How Far Would You Go For Wine
“New Zealand holds a coveted position in the hearts of travelers, particularly those of us with a bent toward adventure sports or trout fishing or cycling or wine.” “New Zealand marks you. That’s because of who you…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
New Zealand Is Mad for Pinot Gris
On a recent trip, the Telegraph’s wine columnist Victoria Moore was surprised to see how “crazy everyone in New Zealand seemed to be for pinot gris.” Moore wonders when Britain will catch on. “Growers were…
Wanaka Wines That Deliver a Taste of New Zealand
“We’re in the Upper Clutha Basin where even under grey skies the lakes and rivers are an astonishing cerulean blue. Wanaka, the small town at the head of the lake that bears the same…
Two Great Reasons to Visit Martinborough
New Zealand’s most expensive wine, Marie Zelie Reserve Pinot Noir 2010 is one good reason to visit Martinborough Vineyards, Wharekauhau Lodge is another, says the Telegraph’s Victoria Moore. “Price alone wouldn’t be enough to make…
Best Italian Wines New Zealand Made
You don’t have to go to the source to drink world-class Sangiovese or Montepulciano. According to Condé Nast Traveler, some of the finest Italian wine is made right here in New Zealand. When it comes…
On the Waiheke Wine Trail
When you land in New Zealand, the wine is closer than you think according to Lori Rackl, a freelance journalist writing for the Los Angeles Times. Rackl begins her vineyard tour on Waiheke Island…
A Celebration of Hawke’s Bay’s History of Winemaking
‘Wine: Stories from Hawke’s Bay’ – a history and celebration of the internationally acclaimed Hawke’s Bay wine industry will be published on November 1 by BayBuzz Ltd. The book that is 100% kiwi made tells…
A Guide to Wine Tasting in New Zealand
“New Zealand isn’t just a place for thrill-seekers. Over the past 30 years, New Zealand has been earning its place as a tastemaker in the wine world”, writes Jenn Brown for The…
Michael Seresin Working on Wine and the Jungle Book
Cinematographer and wine producer Michael Seresin was born in Wellington, emigrated to Europe in 1966 and has been based in west London since 1967, but there’s one thing he still hasn’t acclimatised to, reports…
Sileni Estates Winery Finds Ripe Market in US
Nigel Avery, CEO of Sileni Estates USA, and a former member of New Zealand’s Olympic weightlifting team, has moved his family to Minnesota while he works to expand sales and learn the US market…
In Defense of the Soccer Mom’s Favorite Wine
Reliable, inexpensive New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the go-to wine for many Americans. Is it worthy? And are some even better than just upscale Pinot Grigio? Lettie Teague, wine columnist for The…
Clear Skies Ahead for Cloudy Bay
Cloudy Bay, the New Zealand winery that has “become the flag-bearer for New World wines,” is celebrated in the June issue of Air France Magazine. The winery, established in 1985…
Trinity Hill’s Warren Gibson Making Wine with Sense of Place
Winemaker at Trinity Hill Warren Gibson called 2013 the vintage of the century. That year was incredibly dry. Considering he was just as excited about 2014 and 2015, now is the ideal time to…
New Zealand Chardonnay Named World-Beater
The 2012 Vidal Legacy Chardonnay, “a distinctly modern New Zealand chardonnay”, has been awarded the International Trophy for Chardonnay priced over £15 in the annual World Wine Awards released by influential wine publication
New Zealand Chardonnay Trounces Burgundy in Blind Test
“Auckland, on the same latitude as southern Spain, may seem an unlikely location for vineyards capable of making precise ripostes to white burgundy,” British wine critic Jancis Robinson writes for the Financial Times. “But…
Winemaker Ray Walsh Appreciating Oregon Flavours
Winemaker Ray Walsh of Capitello Wines is bringing out the best of terroir in Oregon and his native New Zealand, the Register-Guard’s Vanessa Salvia reports. New Zealand has become known as a cinematographer’s…
The Most Photographed Pub in New Zealand
The Cadrona Hotel, which is the most photographed pub in New Zealand, “could probably tell a tale or two”, according to Mogens Johansen in the West Australian. Standing in front of the…
Canada Going Wild for NZ’s Grassy Fruity Wines
“In New Zealand, wine is in top gear,” Canada’s Globe and Mail reports. “Exports marked a record high of $1.29-billion last year, up 8.2 per cent over the previous 12 months, according to New…
Villa Maria One of the World’s Most Admired Brands
Villa Maria has been named one of the top four most-admired brands in the world by influential trade journal Drinks International magazine. Drinks International ranked Villa Maria behind only Torres and Vega Sicilia…
Drew Harré’s Fish La Boissonnerie in Parisian Top Wine Bar List
Former West Aucklander Drew Harré has a hand in one of Paris’ top five wine bars. The Wall Street Journal’s wine columnist Will Lyons recommends Fish La Boissonnerie as “Best for a Late Supper”. “
Bill Nancarrow a Mainstay on Napa Valley Vintner Scene
Originally from the Hawke’s Bay, Bill Nancarrow, 45, has made sauvignon blanc fit for President Obama and escorted Ryan Seacrest and U2’s The Edge on private winetasting tours. The New Zealand Herald’s Leena Tailor…
Mulling over Pinot Noir Memories at Te Whare Ra
Memories are made of New Zealand pinot noir, and one recent memory in particular, according to Tim White of the Australian Financial Review, is the 2012 pinot from Marlborough vineyard Te Whare Ra. “When I…
New Zealand Wine Favoured by British
New Zealand can claim another victory over Australians with research showing British wine drinkers prefer New Zealand vino to theirs. New Zealand is now the second most popular country of origin for premium wine sold…
New Zealand Wine Exports Making Record Figures
New Zealand’s wine exports hit a record high in the year through end-March reaching more than $1.3 billion, led by rising demand for new-world wines from British, American and Canadian consumers. The gain was fueled…
New World Versus Old World Sauvignon Blanc
The first Friday in May was International Sauvignon Blanc Day, and British wine critic Jancis Robinson took part in “a fascinating blind tasting in anticipation of the great day”. “A small group of wine professionals…
Americans Thirsty for NZ Wine Investments
Wine lovers in the United States are drinking more New Zealand wines than ever, with double-digit annual percentage increases in the value of imports for the past five straight years, lifestyle magazine Wine Spectator…
Ten Foot Tall and Bullet Proof: The Dream Behind Loveblock Wine
There’s no reason why Erica and Kim Crawford had to do Loveblock. Having already found huge success with their eponymous Kim Crawford label – America’s top-selling wine from New Zealand – they could have…
Medal-Winning Weightlifter Heading Minnesota Wine Subsidiary
Former weightlifter and two-time Commonwealth medal winner New Zealander Nigel Avery, 46, is these days marketing his family’s wine in Minnesota. Last year, Avery assumed the role of CEO for the subsidiary
Neill Content to Be in Two Worlds
In the latest of a series of opinion pieces for British political and cultural magazine the Spectator, actor and vigneron Sam Neill argues that “actors are allowed to do other things other than act.” “Increasingly…
Wine for the Discerning but Diet-Conscious
New Zealand has announced its intention to become the world’s leading producer of “lifestyle wines” – those with fewer calories and lower alcohol levels – for the discerning but diet-conscious drinker. The government has decided…
From Gibbston to the World – Brennan Pinot Noir a Champion
Sean Brennan’s painstaking approach and his belief in the Gibbston sub-region has brought Central Otago’s famed Pinot Noir to the world, with Brennan Wines’ B2 Pinot Noir 2011 scooping five awards and being named…
Wairarapa Pinot Noirs Outdoing the Best
Martinborough has perfect growing conditions for producing award-winning Pinot Noir, with soil and climate closely resembling those in Burgandy, France. The Telegraph’s Cameron Wilson signs up for some tastings with Wairarapa local Sue McLeary…
Musket Room Cellar Tips for Future NZ Classics
23 October 2013 – The sommelier at New York’s first restaurant showcasing haute New Zealand cuisine, The Musket Room suggests we start cellaring future New Zealand classics before the rest of the world catches on. Erin…
Protecting Our Wine Brands Against Counterfeits
New Zealand winemakers are lobbying for the same legal protection for their brands that French producers won for Champagne two decades ago, because of fears knockoff wines are posing as premium labels exported from…
Bespoke Blends for Marks and Sparks
New Zealand winemaker Jeneve Williams joined Marks & Spencer in 2012 as the buyer for the retailer in charge of wines from South America, Eastern Europe, New Zealand and Italy. A year on, and…
Get Ready for the Vintage of a Lifetime
New Zealand wines look like they’re about to get even better, according to Forbes.com contributor Larry Olmsted. “Much better. You probably already know Kim Crawford, New Zealand’s famous producer of sauvignon blanc, but now…
Classifying Brilliant Antipodean Pinot Noirs
New Zealand’s pinot noirs seduce The Wall Street Journal’s Will Lyons with “some Antipodean brilliance”. “Unlike other fine wine regions such as France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy, where the best and most expensive wines have…
Reviving Palates with Lifting Fruit and Zesty Acidity
Of the 32 vintages of 2011 and 2012 Marlborough sauvignon blanc tasted at the Dallas Morning News and TexSom Wine Competition, nine were awarded gold medals, “an exceptionally high proportion for any…
New Zealand Winemaker Leads in California Chardonnay Revival
‘California chardonnay is back- yet again’ says Lettie Teague, of The Wall Street Journal. ‘Lighter, brighter varieties untouched by oak,’ are leading the revival according to Teague. New Zealand’s Fintan du Fresne, winemaker for…
Isabel Estate Shows off Its Wines in America
‘With a population of just 46,000 Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is not the place you might expect to find a major wine festival featuring a huge array of world class vintners,’ says Forbes writer Larry Olmsted….
Marlborough’s Top Dog
“Never a country to flood markets with bargain swill, New Zealand today boasts the world’s highest average selling price for exported table wine,” Globe and Mail life columnist Beppi Crosariol writes. “I think that…
Ned Going Gangbusters
“Brent Marris’ The Ned Waihopai River, made in Marlborough, has become the wine equivalent of Fifty Shades of Grey, a word-of-mouth bestseller, its name passed from school gate to dinner table to book group,…
Exotic Hops Lure Americans
New Zealand’s “bold, fruity” flavoured hops have been increasingly used by American craft brewers who prize their unique flavours, according to Los Angeles Times correspondent John Verive. “Some of the most popular new hop…
Pinot Noir Our New Obsession
“They don’t call is the only grape that generates such enthusiasm,” actor and winemaker Sam Neill said at the Pinot Noir…
This Country is Why
Bill Foley, American businessman and owner of Marlborough vineyards Clifford Bay and Vavasour, visited New Zealand more than 10 years ago and fell in love with the landscape. Foley also found some good…
Sunshine Helps the Zing
Head winemaker at Cloudy Bay winery Tim Heath, 36, explains how New Zealand’s viticultural environment has created its signature “vivid tastes”. The key to understanding the creation of these zingy, tropical and fruity aromas…
Koreans Take to Sauvignon
Members of the New Zealand community in Seoul, including Trade Commissioner Graeme Solloway (left) recently celebrated a New Zealand vintage winning the best white wine trophy at this year’s Korea Wine Challenge. The Woven…
Tasting of the Future
British wine expert Robert Joseph describes his first adventure to Marlborough’s Brancott Estate in the Telegraph, charting the vineyard’s journey from the beginning to the present day. “By 2011, when Brancott Estate had become…
Wines Making the Cut
Cinema celebrities New Zealanders Michael Seresin and Sam Neill are two of a growing number of filmmakers turning their knowledge of a good drop into winemaking. The Australian’s Michael Bodey brings his “critical faculties…
Half a Century of Wine Style
New Zealand wine pioneer Villa Maria Estate’s Sir George Fistonich is celebrating his 50th vintage in the New Zealand wine industry. Sir George says the enduring popularity of the screwcap closure and sauvignon blanc…
Gobsmackingly Good Wine
“Martinborough, at the bottom of the North Island, is alter ego: small, intimate, friendly and with gobsmackingly good vino,” Ian Verrender, business columnist, writes in The Age. “Marlborough produces the bulk of New…
Hollywood Star Cellaring Well
An interview with New Zealand actor and vigneron Sam Neill has been Huffington Post freelancer Mike Matthews’ most viewed wine blog entry. To celebrate Matthews’ blog’s birthday, the November 2011 piece, about Neill’s vineyard Two Paddocks,…
Groundswell Of Riesling
“The emergence of exceptionally fine New Zealand wines proves there is a groundswell of real talent and ambition in these islands,” Jancis Robinson writes in the Financial Times. “Two weeks ago, I came across the…
Sam Neill Extols NZ Pinot Noir
New Zealand actor Sam Neill pioneered pinot noir in his homeland. In 2012, Neill’s pinot noir won gold at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition. ‘In a matter of about 30 years, we’ve come…
Wonders of Waiheke
“ is famed for its hippies and nudist beaches, its boutique art galleries and cafe culture, and for its stunning wineries, the production of which, although small by commercial standards, regularly match up…
Believe In Oyster Bay
“Hawke’s Bay is producing some of the world’s greatest red wines at the moment,” according to the Leader-Post’s James Romanow. “Enormously fine, well structured wines that will go the distance, they are tremendous in every sense…
