Big league bottles - wines in the $100-plus club
The Life Free

Big league bottles - wines in the $100-plus club

One hundred dollars is a formidable price point for a bottle of wine. Different dynamics apply when a price tag moves from two to three digits. Cross that barrier and an expensive bottle of wine becomes a “luxury brand”. To optimise brand value and pricing power, the wine must le...

Bob Campbell MW 27 Nov 2020
Your top ten wine questions answered
The Life Free

Your top ten wine questions answered

I have been running wine courses since 1986, mostly in New Zealand but also in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, China and the United Kingdom.  I recently shook hands with the 23,042nd graduate. I’ve probably had at least as many questions on wine. Here are my top 10.I’ve had this...

Bob Campbell MW 20 Nov 2020
In good time - the pros and cons of cellaring Central Otago pinot noir
The Life Free

In good time - the pros and cons of cellaring Central Otago pinot noir

Two recent vertical tastings of Central Otago pinot noir have encouraged me to ponder the virtues of drinking aged wine. A vertical tasting is one that reviews the same wine over several vintages. It is the vinous equivalent of an archaeological dig, revealing the development of...

Bob Campbell MW 13 Nov 2020
Craggy Range, a wine estate with a 1000-year future
The Life Free

Craggy Range, a wine estate with a 1000-year future

When Craggy Range founder Terry Peabody set up a family wine estate in New Zealand, he established a 1000-year trust, meaning the winery can never be sold. Around 20 years after its first vintage, this dynamic winery continues to grow in both size and stature with the recent purc...

Bob Campbell MW 06 Nov 2020