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There are a few whisky encounters that will live long in my memory and one was my first introduction to Blair Athol. I had just started looking after the tasting programme at Regional Wines and I guess it coincided with that feeling of a whole new world opening up in front of me as I reacquainted myself with both whisky and whisky people. It certainly blew my mind and was my first knowing taste of sulphurous whisky, reminding me of reduction often found in wine and a kind of complexity that I hadn’t associated with whisky until then. The experience stamped the name Blair Athol on my cerebellum and, ever since, I always get super excited at the thought of trying new expressions from this distillery.Of course Blair Athol isn’t necessarily known for sulphur, but it is known for a nuttiness and, well, peanuts are definitely a descriptor that crops up when talking sulphurous whiskies - so arguably there’s an overlap at this point. We’ve had some other cracking Blair Athols at RW tastings, most notably a Signatory bottling tasted at the end of last year when we lined up a whole load of peers from this famous indie bottler. It won on the night and if there had been more available - it would have gone on to Best of the Best, our grand finale tasting that looks at the best whiskies from that year. Who knows, possibly it would have won.Last month we got another crack at Blair Athol with a 25 YO Old Malt Cask offering which we pitted against a rather handy looking lineup at a predominantly sherry-driven tasting of dark looking whiskies. It came second and was beaten by an English single malt from the Cotswolds distillery. Yes, you did read that right - an English dram beat a rather impressive lineup of Scottish single malts and Amrut’s high-end offering - Spectrum 004. Did hell just freeze over.Anyway, back to our Blair Athol. It was my favourite of the night - but I knew which glass it was in (unlike anyone else in the room) and it’s hard to be objective in these circumstances. So, with a dram in front of me now… I’m going to revisit it again - just in the name of research you understand.A lovely autumnal gold in the glass with some decent legs gripping to the sides after a swirl or two. The nose is a multidimensional delight with citrus fruits and wine gums combining with savoury elements; minerals, cut grass and a freshly polished boot or two. It’s certainly not just a tale of sherry - the age has really softened things and created those sumptuous sappy notes you often find with lengthy maturation. But whereas the nose is gentler than we may have expected - the palate is full and concentrated, with the sherry elements really coming to the fore. Sweet malts and custards, confected lemon drops and a cleansing crunch on a Granny Smith which has me thinking American oak (but who knows). Superb length on the finish rounds off a class act - as you’d hope at the price.Blair Athol‘s more delicate side perhaps, when compared to the previously mentioned offerings and showing “old” whisky at its best. Charged from a large format butt, the malt really shines through beautifully and there’s not a hint of sulphur either which will please the purists out there. This kind of whisky invariably struggles at a blind tasting, but I’m picking a Friday night spent with this bottle will find you in the most splendid of company.   Buy Blair Athol here.

Victor Kattenbelt is our on the ground Portuguese wine devotee. His Wellington based wine company is devoted entirely to importing wines from one of the most far flung wine producing countries in Europe, Portugal.  This reason for this blog is that Portugal is our wine region of the month for June specials will begin next week from Wednesday 1 June.    Why buy Portugal? Style, quality, price... and a noticeably distinctive point of difference because the wines are made from indigenous Portuguese grapes, often blended with better know French grapes, such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also frequently bottled as stand alone varietal wines.  The results are staggeringly interesting and such good value for money that we have grown our Portuguese wine range significantly over the past four years and it's mostly thanks to Kattenbelt's wine range.  Asked why he chose Portugal for his wine import business, Kattenbelt says he's always seen himself as a bit of a pioneer.  "After tasting a couple of Portuguese wines on my travels, I was very impressed with their style, quality and the price as well as being blown away by the number of indigenous grapes there." Kattenbelt was looking for wines with smooth tannins, moderate alcohol levels and interesting flavours with a noticeable point of difference but also wines that were not too left field. "I also wanted wines with a degree of elegance, something that would appeal to a wide range of taste buds." Meet Victor Kattenbelt, Portuguese importer... Did you have background in wine before Portugal? My personal interest in wine started at a young age, with my first wine appreciation course with Penfolds, back in the 1970s.  I attended many boutique tasting, typically of mostly Australian and New Zealand wines, but I had an interest in European wines, and was exposed to them at an early age by my immigrant parents. I expanded my knowledge and appreciation of wine over the years at these tastings." Portuguese wines of the month Explore our specials on Portuguese wines this June in store and online here  

In last week’s blog we talked about innovation in beer some 200 years ago with the infamous Kwak glass. Today I thought we should look to more recent times and a canny piece of kit developed in 2009 at Sierra Nevada called the Hop Torpedo.Ken Grossman, owner of Sierra Nevada, really is one of the pioneers of the US craft scene with a brewing history that begins way back in the 1960s. The first few Sierra Nevada releases back in the early 80s were a hop-forward pale ale, a fresh hop IPA and a malt and hop heavy barley wine - so it’s fair to say that the brewers here have helped shape the evolution of style and know a thing or two about hops.What the clever hop-heads (or should that be cone heads?) at Sierra Nevada spotted was a problem associated with dry hopping, and the Hop Torpedo was their answer.Dry hopping entails adding hops late in the brewing process, at the cold end of the brew if you like, and gives the essential oils from the hops (which deliver most of the aroma) a fighting chance at remaining in the brew. One method of doing this, especially for full cones, involves large nylon teabag-like sacks filled with the hops. However, it’s not uncommon for these sacks to come out of the brew dry in the middle, despite a long steep. This means that heaps of hops have simply gone to waste.Enter the Hop Torpedo - a large percolator column, jam packed with hops!The beer is pumped out of the fermentation tank through the torpedo and then back into tank and adjustment of speed and temperature allows a degree of control over the level of hop extraction. The hop torpedo means that Sierra Nevada has more control over the hop influence in their beer and with much greater efficiency. As a result, most of their beers are dry hopped, which is an important factor in the brewery style.I’m going to fire the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA down my gullet and see what gives…Pours a rich amber colour with a cream head. The nose is certainly hoppy but with a spectrum of herbal notes; pine, liquorice and dried tobacco that combine with some subtle citrus and caramel malt notes. The palate is beautifully juicy with a lovely assertive bitterness and superb malt ballast. A great IPA, it has to be said, with the hops seemingly offering deeper herbal notes than otherwise and being prominently bitter on the palate.The human race has been making beer for centuries in essentially the same way and, well, if it ain't broke, don’t fix it I guess. Modern beer innovation has really come in the form of a rapid expansion in styles but not necessarily with any great advancement in technological application. Fermentation is a law unto itself, but in this day and age, there are many ways to extract sugars to ferment and congeners to flavour.With our desire to constantly push the boundaries and keep on evolving, does the future of the craft scene lie in new and outlandish technological application to push the development of styles? it's possible... and there’s every chance we’ll see some truly radical brewing in the not too distant future.

The early 1800s was a good time to be a mail delivery person in Belgium. If you were canny and got your routes to pass through the town of Dendermonde, when in need of thirst quenching sustenance, you could pull up at the De Hoorn Inn and have a decent beer poured into a special glass that would fit neatly onto a holder on the side of your carriage. There would be no need to leave the precious mail cargo stored in the carriage and you could quaff away to your heart's content. Ingenious.This beer was, of course, Kwak, its entrepreneurial creator being one Pauwel Kwak - and it's still served in a special fluted-bulbous-ended glass to this day. I like the necessity is the mother of invention aspect of this, and I like the Kwak labels too, with a surrealist/pop art slant that could be the love child of René Magritte and Peter Blake. But what strikes me more than anything about Kwak’s history, is that, although the glass has stayed the same… times have certainly changed.We’ve discussed this before; just how different beer’s place in society was some 200 years ago. A thirst quenching beer in the middle of a hard day’s work was seen almost as a right… apparently even if your work involved driving! I suppose technically, in those days, as long as the horses didn't indulge, it wouldn’t really be drinking and driving (the horse and carriage really being a semi-autonomous vehicle that even Elon Musk would be proud of). Once again it’s proof of the historical appreciation of the “power of beer” and really does have me wondering - was I born in the right century?!I guess that’s why the current beer scene is so important. The craft nature of modern brewing is hopefully resurrecting the notion of the artisanal beer (which was beginning to be lost to the commercially mass produced quaffer) whilst your typical small-scale, local craft brewery is bringing beer back into the community in a positive way. And so, a new generation of beer lovers will be coming through the ranks with a highly attainable, high quality selection of brews, from savvy, sustainably minded, inspirational producers, no more than the click of a button away thanks to the likes of Beer Cellar. That’s got to be a good thing right!?Let’s try this inspirational Kwak.It pours a deep amber in the glass with a velvety cream head. On the nose it’s the malt that’s winning by a fraction, and the citrus hop notes combine with caramel, anise and cumin in an experience that’s not unlike spreading marmalade on a slice of spiced rye bread. The palate is big and full bodied with the notes from the nose appearing in force. Once again the malt wins by a fraction with a rich caramel right at the death.This is exactly the beer you thought it would be. Big and Belgian and totally heart-warming.So, back in the 1800s you could grab a thirst quenching, civilised beer whilst delivering the mail. But, when you got home from work, unfortunately there was no way to order a beer of three online. Maybe I was born in the right century after all…

We are thrilled to offer tastings again but there's always a sense of nervous energy when hosting one on Riesling, the sixth most planted grape in New Zealand with a miniscule two per cent of the country's 41,603 hectares of vines. We know many of our customers love and adore this great white grape but so many more misunderstand the role Riesling plays in the world of wine - for instance, it is not all sweet and the trend today is towards bone dry Rieslings. Riesling also inspires a seemingly larger club of nerdy devotees than most other grape varieties. Many of its fans see Riesling as a world in itself when it comes to the vast swathe of wine styles it can make.  Bone dry, crisp glass of refreshing, succulent, super savoury white? There's a Riesling that fits the bill beautifully.  Or if a medium bodied, succulent, rich and honeyed wine is more up your street, Riesling ticks that box too.  It also makes many of the best super sweet dessert wines in the world which can last for decades, but these wines tend to be the smallest in volume. So, is Riesling destined to the history books and the best wine cellars?  The short answer is: no because it's too admired and adored, but since Riesling has shrunk from 986 hectares in 2010 to 619 hectares this year, it is clearly not on the rise. Pinot Gris seems to have eclipsed its place, for now, but Riesling has a lot more going for it than the ubiquitous Gris.  What makes Riesling great? It's one of the oldest known German grape varieties, first documented in 1435 It can age far longer than most wines, red or white, thanks to its naturally high acidity, which acts as a preservative Powerful aromas, acidity, flavours and structure make Riesling well suited to dry, medium and sweet styles of wine It's more versatile than most other wine grapes, red or white So, we are diving into the delicious world of Riesling this month at a tasting upstairs at Regional, which will reveal the beautiful world of Riesling, young and old, to existing devotees and newcomers alike.  Join us.  Details Riesling around the world Hosted by in house wine adviser and Riesling lover, Joelle Thomson Thursday 26 May 6pm to 8pm Wines will be served with cheese, salamis and a handout on Riesling. The line up 2013 John Forrest Collection Dry RieslingMystery aged Riesling from Joelle’s cellar2017 Domaines Schlumberger Grand Cru Riesling Saering2019 Mount Edward Riesling2019 Pegasus Bay Riesling  2014 J J Prum Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spatlese  2014 Jim Barry The Florita Riesling    How to attend... Book your place for this tasting here Buy Riesling here * Statistics from New Zealand Winegrowers Vineyard Report 2022.

We talked in last week’s beer blog about the notion of the daily beer, an all but forgotten tradition (IMO) going back to the days when an ale was regarded as one of life’s little necessities. If ever there were a style epitomising this, it is without doubt, the Farmhouse Ale; a low abv beer originally produced by Belgian farmers, using the malts and grains they were growing and which was consumed on a daily basis if there was enough grain to allow. I’m into the self-sustainable efficiency of this and the notion too that beer was looked upon differently 150 years ago or so, when the practice of making this style was much more commonplace. However, today’s Farmhouse ale from American brewing giant Boulevard is a stark reminder of just how much the world of brewing has changed, and just how far beer styles have evolved too.If you drank this farmhouse ale on a daily basis after a typically sweaty day’s graft in the field, then you'd be getting yourself in a spot of bother, as it weighs in at a whopping 8.5%; and it’s fair to say, that at this abv the self sustainable efficiency I mentioned before might take a hit. This is a modern day craft brewing mash up of styles at its most extreme and will challenge the purists whilst delighting the experimentalists. Tank Seven is named after the tank in which the perfect combination of elements came together when the brewers at Boulevard were experimenting with traditional Belgian styles. In this serendipitous moment, “one of the ultimate food-pairing beers in existence” was created, according to the team at Boulevard, so let’s give it a whirl and see if that is indeed the case…It’s a pale amber gold in the glass with a bright white head. The nose is fruity and slightly confected offering candied orange peel, grapefruit and apricot skins with a touch of “Spontaneous” funk - wet earthy notes. Wow, it’s just so alive in the palate… big and full and dying to be matched with a hard, aged, salty cheese of some description. All the notes on the nose are there in the mouth; this is a big beer with plenty of length and lovely tart notes that are bolstered by a sweet undercurrent. You wouldn’t guess it was 8.5% but, in the same breath, you certainly wouldn’t mistake it for a classic saison or farmhouse ale, despite the tart mineral notes and a certain fresh quaffability.A remarkable beer in many ways and one that challenges the notion of just what a Farmhouse ale can be, which is ironic, as this is a style whose authenticity and classification constantly challenges the beer judges too. But let’s not allow the semantics of beer classification to cloud our judgement on what is a great ale that will, as they say at Boulevard, offer something akin to the ultimate beer and food matching experience.Buy Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale here

Quirky white blends are de rigeuer in wine right now but very few are actually made from grapes that are grown together, harvested together and fermented together, as this field blend is. It's an exotic mix of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat, inspired by the great white field blends of Marcel Deiss in the Alsace region of north east France. This wine is the brainchild of Mountford Estate winemaker CP Lin, who suggested making this four grape field blend to the original owners of Mountford Estate, Michael and Buffy Eaton, who planted a portion of their vineyard in these four noble white varieties. The result is this rich and tasty field blend, a beautifully balanced, medium dry wine which varies in dryness each vintage, as a response to the conditions delivered by Mother Nature. The wine is given skin contact (soaking) for nearly a week before fermentation. This provides colour and flavour to the juice, which is then co-fermented in stainless steel.  Residual sugar varies each year as a response to vintage, ripeness levels in the grapes and the overall balance provided by Mother Nature. It's determined primarily by taste as a response to season, says winemaker CP Lin, who has been strongly involved in the winemaking at Mountford from the early days til now.  Mountford Estate is a special place, established on limestone laden soils in 1991 by Buffy and Michael Eaton who chose the site in Waipara for its elevation and active limestone. The wines are made by CP Lin, who has worked in the vineyard and winery since the early days when he became a close friend of the Eatons and a devotee of this great vineyard site and region. Buy 2016 Mountford Hommage here RRP $29.99 Special $27.99

Chimay is one of those beer names with a reputation that precedes it. As one of only 14 abbey breweries worldwide making authentic Trappist beer, it is special by any standard, and its 170 years of brewing history is testament to this.As per most Trappist breweries, there are only a handful of Chimay beers to choose from, spanning relatively high and higher ABVs, but the Goud (or gold) that we are looking at today is under 5%. With the current trend for lagers and lower ABVs, I thought this “old world” approach to a lighter style of beer would make for interesting comparison. Originally, this beer was reserved exclusively for the monks - presumably as its lower ABV would not impede daily activities when consumed at dinner and lunch. This notion of the daily beer, really is a throwback to yesteryear and got me thinking about just how much beer has now fallen out of favour as a source of sustenance, and which is a shame in my opinion. Of course, consuming beer on a daily basis should be done in moderation, but there really is something to be said for the fortifying and therapeutic qualities of the daily tipple that should not be swept under the carpet, but which so often is in these times of temperance. Beer consumption is now all too often associated with negativity - which is odd when, for so many of us, it is enjoyed in moderation and provides an experience that is cerebral and sensorial without involving inebriation. Talking of which, let’s see where this Chimay Goud takes us…In the glass it’s a slightly turbid, copper colour with a white head. The nose is gorgeously aromatic with spiced wheat, florals and tropical fruit notes; banana, guava and citrus (the Gewurztraminer of the beer world perhaps??). The palate is light, clean and refreshingly tart but with enough malt to balance things out. There’s some well placed bitter notes on the finish too that keep it driving through the palate.This is a real quaffer and although it’s not a lower ABV by many standards, it is in comparison to a lot of Belgian ales and a lot of modern craft brewing. I’m all for lower ABVs, it’s something I have always championed, but I’m also “into” the styles that materialise when ABVs are high. I really hope that consumers will continue to be treated like adults and allowed to make the call on what they consume. I hope too, that with the slew of low and no alcohol beers appearing, we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water and overlook exactly what it means to be a beer. Buy Chimay Goud here  

This week marks the end of an era for one of this country's most revered, most experienced and most passionate Pinot Noir pioneers, Larry McKenna, who retires from his role as general manager of The Escarpment Vineyard but not, he stresses, from wine. He will continue to manage a local Pinot Noir vineyard while also taking a brief break to see family in Australia; the place he was born and bred, despite having lived in New Zealand since 1980. The Escarpment Vineyard is now owned by Torbreck in South Australia, which purchased the business in 2019 from McKenna and the other original investors.  McKenna was one of the first four winemakers in Martinborough and later founded The Escarpment Vineyard at Te Muna, 9 kilometres west of the village and, it turns out, slightly cooler in climate. This, says McKenna, is already becoming an advantage in an era of noticeably earlier harvests due to climate change.  McKenna confesses he knew little about high quality Pinot Noir when he first moved to Martinborough Vineyards in 1986 but that all changed after a trip to Burgundy  The lightbulb moment was going to Burgundy in 1990 where he worked part of vintage in Buzeron and Nuits St George before heading south to Provence. "That trip was an eye opener as I worked for different Burgundians and got an insight into different philosophies and ideas when there, as well as seeing winemaking in the south of France." The other thing that helped McKenna in his early Pinot Noir making days was that he met fellow Australian winemaker Garry Farr when working at Dujac. "We got to do the vintage together and we’ve been very good friends ever since, sharing ideas and learning from each other.” McKenna is often referred to as the king of Pinot and he is indisputedly one of this country's most talented and experienced producers of this sensitive grape, as The Escarpment wines show.  While the winery is no longer in his hands, he retains a close affection for its land, the wines and the pioneering role he played in Martinborough - and will continue to exert an influence in the region and in winemaking in this country. Watch this space.  And buy The Escarpment Pinot Noirs here...

Mountford Estate is our new winery of the month and is nestled in the eastern hills of the Waipara Valley, the heart of North Canterbury. Our thoughts on the wines follow but first we wanted to share a little of the rich history behind this brand and the beautiful piece of land it is situated on.  Mountford Estate was founded in 1991 by Michael and Buffy Eaton, an artist and a viticulturist-chef who planted the first vines on the gently sloping, east facing, limestone laden site that same year, producing the first Mountford wines in 1995. They created a high end luxury homestay and made their first wines in conjunction with Danny Schuster, the first person to make very good Pinot Noir in Canterbury. And then CP Lin came along.  It was a fortuitous day when CP was, in his words, "dragged along to lunch at Mountford Estate in 1997 with a bunch of wine friends".   "I didn't even want to go to lunch that day but I liked Michael and Buffy and they gave me their wines to try. I didn't say and didn't particularly like the wines. Later on, I said I didn't think the wines were that good but because I recognised the aroma of a Cuban cigar, Michael was impressed and asked if I could help with their wines. That was the beginning of my story at Mountford where I worked from the end of 1997 until mid 2013 when I left - when the second owners acquired the estate." Now he's back.  Mountford is having a new lease of life with a new owner, a Japanese investor who wants to see great, world class wines produced from this beautiful vineyard.  CP heads up the winemaking again today, after a hiatus of a few years, and while he knows more about Mountford than anyone else when it comes to winemaking, he says he is having to relearn it, due to climate change and earlier picking dates as a result.  Mountford Estate is a small winery that has made a big splash in North Canterbury's wine scene and is set to so again.   * All Mountford Estate wines are 100% estate grown fruit    The Mountford wines  2018 Mountford Estate Methode Traditionelle Blanc de Noirs RRP $52.99 Special $46.99 This is the first sparkling wine under the Mountford Estate label and was made entirely from Pinot Noir which was aged on tirage at Mountford for an extended period of about three years.  A rosé sparkling wine was made from 100% Pinot Noir from green harvested fruit as a whim in 2004 by CP Lin - "It was aged on lees in bottle as a pet' nat' style as a fun thing for myself, Michael and Buffy. No disgorgement took place and the pressure is relatively low. I suggested we make something fun out of it because the fruit was lovely even though it was pink fruit." Buy here 2016 Mountford Estate Hommage a l'Alsace  RRP $29.99 Special $27.99 Inspired by the great white field blends of Marcel Deiss in the Alsace region of north east France. Mountford winemaker CP Lin loves those wines and suggested to the original owners of Mountford that they plant a vineyard in the four noble white varieties of Alsace so this wine is a field blend of just that. The four varieties are planted in the same vineyard at Mountford and harvested then pressed together. They soak on skins for nearly a week, then pressed and co fermented in tank. It's all about finding the optimal time for all four varieties. Residual sugar depends largely on the year and is determined primarily by taste as a response to season. Buy here 2018 / 2020 Mountford Estate Chardonnay  RRP $38.99 Special $35.99 Big rich Cotes d'Or style. The philosophy here is to make a Chardonnay with all the big body, bright bold acidity to balance the power and noticeable barrel ferment.  with stirring and typically aged for 14 to 18 months, depending on the vintage.  Buy here 2018 Mountford Estate The Gradient Pinot Noir  RRP $84.99 Special $74.99 The Gradient is the second highest vineyard area on the left hand side behind the winery. This is one of the top two single vineyard Pinot Noirs made at Mountford each year and is defined by powerful tannins and earthy flavours which add depth and longevity. Buy here 2016 Mountford Estate Pinot Noir RRP $44.99 Special $37.99 This lovely Waipara Valley Pinot Noir is made from 30 year old+ vines grown on the gentle slopes of Mountford Estate, in front of the impressive homestead. Firm tannins add structure and body to the spicy notes in this impressive wine, which typically ages superbly well.  Buy here 2021 Mountford Estate Riesling  RRP $19.99 Special $16.99 North Canterbury has a long held and well deserved reputation for deliciously seductive, succulent Rieslings. This medium dry wine contains 17 grams residual sugar, which makes it a medium dry wine and also a beautifully balanced expression of both variety and vintage. Flavours run the gamut of citrus zest and fresh limes, enveloped in a medium bodied wine with a lingering finish. It is superb value.  Buy here 2019 Mountford Estate Liaison Pinot Noir RRP $29.99 Special $27.99 Mountford's Liaison Pinot Noir is made from young vines and expresses the beautiful red fruit flavours and medium bodied style with complex hints of mushrooms, balanced by fresh acidity and brightness. Drinks well right now but has the potential to age for up to five years, evolving interestingly over that time. It was fermented in French oak with wild yeasts, matured for 16-18 months and  bottled with no fining or filtration. Buy here 2018 / 2019 Mountford Estate The Rise Pinot Noir RRP $84.99 Special $79.99 One of the flagship wines from a small sliver of land behind Mountford Estate winery, where wind decimates crop resulting in firm full bodied wines with impressive tannin structure and very good longevity Buy here 2020 Mountford Estate Rosé  RRP $27.99 Special $24.99 This rosé is 100% Pinot Noir and is intentionally produced, using destemmed fruit which is pressed, with a little Pinot Noir added back for colour. A small amount of barrel aging prior to bottling adds weight and texture, accentuating the dry taste.  Buy here

Hands up if your experience of Greek wine begins and ends with retsina?  If so, Greek wine probably seems as inaccessible as Greek mythology but this month we landed a couple of great new Greek whites in store so it seemed timely to share them and their history with you. They also both begin with the letter R but they couldn't be more different to retsina. Both are made from the Robola grape which makes high quality, distinctly fresh dry whites. It's usually grown on islands rather than the mainland and is especially famous for its role in great whites from the Ionian Islands, particularly Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Kerkyra (also known as Corfu) and Lefkada. The best wines made from Robola can be full bodied, powerful, dry and lemony with aromatic fruit aromas but very different in style to the relatively narrow range of white wines we focus on iin New Zealand. The two new Robolas we have are exciting wines with tension provided by this grape's naturally high acidity and a full body adding depth.  About the Petrakopoulos winery The two Robolas we have are made by the Petrakopoulos winery, located near to Thiramonas in the south of Kefalonia. Its grapes are grown on Mt Ainos and nearby and the winery is housed in a small villa, run by winemaker Kiki Siameli.  The wines 2019 Petrakopoulos Classic Robola Kefalonia RRP $45.99 2019 Petrakopoulos Palia Armakia Robola Kefalonia RRP $69.99 Pop in store to buy them... We look forward to seeing you. 

Biodynamic champagne producers are thin on the ground so it's incredibly refreshing to taste expressive, dry, high quality sparkling wines from Champagne Leclerc Briant, which is certified organic and biodynamic, a rarity in a region where organics have yet to cast significant sway. Leclerc Briant is also famous for producing the world's first intentionally aged underwater champagne, the Abyss, which we have secured two precious bottles of - strictly one per customer only and sales are in store.  2015 Champagne Leclerc Briant Abyss Brut Zero RRP $419.99 The first edition of Abyss was made from the 2012 harvest for underwater ageing by Leclerc Briant, in association with Amphoris, a company specializing in undersea projects. This is the fourth release and made with wines from the 2015 harvest, blended and bottled in June 2016, disgorged in March 2019 and then off to Brittany in June 2019 where it spends just over 12 months aging 60 metres under the sea, before being retrieved in autumn 2020. The grapes that make up this cuvée were harvested from Champagne village where limestone subsoil is the norm. Cuvée Abyss is a champagne with a tangy taste, which matches the expectations of style, given its underwater aging heritage.    Strictly one Abyss per customer - sales in store only   But wait, there's more Leclerc...   2017 Champagne Leclerc Briant RRP $114.99 This deliciously rich and yeasty blend is made up of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally and sulfite levels are kept modest, between 20 and 30 milligrams per litre. The wine spends nine to 11 months in stainless steel tanks with 20% in oak barrels and more than two years on the lees in the bottle. Dosage is below 4 grams per litre  so this is dry - and tastes it. Stunning fresh, full bodied, expressive champagne. Buy here  

Our new winery of the month for April is Mount Edward, situated at the base of the mountain of the same name, in the heart of Central Otago's original wine region - the Gibbston Valley. Who started it? The winery was founded by Central Otago wine pioneer, Alan Brady, a man many credit as the godfather of Otago wine because he also founded Gibbston Valley Wines after ditching his career as a television journalist in Dunedin and he has since also created his Wild Irishman brand. His original aim was to find a more balanced life in the majestic mountains of Central Otago but in wine, he discovered much more besides that - he founded three powerful brands in the world's southernmost wine region. Who owns it now? Today Mount Edward winery is owned by John Buchanan and Duncan Forsyth, a pair of Pinot and Riesling devotees,  who have carried Brady's original vision to new levels with their certified organic wines and high quality winemaking focus. Pinot Noir and Riesling were initially the key focus at Mt Ed, but now there's a bunch of diverse, quirky whites, including top notch Chardonnay, dry Chenin Blanc, textural Gruner Veltliner and zesty Pinot Blanc.  This month, Mount Edward is our key wine display in store Every week this month we will shine the spotlight on two Mount Ed wines... 2021 Mount Edward Rosé RRP $27.99 Special $25.99 Lively, refreshing, dry and light in body as well as colour which comes from gentle whole bunch pressing over five hours to retain a little colour. The juice was fermented in stainless steel at ambient temperatures with wild yeasts, which add a savoury tang to the fresh summer berry flavours of strawberries and raspberries, intertwined with the freshness that gentle acidity brings to this wine. Certified organic. Buy here 2019 Mount Edward Pinot Blanc RRP $26.99 Special $24.99 Pinot Blanc is a fabulous alternative to Chardonnay and this one is made with grapes grown on the Morrison Vineyard at Pisa in Central Otago. It's just off dry, medium bodied and has balanced flavours of stonefruit and a creamy smooth mouthfeel with a lingering note of minerality and citrus combined with spice and pear on the finish.  All grapes were hand harvested, whole bunch pressed and fermented at cool temperatures using a mixture of wild and introduced yeasts. The finished wine was fined before filtration. It's a citrusy zesty white wine, great at lunch time or on a sunny afternoon.  Buy here 2016 / 2017 Mount Edward Gruner Veltliner RRP $31.99 Special $27.99 Gruner Veltliner is an Austrian white grape which is now growing in a handful of vineyards in New Zealand, such as in Central Otago's Morrison Vineyard at Pisa - home to this wine.  Flavours in this wine are of white florals, white pepper, and stonefruit which follow through onto the palate where spice and pear notes are underpinned by minerality and refreshing acidity. This wine drinks well now but can be cellared with confidence for a further two to four years. Buy here  2019 Mount Edward Morrison Vineyard Pinot Noir RRP $74.99 Special $69.99 Special single vineyard wine made from the Morrison Vineyard in Central Otago. Winemaker Duncan Forsyth describes Morrison Vineyard Pinot Noir as a total sleeper, a taut wine that delivers concentration and power which belies the initial impression. He describes this wine as the quintessential, cliched steel fist in a velvet glove. Buy here  2019 Mount Edward PIsa Vineyard Pinot Noir  RRP $74.99 Special $69.99 Small volume single vineyard wine from upper terraces of Pisa, a sub region in Central Otago. These grapes are always the first to be picked for any of Mount Ed's wines and this wine is all about perfume and aromatic fruit with lifted aromas, a light silky mouthfeel, a full bodied style and dry, earthy flavours. Buy here    2021 Mount Edward Gamay RRP $39.99 Special $35.99 Fruity, smooth, velvety and juicy. This seductive red charmer comes from Central Otago but is made with the great Gamay grape, famous for its starring role in Beaujolais. And, like good Beaujolais, this wine's soft tannins and smooth texture mean it can be enjoyed lightly chilled.  Vibrant, juicy and fruity. This is a great summer red to serve slightly chilled or a year round smooth and versatile red. Buy here   2018 Mount Edward Clockwork Orange RRP $35.99 Special $32.99 Inspired by wines from Georgia, possibly the oldest wine region on Earth. This is full bodied, funky orange coloured wine made from a blend of Albarino, Riesling and Chenin Blanc, all contributing acidity and zesty qualities which keep it fresh. This is a lighter style than in the past and it spent eight months on skins to gain colour and weight. Buy here