Chateau Thivin is the oldest estate on Mont Brouilly, which has remained in family hands for several generations. Grown on steep slopes, harvested manually and vinified using low intervention techniques so as to maximise terroir expression. 

The Brouilly appellation is capable of producing excellent and complex wines, quite unlike the maligned Beaujolais Nouveau. Brouilly produces fruit forward, medium bodied wines, typically from the Gamay grape. 

Le Sept Vignes is a blend of the seven plots of Chateau Thivin, in an effort to represent the region's terroir. This is a delicious, medium bodied red, with slight tannins and a persistent, juicy red-fruit character. Complex yet easy-drinking in it's youth. This wine will grow in elegance given a few years age. 

Saddleback is the second label of Central Otago winery Peregrine. The region offers a cool climate with large diurnal (day to night) shifts in temperature, perfect for developing the subtle flavours and keen acidity that really makes Pinot Gris tick. This superb value wine is made with grapes from the Bendigo (39%), Pisa (34%) and Gibbston (27%) sub regions of Central Otago, is 100% hand harvested and fermented on the lees for 2 months prior to blending and bottling. A dry Pinot Gris  with floral, citrus and ginger aromatics and flavours of fresh pear, apricot and stonefruit.

Here's a Pinot Gris that tastes noticeably drier than many and is all about fresh pure, white fruit flavours of pear and peach. The refreshing acidity comes from the cooler climate grapes contained in the wine, which is made from a blend of grapes grown in three sub regions of Marlborough. The cool climate Awatere Valley has 73% with the remaining 17% from the Waihopai Valley and 10% from Kekerengu on the southern coast.

Grapes were fermented at cool temperatures to preserve fruit freshness and dry flavours. 

Residual sugar is 3.8 grams, making it dry in style - and also in flavour. 

The story of Astrolabe

Diversity, history and family ownership are among the reasons to try the outstanding range of wines from Astrolabe, which was founded in 1996 in Marlborough by winemaker Simon Waghorn and his partner in life and wine, Jane. 

Simon has forged a reputation for being one of New Zealand's most respected producers of aromatic white wines after winning an almost embarrassingly long string of awards for his Sauvignon Blancs. He has also forged a name for adventurously diverse winemaking - he produces dry flinty whites from the most southern vineyard in Marlborough at Kekerengu on the coast about an hour's drive south of Blenheim. He is the only winemaker to produce wines from here. 

He is also one of the few in this country to make Albarino, Chenin Blanc and a consistently outstanding range of wines from the organically certified hillside sloping site that is the Wrekin Vineyard in Marlborough. 

The winery remains family owned and is now run by two generations, including Simon and Jane as well as their adult daughters. 

Remember Pimms? Of course, you do. Well, Sipsmith takes it up a notch. Sipsmith is the brainchild of a couple of likely lads, who saw the opportunity for delicious craft-distilled gin and vodka and decided to do it themselves.

Mix 1 part Summer Cup to 3 parts lemonade, add cucumber, strawberries and ice. Drain, and start again. Drink with: Cucumber sandwiches. Based on our award winning London Dry Gin, it is then blended with a host of carefully selected summery ingredients including infusions of Earl Grey tea, Lemon Verbena and Cucumber. Aromatic yet surprisingly dry, it's crying out for lemonade and fruit. The Sipsmith Summer Cup 1 part Summer Cup3 parts Lemonadecucumber and strawberriesIce Fill a big jug with ice, add cucumber and sliced strawberries. Add the lemonade and Sipsmith Summer Cup, and enjoy summer. Source - www.sipsmith.com

A balanced blend - it's richly aromatic, but is much dryer to the palate than you might expect. There are some neat marmalade and dark chocolate flavours, couple with some smooth sweet spice.Great blended dram.

Perfumed digestive liqueur from Haute-Provence, the Farigoule (which means thyme in Provence), is the very spirit of the scents of Provence. The digestive virtues of thyme make it possible to finish the meal on a light, fragrant and sweet note.

- La Farigoule is an authentic and original product that is used in digestive, iced.

- It is also appreciated in a coffee background at the end of a meal.

- It can also be used in cooking on a grilled chicken, or to enhance the flavors of a pan fried Gambas, or deglazing a sauce accompanying a rabbit.

This crème de cassis uses the prestigious “Noir de Bourgogne” variety of blackcurrant which is only grown in the Côte d'Or region in Burgundy. The fruit is macerated in a water-alcohol solution for around 10 weeks to extract the optimum flavour and aromatic intensity.

"This award winning ale is called "Elemental" porter. It is a classic English porter. It is a medium bodied beer with chocolate, and roasted notes. Extremely well balanced and hopped using a New Zealand hop variety." 

6%ABV

The Arran Single Malt selected for this cask strength expression was initially matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels for 7 years before being transferred for secondary maturation into smaller Quarter casks also made of the finest American oak for a further 2 years. The process of transferring our whisky into the smaller 125 litre sized casks for their final 2 years of maturation produces far greater contact between the whisky & oak and a faster, more intense maturation.

The end result is a full-bodied expression of Arran Single Malt combining power and finesse full of rich vanilla sweetness and bold peppery spice. Bottling at natural Cask Strength without chill-filtration or artificial colouring of any sort presents this whisky in its purest form. Small casks would have been a common feature of the Arran whisky trade in the eighteenth & nineteenth centuries as they were easier to handle and transport around the island. With our much-loved Quarter Cask expression we proudly bring this tradition back to life.

Nose - Apple tart, pineapple brioche

Palate - The citrus hallmarks of Arran welcome you, and the sweet spice of cinnamon and vanilla promises a memorable dram.

Finish - Sweetness, Honey, Pineapple, Vanilla, Coconut.

GlenDronach is, quite simply, the go to distillery for sherry aged whiskies. This large, imposing Victorian distillery makes whisky to match and some of their single cask offerings are as dark as night and like drinking liquid Xmas pudding and crêpes suzettes.

This is the archetypal 12 year old, aged in ex-oloroso and PX sherry casks. The nose is rich and lifted with honey, caramel, treacle, vanilla sugar and prunes dominating. The palate is rich and rounded with dried fruit, sultanas and milk chocolate. A fantastic all-round whisky and a must for the cabinet at home.

Pale, dry pink wines are all the rage right now from all over the world, and this Portuguese example is made from more than 10 different indigenous Portuguese and international grape varieties, including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Touriga Nacional. Together these grapes provide complex red berry aromas with savoury notes of herbs and fresh lees influence from light aging prior to release. 

A great match with all seafood.

Convergence is made from grapes sourced from five different vineyards in the Marlborough region. Each region offers its own flavour profile and unique character. 

This Sauvignon Blanc offers fennel, fresh herb and tomato leaf aromas with subtle notes of passionfruit and nettle. Dry and salty to taste, persistent flavours of zesty citrus and Greengage plum are revealed alongside bright, crunchy acidity. The flinty yet lively palate has a lovely creamy texture and a long smooth finish.

South Island Chardonnay is on a roll as this tasty drop from Mt Maude in Central Otago shows. Winemakers Sarah Kate and Dan Dineen use hand picked grapes from 27 years old vines to make this dry full bodied, creamy smooth wine. 

The grapes are foot stomped, basket pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is aged in seasoned French oak to produce what they describe as a seamless wine. We agree. 

Try it.