A collection of writing about New Zealand Wine
Luc Desbonnets has been growing and making wine for over 30 years, kicking things off in France back in 1989. After finishing a business degree in NZ, he headed to …
Tasting through Frenchman’s Hill Estate with Luc Desbonnets Read More
For the ‘second sailing’ of the good ship Tasting Table, we presented our passports at Archie’s Restaurant in Newmarket and settled in for another evening of new wine discoveries around …
The Tasting Table – 1st April 2026 Read More
Back in 2017, The Brajkovich family behind the excellent Kumeu river label acquired their first major vineyard site outside of Kumeu. Rays Road, in Hawke’s Bay had been created by …
Is it time for a closer look at Rays Road? Read More
My trip down to Hawke’s Bay to have a look at the 2026 harvest was well-timed. Tony Bish went on record to say that “Vintage 2026 is already breaking records. …
Tony Bish – the latest releases Read More
A stunning February morning sees me pulling into the parking next to the old church at the Clos Henri vineyards. I’m here to meet up with Lara Campbell, and talk …
A visit to Clos Henri, Marlborough Read More
I get sent a decent number of bottles of wine to review in any week, or month. And I was thinking of ways to get beyond the usual scenario where …
The Tasting Table – 4th March 2026 Read More
A summer’s evening sitting in the small outdoor room that owners Warren and Lorraine have built on their La Collina vineyard isn’t a bad way to spend the end of …
On the hillside, with new releases from Bilancia Read More
Trelinnoe Vineyard Chardonnay 2024 From a site that was the Cypress vineyard for the Lawsons, on Roys Hill – named for the owner’s historical ties to Cornwall. Interesting to note …
2 new Bilancia wines from the Trelinnoe Vineyard Read More
Albariño (called Alvarinho in Portugal) is one of the world’s most distinctive white wine grapes — known for its saline acidity, intense aromatics, and a sense of ‘coastal freshness’. Albariño’s …
Around the world in eighty grapes – Albariño Read More
After tasting a couple of pretty impressive wines from the Wairau River label at the back end of 2025, I contacted the company to see if I could scratch the …
A sit down with Lindsay Parkinson of Rose Family Estate Read More