Good wines under $25 are out there and from late October our newly established website, Wineproof25, will be finding them for you!
With two regular tastings conducted with a rigour and transparency unmatched by any other NZ review platform we will send results straight to your phone or tablet at no charge.
Browse our set-up site and sign up for our first tasting results!
* tasted completely blind * reviewed by experienced judges * devoid of any conflicts of interest * reviewed in plain language * rated for both value and quality * results sent direct to you
The is no charge or subscription required for this service.
To maintain our transparency, apart from the entry fees to tastings, Wineproof25 takes no income from the wine industry.
Our ‘National60’ tasting of 60 wines submitted
for tasting will be online soon.
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The ‘Supermarket Dozen’
– in this case a tasting of 24 wines bought at
retail from supermarket shelves – is now live.
Here are the Standouts of the Tasting
Villa Maria Gisborne PB Viognier 2016 $15
Viognier might be ‘out there’ but try something new…
Viognier might be out there for some but this one’s a good reason to give overly sweet Chardonnay or searing Sauvignon a miss. In France they mostly chuck it in with Syrah to help the fragrance but in its own right it can be delightful.
Makaraka Merlot 2017 $11
An Aussie bolter in the value stakes….
It’s good to find a bolter in the value department and this is one in the wine stakes. Despite the Kiwi sounding label this is an Aussie wine doing what they do so well – producing robust fruity wines, especially reds, at a price that makes our eyes roll back!
Taylors Promised Land Merlot 2016 $12
Impressive entry level Aussie
Another Aussie, this time from Taylors of Clare Valley, who make wines at all sorts of prices but who maintain good value in their entry level offerings. Once again impressive fruity depth at such a good price point.
Jacobs Creek Grenache 2017 $12
An Aussie wine with a Spanish twist..
But I suppose you could put that the other way around…a Spanish grape that’s moved to the ‘Lucky Country’! Naturally it enjoys the heat and produces wines with depth and intensity, and as you can see, often at a great price.
Spinyback Riesling 2016 $16
Fresh and fruity for a sunny day
Riesling still struggles to match the Sauvingon, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay juggernaut. Pity that! Because many, like this one have a lovely off dry freshness of fruit that really makes you look back to the summer that is just disappearing.
Babich Hawke’s Bay Merlot – Cabernet 2016 $17
Great value from a Kiwi stalwart..
The Babich family, of Croatian origin and one of the country’s wine pioneers, look back to early vintages in the 1920s. The following they earned in those times through the honesty of their wines remains today. This well structured red from Hawke’s Bay shows why.
Sacred Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $15
Savvy with the acids under control
Here’s a Sauvignon that’s bright and breezy but the nice balance of the wine leaves your tonsils intact. As we noted it has broad appeal. ‘Try it you’ll like it’ as they say.
Sileni Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2017 $19
Syrah that over delivers
Syrah’s often rated as our next best red wine variety. But prices often require mortgaging the house or selling the Ferrari. But here’s one with depth and finesse that you can have for just the price of a few missed coffees!
