From celebratory wines to holiday staples, food-friendly drops to thoughtful gifts, these festive 15 bottles provide something for most tastes and occasions. This year, all my summer party-season picks hail from Aotearoa, which is no hard ask given the current quality and diversity of Kiwi wines. While I’m a great
believer in drinking widely, these are tough times for the local wine industry, so you can enjoy these wines in the knowledge you’re supporting local winemakers.
Best Wines for Parties & Gifts
Try these exciting wines for something original and celebratory – bottles with personality and thoughtful presents beyond the obvious.
Quartz Reef Central Otago Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2019
For A New Year’s Toast: Quartz Reef Central Otago Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2019
Raise a glass to 2026 with this flagship sparkling wine from Quartz Reef that’s every bit as good as Champagne, and better than some. Elegant, intense and refined, it befits a special occasion with its notes of citrus, chalky mineral and oyster shell over richer layers of toasted almond and apple pastry.
$85 from Quartzreef.co.nz
Colere Southern Valleys Marlborough Chenin Blanc 2022
Dare to be Different: Colere Southern Valleys Marlborough Chenin Blanc 2022
If you don’t want to turn up with the same wine as everyone else at the party and are looking for something fresh and internationally on-trend, take this chenin. It’s a thrilling wine made from the organic Wrekin Vineyard. Dynamic layers of pure, crisp apple, grapefruit pith, beeswax, blossom, honey and a gently savoury undertone, interlace in this fine bone-dry example with an electric, minerally drive.
$55 from Cave a Vin, Bare Wine, Cahn’s (Auckland), City Centre Wine and Spirits, Regional Wines & Spirits (Wellington) and Decant (Christchurch).
Black Estate gift set.
For A Gourmand Gift: Black Estate Wine and Pickle Box
This organic gift box containing a bottle of the 2024 vintage of Black Estate’s Home Pinot Noir and a jar each of zucchini pickle and beetroot relish should hit the spot for the foodie on your Christmas list. Black Estate’s signature organic and biodynamic pinot noir is on perfumed and savoury form, with its notes of cherry, forest floor, herb and red florals, while the pickles made by chef Olly Le Maitre of Black Estate’s award-winning restaurant offer bites of piquant perfection.
$79 from Blackestate.co.nz
Garage Project Single Barrel Series 777 Chenin Saison
The Best Beer For Wine Lovers: Garage Project Single Barrel Series 777 Chenin Saison
This beer is a marriage made in heaven for lovers of sour saison and crisp chenin blanc. After being aged nine months in a puncheon, it was infused with the goodness of chenin grape skins from Ashleigh Barrowman’s Siren Wine, then bottle-conditioned for one year. Rich, full-bodied and ultra-tart, this superlative saison combines notes of fresh apple with savoury, mealy and honeyed dimensions and a lightly toasty edge.
$49 for 750ml from Garageproject.co.nz
Huntress Matiti Martinborough Pet-Nat 2024
A Summer Sparkling Wine to Share: Huntress Matiti Martinborough Pet-Nat 2024
Enjoy this pure and crisp riesling pet-nat with friends, or give as a gift with real mana. It’s dry and delicious, with a creamy mousse, zesty notes of lime, grapefruit and mandarin, mineral salts and florals, plus a touch of honey and yeasty richness. Made by Huntress, this is the first wine released under the Matiti: Hua Parakore Collective banner. A wāhine Māori initiative, Matiti supports kaupapa Māori pathways in organic wine and beverage making that reconnect people back to the land, rivers and soil.
The Best Wines For Festive Feasting
A diverse array of dishes feed us over the Christmas period, with this mix of special and affordable wines complementing some of the season’s varied classic fare.
Wild Irishman Doctor’s Flat Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023
Festive Dining Red: Wild Irishman Doctor’s Flat Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023
With darker turkey meat, duck, pork, roast vegetables and even salmon, pinot noir fits the bill. Christmas is a great time to splash out on special bottles, such as this example made from a renown organic Bannockburn vineyard in a joint venture of local pinot pioneer Alan Brady with fellow Irishman Brian Shaw. It’s silky textured and fabulously fragrant, with aromas of violet and smoke threading its lively palate of plush, bright black fruits. Notes of rock and earth complete the profile of this harmonious and elegant Central Otago pinot.
The Stone Giants by Chris Scott Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2024
Christmas Lunch White: The Stone Giants by Chris Scott Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2024
A richer white suits the turkey, chicken and salmon of the Christmas table, with chardonnay a classic pairing. A great choice and something suitably special is this brand-new release from veteran Church Road winemaker Chris Scott’s just-launched personal label. A seriously good, food-friendly style, there’s an opulence to its textural palate that layers white peach, cinnamon and gingerbread spice, with a hint of smoke and savoury, nutty notes. This richness is beautifully balanced in this Bridge Pa Triangle chardonnay by its taut citrus acidity and fresh saline character.
$80 from Chrisscottwines.com
Church Road Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Classy Claret Alternative: Church Road Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
For beef, heartier meats and hard cheeses, Bordeaux blends have the weight and structure to rise to the occasion. Top Bordeaux is incredibly expensive, while quality at the lower end can be variable. However, we are well served with local examples from Hawke’s Bay in particular. This Merlot Cabernet from Church Road melds classic notes of juicy blackcurrant and blackberry, with hints of roasting coffee, delivering weight and elegance at a remarkably low price.
$17.99 to $19.99 Church-road.com, most supermarkets, plus Liquorland, Super Liquor, Bottle–O and Liquor Centre
Auntsfield Marlborough Methode Ancestrale 2025
A Wine To Pair With Lighter Desserts: Auntsfield Marlborough Methode Ancestrale 2025
As Kiwi summer Christmases lean away from stodgy winter puddings and more towards lighter, fruitier desserts, these warrant delicate, fruity wine matches. While far drier than many moscatos, this light, bright and crunchy sparkling muscat, with its scents of white flowers, hints of herb and exotic spice, and grape and citrus fruits, will pair with fresh fruits and less-sweet desserts. Think pavlova and summer berries, as well as savoury fare such as soft cheeses (especially served with grapes), smoked ham, seafood and lightly spiced dishes.
$38 from The Good Wine Company, Regional Wines, and The Hamilton Beer and Wine Company
Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2022
Best Bottle For A Barbecue: Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2022
Light the barbecue and lift a glass of this sweetly fruited and supple syrah to your lips. Its fragrance and softness mean it’s highly enjoyable on its own as you tend the flames. Then with big barbecue characters, its juicy boysenberry and raspberry fruit works with tangy sauces; notes of cracked black pepper synergise with barbecue spices, while its weight and ripeness have the heft to stand up to robust smoky flavours. It’s also great value for money.
$24.99 from Trinityhill.com and widely available in stores
The Best Wines For Relaxed Holiday Sipping
Have these wines on hand for all those unexpected visitors and summer outdoor outings.
Fugitive Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
For Easy Al Fresco Occasions: Fugitive Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025
For a picnic, in a backpack, or to ensure a fresh glass of sauvignon is always on hand, Fugitive’s box of New Zealand’s flagship variety is a very handy way and envorinmentally friendly way of delivering wine. This cask contains a high-quality organic Marlborough example made from the Te Manawa Vineyard in the Wairau Valley. It has good intensity and texture to support its notes of zesty lime, blackcurrant bud, sugar snap pea and savoury nuance of bouquet garni.
$59 for 2L from Fugitiveorganic.co.nz, selected Liquorlands, Commonsense (Wellington), and By the Bottle (Auckland)
Three Fates Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2024
A Cool Red for Warm Days: Three Fates Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2024
Red wine lovers need not miss out on refreshing drops over summer, with a growing range available of lighter reds suited to being sipped lightly chilled. Cabernet franc is great served cool, and this example from Three Fates is moreishly drinkable. There’s concentration to its ripe and bright dark fruits, which are infused with hints of liquorice and an attractive ferrous note, but with a juiciness and softness that keeps you coming back for another glass. The Three Fates have also put together an eclectic upbeat playlist for this wine that you can check out on their website. $40 from Threefateswine.com, By The Bottle, Puffin, and Advintage
Mount Riley Marlborough Albarino 2025
A Festive Fridge Staple: Mount Riley Marlborough Albarino 2025
Albarino is a great alternative to sauvignon with its dry, crisp profile, and at the sharp price of Mount Riley’s inviting example you can afford to stock up the fridge and crack this all summer. Light, bright and mouthwatering, this Marlborough expression of a Spanish variety combines its classic sea-like briny character, zingy citrus and white fruits with some ramped-up Kiwi aromatics of white jasmine. Pleasant as an aperitif or to accompany salads and shellfish.
$17.99 from First Glass, Herne Bay Cellars, Advintage, Vino Fino
Te Kairanga Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2024
A Red For Your Holiday House: Te Kairanga Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2024
Securing some great-value wines can help take the edge off a big festive drinks bill. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better affordable Martinborough pinot noir than Te Kairanga’s Estate example. Blended from a mix of its own vineyards, this silky, medium light pinot punches well above its price point with its juicy mandarin, bright plum and cherry fruit scented fruit threaded with notes of rose pot pourri.
$26-33 from Fine Wine Delivery Company, Blackmarket and Foley Wine Club
Greystone North Canterbury Rose 2025
For Spicy Food and Summer Sunshine: Greystone North Canterbury Rosé 2025
It wouldn’t be a summer holiday without something pink in your glass, and Greystone makes a beautiful example. Their fresh organic 2025 vintage is just hitting the shelves. Salmon-pink, dry and succulent, its bright, strawberry, mandarin and watermelon fruit, displays a beautiful balance and juiciness. It makes for a refreshing aperitif, and is also a versatile style when paired with spicy foods. $28 from Greystonewines.co.nz
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