Hope you had a good Christmas and New Year and consumed an appropriate quality of wine in keeping with the festive spirit. What's your resolution for the New Year? Mine is to keep out of supermarkets where we are 'ripped-off' by inferior quality fruit & veg! I'm fed up with floury apples and tasteless tomatoes where the products are made to look good at the expense of flavour. Also, did you know that the two (and only two) supermarket chains in NZ have increased their prices 43% in nine years while the CPI increase is only 33%. That simply means price-fixing at out expense. They buy fruit and veg on price alone while the best 95% of produce on quality is exported. I'm growing my own veg and supporting small business in 2010 and I hope you will, too! That's my bitch this week, and now to save up to 30% plus you should scroll down and read all the way to the bottom. Good luck in 2010!

Congratulations to our five winners who were the 'Lucky Draw Winners' of the Degustation Lunch for two valued at $500 at Matua Gardens on Sunday, 24th January. They are Michael Caney, Jenny Gillies, Warwick Hunt, David Bains and Hans Van Streven. The prize includes transfers in a luxury Mini-Coach to and from Matua Gardens Retreat at Robinson's Bay in Akaroa Harbour where they will be indulging in a five-course gastronomic lunch with the best of HFWs wines matched to each course by yours truly. If the weather gods are amenable (and why wouldn't they be) this will be a memorable day for the winners.

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Coto de Hayas Chardonnay 2008

If you follow the Red & Blacks like me you will be thrilled with this little gem. Even better, the wine's a brilliant little food wine (very dry) and I stress its suitability with seafood (shellfish) and some cheeses. This is the wine you drink when you're thinking inexpensive, fresh, crisp and light. The nose is freshly cut apples and fennel while the palate is delicate, balanced and uncomplicated with salinicity. The major reason to drink this wine is the continued traditition of the Coto de Hayas value-for-money (and you won't find it in a supermarket).

RRP is $14/btl. Our special price in January is only $12/btl - super value

Torlesse Pinot Noir Waipara 2008

Made by the man in Waipara who offers the best regional value. Kym Rayner has made a wine that in appearance is luminous and transparent (in hue) with a herbal influence - cinnamon bark, forest floor on the nose while the palate is clove, juniper berry and red current. Overall, this is a delightful, inexpensive, food friendly wine that has loads of varietal character and cellar potential. in short, we love it at the price.

RRP is $18.50. Our special price only $16.90/btl

Monte Del Fra Bardolino Chiaretto Rose 2008 (Italy)

Hey, it's Rose weather (supposed to be) and this one is a stunner. It has everything you want in an inexpensive summer, lunchtime wine - elegant, lively with notes of peach and cherry with the palate delivering a hint of spice on a dry finish. Rose in this style is a very versatile food wine that is perfect for a picnic and is best served chilled. Also ideal at just 12.5% alc/vol. This wine was sold out completely but we managed to get a little allocation given up by a restaurant.

RRP $23/btl. Our special price only $19.90/btl

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Taylor's 10-Year-Old Tawny Port 375ml

Do you remember the NZ horse Kiwi that came from last to first to win the 1983 Melbourne Cup; no horse in Cup history has ever produced a more dominant sprint to the line to win. Well, Taylor's 10-Y-O Tawny will finish off a meal almost as impressively and for the first time in recent Melbourne Cup history we can offer it to you for a sensational price (odds-on) in a 375ml bottle. This was going to be a super Xmas special but it arrived in-shop a little late (unlike Kiwi) so it's now a January 'lay-down misere (a hand in cards with no tricks, just in case you're wondering).'

RRP is $45/btl but our special price is only $29.90 - Save over 34%

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Omihi Road Waipara Riesling 2007

Off-dry style from Waipara that shows really good fruit-weight and structure that is now displaying some good aged characters after being in the bottle for over 15 months - toasty, lime and marmalade. This is a wine that's clean on the palate with a crispy freshness and only a hint of sweetness, and it's therefore ideally suited to a multitude of dishes - we are recommending scallops, chicken in a white sauce and roast pork with apple sauce. It's also a wine that will age well as it has the acidity and balance to develop for another 7 or 8 years. Last of all, it's a steal at the price.

RRP is $19.90. Our special price to you is just $17.50/btl.

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Save 25% on a great name from Bordeaux

Baron de Rothschild Lafite Reserve Bordeaux Speciale 2006

Wonderful crimson colour. Nose: powerful, aromatic and complex, dominated by aromas of fresh fruit (redcurrants, blackberries and black cherries). A fresh wine with “bite”, with powerful aromas on the palate (red fruit), well-integrated tannins and an aromatic and spicy finish. A wine to be tasted with pleasure.

RRP is $27.90/btl. We are offering it at the super price of just $20.90/btl

Save 30% on an outstanding Sherry

Gonzalez Byass Elegante Amontillado Sherry (medium dry)

Don't turn your nose up because this is 'sherry' because there's an excellent chance you've not tasted anything as good as this classy number (sincere apologies if you are a 'sherry-convert.') . Sherry has a bad name in NZ because historically we were always served up 'pseudo-sherry' which was probably made in Australia or someone's backyard (or both). At least, that's how it tasted; I remember stealing my mother's pseudo-sherry from the half-G beneath the kitchen sink when I was a youth and duly vomiting into the sink (as any 12yr-old should). Luckily, I later discovered the so-called sherry had been made from rotting kangaroo carcass and koala bear urine and to mask its putridity it had been labelled sherry after that wonderful fortified wine from Jerez in Spain (talk about blasphemy). In recent years it has been outlawed to call a wine sherry unless it comes from the authentic region of Spain. Yes, this one is the 'real-deal' and I'm challenging you to come to the shop and have a taste, either friday or Saturday. Don't be shy!

RRP $28.50/btl. Our super 'real-deal' sherry price only $19.90/btl

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Half-Price Spiegelau White Wine Multipurpose Glass

Here's a superb deal we have just negotiated for a 'Donna Series' Multipurpose white wine glass. I don't have an image shown here but the glass is a tulip shaped bowl and has a very fine, flared lip with a filled capacity of 150ml. It stands 20cm tall with a stem of 8cm, is sturdy, and because of its shape and fine lip is very well suited to white wines with acidity and aromatics. It is a good glass for most whites especially sauvignon blanc and riesling. But, I would also use this glass for rose, sherry, chennin blanc, pinot gris and viognier. The point is, if you only want one glass for whites then this is it, and best of all it's only half price. We have five dozen arriving 15th January and they come in boxes of six glasses - only $59.90/box.

RRP $20/glass. Our stunning price only $10/glass

January Opening Hours Hemingway Fine Wines

Mondays/Tuesdays 11.00am to 7.00pm
Wednesday to Saturday 10.00am to 7.00pm
Sundays Closed

Metered and 30min Parking available in Chester Street West (turn right from Durham St Nth or left from Cramner Square)

Shop: Corner Durham St North and Chester St West, Christchurch CBD
Phone: 03 374 3344. Fax: 03 374 3343
Email: hemingwayfinewines@xtra.co.nz
www.hemingwayfinewines.co.nz

The wine you drink is the wine you deserve