There’s just something about Bordeaux, isn’t there. The gravels, slowly deposited over time, that have soaked up centuries of human history to provide a bedrock for civilisation that now manifests itself through wine. The pomp and circumstance of wine’s only true class system, constructed in 1855 by Emperor Napoleon III, unashamedly commercial, elitist, exclusive and, yet, somehow sexy. The hierarchical complexity, the sheer number of châteaux, their appellations and place in the cru classé system - can one possibly learn it all? It’s a challenge for sure, and one that, for many of us, is often performed in the realms...

Riesling is one of the world’s most versatile white grapes and is used to make a hugely diverse range of wine styles from dry as a bone (a growing trend where Riesling is concerned) to deliciously decadent drops, mostly still but also sparkling. Its high acidity is its stock in trade. This gives even very old Rieslings a semblance of freshness, even when decades old. Acidity enables Riesling to age for the long haul, retaining bright, fruit forward flavours in the process. Oak is no friend of Riesling which means the wines made from this great white grape can stand on their...

This year’s global pandemic may have had many people running for the hills but our team took to the hills in a more positive way last month when we visited one of the country’s smallest wineries in one of the prettiest spots possible. Clevedon Hills, south Auckland. It's home to Puriri Hills Wines, rated top wine producer in this country by wine writer and Master of Wine Bob Campbell. Good timing for a visit, then.  Many Aucklanders have heard of Clevedon, due to its gorgeous weekly market and marvellous local mozzarella styled cheeses. We were there for a more liquid...

  Kate Radburnd is a highly experienced winemaker, not to put too fine a point on it, with 38 years of winemaking under her belt, 26 of them at CJ Pask Wines and now she has launched her own brand, Radburnd Cellars. The brand was established at the end of 2017. The first wines were made in 2019 from the 2018 vintage and we now stock Radburnd Chardonnay and Radburnd Syrah in store, both of which we have available to try under Coravin so you can make an informed decision before spending on these two exceptional drops, which we are extremely impressed by. They are made in small quantities with...

John Shearlock reports back from the two recent “Picks of Dramfest” tastings at Regional Wines where the themes were light and dark. It is said that we buy with our eyes but it could also be said that we taste with them too. Our evolution over thousands of years means that we are hardwired to look for ripeness - something that is visually represented by deeper, warmer, richer colours. As such, we see certain colours and are immediately attracted and enticed - and we’re right to be. Sweetness correlates to energy and energy means survival - and although you might...