Te Mata Estate makes some fantastic vintages. Last year we recommended the Coleraine ’21, and it has since subsequently sold out (according to their site right now). Available March 1st is the Coleraine ’22, which according to early reviews maintains the prestige of its predecessor. Critic Huon Hooke of The Real Review, suggests that “Coleraine […]
The more things change, the more they stay the same. So, for all the – frankly massive – adjustments we’ve seen in recent years with the rise and rise of online shopping alongside e-commerce, online advertising and influencer activities, it still pays to do things the old way too. Because nothing beats sending actual human […]
Syrah is a typically fruity and peppery red wine usually in a dark colour and with a strong tannic mouthfeel. Popular all over the world, it is somewhat confusingly called ‘Shiraz’ in some parts – especially Australia. This is despite the ‘Syrah/Shiraz’ grape having nothing to do with its namesake city in Persia; as […]
We have spoken before in these august pages about ‘The One’; that freakishly good vintage that came around only because the weather conditions played out flawlessly throughout Hawkes Bay in 2021. There was the perfect amount of rain at exactly the right time with ideal temperatures and just the right amount of water stress to […]
If the ‘Speed’ era Keanu Reeves came up to you right now and shouted in your face; ‘Pop Quiz; what is it that you like about wine?!’ What would you answer? Well, it probably might take you a few moments to recover from the shock of seeing Keanu so young again – and the fact […]
Read any wine magazine – or indeed, the pages of this august website – and you’ll see a lot of how long fine wines will cellar for; five years here, ten there, even twenty plus for that one. But the problem is; the sun’s out, the barbie’s freshly cleaned and the lamb kebabs are ready […]
There are two kinds of people in the world; those that like sweet, and those that like savoury. I definitely prefer to enjoy the umami delights that foods like mushrooms and game can deliver over the pleasures of chocolate every day of the week (and twice on Sundays!) Plus, if you are like me and […]
The recent pandemic reaction closed borders all over the world removing global travel as an outlet option for discretionary income. This has meant people with means have had to look elsewhere for something to spend the money they had budgeted for experiential consumption as opposed to those funds earmarked for developing more purely financial returns. […]
Sometimes incredible knowledge gets lost to the human race; like how to make Wootz steel for example. Manufactured in India 2,500 years ago it was used to create swords that were highly prized for their strength and unique patterning in the metal. For a millennium it was regarded as the best steel in the world […]
Ever since Time began, there’s always been something magical about the number 3. Stories have always had three phases with a beginning, middle and end; in mythology the hero always gets offered three wishes and the ancient king of the fable always had three strong sons or beautiful daughters. In more modern times, competitions of […]
If you have something of great value you put it somewhere safe where it won’t get lost, and if you haven’t got an actual safe then you use a jewelbox. These can be ornate – even bejewelled themselves – but more importantly, they only contain items of very top quality. That is the philosophy behind […]
So how really do you define ‘perfection’? Well, it depends on what you’re looking at. In mathematics you can have a ‘perfect’ number which is a numeral equal to the sum of all its divisors (eg; 6=1+2+3), but in physics you might think you have a perfect sphere only to discover under the microscope lots […]
Have you tried the Alma or Estate Pinot Noirs from Te Mata? If you haven’t well, we’ll let you off with a warning – this time only – as they are relatively new to the market having only made their debut a couple of years ago before stunning the wine-drinking world with the sumptuous ’19 […]
When I was 17, it was a very good year It was a very good year for small town girls And soft summer nights We’d hide from the lights On the village green When I was 17 So sung Frankie Sinatra back in… well, let’s just say it was a long time ago. In this […]
The best in New Zealand; now that’s a lofty height. It’s a special zone with rarified air that only people like Sir Patrick Hogan, Lisa Carrington, Peter Beck, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Peter Jackson and Lydia Ko get to breathe. It’s also an amazing place where the All Blacks, Crusaders and Scott Robertson (and maybe Ian Foster […]
As history would have it, many great wines have been forged along the most unforgiving edge of that terroir deemed best capable of expressing its place in a wine. A complex of natural, environmental influences such as poverty in soil nutrients and water that force the grapevine to dig deeper into the ground to survive […]
