The Dish: Win with Viva

High Tea in Orbit. Photo / Supplied

How high will you go for high tea? Well, now you can go to the top of the SkyTower where SkyCity's Orbit Revolving Restaurant is serving the classic high tea concept but in a contemporary fashion and with a Kiwiana twist. The menu is a mix of delicacies such as lamingtons, chocolate-dipped strawberries and cold-smoked Akaroa salmon sandwiches, accompanied by an exquisitely prepared range of exotic teas and espresso coffee. High tea is served against a backdrop of 360 degree views every Saturday and Sunday from 2.30pm for $30 a person, including complimentary Sky Tower visit and car parking. Bookings are essential.

To celebrate the launch, Viva and SkyCity are giving away the High Tea in Orbit experience for three people to enjoy this afternoon delight. The prize also includes a bottle of Moet et Chandon. To go in the draw, write your name, age (you need to be over 18), address and phone number on the back of an envelope and send it to SkyCity High Tea Competition, Viva, NZ Herald, PO Box 3290, Auckland. Entries close December 9. Winner announced December 16.

Have a bit of bottle
If taking a crate of beers to a barbecue isn't your thing, how about taking a crate of designer water? And then taking it home again, with the empties. Deep Origin has produced an elegant glass bottle for its water (which is sourced from the Otakiri Aquifer in the Bay of Plenty) that is so beautiful you won't want to throw it out. Which is exactly what Deep Origin wants. The crated bottles can be returned for a refund, then washed, sterilised and refilled. Apparently returning your crates of empty water bottles for reuse is big in Europe, so let's adopt it here. Available from Aquadeli, 4/66 Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden. Ph (09) 638 7347 or www.aquadeli.co.nz.

Top shelf
Now this would be the ultimate Christmas present for the man in your life - a bottle of the Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve 1975. Only 520 bottles of this vintage single malt Scotch whisky were bottled, but one is up for auction at Webb's annual Christmas Wine Auction, where all proceeds go to the Red Cross. The auction is next Monday night and there are high hopes the whisky will reach top dollar. (In Britain the same vintage sells for around £480 - $1094). Glenfiddich Malt Master David Stewart says, "The Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve 1975 has a rich, vibrant aroma of ripe apricots and plums, balanced by vanilla oak notes from the European oak cask. The taste is tremendously full-bodied, with layers of tannin, spice and fruity sweetness. The flavour of rich oak and soft vanilla develops a spicy character of cinnamon, nutmeg and spiced apple and has an exceptionally long, rich and oaky finish with a hint of bitter dark chocolate." To find out more, ph (09) 529 5600 or see www.webbs.co.nz

Dough to go
Fans of Mrs Higgins cookies can now buy their Dough to Go. It couldn't be simpler. The dough is rolled out and divided up into biscuit-sized bits, so all you have to do is take them out of the freezer and put them in the oven. From $6.50 at New World stores, selected Pak'nSaves and specialty food stores.

Healthy curves
Not only do we love the shapely curves of this bottle, we also like its contents - 100 per cent pomegranate juice. POM comes from California where one can imagine the locals "lurve" the health factors of pomegranates. Apparently they have more polyphenol antioxidants than red wine, grape juice and green tea. There's no added sugar or artificial ingredients, just pure goodness. Nice with lots of ice. Priced from $3.99. To find out more go to www.pomwonderful.co.nz

Smell the coffee
For the person who has everything - including the espresso machine - how about solving the problem of what to give them at Christmas by enrolling them in a home barista coffee-making course. One session with Eden Coffee and they'll be serving up cafe-quality short blacks and flat whites. The course cost is under $30 and run by a professional barista trainer. People can even bring in their home machine if they want to make sure they're getting the most out of their purchase. The last course for this year is December 15, with classes resuming in January. See www.edencoffee.co.nz

•WIN: A place on the home barista course on January 30. To enter the draw, write your name, address and phone number on the back of a stamped envelope and send to Barista course, Viva, PO Box 3290, NZ Herald, Auckland by December 14.

Traditional tipple
Drambuie has had a makeover. The 100-year-old whisky-based liqueur with honey and spices has a taller, slimmer bottle and its makers are suggesting that, instead of taking a wee dram neat, it be mixed into cocktails. Try it over ice with lime wedges or topped with Champagne. From bottles stores for $60-$85.

Apples to you
Cider is a summer drink fresher than beer and lighter than wine. Monteiths makes its crushed apple cider from Nelson apples and eschews the apple syrup concentrate many ciders resort to. A four-pack costs $14.99.