When asked how well New Zealand wines stacked up at this year's Air New Zealand Wine Awards, Ronny Lau's attention automatically turns to white wines and vineyard experiments.

As we enjoy the warmth of spring, wine growers everywhere will be turning their thoughts towards the growing season, and water availability will surely be high on the discussion list.

Following hard on the heels of the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration, Gisborne will host the country's first Chardonnay and Sparkling Wine Symposium.

Those entrants who used their summer holiday to prepare for the 2016 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards could have an advantage, as activity gears up in this year's competitions.

El Nino will still be the main climate driver for the next three months or perhaps even longer despite recent rain, says Chris Brandolino, principal scientist forecasting at NIWA.

The Queen Elizabeth II National Trust has paid tribute to environmentalist Gordon Stephenson, who passed away last month.

Dairy farmers are being urged to attend next month's profitable dairy farming conference in Ashburton.

The farm dairy is literally the heart of the farm and the need to replace, renovate or build new is a significant event in the life of any farmer and any farm.

Those big black lumps at each corner of your tractor are the contact with the ground, and as such they ultimately convert the power delivered by the engine into traction.

Mastitis remains the biggest dairy disease for farmers.