Amisfield wines began life on the shores of beautiful Lake Hayes, which remains home to this brand's cellar door and restaurant while the majority of grapes grown for these wines are now in the Cromwell Basin, most notably in Pisa which is where the winery production takes place. Ths wine is made from hand harvested grapes, which are treated to a natural ferment (no added yeasts) with approximately 10% whole bunchclusters added and maturation for 15 months in 20% French oak. This Pinot Noir is dry, full bodied and smooth with elegant spicy notes. It drinks well now and can definitely age well for the medium to long term; up to and beyond 10 years.

Stone Paddock Cabernet Franc is an outstanding red made by Paritua, one of Hawke's Bay's top producers of reds modelled on the best of Bordeaux. This gorgeous ripe Cabernet Franc is full of fragrant red fruity aromas and flavours of redcurrants, raspberries and spice, held together with supple tannins which dance across the mid palate of this wine. 

It's made from grapes planted on free draining red metal soils of the Paritua vineyard, an organically farmed single vineyard in the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District of Hawke?s Bay. Vines here are managed with an open canopy to provide good airflow and exposure to sunlight, which aids ripening for this classic Bordeaux red grape variety. 

The wine was matured in seasoned French oak for 12 months followed by blending, fining and filtering just prior to bottling.

If you have ever wondered why an actor you?ve always admired seems to be perpetually cast in supporting roles and never lands the lead, it will be easy to relate to Cabernet Franc. One could argue that this seductive classic red could lord it over both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is a parent of both of these better known grape varieties, but Franc tends to hang around the edges, adding its personality when needed with colour, depth and spice but rarely vying to be star. And yet, when it is allowed to shine, here is a grape and a wine to adore.

Two Paddocks Pinot Noir is actor and winemaker Sam Neill's introduction red to his range of wines from Central Otago. It's made from hand harvested grapes which are fermented and matured in French oak barriques. It is 100% certified organic, which reflects the Central Otago wine region's pre-eminence as New Zealand's leading organic wine region - 16% of the region's vines are certified organic with another 7% in the conversion process, which means that by 2023, 23 % of the vines will be certified.

Complex, dry, savoury and sophisticated Pinot Noir; consistently one of the best from Central Otago. This wine is an outstanding expression of cool climate Pinot and is 100% certified organic made from two vineyards with approximately 75% of the grapes from Pisa with the balance coming from Muirkirk Vineyard on Felton Road in Bannockburn. A star. Drinks well now and is a keeper for at least four to five years, over which time it will evolve into an even more layered wine. 

Alpha Domus is a family owned winery in Hawke's Bay, which produces a wide range of wines from high quality sparkling to full bodied, age worthy reds. 

This is their introductory Syrah, a dry full bodied red with notes of spice and red fruit. It drinks well now and can hold for three to four years from vintage date, but is not intended to be aged for the long term.

Serve in a large glass at room temperature; it's great winter drinking.

Stone Paddock is a fleshy, dry, full bodied red, modelled on the best from Bordeaux. The blend is Merlot 73%, Cabernet Franc 14%, Cabernet Sauvignon 7.5% and Malbec 5% and is a prime example of great red wine made from the stony soils of Hawke?s Bay. Highly scented plum, blackberry and cassis aromas with hints of five spice, cedar and fine spicy oak. Dark fruit flavours of plum and blackberries are accentuated by lifted ripe aromas of spice and a beautifully balanced tannic structure. 

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.

Grapes in this Chardonnay were all grown at Te Awanga on the Hawke's Bay coast, near to Cape Kidnappers, hence the name. 

This wine was made from 70% hand picked grapes which were 70% whole bunch fermented with the remaining 30% destemmed before fermentation in a combo of French oak and stainless steel tanks. All yeasts were wild and the wine was aged in French oak puncheons, 15% new for eight months. It's a full bodied, dry Chardonnay with intense zingy acidity thanks to the cool climate the grapes were grown in. 

A top quality Chardonnay from Hawke's Bay - offering exceptional value for money at such a modest price. 

Mills Reef Winery is based in Tauranga and makes its stellar wines from grapes grown in New Zealand's two biggest wine regions; Marlborough and Hawke's Bay, respectively. 

This dry full bodied and spicy Syrah is made from grapes grown in Hawke's Bay where the warm climate adds weight, spice and ripe fruit flavours. Great drinking and excellent value for money for enjoying now or in the next four to five years.

A great lunch time wine from Mt Edward Wines in Central Otago, one of the region's most adventurous producers with its range of interesting, high quality, dry white wines. Pinot Blanc makes a fabulous alternative to Chardonnay and this dry wine has beautifully fresh white stone fruit aromas with a citrusy taste mid palate and layers of freshness. 

Beautiful Chardonnay with full bodied, creamy smooth flavours from the Kiwiw king of Chardonnay, Tony Bish, of the Urban Winery in Hawke's Bay. This beauty is made from 100% Mendoza clone Chardonnay grapes grown in two areas in Hawke's Bay; the Upper Dartmoor and Bay View. All of the grapes were hand harvested and 95% fermented in barrel with 5% in Tony's new French oak ovum. The wine was then matured for a year in 25% new Taransaud oak with regular lees stirring (aka batonnage) to enhance the creamy expression of barrel maturation. 

This wine is one of only two in New Zealand to make it onto the 2020 Top 100 Wine Discoveries by leading wine authority Robert Parker.

Lovely drink pinkie from North Canterbury with crisp dry flavours and a pale colour. It's part of the exceptional Pegasus Bay wine stable and named after the Main Divide, which is the great dividing range that separates the East and West Coasts of the South Island via the Southern Alps.

Like all wines in the Main Divide range, this rose consistently punches above its weight, in terms of price. 

A tasty, light bodied, refreshing drink, year round.

This wine is great value for money from winemaker Simon Waghorn, who says Chardonnay is his first love in wine. He makes this creamy, dry and citrusy version from four different clones of Chardonnay, all grown on his family's home block vineyard. 

All grapes were hand picked, whole cluster pressed fermented with wild yeasts in barrel followed by lees aging in French oak with battonage (stirring of the lees). The result is a full bodied wine offering impressive depth and layers of stonefruit and citrusy flavours at a relatively modest price. 

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. 

Winemakers James and Annie Millton were the first in the country to produce a certified organic wine in 1984 and have since pioneered biodynamic grape growing and winemaking practices, along with retaining a strong loyalty to lesser known great grape varieties, such as Chenin Blanc.

Te Arai Vineyard Chenin Blanc is one of their finest wines and best known for its consistently high quality and ability to age. The Chenin Blanc grape is known and loved for its vibrant high acidity which provides a freshness to the wine and the ability to age for the long term. 

If you haven't tried this great white, it's time to get in touch with one of the country's most iconic wines. 

Here'a a glass of liquid sunshine in a fruity Chardonnay with a hint of oak adding depth to the revitalising fresh flavours of green apples, red apples and ripe grapefruit. This wine has a full body, dry flavours and crispness to burn, thanks to being made from Chardonnay vines grown on the coast at Te Awanga where the cool sea breezes retain freshness in the form of natural acidity in the grapes in this delicious wine. 

Clearview Estate...

Clearview Estate is one of oldest, most well established wineries in Hawke's Bay and is situated on the Te Awanga Coast, south of Napier. It's a great place to visit for tastings at the cellar door as well as lunch in the dappled shade of the established courtyard area. The winery was founded by Tim Turvey, winemaker and co-owner. The current winemaker is the multi talented Matt Kirby.