Beloved of celebrities, these limited edition special blends sometimes come in specially created bottles, like Perrier Jouet's La Belle Epoque which is engraved with art nouveau anemones, and are often enclosed in fancy cases - and no wonder as they sell for between $200 and $500 a bottle.
In tune with the times, many cookbook writers are producing books about both gardening and cooking.
Looking for a special last-minute Christmas present?
Seeing the film Julie & Julia, about the American doyenne of French cookery, Julia Child (1912-2004) and the contemporary Julie, who lives in a tiny New York apartment and cooks all of Child's 524 recipes in a year while blogging about it, sent me to look out Child's masterpiece
Pomegranates and pomegranate juice all the way from California are in supermarkets at the moment - they are in season there from October to January.
Late harvest and botrytis wines are little gems.
The grapes remain on the vines until they are intensely sweet, and sometimes concentrated by botrytis (noble rot) until they are dried like raisins.
Only a few drops of nectar can be squeezed from these.
Those who enjoy delving into old cookbooks will welcome a new edition of The Aunt Daisy Cookbook (Hodder Moa, pbk, $30).
A couple of days after Christmas a few years ago, we met some friends at a crib on Stewart Island.
Riesling, whether dry or medium, should be fresh and lively with a steely finish to cut through rich or sweetish foods like mayonnaise of some Asian dishes.
With so much sauvignon blanc around at the moment, it's not surprising to find some producers trying to make theirs stand out.
Nothing escapes the sharp eyes of Fay Taylor and Margaret Magon, experienced bakers and judges at the Taieri A and P Show.
As pinot floods on to the market from the big 2008 vintage, new brands and new labels from established brands are appearing, such as Ant Moore, Bracken's Order and Balancing Act, or Carrick's Crown and Cross.
The 2007 vintage in Hawkes Bay produced rich merlot and cabernet blends with dark fruit aromas and firm tannins, some of which are now appearing on wine-shop shelves.
The last tasting at Munslows Fine Wines last Thursday was an emotional experience for some.
It's time to get back to organising school lunches - and work lunches for that matter.
Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.
Forget the cooking of Italian nonnas and French grandmères, and come back to nanna's roasts and home baking. Charmian Smith talks to David Burton about the revival of traditional Kiwi cuisine.
Some chardonnays can be rich and oaky, others more restrained with nutty hints of varying intensity, and then there are unoaked ones which can have lovely fruity flavours. There's something to suit every taste, but it pays to be selective.
BEST VALUE
Taste a sauvignon blanc and expect to be wowed by the assertive fruit, intensity on the palate and punchy acidity on the finish.
Some have a mean streak that leaves you reaching for another piece of cheese, but others are less masochistic, with a mouthfilling ripeness or a restraining hint of mineral that complements food.
The irrepressible John Buck of Te Mata Estate in Hawkes Bay was in town last Thursday for his annual presentation of the estate's new-release wines, which was attended by about 80 wine aficionados.
