Wine dinners — where importer and restaurant collaborate to showcase a particular range of wines — are often great fun and very good value too.

I once heard one of Chile’s most illustrious winemakers, Aurelio Montes, affectionately refer to the pinot noir grape as being like his teenage offspring: full of potential for a great future — but a royal pain to deal with right now.

THERE was an embarrassment of riches at the annual New Zealand wine fair last week.

AS the Christmas countdown enters its final week, let’s combine properly festive jollity with sensible shopping: you don’t have to spend crazy money.