Wine: 3 sips for the week

Ara Single Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011, $21

3.5 / 5 stars

I love the tropical intensity on the nose and palate, including sweet cut-grass, pea pods and passionfruit alongside easy, zesty acidity, decent length of flavour and freshness. www.ara.co.nz

Aotea Nelson Gewurztraminer 2012, $25

3.5 / 5 stars

Produced by the team at Seifried Estate, this is a deeply golden gewurz which oozes lychee and honeyed, spicy notes. It's quite a sweet style, edged with tropical flavours and works wonders with chicken tikka Masala. www.seifried.co.nz

Lawsons Dry Hills Pinot Noir 2010, $26

5 / 5 stars

I love this wine! Ultra-concentrated, crushed strawberry, cherry and black-guava flavours merge with incredibly clean, flavoursome fruit sweetness and youthful acidity. Aromatically, it's a smorgasbord of exotic spices, earthy notes and red berries and it has one hell of a sexy, succulent finish. More please! www.lawsonsdryhills.co.nz