LifestyleWine: Early introduction to a lifelong passion"Pinot noir is not easy to make.It's a bitch." It's a blunt opening line from Marlborough winemaker Matt Thomson.04 May 11:19 PM
LifestyleGood taste: A treat for mumRemember 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.02 May 10:00 PM
LifestyleWine: Stepping up to the palateDespite 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.27 Apr 05:30 PM
RoyalsWine: Fit for a kingYou don't want your wedding tipples to leave a bad taste in your guests' mouths, so choose them wisely.26 Apr 10:00 PM
LifestyleGood taste: A toast to the AnzacsIt's Easter, which means it's time for wine columnists to write another article about wines that go with chocolate. Yawn.23 Apr 05:30 PM
LifestyleWine: Easter parade of winesA road trip to try some of our rarer wines is a treat more tempting than chocolate eggs.21 Apr 10:00 PM
LifestyleWine: Ageing gracefullyA 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.20 Apr 10:00 PM
TravelMarlborough: Grape escapeCycling through Marlborough is picturesque, says Maria Slade, especially when there's wine at the end of the road.18 Apr 12:00 AM
LifestyleGood taste: Welcoming newcomersChina is getting a taste for fine red wine: five Bordeaux chateaux have been bought by Chinese firms in the past year.17 Apr 10:00 PM
LifestyleWine: Sparkling coversation<i>Viva</i> chats to winemaker Axelle Araud of Moet & Chandon.14 Apr 05:30 PM
LifestyleWine: The advantage of vintageIs it worth paying a premium for wines from a "good year" or should we stick to the labels?13 Apr 05:30 PM
LifestyleLocal pinot trumps $7000 a bottle wineDemand has soared for a North Island pinot noir crowned best in the world.13 Apr 05:30 PM
LifestyleWine: Growing connoisseursWith 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.12 Apr 10:00 PM
LifestyleGood taste: Spanish redsIt'll soon be time to crank up that heat pump and drink a wine that warms our cockles.11 Apr 10:00 PM
LifestyleThe great lost grapeI was at a tasting recently when someone stood to ask me a question. In fact, she wanted to ask me three questions, but being the economical type of guy I am, I managed to give her just one answer.09 Apr 10:00 PM
LifestyleAussie scientists develop beer for space touristsWhen you've paid $200,000 for a seat on a galactic flight, the last thing you want is to be served a dud beer.07 Apr 10:14 PM
LifestyleWine: A rocky publicity trailAdvertising restrictions mean media promotion of New Zealand wines is sometimes left a little wanting.07 Apr 10:00 PM
LifestyleGood taste: Can you compare?An obsession among "new world" wine producers is to compare their wines to their European equivalents. Around the winemaking fraternity, you hear producers comparing their sauvignon blancs to the Loire. Cobblers, I say.04 Apr 05:30 PM
CompaniesLong term optimism in wine industryMost New Zealand wineries believe they will be profitable in 10 years' time despite the "tough times ahead", a wine industry survey reveals.04 Apr 05:30 PM
TravelCalifornia: Special terroir, special winesEwan McDonald finds not all good US fruit of the vine comes from Napa.30 Mar 11:00 PM
LifestyleWine: Employing common sensesThe art of wine-tasting requires the use of all of your faculties.30 Mar 09:00 PM
LifestyleWine: The chance Cook missedDo wines taste better drunk from a glass while meandering among the vines from which the grapes were grown? I think so, but then I am hopelessly sentimental.28 Mar 04:30 PM
RoyalsGood taste: Prince William's royal affairThe media attention surrounding Prince William's trip to Christchurch and Greymouth was almost as big as the circus over pint-sized pop star Justin Bieber's New Zealand tour.27 Mar 04:30 PM
LifestyleWine: Of a certain ageOur wine industry is a young one by world standards - but does it matter how well our bottles age?26 Mar 09:00 PM
LifestyleWairarapa wine pips $7000 French drop in blind tastingA $200 bottle of Martinborough pinot noir was crowned the finest at a tasting in California, ahead of renowned wines from around the world.23 Mar 02:10 AM
LifestyleWine: No-risk sophistication"If champagne speaks of celebration, then port speaks of relaxation." 21 Mar 09:00 PM
