Get your bling on to enjoy the higher end delights of the vinous scale.

Malbec is a little-known, little-grown and not-so-often purchased varietal in New Zealand.

Most New Zealand wine producers wouldn't plant in the Waitaki Valley if you paid them.

Rebecca Gibb talks to the makers of some of our best organic wine about why they do it.

In the great tradition of our national game, there are names that command respect and awe for prowess, skill, strength and the sublime qualities that made them giants of rugby.

Winter is a time of rich and earthy flavours. Viva selects some robust wines that suit the season's cuisine and asks the opinion of their makers on the best foods to go with them.

The New Zealand wine industry prides itself on its green credentials yet has thus far failed miserably on environmentally friendly packaging.

It is a strange irony that some red wines, like cabernet sauvignon, can often give off aromas of chocolate, yet chocolate on its own or as a flavouring for desserts is one of the most difficult of all foods to match with wine.

Long-held beliefs about wine may not always be true.

There are a number of local producers who have been so consistent over a significant period of time there is a danger of them being taken for granted. Those that have become such an integral part of the winescape we no longer notice them.

What could be more romantic than a cycling tour of Europe's best wine regions?

It's hard being a chardonnay drinker these days.

If there is anyone who knows how to survive and excel as a woman working in a man's world, Sarah Limacher does.

The untrained palate may not always recognise an expensive wine, but that's not to say the quality isn't there.

Fancy working with your mum? Rebecca Gibb talks to some Kiwi winemakers who are keeping it all in the family.

The New Zealand wine industry should be proud of its achievements.

"Pinot noir is not easy to make.It's a bitch." It's a blunt opening line from Marlborough winemaker Matt Thomson.

Remember to buy a card one lunchtime this week, as it's Mother's Day next Sunday. Florists will become bouquet factories and you should probably take your dear old mum out for lunch: Burger Fuel and Subway won't cut the mustard.

Despite tough times the wine industry continues to be regarded as edgy and sexy. We're not talking heavily reduced wines at your local supermarket ... no, these are wines with integrity, verve and genuine panache.

You don't want your wedding tipples to leave a bad taste in your guests' mouths, so choose them wisely.

It's Easter, which means it's time for wine columnists to write another article about wines that go with chocolate. Yawn.

A road trip to try some of our rarer wines is a treat more tempting than chocolate eggs.

A hush descends over the table. A small group of wine enthusiasts watch with due reverence as the cork is gently pulled from the 1968 bottle of French first growth Chateau Haut Brion.

Cycling through Marlborough is picturesque, says Maria Slade, especially when there's wine at the end of the road.

China is getting a taste for fine red wine: five Bordeaux chateaux have been bought by Chinese firms in the past year.