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ALMIGHTY SPARKLING WATER Where do we start with this gem? No sugar, zero plastic packaging, vegan, and 10 per cent of profits help teach kids about growing, cooking, and eating their own healthy fruits and vegetables in hands-on lessons in school gardens. Peach paired with ginger extract infuses sparkling water with a deliciously fragrant and refreshing taste. drinkalmighty.com

ATAAHUA WAIPARA ROSÉ Handcrafted from North Canterbury’s finest fruit, this rosé is deliciously dry in style, with an elegantly expressed bouquet of fresh raspberry, red apple, lemon, and floral characters. The palate is light and bright, and offers delicate fruit weight and fine texture, finishing crisp and lively. Serve as an apéritif with prosciutto wrapped melon. ataahuawine.co.nz

DIPLIMATICO RESERVE RUM Diplomatico’s Reserva Exclusiva is a complex blend of copper pot still rums that have been aged in oak barrels for 12 long years. Its characterful sweet nose shows notes of fruit cake, vanilla ice cream, cocoa, toffee, and sweet spices. This all leads onto the palate, which is rich and extremely well balanced. It’s also currently one of the world’s most awarded rums. whiskyandmore.co.nz

PLANT BASED BUTCHER Local musician Flip Grater and her husband Youssef Iskrane have established a first for Ōtautahi – a vegan deli and ‘butchers’, where you can enjoy a tasty charcuterie, cheese platter or even burgers. Everything on the menu is plantbased, even their wine and beer selection. You can even catch local, live musicians on regular rotation thanks to the Spaced Out Sessions, running right through till December. Check out Grater Goods on Orbell Street, in Sydenham, and your lunch will help you do your part in keeping the world a cleaner, greener place. gratergoods.co.nz

Ataahua Wines’ philosophy for growing grapes and making wine is to translate and express the beauty of the vineyard and region into vino that people can absolutely enjoy. These wines are handcrafted with the utmost care using traditional techniques from the vine through to the bottled fine wine.

The name, the Māori word Ataahua, which translates to beautiful, picturesque, a place of beauty, makes perfect sense in the stunning setting of North Canterbury and fits the vineyard and wines alike.

The small family-owned and run business is rooted in an established vineyard on the terraces of the Weka River, planted in vines of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

Having moved approximately two kilometres east along the valley floor to a larger site to allow for a greater range has made for a busy but exciting year. Now, the collection also includes Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, and Rosé as well as the above varieties, with Pinot Noir being the flagship drop – a varietal that North Canterbury is quietly becoming known for.

On top of a move to larger premises, 2020 will also be the year that Ataahua Wines launches into the export market with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region’s high-end restaurants and hotel chains – primarily Singapore and Japan, and possibly Hong Kong.

If you’re after a taste of a high-quality vino, the brand is well established in New Zealand, selling mainly into the on-premise or the café and restaurant trade along with cellar clubs and online sales. Support local, and sip on a glass of Ataahua.

ataahuawine.co.nz

Chris Parker, Comedian fb.com/itschrisparker @chrisparker11 I am a total extrovert; it was one of the many confronting things I learnt about myself over this year’s two (TBC) lockdowns. There really is not a single part of me that is introverted… maybe my belly button, but even then, I am considering getting it pierced so I can show it off at parties. Performing in front of crowds is the only thing I know how to do well. I would relate my talents to that of the humble Koosh-ball; I have no useful purpose, I’m no good for sports, I’m just mildly entertaining for 15 minutes.

So, you can imagine how the ‘red wedding’ of gig cancellations this year was a true shock to my core identity. I was left starving for attention and had no way to get it, no thanks to my boyfriend who refused to watch my one-man show of Polly-Anna. I resorted to what many live performers had to in these, and I’m sure I’m the first to coin, “unprecedented times”. I turned to making content online. But my online calling was something I never envisioned for myself.

RUGBY!

I’m kidding. It will take more than a global pandemic to get me to engage with that sport. It was the craft of felting. Yes, the slow, mindnumbingly boring process of interweaving wool fibres together with a needle to create little woollen objects.

I would film myself on Instagram stabbing wool with the needle and chatting to my online audience, like a camper, male Martha Stewart. The result? Thousands of new Instagram followers, hundreds of needle wounds to my fingers, and a glorious hat made from felt adorned with all the little objects I had created. Each item, like a charm, represented some sort of significance to our lockdown experience. I made a tiny Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Jacinda, sourdough in a crockpot, the Zoom logo, hand sanitiser, toilet paper, and even a tiny version of me felting – how meta.

So, what became of the hat, I don’t hear you ask? Well, it was acquired by the Auckland Museum for their official collection and my official portrait of the hat, acquired by none other than Te Papa. I know, I can’t believe it either.

That’s the thing about labels, while they allow us to define ourselves, they can hold us back from what else we are capable of. I always said I had no practical skills, now I’ve crafted “precious taonga” which is being held in our country’s two largest museums. How unprecedented.

Hot Spot Collection

Seating Capacity 2 adults Dimensions 183 x 183 x 74 cm Water Capacity 720 litres

RRP: $15,465 Price: $11,465

Hot Spot Collection

Seating Capacity 3 adults Dimensions 183 x 196 x 84 cm Water Capacity 870 litres

RRP: $17,365 Price: $12,365

Hot Spot Collection Propel ™

Seating Capacity 5 adults Dimensions 208 x 208 x 84 cm Water Capacity 1,135 litres

RRP: $21,375 Price: $16,375

Designed to delight the senses, each spa features eye-catching finishes, dramatic LED lighting, sleek metallic corners, and distinctive design details. Subtly embossed cabinets evoke the beauty of natural materials with the durability of advanced composites. Choose from a soothing color palate that follows current design trends and complements your indoor and outdoor space. A large bartop, contoured seating, and integrated pillows complement the overall design for a unique and on-trend look.

1004 Ferry Rd, Ferrymead 20 Carmen Rd, Hornby Call Now - Ph: 0800 80 1004 Shop Online - wrightspapools.co.nz