New Taste

A new Chilean on the block, Champagne goes dry and Southern Comfort in a can - Claire Hu reviews the hottest new releases.

Anne Krebiehl: Tenth blog from New Zealand harvest

Picking continues apace. When we get to the vineyards now, we can see more and more picked rows with foliage of burnished yellow, rust and red. By now we are all comfortable with each other and already have a well-used stock of in-jokes. It all makes for pleasant days and lots of laughter, but speed remains of the essence.

anne Krebiehl: Ninth blog from New Zealand harvest

As the days and weeks in Central pass, late summer turns into autumn. The poplars have turned into glowing colours; their heart-shaped leaves are flying in the gusts of wind, covering the road in a carpet of bright yellow.

David Cox to head New Zealand Wines

David Cox is the new chief of New Zealand Wine Growers for the UK and Europe.

New Taste - LIWF special

Claire Hu and Carol Emmas preview the hottest new product releases at the London International Wine Fair and Distil.

Anne Krebiehl: Eighth blog from New Zealand harvest

The harvest steps up. Our days just evaporate, there is no standstill: we generally turn up at a quarter to eight so that picking starts promptly at 8 o'clock. On some days we are all muffled up in woolly hats, on others a jersey will do.

Anne Krebiehl: Seventh blog from New Zealand harvest

For the duration of the harvest I am staying at Jackson's Orchard just outside Cromwell. Before stubborn pioneers like Sue Edwards and Verdun Burgess of Black Ridge, Lois and Rolfe Mills of Rippon and Alan Brady of Gibbston Valley started planting vines in 'Central' in the 1980s (more of their wines in a later instalment), horticulture was and to a degree still is the mainstay of this area: Central Otago cherries and apricots are famous and there are many apple orchards, too.

Now in autumn the roadside stalls are fully stocked. I can stay at the orchard amidst rows and rows of trellised apricot trees since the season is over. Usually the huts, former motel units that were moved here, are occupied by the cherry, peach and apricot pickers and when I arrived, I saw the last fragrant batches of peaches being despatched. Since I moved in, the orchard has turned colour and I can walk ankle-deep through russet-coloured leaves to State Highway No. 6. From Jackson's own fruit stall I can buy milk, apples and tomatoes and one of these days I will have to try the Otago cherries in Kirsch. My neighbours are two Ecuadorean girls harvesting for Mount Edward and three Thai fruit pickers who keep making Tom Yum Soup in our shared kitchen shack. It is very quiet and very beautiful here and having my own little hut is luxurious.

Anne Krebiehl: Sixth blog from New Zealand harvest

Excitement: the first day of picking! After the night frost I am dressed in layers of clothes. I was told to be ready for pick-up at 07.45 and Bruce, an athletic Englishman who made New Zealand his home and works for Felton Road full-time arrives promptly.

We drive to the Cornish Point Vineyard on Lake Dunstan and bit by bit various pickers arrive. As of yet they are nameless, but we are well-mixed in age and origin. We try and stay warm in the early morning and smile tentatively at each other, some of the older hands clearly know each other and we strangers laugh at their familiar banter.

Torres moves into Rioja Claire Hu wine

Spanish wine giant Torres has produced its first wine from the DOC area of Rioja, a crianza made from 100% Tempranillo.

Scheduling made easy

Is sorting out the staff rotas in your bar, restaurant or pub the bane of your life?

Spain's new flavours

Anne Krebiehl: Fifth blog from New Zealand harvest

On the coach again southbound from Blenheim to Christchurch: the route runs along the coast and to my right there is bush and steep cliffs, to my left is the Pacific Ocean. Fresh crayfish is sold at roadside stalls and I regret that I cannot just hop off to sample some of it.

Anne Krebiehl: Fourth blog from New Zealand harvest

Red eye: am on the early coach from Nelson en route to Renwick. State Highway 6 winds its way through coniferous forests, crosses the turquoise Pelorus River in a picturesque, narrow valley and continues south to reach the expansive vineyards of Marlborough: Renwick, a sleepy highway village, sits amidst these and it's yet again a case of dropping the rucksack, grabbing bicycle, helmet and map and heading off to hit the cellar doors.

A five litre launch

Rhône producer Vignerons des 4 Chemins will launch its first range of 5 litre bag in the box at the London International Wine Fair 2009.

Anne Krebiehl's third wine harvest blog from New Zealand

South Island - what a difference! Anne Krebhiel continues her tour around the wine regions of New Zeland - this week she crosses over into the South Island.

Kumala thinks inside the box

Also new from Constellation is a bag-in-box format for the UK's biggest South African brand, Kumala.

Pink fizz with a difference

New from Champagne Pannier is an unusual rosé Champagne that breaks with the norms of pink fizz.

Eisberg launches new website

Eisberg, the UK's top de-alcoholised wine has launched a new website as part of a marketing campaign which includes improved liquid and Bordeaux-style wine bottles.

New Hardys range for the on-trade

Constellation Europe is launching a brand new range for the on-trade under its flagship Hardys label.

First Pernod ads for Absolut

The first UK ad for Absolut since the brand's purchase by Pernod Ricard last year will appear from tomorrow (March 27).