We landed our helicopter 3000 ft up on the edge of a glacial lake that feeds the Stirling Falls, surrounded by the sheer rock faces of the Milford Sounds peaks and Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Wildlife Region, New Zealand which Rudyard Kipling called the eighth Wonder of the World… and I can see why, we felt like the first people that had ever stood in this untouched remoteness. Read More >

Last November, 2012, the Family of Twelve, www.familyoftwelve.co.nz a fraternity of 12 of New Zealand’s most successful and enduring artisanal private winemakers visited Singapore. I had the privilege of organizing their programme titled “Twelve reasons to get excited about New Zealand Wines”, which was thoroughly action-packed, as detailed in F12 member, Nigel Greening’s account – click here. Read More >

Speaking at a corporate wine evening recently, themed on biodynamic wines and having just delivered a crash course on Wine Feng Shui, it was no surprise that one of the more wine-savvy people in audience asked the predictable question, “Do biodynamic wines taste better?” And in the same breath, “How do I taste the difference between a biodynamic wine and a normal wine?” Read More >

Sifting through photos I took on my recent trip to New Zealand and visit to Ruth and Paul Pretty’s marvellous property on the Kapiti Coast just north of Wellington, www.ruthpretty.co.nz I came across a couple of pictures of Paul cooking a remarkable breakfast. I say remarkable not just to compliment the cook – although he could do with a bit of praise as the concomitant to his celebrity chef wife – but more so because I discovered and savoured so many exceptional ingredients in one modest yet totally enlightening breakfast. Read More >

Our Sommelier of the Year Asia, Khun Cha, spends a few days with Kai Schubert in Martinborough and takes in a day at the beach. Just look at that pristine coastline, Palliser Bay, next stop is Antarctica! How good is the fresh paua and crayfish; Chef Diaz back on the Conrad Koh Samui will be drooling with envy. And obviously kiwi winemakers grasp there is more to learning about wine than just vineyards and wineries… “Life is filling in time between meals…” Read More >

Our intrepid Sommelier of the Year Asia, Khun Cha, spent the day with Phyll Pattie and Clive Paton at Ata Rangi in Martinborough www.atarangi.co.nz sharing some pictures with us… clearly she’s fitting into the program and adapting to the Kiwi vigneron without much problem… and DRC Richebourg 1995 thanks very much! Read More >

The Wandering Palate’s Duck Run is migrating to New Zealand where I will conduct a duck curry – duck banquet cooking class at the legendary Ruth Pretty Cooking. Read More >

More Duck Run as the Wandering Palate gears up for a New Zealand migration conducting a duck curry cooking class at the legendary Ruth Pretty Cooking school, here is the updated recipe, pairing to Kiwi Pinot Noir.  Read More >

The Wandering Palate Sommelier of the Year Asia, Khun Cha, has arrived in New Zealand, whisked from Wellington over the Rimutaka Ranges and on to Martinborough where she is already hitting the vineyard trail.

We will be posting pictures of Khun Cha’s vineyard adventures regularly, so follow her on her journey of discovery on Wandering Palate

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I just had lunch with Alan Brady, the pioneering father of the Central Otago wine region in the deep south of New Zealand’s South Island. As Brady puts it, “…at 45 deg south it was a lonely place for grape growers when a few of us planted vines here in the early 1980s”. Read More >