Mahi’s owner and winemaker Brian Bicknell is a thoughtful producer whose wines may not be the most exuberant but rarely disappoint.

Novum Wines
Novum is the new venture from William Hoare (who sold his interest in Marlborough Fromm Vineyard last year), and his wife, Rachel Jackson-Hoare.
Jenny Dobson Wines
Jenny Dobson is one of New Zealand’s most experienced red winemakers and to date her focus has been firmly on the classic French varieties that seem to do so well in Hawke’s Bay. It is therefore interesting to see her look further afield for inspiration and explore an Italian variety.

IWM January 2018
Dog Point, Brancott Estate, Vidals, Greywacke, Te Kano, TexSom, Amisfield

FAWC : Aged and Rare
Food and Wine Classic Hawke’s Bay (FAWC) was started in 2012 and has grown from an event that was held annually to one that has two full months of activities in both November and June.
Craggy Range Te Muna Four
If Charlie Thompson, a confectionary salesman, hadn’t (purportedly) dropped his tray of samples in front of a potential customer, thereby jumbling up all the sweets, liquorice allsorts would not have been invented.

Central Muster
“Don’t worry, they won’t ask many questions” said Natalie Potts, NZ Winegrowers Asia Marketing Manager. I was in Beijing teaching NZW wine education courses and was getting used to students who focussed intently on learning but whom were quite shy about speaking up. So I was taken aback when one sommelier asked me to rank…
NZ Malbec – who knew there were so many?
I was rather intrigued when a box of eight Malbecs turned up on my doorstep, as it’s a variety that seems doomed to be ever the bridesmaid
Que Syrah
NZ is well-established on a world stage with our flagship sauvignon blanc, but we are also becoming known as a country capable of truly great red wines.
Marlborough, tripping the pinotastic
Marlborough tends to dominate our wine headlines but think pinot noir and most conjure up an image of Central Otago.

Ferment, August 2010
On reflection, I think it was a seminal moment last Friday night when my husband looked at me and said, “I think I prefer the Trinity Hill”

Ferment, July 2010
The news that a Hawke’s Bay winery has gone into receivership with debts of $20 million came as a surprise. It was no surprise that the winery found itself unable to continue in the current economic climate because that has happened to a number of businesses and not just wineries. But I was amazed that…