TASTING NOTES

★★★★★ outstanding quality ★★★★ excellent quality ★★★★

very good quality (listings in magazine, see cuisine.co.nz for tasting notes)

★★★

good quality (website listings only)

Drink now, don’t cellar

Drink now or cellar for up to two years from now

Not ready for drinking yet

TASTING METHOD All wines are tasted blind. If, after discussion, the tasters do not agree on a star rating, the wine will receive the rating given by the majority but dissenting comments will be included in the wine notes. The scores of winemaker judges cannot exceed those of other judges.

AVAILABILITY All wines entered in Cuisine tastings must be readily available at the time of publication. However, high demand and a six-week lead time between tastings and publication can affect availability. If you cannot find the wines, contact the winery or distributor direct.

PRICES Suppliers are asked to provide a retail price range for all wines entered in tastings. Prices do vary between vineyard and low- to high-volume outlets and cannot, therefore, be guaranteed. All prices are quoted in $NZ.

RECOMMENDED BY CUISINE STICKERS

Look for these top wines as your guarantee of quality.

GOLD STICKER Displayed by wines awarded five stars.

BURGUNDY STICKER Displayed by wines awarded 4½ and four stars.

BEST BUYS

Those wines offering an outstanding mix of quality and price are awarded Best Buy status. Price points differ, depending on the varietal, but if you see the Best Buy sticker you can rest assured you’re getting a great wine at an excellent price. Look out for the sticker on wine bottles at all good wine retailers.