Pinot Noir is king and Chardonnay is queen of the Akarua winery in Bannockburn where 78% of the wines made are Pinot and full of appealing plump red plum and ripe cherry flavours, leading into a beautifully structured, full bodied wine with a long, silky finish.
The Maori word Akarua translates to two vines and is the name chosen by Sir Clifford Skeggs, who planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on his terraced vineyard in Bannockburn. Last year, he sold the vineyard and winery to the Edmond de Rothschild Heritage group which is continuing the brand and its great wines.

Legend of Aussie wine, Peter Lehmann made his fame and fortune from spicy deep rich Shiraz, such as this sensational full bodied example, which is now seven years old and drinking like a dream.

A super tasty, super smooth Pinot Noir made from grapes grown in Martinborough and vinified in Hawke’s Bay at Clearview Estate. This is a superb red fruited wine with its lively and youthfully fruity Pinot summer berry flavours. It’s great value for a wine that just sneaks in under $30. Clearview Estate Winery in Hawke’s Bay sourced grapes from Ferry Road in Martinborough to make this tasty Pinot Noir and this is the second time it’s been produced (2019 was the first). The wine was made at Clearview Estate with about 40% whole bunch fermentation, all wild fermented followed by aging in French oak, 18% new, for a year. 

About Clearview Estate

Clearview Estate is one of oldest, most well established wineries in Hawke's Bay and is situated on the Te Awanga Coast, south of Napier. It's a great place to visit for tastings at the cellar door as well as lunch in the dappled shade of the established courtyard area. The winery was founded by Tim Turvey, winemaker and co-owner. The current winemaker is the multi talented Matt Kirby.

Homage is Trinity Hill?s top red and was first made in 2002 from 100% Syrah grapes grown on the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke?s Bay. It was inspired when its founder, winemaker John Hancock, visited Gerard Jaboulet in Tain l?Hermitage in the northern Rhone Valley, France and met Gerard Jaboulet and his father Louis, who produced the great wine, Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle ? one of the great reds of the first half of the 20th Century. It?s still one of the northern Rhone?s great reds but is not always considered the absolute pinnacle these days, despite its illustrious history and its evocative name ? after a small stone chapel supposedly built as a retreat for a 13th century knight loved the hill of Hermitage above the Rh?ne.

Back in New Zealand, Hancock was so inspired that he returned to the Rhone to work the 1996 harvest at Jaboulet, an experience which cemented his own passion for northern Rhone Syrah styles. This was further cemented when Gerard Jaboulet sent him three clones of Syrah and one of Viognier as a gift from the Hermitage appellation. Gerard passed away in 1997 at the age of 55 but Hancock had those vine cuttings quarantined and propagated so that he was able to plant them in 2002, alongside Trinity Hill Winery?s first Syrah vines, which were planted in 1995 with cuttings from the neighbouring Stonecroft vineyard.

Long story short, the first small production Syrah was produced at Trinity Hill in 1997 and has since grown so that the winery produces three different Syrahs, of which Homage is the king.

A fabulous Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend from Bordeaux - a region that is often overlooked for white wine but which produces some real crackers. The fruit on this is super ripe but manages to remain understated and under control. Bold flavours of lime and passion fruit are balanced by savoury cut  grass and gooseberry. A great drop at a great price which would give any Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc a run for its money.

Pierre Gonon is one of the great domaines in the St Joseph appellation. This 100% Syrah comes from the great granite rich slopes that the region is known for. The nose is smoky and rich, with spiced cherry hints. On the palate, this wine offers prune, Morello cherry and violet flavours. This smoky, juicy Rhone brings a long finish and excellent tannin structure. An excellent expression of the region.

One of the world's great reds for both plush softness and super great value for money. Guigal Cotes du Rhone is one of the world's biggest red wine success stories and its makers are on a constant mission of refinement in making this wine a better version of itself with regular work on the blend, the ageing and the overall quality. It's a big dark, smooth and soft textured blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre with the finished wine aged for 18 months in large oak foudres in the northern Rhone, in Ampuis. This town in the Cote Rotie appellation is home to Guigal's top red wines and this humble little sibling joins its more illustriously regarded, higher priced siblings there for its final ageing, pre release. 

A unique parcel within Rippon, Emma?s Block faces eastward on the lakefront where ancient clay reefs run laterally through fine schist gravels. Emma?s Block is named after the great-great-great grandmother of the current generation of the Mills family, through whom the name entered into the family.

Cellaring is recommended. This wine will age gracefully for 10+ years.

Lovely fruit forward Pinot Noir from Central Otago made from grapes grown in Bannockburn. This wine tastes bright, fresh and smooth and offers good drinking now. 

All grapes were hand picked and this wine was made with the attention to detail that is usually reserved for higher priced wines. 

This Black Estate Home Pinot Noir was grown on the Home Vineyard located in North Canterbury on a north facing sedimentary clay fan on a gentle hill side slope.

Deep ruby in the glass with perfumed, alluring open and fresh berry fruits, earth, custard and sandalwood on the nose. Supple sensual fruit on the palate with supporting tannin. offering a soft, structural, crisp and mineral experience. Drink now to 2025.

One of our favourite under $25 Pinot Noirs in store with its medium body and beautiful ripe red fruit aromas, earthy depth of flavour and impressive tannic structure thanks to Martinborough's dry, windy climate. This wine is good value and a clean, fresh style of Pinot.Luna Estate makes three Pinot Noirs, two single vineyards called Eclipse and Luna and this lovely refreshing estate blend. 

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carm?n?re and Malbec showing classical Bordeaux aromas and flavours of red fruit, earth, spice and leather. The palate is weighty yet fresh and accessible, and shows superb complexity and structure

Chene Bleu is a relatively new wine brand at Regional. All of the wines are certified organic with the EU and made to exactly quality standards. Hand picked grapes, double sorted in the vineyard, tiny yields and obvious high quality flavours are just some of the reasons to drink these wines.

This blend of Grenache and Syrah comes from Ventoux in the southern Rh?ne Valley, France; a Mediterranean wine region where dark, dense fruit flavours combine with the earthy appeal of aromas like leather, spice, anise and dried herbs.

This is a mouthwatering red wine which ticks all the boxes and more than delivers on value for money too.

This lush, silky reds a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah from the southern Rhone Gigondas appellation. Lush, plush and full bodied with bright red plum flavours and spice supported by the structure of Syrah's black plum flavours and firm tannins.