Approachably priced, medium bodied blend of Bordeaux grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which delivers a dry, fruit forward experience. Good value for money.

Te Mata Estate is the oldest winery building in New Zealand and one of the oldest wineries in Hawke's Bay. It's a family owned and run business with two long terms winemakers, Phil Brodie and Peter Cowley (now retired and a partner in the company's Bullnose Vineyard - home to Syrah).

This is a very good value, dry, medium bodied red from the country's second biggest wine region, Hawke's Bay, where the Babich family owns significant vineyard land. It's a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon whih reflects Hawke's Bay's vineyard plantings because Merlot is the most planted variety and it adds softness and flesh to the great structure that Cabernet provides. Babich Wines is one of New Zealand's oldest wine companies and remains in the hands of the same family whose ancestor, Josip Babich, founded it. 

Te Kahu means the cloak in Maori and refers to the mist that shrouds the Craggy Range Giant's Winery in the Tukituki Valley in early morning . This bold but balanced red blend highlights five classic grapes from Bordeaux in south west France; Merlot leads the way in this sharply priced red with proportions of the other grapes varying each year. These include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 

We love this red from Craggy, which we think offers an outstanding wine in terms of being exceptional value for money which drinks well now and can age positively into the future too. 

This is a wine that punches way above it'w weight. It's made by Hawke’s Bay Wine Co's Sophie Harris, with fruit from vineyards in Te Awanga and the Gimblett Gravels. These two sites complement each other beautifully with the cooler coastal Te Awanga offering keen acidity and floral to balance the riper flavours off the gravels.

Rich ripe and succulent, offering dark red and black fruits, superb acidity and real length.

Chateau Peymouton has a deep ruby colour with  delicious aromas of blackcurrant and plum. On the palate the attack is powerful, with fine, silky tannins followed by notes of ripe red fruits and a lingering, subtle freshness on the finish of this wine.

Ironclad is a full bodied red blend made from traditional Bordeaux grape varieties which are grown on Waiheke Island. It's a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Malbec, which make a complex, structured red for aging up to 10 years or drinking now, decanted and served in your largest red winwe glass.

Its name comes from 19th Century warships characterised by iron bolted onto wooden hulls, in a similar way to the way the warm clay weaves itself into Waiheke Island's hillside vineyards.

Vigor is made from Sangiovese and Merlot grapes grown in the Marche hills, rolling down the Appennine mountains to the Adriatic sea. Aged for one year in oak cask. This is a very fruity wine with savoury undertones. Medium bodied on the palate with balanced acidity, Vigor is a very versatile wine.

Dry red wine from the Graves AOC. This is a rich, ripe wine with dark plum, spice and woody notes on the nose. The palate is very concentrated and is defined by its ripe red fruits and smoky intensity.

The primary grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, which is balanced by Merlot and Cab Franc. These varieties, along with the incredibly gravelly soils which gave the region it’s name, give you an extremely earthy wine with plenty of power and character.

The nose has notes of dark fruit, damp grass, mushroom and crushed stones. The palate continues the trend but adds mouth drying tannins; dark fruit character comes through. The finish is slightly herbaceous with notes of toasted cedar.
 A great glimpse of Graves at a great price.

This is a great red from a small wine producer just outside the village of Clevedon, in the rolling green hills southeast of Auckland. It's an unlikely destination for a top red as there are few other vineyards in the area, which is warm with a maritime climate - the coast can be seen from the vineyard and is about a 10 minute drive away.  

The wines are made solely from estate grown grapes from the four acres on site, which include Merlot, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This bunch of classic Bordeaux red grapes inspired founder Judy Fowler to make wines modelled on the great reds of Pomerol and St Emilion in Bordeaux. The first wines were made in 1999 and continue to be produced on site by Judy, her partner Phil Nunweek and winemaker Evert Nijzink.  

This cheeky little quaffer has a fresh and fragrant nose of red fruits and toasty elments. The palate is supple and balanced with silky tannins and further notes of red fruit.

In the heart of the Bordeaux vineyard, Chateau Carbonneau is situated 20 kilometres from St Emilion and 35 kilometres from Bergerac. In a unique and idyllic setting, the chateau offers luxury accommodation and fine wines on the slopes of Pessac sur Dordogne.

Shortly after 1992, Wilfrid and Jacquie Franc de Ferriere inherited the property and began by replanting the vineyard with grape varieties typical of the Bordeaux region, especially Merlot which grows well on the slopes of Gensac. Thus began the revival of wine at Carbonneau. The Vineyard covers 15 hectares planted on the clay/limestone soils of the slopes of Gensac.

Pegasus Bay has an excitingly diverse, if sometimes surprising, array of different grapes growing in its vineyards in the Waipara Valley, the heart of North Canterbury, many of which were planted to see what would fit. And thanks to the long dry autumn growing season, quite a number of different grapes can ripen fully here. This enables varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and even Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen and produce wines such as this full bodied, juicy, age worthy red. If climate change continues, who knows what we will see coming from this stellar, family owned wine producer.

This wine drinks well now and can age and improve for the next five to seven years. 

Alpha Domus winery was founded in 1989 and its name is an anagram of the owners' names, Anthonius, Leonard, Paulus and Henrikus. Domus is Latin for home. 

They named this soft, chocolatey and plush Merlot after the classic 1932 Fox Moth aircraft, which helped open the world up to travel and adventure. This dry, smooth and full bodied red also opens up new worlds of flavour and shows why Merlot is the most planted red grape in Hawke's Bay - it works a treat there.