Three New Zealand wines seeking points of difference while retaining those elements you expect to find in wines you particularly enjoy.

A flattering wardrobe staple beloved in the past makes a welcome comeback.

Succulent steak, beautifully cooked every time, is one of life’s simple pleasures — and a tradition for the patrons at Jervois Steak House.

Once, she was the undisputed queen of the toy cupboard. But today, sales of Barbie are in free-fall. Rachel Halliwell (and her 8-year-old daughter) explore her decline and ask how toy manufacturers can win over girls now.

My husband and his best friend had a punch-up and are not speaking, but his friend’s wife and I are really good friends. Now my husband does not want me to talk to her.

Julia Donaldson’s most famous book, The Gruffalo, has won the hearts of children around the world. During a fleeting visit to Auckland and Wellington, Britain’s best-selling author talks to David Larsen.

Roddy Doyle’s new novel, aimed at people with poor literacy, is inspired by a death in his own family, the Booker winner tells Arifa Akbar.

Guess you've heard the bad news by now that our friends holding the reins of power (yeah, right) won't be forking out over the table with the actual cash payout they reckoned they'd stump up with when we took them out for drinkies before the election.

New Zealand pinot noir continues to collect rave reviews from every corner. Many of the star performers come from Central Otago.

Marooned and without a captain, the evening is rescued by perfectly cooked grilled turbot and delectable buttery sauced flounder.

Left things too late? here are some fashionable last-minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas available in store today.

Up early and looking for a new spot to dine this weekend? Check out this week's brunch review.

Fashion designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and her daughter Pebbles answer your agonising questions.

Award-winning Auckland playwright Elisabeth Easther was once an erotic fiction writer. As Fifty Shades of Grey hits our screens, she reveals the highs and lows of her short-lived career in smut.

I would rather read Kelly Link than breathe. Writing about her is another thing again. I do not know why her new book is called Get In Trouble.

Debut novel combines writer’s love of music with her love of words, writes Rebecca Barry Hill.

He’s the most-capped in All Black history but you won’t hear Tony Woodcock shout about it. He prefers his hard work on the field to tell the story.

Left things too late? here are some fashionable last-minute Valentine's Day gift ideas.

Hawkes Bay, blessed with the kind of undulating landscape and climate that grapes love, is responsible for a fine array of whites and reds. Here are three:

A seaside location is a huge drawcard for a new Takapuna venue — and the food is pretty good, too.

How did a Hollywood novice who hadn’t even read the book come to direct the film version of the mega-hit Fifty Shades of Grey? Sam Taylor-Johnson reveals all.

What would you do — or not do — for a bet? Alan Perrott talked to three people who prove how serious it can be when you’re issued a dare.

Chef Gordon Ramsay has been hit with a multimillion-dollar bill in the latest round of his family feud, but he’s still very much in the game, finds Julia Llewellyn Smith.

There’s nothing sexier this season than 50 shades of beige.

Heading out for brunch? Check out the latest review in Canvas magazine for inspiration.

What makes Grumpy Cat so special? Nothing, writes Greg Dixon. His cat is far cuter.

Back in the familiar rural midwest of her previous novels, Moo, Horse Heaven and A Thousand Acres, Pulitzer prize-winner Jane Smiley presents us with the first volume of a projected trilogy.

A novel is a place where past and present versions of one person can co-exist, and in his fifth novel Andrew O'Hagan movingly explores the way the "flotsam" of a life can rise to the surface as old age and memory go about their strange and poignant work.