Kirsten is joined by Valley and Gary Neale of Brightwater Vineyards in Nelson - a premium boutique vineyard and winery established in the early nineties, when the couple returned to New Zealand after many years abroad. The couple has together with their small staff developed an award winning reputation for premium, hand-crafted wines. They talk about the challenge of living and working together, about making a dream come true and about being one of Nelson's premium boutique wineries with a faithful following.

The New Zealand world of wine is full of colourful people who are all passionate about their craft.

Kirsten is joined by Celia Hay who has always been fascinated by flavoursome food, international cuisines, fine wine and the art of hospitality - which led her to establish Hay's Restaurant in 1994 and the New Zealand School of Food and Wine in 1995, both in Christchurch. The 2010 and 2011 earth quakes in Christchurch forced her to close her restaurant and she subsequently moved her school to Auckland. Celia grew up on the Inveralloch farm in Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula, which has been in the Hay family since 1843. Drawing on her experience as a chef and restaurateur Celia has been able to develop a range of comprehensive New Zealand Qualifications Authority programmes and short courses to reflect the growing skills needed by hospitality businesses. Meet Celia Hay - an innovative food and wine lover with a zest for quality and the good life.

The New Zealand world of wine is full of colourful people who are all passionate about their craft.

Guest this week: Michael Brajkovich

Kirsten talks to Michael Brajkovich from Kumeu River Wines near Auckland. This iconic and awardwinning winery was founded by Michael's grandfather and father back in 1944. Today, the winery is regarded as one of New Zealand's top wineries, especially when it comes to Chardonnay. Michael covers the family history, his personal career, the success of the winery, and why he was instrumental in persuading the NZ wine industry to using screw caps instead of corks.

Kirsten is joined by Erica Crawford from Loveblock Wine in Marlborough's Awatere Vallery, a company she founded with her husband - legendary winemaker Kim Crawford. Before establishing LOVEBLOCK, Erica and Kim started "Kim Crawford Wines" in 1996. They had plenty of vision but no money, so they built a "virtual winery" out of the back room of their Auckland home. It was an innovative approach at the time, with Kim buying grapes from contract growers and making wine in leased facilities, allowing them to avoid huge outlays for land, vines and equipment. The company became a huge success especially in the US. Kim and Erica left "Kim Crawford" in 2007, and several years later the organically farmed LOVEBLOCK was a reality. Erica is originally from South Africa and also talks about her background and how she met Kim - her husband and business partner.

The New Zealand world of wine is full of colourful people who are all passionate about their craft. Topics discussed include: Kirsten is joined by Steve Smith - Master of Wine and iconic Kiwi viticulturist. He was instrumental in helping the founders of Craggy Range Winery set up this world-famous New Zealand winery, and now he co-owns Smith & Sheth which is behind the label CRU, a Hawke's Bay based top end label. The company also owns the famous Pyramid Valley winery in Waipara. Thus, there is lots to talk about with mr. Smith. So tune in.

Kirsten is joined by Jean Christophe Poizat from Auckland-based Maison Vauron - a French wine shop established in 1999. Jean Christophe, or JC, tells his personal story of how he came to New Zealand, why he has stayed and what he thinks of NZ wine compared to French wine. JC is passionate about wine and says it "is not just a passion but a way of life...". A fun interview with lots of insights into the world of both French and NZ wine.

Kirsten is joined by Jenny Dobson - a legend in the New Zealand wine industry. Back in the late 1970s she had a degree in chemistry and "a thing for aromas"... and she was intrigued by wine. She decided to learn from the best and went to France where she not only learnt French, became a very skilled and knowledgable winemaker - she also met Englishman Charles and had three children with him. In the 1990s, after 15 years in France, it was time to return to the Southern Hemisphere and eventually Jenny and her family settled in Hawke's Bay. She has worked for a number of great wineries and since 2015 she has focused on her own boutique label making great reds and FIANO! An Italian grape that has been around for way over 1000 years and is the perfect food wine. We talk about her success, her status, her views on climate change, the New Zealand wine industry and much more.

Celebrating a year on air with look back at the first episode with guests Judy and Rosie Finn.

Kirsten is joined by Julianne Brogden from Collaboration Wines in Hawkes Bay - a one-woman business where she crafts "fine wine in small batches from exceptional Hawke’s Bay vineyards". She started in the industry at 17 and has many vintages under her belt mainly here in New Zealand and in the USA. She spent 8 years over there and loved her life and work so much she worked herself to the point of complete exhaustion. Her body said "no more" and it took Julz a long time to recover. She still loves being a winemaker but is far more sensible now trying to find the perfect work-life balance. Especially now being the mother of a 2 year old bundle of energy.

The New Zealand world of wine is full of colourful people who are all passionate about their craft.