There’s an art to buying excellent wines. Photo / Getty Images
There’s plenty of good wine on the shelves, but the art of wine buying involves more than discovering labels that consistently offer attractive drinking. The real challenge – and the greatest satisfaction – lies in identifying wines which, at varying levels of quality, deliver outstanding value for money.
Wines offering
great value often flow from big producers, with the advantage of economies of scale. But smaller wineries with great vineyard sites and skilful winemaking can produce mid-priced wines with unexpectedly high levels of quality and personality.
Whites
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Gris 2024
★★★★½
Estate-grown and hand-picked at Tasman, this weighty, vibrantly fruity wine is strongly varietal. It has deep, peachy, spicy flavours, hints of pears and lychees, balanced acidity and a dryish finish. Well worth cellaring. $24
Church Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2024
★★★★
This popular, consistently top value wine is described by winemaker Chris Scott as “unashamedly just a little bit old school” – meaning it is an extroverted style, toasty and buttery. Bright lemon/green, the latest vintage is full-bodied, with strong, youthful, well-ripened stonefruit flavours gently seasoned with toasty oak, finely balanced acidity and good complexity. A classic regional style, as good as many chardonnays in the $20-$25 category, it should be at its best 2027+. $17-$19
Hunter’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
★★★★½
Hunter’s goal for this famous wine is “a strong expression of Marlborough fruit – a bell-clear wine with a mix of tropical and searing gooseberry characters”. Mouthfilling, fresh and vigorous, it has very good intensity of passionfruit/lime flavours, a distinct touch of barrel-ferment complexity and a dry, appetisingly crisp finish. $22
Fresh and vigorous: Hunter’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024. Photo / Supplied
Johner Estate Gladstone Riesling 2021
★★★★★
It’s not cheap, but this distinctive wine still offers attractive value. A powerful, concentrated, single-vineyard Wairarapa riesling, it is full-bodied and vigorous, with an array of fruit flavours – peach, lemon, apple, even passionfruit – hints of bottle-aged complexity and a crisp, off-dry, lasting finish. Still youthful at four years old, it is a tightly structured, thought-provoking wine, for enjoying now and over the next decade. $30
Jovly Chenin Blanc Vouvray 2022
★★★★½
Invitingly scented, this vibrantly fruity, full-bodied French wine is from a region famous for chenin blanc. It has strong, peachy flavours, a sliver of sweetness and balanced acidity. Already delicious, with a strong sense of youthful drive, it offers fine value. (12.5% alc/vol) $25-$29
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Gris 2024
★★★★½
Grown mostly in the Southern Valleys and made with some use of hand-picking and barrel fermentation, this wine is attractively perfumed. Full-bodied, it has generous ripe peach, pear and spice flavours, a distinct touch of complexity, and a dry, lingering finish. Already delicious, it should be at its best 2026+. $22-$26
Lake Chalice The Falcon Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
★★★★½
If you like a punchy, high impact style of sauvignon blanc, the sort that “leaps out of the glass”, try this. Grown at Dillons Point in the lower Wairau Valley, it is aromatic, vibrant and full-bodied, with penetrating tropical fruit and herbal flavours, a distinctly salty streak, appetising acidity and a dry, lengthy finish. $19
Herby, fruity and salty: Lake Chalice The Falcon Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024. Photo / Supplied
Main Divide North Canterbury Chardonnay 2024
★★★★½
This great-value wine was fermented and matured on its yeast lees in French oak puncheons. Full of youthful vigour, it is mouthfilling and savoury, with generous, ripe, peachy flavours enriched with biscuity oak, fresh acidity and a dry, lengthy finish. Very ageworthy. (From Pegasus Bay.) $22
Main Divide North Canterbury Gewürztraminer 2024
★★★★½
This highly perfumed wine was fermented in old oak puncheons and briefly barrel-aged. Mouthfilling, it has strong, peachy, spicy, slightly gingery flavours, a distinct touch of complexity, a gentle splash of sweetness and moderate acidity. Already very open and expressive, it’s an ideal introduction to gewürztraminer’s delights. $18-$22
Mount Brown Estates North Canterbury Riesling 2024
★★★★
Bargain-priced, this finely poised wine is light-bodied and strongly varietal. It has vigorous lemony, appley flavours, fresh and strong, and gentle sweetness balanced by tangy acidity. Still very youthful, it should be at its best 2027+. (10% alc/vol) $17
Pā Road Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
★★★★
This lively wine is already a pleasure to drink. Bright, light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, with generous ripe, peachy flavours, showing a distinct touch of complexity, fresh, finely balanced acidity and a very harmonious finish. $18
Seifried Nelson Grüner Veltliner 2024
★★★★
From a traditional Austrian variety, this satisfyingly full-bodied wine has fresh, generous, peachy, slightly citrusy and spicy flavours and a dry finish. Showing good concentration and vigour, it’s an ideal all-purpose wine, well worth discovering. $20
Tohu Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2024
★★★★
Highly appealing in its youth, this Awatere Valley wine is vividly varietal. Full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, it offers very good depth of peach, pear, lychee and spice flavours enlivened with fresh, balanced acidity, and a basically dry, very harmonious finish. $19
Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023
★★★★½
This label is consistently a great buy. Partly barrel-fermented, and matured on its yeast lees for nine months, it has vibrant, citrusy, peachy fruit characters gently seasoned with toasty oak, a hint of butterscotch and excellent flavour depth and vigour. Still unfolding, it should be at its best 2026+. $15-$20
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
★★★★
This great-value wine is blended from Wairau Valley and Awatere Valley grapes, handled in stainless steel tanks. Bright, light lemon/green, it is highly aromatic, vibrant and tangy, balancing ripe, passionfruit-like flavours with green capsicum-evoking notes. It has lively acidity and very good vigour and intensity. (12.5% alc/vol) $16-$20
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Gris 2024
★★★★
This vigorous Awatere Valley wine was tank-fermented. It is mouthfilling with generous peach and pear flavours, slightly spicy notes, fresh acidity and an off-dry finish. Already drinking well, it should be at its best mid-2026+. $16-$20
Rosé
Listel Grain De Gris Rosé 2023
★★★½
The “No 1 selling rosé in France” was grown in its biggest wine region, Languedoc. Very pale pink, it is medium-bodied, fresh and lively, with gentle peach, strawberry and spice flavours. Crisp, dry and youthful. (12% alc/vol) $15-$17
ME by Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Rosé 2025
★★★★
Bright pink, this is an attractively scented light-to-medium-bodied wine, very fresh and vibrant, with strong watermelon, strawberry and spice flavours, and a well-rounded finish. Made from pinot noir, it’s enjoyable from the start. (12% alc/vol) $19
Bright and fresh: ME by Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Rosé 2025. Photo / Supplied
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2024
★★★★
Bright, light pink, this fresh, light-bodied wine has vibrant, delicate strawberry and watermelon flavours, with a crisp, basically dry finish. Full of youthful drive, it’s already delicious. (12.5% alc vol) $16-$20
Reds
Chateau Le Bournac 2023
★★★★
Looking for a top value, affordable Bordeaux? Grown in the Entre-Deux-Mers region, this deeply coloured red is mouthfilling, with blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, balanced tannins, and very good ripeness and density. Best drinking mid-2027+. $18-$21
Crimson Peak Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★½
From Rockburn, this bright ruby red was matured for 10 months in oak barrels. Mouthfilling, it has generous, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, a subtle oak influence and very good complexity. A savoury, vibrant, harmonious red, it’s already drinking well, but ageworthy, too. $30
Delta Marlborough Pinot Noir 2022
★★★½
Fresh and medium-bodied, this single-vineyard red was grown in the Southern Valleys. Fragrant and youthful, it has good depth of ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, hints of toasty oak, moderate complexity and supple tannins. (12.5% alc/vol) $20
Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec 2024
★★★★
This merlot-based blend (78%) is full-coloured and mouthfilling, with generous, well-ripened blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, a hint of dark chocolate, supple tannins and excellent harmony. Made in a fruit-driven (gently oaked) style, it should be at its best 2027+. $20
Hunter’s Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★½
This bright ruby red was grown in clay soils in the Southern Valleys, hand-picked and matured for a year in French oak barrels. A highly appealing, finely textured red, it is perfumed and supple, with cherry, plum and spice flavours, revealing excellent ripeness, balance, complexity and depth. Best drinking 2027+. $29
Jackson Estate Homestead Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021
★★★★½
Offering impressive value, this deep, bright ruby red was matured in tanks and French oak barrels. Full-bodied, it has strong, vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing excellent depth and cellaring potential. $23
Luna Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2023
★★★★
This consistently bargain-priced red is estate-grown and harvested mostly from “younger vines” in the Blue Rock Vineyard. Bright ruby, it was oak-aged for 10 months. Mouthfilling, savoury and supple, it has excellent depth of cherry, plum and spice flavours, hints of herbs and dark chocolate, finely balanced tannins and savoury, nutty notes adding complexity. Forward in its appeal, it should be at its best mid-2026+. $23-$27
Savoury and supple: Luna Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2023. Photo / Supplied
ME by Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2024
★★★★
This attractive red is ruby hued, mouthfilling and supple. It has good concentration of ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, hints of dark chocolate and coffee, and considerable complexity. Already enjoyable, it should be at its best 2027+. $24
Mission Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
★★★★½
Currently highly approachable, this estate-grown red was matured for a year in French oak barrels (25% new). Deeply coloured, it is mouthfilling, with rich, vibrant blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, nutty and savoury notes adding complexity and ripe, supple tannins. $29
Redmetal Vineyards Bridge Pā Triangle Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2024
★★★★½
Delicious young, this is a powerful, syrah-based red (87%), with splashes of cabernet franc and merlot. Deeply coloured, it is sturdy and lush, with rich, well-ripened fruit flavours, hints of liquorice and dark chocolate, and a seductively smooth finish. (14.5% alc/vol) $25
Taylors Estate Clare Valley/Limestone Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
★★★★
This highly drinkable South Australian red is a great buy. French oak-matured, it is deeply coloured and mouthfilling, with finely balanced tannins and strong, well-ripened blackcurrant, plum, spice and nut flavours, showing considerable complexity. (14.5% alc/vol) $18
Taylors Promised Land South Australia Shiraz 2021
★★★½
Looking for a good, moderately priced, all-purpose red? American oak-aged, this fresh, full-bodied wine has generous, plummy, spicy flavours, ripe and smooth. It’s drinking well now. $12-$17
Terra Sancta Mysterious Diggings Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024
★★★★½
Crafted for early enjoyment, this ruby-hued Central Otago red offers fine value. Estate-grown and matured in seasoned French oak barrels, it is a medium-to-full-bodied wine, savoury and supple, with an attractive array of ripe cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, lively acidity, and excellent vibrancy, delicacy, complexity and harmony. Best drinking mid-2026+. $26-$30
Tocado Garnacha 2022
★★★½
This Spanish red offers top value. Bright ruby, it is mouthfilling and smooth, with generous ripe plum, berry, spice and liquorice flavours. A good, all-purpose red. $14-$15
An all-purpose red: Tocado Garnacha 2022. Photo / Supplied
Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2024
★★★★
Offering good value, this is a powerful, full-coloured young red. Sturdy and fruit-packed, it has strong, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, hints of herbs, chocolate and nuts, and supple tannins. A distinctive, generous wine, it should be at its best 2027+. $18-$22
Note: all wines are 13.0- 14.0% alc/vol, unless stated otherwise.
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