GET READY TO CELEBRATE 2022

It’s a smart idea to have a small (or even large) selection of wines at home that can step up to the plate if unexpected company drops by, you’re asked out at short notice ... or simply if you feel like celebrating!

Acourier delivered my 2022 diary yesterday, crisp, clean blank pages ready to load in some important dates and occasions. It’s hard to imagine what the year ahead will bring in terms of travel and events, but it’s pretty exciting to think that whatever happens this year it will be a lot closer to the world we knew in 2019, with just a few manageable adjustments to our daily routine loaded in.

Having friends or family pop in for a cuppa is expected and can sometimes turn into dinner or even a spontaneous party and that means having a few bottles of wine at the ready: excellent quality of course, but something to reach for without taking a deep dive into the cellar or a speedy trip to the liquor store. So, I wrote a list of criteria that wine for summer drinking, spontaneous parties, something to take to a mate’s place or ‘shall we have a glass of wine with dinner dearest’ should contain and came up with four: delicious, mouth-watering, adventurous and affordable. Assembled next is a selection of wines that tick all those boxes and all with food-friendly attributes built in.

VISIT MiNDFOOD.COM

Ninety-eight per cent of New Zealand wine producers are certified sustainable – arguably the highest of any wine-producing country. Here are a few favourites. mindfood.com/sustainable-nz-wines