writes about wine is a conflicted one. On the one hand you want to write honestly and enthusiastically about something you love; but on …
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Conversations at Ata Rangi
I’ve been invited down to “Pinot Day 2022” – an annual weekend of celebration, with Pinot Noir, good food, and friends, created by good friend Curt Thomas. It’s my first …
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Visiting every Cellar Door in New Zealand
I moved to live in New Zealand in 2003 – after living in Europe for the first two thirds of my life. And, specifically I moved from Bristol. It is …
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An epic tasting at Passage Rock, Waiheke Island
It is my first trip to Waiheke in a while, and with Gabor as chaperone, I’m unlocking the doors to a few of the ‘big guns’ on the island – …
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Top Italian wines roadshow with Gambero Rosso
It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to do a virtual tasting tour of a faraway destination, from the comfort of your own doorstep. In this case, from …
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Tasting Sicilian Etna Rosso wines
With Sicilian wines becoming increasingly well-regarded, not just amongst those who love Italian wines, but for anyone interested in fine wine – I jumped at the opportunity to try a …
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Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay Collection 2021
From Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers – a selection of 2020 vintage Chardonnay – a stellar year – I’m expecting some superb wines in this collection, showing great regional – even sub-regional …
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Dancing Petrel Vineyard, Northland
One of the furthest-north vineyards I’ve visited is at Dancing Petrel up in Northland – where I visited Kim Gilkison after a tip-off from Rod McIvor at Marsden Estate (who …
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A tour around the best of Australian Chardonnays
At a long weekend staying at Clearview Homestead recently, not only did I get to taste a regional selection of the 2020 Hawke’s Bay Chardonnays; a long afternoon of Californian …
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Herringbone Wine, Hawke’s Bay
As regular readers will know, I’m always keen to discover ‘new’ wines – and today I’m talking to a label that popped up on my radar, although I haven’t actually …
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