Wines to try over the festive season
Wines to try over the festive season
The festive season brings many occasions and get-togethers. Mark Henderson has a few suggestions on the liquids side.
Mark Henderson
Age has served these pinots well
Age has served these pinots well
Commercial pressures often mean new vintages are quickly on to the market but here we have a crop from vintage 2013, and almost all new releases. What's that saying? ''Thirteen, lucky for some''.
Wine-makers, growers learn craft quickly
Wine-makers, growers learn craft quickly
Our first commercial release of syrah in the modern age was just 25 years ago.
The friends, food and frivolity drink
The friends, food and frivolity drink
Not that terribly long ago, rose was very much a summer tipple and bottles left on retailers' shelves at the end of March sat unloved until late spring, says reviewer Mark Henderson.
Funding sought for pop-up urban winery
Funding sought for pop-up urban winery
In a local twist on a trend that has been gathering momentum overseas (that of urban wineries), earlier this year, Central Otago winemaker Brendan Seal ran a pop-up winery in the old Gresham Hotel...
Entry-level pinot
Entry-level pinot
Mark Henderson samples some pinot noir.
Podium finishes
Podium finishes
Glance around the shelves of the local wine shop and medal stickers glisten temptingly from all sides.
Fragrant and floral offerings
Fragrant and floral offerings
Mark Henderson previews some wine events around the country and samples some gruner and gewurztraminer.
Chardonnays with plenty to impress
Chardonnays with plenty to impress
Wine reviewer Mark Henderson is enjoying reacquainting himself with chardonnay.
Learning with a book and glass in hand
Learning with a book and glass in hand
Mark Henderson shares tips on learning more about wine.
Trophy for best blind taster
Trophy for best blind taster
A recent Sunday afternoon saw 15 friends and wine-lovers crowd my lounge to take part in the annual Blind Chicken Wine Options competition, Mark Henderson writes.
Harvest culmination of the yearly cycle
Harvest culmination of the yearly cycle
Wine reviewer Mark Henderson explains what's meant by vintage.
Pinots of 2014-15 tasty drops
Pinots of 2014-15 tasty drops
Mark Henderson samples some fine pinot noir.
A good blend
A good blend
New Zealand winemakers are dabbling in fascinating blended wines, reviewer Mark Henderson discovers.
The perfume of pinot gris
The perfume of pinot gris
The vineyard owners of the Bannockburn region in Central Otago have come together to produce a vineyard map for the entire sub-region, reviewer Mark Henderson writes.
Alexandra pinots pleasingly different
Alexandra pinots pleasingly different
Recent years have seen more and more talk of sub-regionality in Central Otago: so rather than a Central style, we should think of the wines from Bannockburn, or Bendigo, Gibbston or Alexandra as being quite distinct, reviewer Mike Henderson says.
Winery embraces technology
Winery embraces technology
I recently attended a masterclass of d'Arenberg wines with winemaker Toby Porter. D'Arenberg is one of Australia's "First Families of Wine'', with four generations of family ownership dating back over 100 years, and is based a short drive south of Adelaide in McLaren Vale.
Colour guide gets it right
Colour guide gets it right
When it comes to serving wine it pays to read the label, reviewer Mark Henderson finds.
Central chardonnay hitting stride
Central chardonnay hitting stride
This week reviewer Mark Henderson enjoys some very drinkable chardonnay.
Merlot shading cabernet in Bay
Merlot shading cabernet in Bay
As a relatively new vine-growing and wine-making nation, we are still working out what grows best where, reviewer Mark Henderson writes.