China is becoming an increasingly important market for New Zealand wine and a group of local firms is hoping to boost sales further by making an appearance the Chengdu Wine Fair.

How long this summer continues is anyone’s guess. In the meantime, the grapes look fully ripened in my neck of the woods and could be harvested much earlier than usual.

Global warming is changing the rhythms of grape ripening and harvest worldwide. But it could be cool for us

The Kiwi makers of a sparkling riesling have been ordered to can their "bottled happiness'' advertising slogan after a complaint that alcohol is actually a depressant.

The dry weather is helping Gisborne's grape growers, who are praising the high quality of this year's harvest.

Most of us know what we like and like what we know, and why not?

US businessman Bill Foley has found making wines in New Zealand and building their reputations is far more fun in retirement than playing golf

It says it is situated "at the unholy crossroads of Ponsonby and Richmond Rd" and takes pains to distance itself from the Greek neo-Nazi party of the same name.

There are a few countries whose wines I’ve yet to try. Now, thanks to La Cantina importer Ben Naden, I can tick Malta off the list.

Magnus Nilsson, the 28-year-old chef from Sweden, has been dubbed the new Rene Redzepi of the food world.

There's nothing like a crisis to bring people together. It was the Depression of the 1930s that made growers in Europe join forces and form the co-operative wineries that still make a significant proportion of the continent's wines today.

Boom. I'm excited. At last Auckland has its own Basque-style tapas bar complete with a counter laden with just-prepared, ready to eat pintxos, the name given to traditional tapas in northern Spain.

A group of New Zealand's best winemakers will join forces in Germany next month to showcase Kiwi wine brands at a major international wine fair.

Low-calorie wines are catching on among health-conscious consumers - and critics say they don't have to be bland to be better for you.

Pinot noir is a woman: a statement made by an international speaker at a recent high-profile wine conference in New Zealand, as he launched into a culturally inappropriate attempt to conjure up the character of the variety.

Invariably, when only two wines are recommended each week in this column, there will be those that didn't get the attention they deserve. So, to rectify the situation, here are some wines that cover a range of budgets and are worth seeking out.

"I'm getting pretty sick of Oz wine people bagging Kiwi sauvignon blanc. You don't hear people over here dissing Oz shiraz."

Sauvignon blanc put New Zealand wine on the world stage and, despite grumbles from Australian winemakers, there by and large is where it deserves to stay, say New Zealand experts.

Just like losing the Bledisloe Cup 10 years in a row, Australia has been letting you Kiwis win for too long in the wine stakes, and I think it's time for more of a fair go.

Discover the pure taste of the new varieties of natural wine.

Wine fans can expect a bumper crop from most grape-growing regions this autumn.

If syrah spins your wheels, then Elephant Hill deserves your attention.

The days of quality cheap New Zealand wine are numbered as a nationwide fall in production has put an end to a surplus that has delighted price-conscious consumers.

Sweetness, considered a positive in so many areas of life has sadly become soured in wine because of its association with being old-fashioned or unsophisticated.

It's not a proper New Zealand summer without sauvignon. The white, pleasant and uncomplicated wine remains a firm favourite locally and our calling card internationally.