Latest news
All eyes on harvest 2022
With the first grapes of the 2022 vintage harvested, New Zealand Winegrowers says that ongoing international demand and low stock levels mean that winemakers are hoping for a significantly larger harvest this year…
New date for whisky event DramFest
New Zealand’s leading whisky festival DramFest has been rescheduled to March 2023, following the postponement of the 2022 event…
Wanaka’s Ripe cancels 2022 festival
Organisers of major food and wine festival Ripe in Wanaka have cancelled the scheduled March event amid current COVID-19 restrictions…
New CEO for Lion Group
Lion has announced the appointment of Sam Fischer as CEO of the Lion Group…
Understanding local alcohol policy
Alcohol licensing lawyer Pervinder Kaur explains the role of local alcohol policy when it comes to applying for an alcohol licence…
Crazy in the Canaries
Dominic Roskrow finds the competition heating up in the Scotch sector…
Fruity little numbers
Michael Donaldson explains the world of fruited beers and why we’re likely to see many more of them…
The ascent of Albariño
Albariño has become a rising star of New Zealand’s alternative white scene. But, asks Joelle Thomson, why has it succeeded where so many others have failed?…
Strong growth for distilled spirits in US over 2021
The distilled spirits sector in the US achieved strong growth in 2021, thanks to consumers trading up to super-premium spirits for at-home, and the gradual reopening of restaurants…
Barcats offers free hospo training courses in Feb
Hospitality platform, Barcats, is partnering with the Ministry of Social Development to offer free training for workers for the hospitality industry…
Sam Bain wins 2021 Corteva NZ Young Vit of the Year
Sam Bain from Villa Maria in Hawke’s Bay has been named the 2021 Corteva NZ Young Viticulturist of the Year following the national finals in Marlborough…
NZ Cider Festival cancels
The 2021 NZ Cider Festival has been cancelled, with just two weeks until the event was due to take place in Hawke’s Bay…
Best value celeb wines and spirits revealed
Celebrity-owned wine and liquors have been put to the test by UK financial advice website money.co.uk to find the best value buys…
Events, hospo grapple with shift to ‘Red’
New Zealand’s shift into ‘Red’ under the COVID-19 traffic light system has thrown upcoming festivals and events into doubt and renewed pressure on hospitality venues.
Entries open for New World Beer & Cider Awards 2022
A dedicated class for low-alcohol beers and a Supreme Award are two new additions to this year’s New World Beer & Cider Awards…
Cardrona Distillery launches NZ/UK cocktail battle
Cardrona Distillery has launched its first cocktail competition and is calling for entries from bartenders in New Zealand and the UK ahead of a Grand Final in September…
Allan Scott wine tops Wine Spectator best value list
Wine Spectator has unveiled its inaugural ‘Top 10 Wine Values of 2021’, with Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2021 taking first place…
Cheers to a safe and successful summer!
As the year draws to a close and Kiwis head into their summer holidays, all of us at Drinksbiz would like to thank you for your support throughout 2021…
NZIWS still open for entries ahead of 2022 judging
The New Zealand International Wine Show is still accepting entries ahead of its scheduled judging in February 2022…
Heli-gin tour launches in Queenstown
Queenstown tourism company Altitude Tours has launched what it says is the world’s first heli-gin tour, which includes distillery visits and a mountain-top toast...