Why Waipara Springs Winery?
The Waipara wine region, an hour north of Christchurch, boasts 75 vineyards and stretches over more than 1,200 hectares of plantings. It is renowned for the amazing pinot noirs and rieslings that are produced there. But every great region has an equally great origin story; a pioneer in the trade and for this particular district… […]
Stellar Vintage
The anticipation is building at Cross Hares Wines; the 2020 grape harvest is about to begin. “This looks like being a stellar vintage,” owner Natalie Edwards says. “The quality and quantity of the fruit on the vines is superb. The weather over the ripening period has been settled and we haven’t had any major rain […]
Divine Vines
Only 15 minutes from Christchurch Airport, the beautiful Melton Estate is a family-owned boutique winery, restaurant and event venue. Set amidst 12 acres of vines, visitors can relax on the expansive deck and take in the beautiful surroundings the of lawns, gardens and the lush pinot noir vines surrounding the restaurant. The winery […]
Sam Neill’s many hats
Sam Neill has been an international spy (Possession), a palaeontologist (Jurassic Park), a senior KGB officer (Amerika) and a corrupt policeman (Peaky Binders), but his most recent role was ‘host’ to a possession of family members who turned up at his Central Otago vineyard, Two Paddocks, over the Christmas holidays. “I did get […]
Coolest little wine festival
The North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival returns to the Glenmark Domain in March, showcasing the very best the region has to offer. Following the popular event held earlier in the year, organisers are now getting ready for another brilliant festival that is set to feature 30 local wineries and more than 20 […]
Toast to champagne
At this time of year, we are turning our heads to celebrations; Christmas parties and family get-togethers. Regardless of the event, nothing says celebration like the most prestigious of wines: champagne. A severe set of winters in the 49th parallel north in the 1600s saw the French offloading late-fermenting, sweet – about 30 […]
Wines for the taste conscious!: The Winemaker’s Wife
The Winemaker’s Wife wines are the creation of husband and wife business partners, Simon McGeorge and Olive Hill. Their back-label reads, ‘This wine celebrates our partnership and is a tribute to all that can be achieved by two people working together’. Clearly their partnership works as they are into their fifth vintage. Simon is […]
What’s in the cellar?
There’s a gentleman at FreshChoice Merivale’s Wine Cellar, Andy Gutschlag, who has a real understanding and appreciation for finding the perfect partnership between food and beverages. We caught up with Andy about his top tips. Can you tell us about yourself? I have spent most of my life in Christchurch. After graduating […]
Twilight in the Vines: CharRees Vineyard
Good things have always been said to come in small packages and when it comes to certain things in life, it’s all about quality over quantity. CharRees meets both these briefs in a small family owned boutique vineyard just off State Highway One on southern edge of Ashburton, just south of Tinwald. It’s […]
On the grapevine
Raise a glass! It’s time to toast the most popular wine trends of 2019. Is more rosé on the way or is riesling the next big thing? We’ve got a sneak peek – after all, we heard it on the grapevine! Pink power Drumroll please… rosé is here to stay! Not only reserved […]
