Wine correspondent Peter Saunders looks at the impact and perception of a variety barely planted 10 years ago in New Zealand

Pinot gris, popular and becoming famous as the follow-on to New Zealand sauvignon blanc, has a long pedigree and is known throughout the world by as many as a dozen different names. Pinot grigio in Italy, Rülander in Germany; pinot gris is grown from Luxembourg to Romania, Australia and New Zealand. Although a mutation, a derivative of pinot noir, pinot gris seems to thrive wherever grape varieties grow, perhaps in this sense a parallel to chardonnay but in contrast to its more fussy parent, pinot noir

Of all the spirits on the market, few have such a reputation as whisky and the pinnacle of the whisky world is the single malt.

A single malt – a malt whisky made by a single distillery – captures the essence of its environment as few other drinks can, with the exception of wine. Winemakers talk proudly about terroir, that indefinable influence of microclimate, soil type, vine position and clone selection on the finished product that makes each wine unique; and single malts can make the same boast.
The ingredients are simple: malted barley and water; but the results are so individual that the practised palate can distinguish between whiskies made in the same village.

Tequila has issues. Let’s be honest, there aren’t many people who can hear the word without thinking of necking shots of white lightning and the awful consequences.
But tequila is so much more than simply a headache in a bottle. Good tequila will contain a high percentage of distilled blue agave juice, which gives tequila its unique flavour.

A column by an international sports writer that accused New Zealand of being a rip-off destination has predictably raised hackles.

A New Zealand Herald column by rugby hack Peter Bills said: “This place is becoming one of the most expensive I visit, one giant rip-off. And most of you seem unaware of it.
“What I find here amazes me. So much so that I don’t know how most ordinary folk manage to balance their budgets. True, petrol is much cheaper than in Britain. But in just about every other field, hotels, car hire, restaurant food, wine, clothes or whatever, you’re the victims of massive overcharging.”

With the forces of what used to be called the NannyState* arrayed in all their battle finery against the forces of evil and darkness (or the “booze barons” as the media like to call them), it’s perhaps timely to have a look at the whole debate on alcohol harm and binge drinking...  Read more