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.

It's show season for the wine world. Trade exhibitions in Europe mean half the New Zealand wine industry is out of the country, pouring its wines day after day. It also means international wine competition results are out.

Dating right back to the Greek and Roman gods, wine has always been part of religious culture.

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.

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.

A cloud of scepticism was descending. "We will taste the Champagne first at eight degrees in the classic narrow champagne flute and you will get accentuated chardonnay flavours," said Didier Mariotti, Champagne G.H. Mumm's chef de caves.

The 2011 harvest is all but over for the country's winemakers. The vineyard managers can take a well-earned break after the harvest hullabaloo, happy in the knowledge the wines are safely in the tank.

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.

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.

Viva chats to winemaker Axelle Araud of Moet & Chandon.

Is it worth paying a premium for wines from a "good year" or should we stick to the labels?

Demand has soared for a North Island pinot noir crowned best in the world.

With an annual output of around only 150,000 bottles, Champagne Dumangin is probably not on your wine radar. It's not exactly in your face, clamouring for attention. Not yet.