Harviestoun - Old Engine Oil - Black Ale - 6%We all need some lubrication from time to time, right, and Harviestoun OId Engine Oil is guaranteed to crank the cogs of even the most stubborn old engine.This is all about the dark and decadent pleasure of roasted malts that emanate as chocolate, mocha, coffee and caramel on the nose. Then there’s that whiff of iron ore that all decent dark beers seem to possess. You know, like the odour that hits you as you’re welding the front axle of your E-Type Jaguar back in place after a minor accident whilst...

Join us for Riesling Around the World on 23 September Book for the tasting here This tasting is hosted by our in store wine adviser Joelle Thomson. All going well and we are back at Alert level 1, which is by no means guaranteed, we will proceed. If not, we will give full refunds.  Ode to Riesling The following is a sort of ode to Riesling, one of the great whites of the wine world and one of the oldest known wine grapes in the world if historical records are any measure to go by. Riesling was first written about in 1348...

Esk Valley is our new winery of the month for September   Gordon Russell often describes himself as a fashion victim so it may come as a bit of a surprise to find that he often pushes boundaries in unconventional ways too, such as when he made this country's first Malbec-based red in 1993.  Malbec has become something of a household word in wine circles today but it was an incredibly little known grape back then. Russell also made this country’s only commercially bottled Verdelho for decades and he remains one of the few to continue producing Chenin Blanc, the sublime charms of which make...

“I had never felt so certain about anything in my life,” says Clive Paton, of his decision to buy land in Martinborough, plant grapes on it, make wine and turn his back on a career in share milking. Pinot Noir devotees know that the rest is history, still in the making at Ata Rangi Wines, one of the great producers we visited on our staff trip last month. It might come as something of a surprise to know that the staff at Regional Wines & Spirits very rarely all crack open a bottle of something good to drink together but...

It’s been an interesting old year of whisky tastings thus far at Regional Wines. With supply issues here, there and everywhere and a palpable decrease in whiskies to choose from, we've been forced to be inventive with, what might be called, a slightly more commercial slew of brands and bottlings. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed revisiting some classics, comparing official bottlings at a variety of ages and price points and then seeing how they go next to the odd peculiarity or indy bottling that we have managed to rustle up. In the same breath however… boy, am I looking forward to the...