The First Newsletter:

Is 2026 the year to expand your fine wine and liquor knowledge?

Kia ora, wine and spirited friends.

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2026. Having come out of a successful December 2025, January has not been too shabby despite the inconsistent weather. Tourist arrivals are ample, and they hunger for the best local products, which we are always proud to say, we truly champion this.

This month, Martin will talk about the Martinborough wine region, as we’ll be heading there for a weekend to ‘work’ on expanding our current offering.

Frankie will give you the 101 on the unique Scotch whisky region of Campbeltown, and Tristan will have a wine about Chardonnay: Why do people love it so much? Why do people hate it? And how to approach this vigorous and diverse variety.

NEW ARRIVALS IN STORE

We love being that place where you discover products that you cannot find elsewhere. Check out our fresh new arrivals and collectables.

See below for our lineup of in-store tastings and events.

Wednesday, March 25th, from 6 pm to 8 pm - Pilgrim's Delight - a wine lover's journey along the Camino de Santiago de Compostella $65.00 - Includes nibbles.

I always hear folks comment on how much they dislike Chardonnay. When I hear this, I usually think that maybe you have not had a great Chardonnay and have only drunk something priced at $17.99 and infused with woodchips. Unfortunately, this has created a misconception that all Chardonnay is oaked and buttery. In fact, Chardonnay is among the most widely planted varietals in the vitisphere: it’s vigorous, can grow in most regions, and can produce a variety of styles based on the winemaker’s direction. Of course, climate always has a significant influence, but when it comes to oak composition, batonage, malolactic fermentation, reductive vs oxidative, i.e. the things we either like or dislike about Chardonnay, the winemaker really has influence. Obviously, it’s great to know regional styles, but I also encourage you to also focus on what producers are doing with their Chardonnay — especially in new world regions where there is more headroom for expression. Once upon a time — if you didn’t know any better — you would assume most Chardonnay would be buttery, oaky and bursting with tropical notes. But now, with industry growth and accessibility to information, there is a Chardonnay for most palates. You might have even been drinking Chablis, loved it and not realised it was in fact Chardonnay in your glass. It’s ok, this is a very common thing today.

Among wine aficionados/professionals, Chardonnay is a varietal that creates deep and meaningful conversations and insights. But if you are convinced that Chardonnay is not for you, then please come and see us in store so we can find the right chardy — there is one, we promise — for you.

Frankie’s Words of Whis (key)-dom:

Campbeltown

Ah Campbeltown, Scotland’s smallest whisky region. Nestled at the bottom of  Kintyre Peninsula on Scotland’s rugged West Coast, this little town is producing some of Scotland’s more sought after single malts. Thankfully, production is starting to catch up to the demand of the past few years and it’s getting ever so slightly easier to get your hands on (Or soon will be).

Currently, there are three active distilleries, Glen Scotia, Springbank (Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn) and Glengyle (Kilkerran). Some production space is shared amongst these distilleries. The opening of a 4th distillery is on the horizon as well, financially backed by the same people backing Isle of Raasay.
The region is typified by its coastal influence, lending to a whisky that’s quite on the savoury and near industrial flavour profile. Notes of iodine, salt brine, smoked meat, medical equipment, and general ‘industrial’ notes are more or less the core flavours and identifiers of this region, even in whiskies that aren’t peat-smoked. As well, most distilleries are using a malting process known as “Floor Malting”, which is, well, exactly what it sounds like: Barley undergoes malting on a giant warehouse floor, with the kernels being manually turned and moved about, rather than using an electric kiln to dry the malt. It’s also this floor malting process that can be partly responsible to the price and rarity of these whiskies. It’s a manual process that can only be scaled up as reasonably as it is to expand warehouse floor space. Heat from the floor below is used to slowly dry out the malt, either done with peat or a neutral heat source if the peat flavours are not desired in the product.
The heyday of Campbeltown production saw 30 distilleries operating in the small town. Now down to 3, almost 4, and it looks like those days are behind. But there is cause to be optimistic, as renewed interest in the region’s distilleries is causing more investment to enter the region.

And who knows? Maybe Scotland’s smallest region will once again be a major player in the industry.

When I arrived in New Zealand in late 1998 to join Corbans Wines as Marketing Manager, it very soon became apparent to me that Martinborough was the non plus ultra of New Zealand Pinot Noir.  A number of visits to the Martinborough Food and Wine festival further enhanced my appreciation and love for the region.  Somewhere in the last 20 years, Central Otago took pre-social-media marketing by the horns and shook the world around, including a ridiculously tall ‘Central Otago’ bottle with a flange.  Ask retailers whether that bottle fitted onto a shelf or into a fridge: NON, the short answer.  However, what Central’s efforts did do, is put the region on the map.  Now, when a customer walks into Cahn’s looking for a pinot noir, it will usually be Central Otago Pinot Noir they are after.

Tristan and I had a look at our Martinborough shelves the other day and decided it was time to get dirty.  We will soon be spending a weekend there, tasting wines – established brands and new – with a view to offering you the most comprehensive range of wines from this magnificent North Island wine region.  Oh, and expect not only Pinot Noir!

From mid February onwards, come and check out our bigger, better, more delicious Martinborough offering.  

Martin – aka The Cahn

LET US DO THE HARD WORK

We look forward to seeing you at Cahn’s again soon.  And remember to visit Aleks and Hugo at Ground Wine Bar below the shop (open 7 days a week).

Happy New Year, from Martin, Tristan and Frankie (The C-Team)