As the age-old adage goes, a great wine is only as strong as the cheese alongside it. There are some very simple rules to follow but above all, it's best to beware of generalisations like pairing sauvignon and goat cheese or sweet wines with blues. Ludicrous and erroneous assumptions that all goat cheese, blue cheeses or in the latter case – all cheeses – taste the same, which they obviously do not...

L’Atelier Du Fromage - We love this place for the slightly daggy décor alone, its dark wood and shelves stuffed with imported deli items providing a characterful counterpoint to the white tiles and bare walls now so ubiquitous in Auckland’s cafes. But it’s lunch we keep coming back for: the array of quality French cheeses, charcuterie, quiches, croques and sandwiches, cakes, pastries and tarts tartin takes cabinet food to a whole new level of mouth-watering (there’s also a menu). It all tastes like the antithesis of mass-produced, and the service is friendly and efficient. Adjourn upstairs to the wine room for long enough, and squint your Francophile eyes, and you might even forget you’re in a side street off Khyber Pass Rd and not a rustic French village.

Must try—Anything from the cabinet. Good for—A jaunt to France sans jetlag.

A typically French Christmas in Auckland is possible!

Celebrate the silly season with "joie de vivre" this year, thanks to Maison Vauron French Wine Merchants.

Veer off Auckland's Khyber Pass and you'll discover the wine-lovers' best kept secret.

Maison Vauron has been enchanting Kiwis with their inspired French fare since 1991. Boasting the most extensive range of French wine, cheese and gourmet goods in the country, this delightfully authentic tasting room, merchant and wine venue provides a verified slice of France in our own backyard.

The team at Maison Vauron live and breathe wine, that much is obvious...

Celebrate the silly season with "joie de vivre" this year, thanks to Maison Vauron French Wine Merchants.

Indulge this summer with a bottle of this refreshing rosé.

The perfect summer drop, ‘R’ by Chateau Roubine is our pop and pour rosé for the balmy weather season. Oh so drinkable it is hard to say no to another glass. Located right in the middle of Provence, between Lorgues and Draguignan, Chateau Roubine is one of the oldest wine estates in France, continuing to produce the highest quality wine.

Combining modern winemaking techniques to regional traditions, this typically Provencal rosé is both light and fruity....

You cannot seriously be considering wheeling out the stilton again come party season, surely not when we’re this spoiled for choice? Why not switch things up and impress your guests with a different blue cheese this year?...

If there were an Academy Award ceremony for grape varieties, the usual suspects of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and the like would be vying for the gong for Best Grape in a Leading Role.

It's only when we get to the Best Grape in a Supporting Role category that we might see cabernet franc make an appearance. Habitually understudy to the more, showy cabernet sauvignon and merlot, "franc's'' performance is generally understated, yet crucial to the whole...

Head along and sample the very best of French rosé! If you haven’t been to Maison Vauron before, it’s definitely a must-visit in Auckland. Upstairs you’ll find an impressive selection of french wines from a variety of French regions, with everything from sparkling to whites, reds and rosé.

Downstairs is L’Atelier du Fromage, a paradise for the French food addicts and those who love to discover new tastes. From crispy baguette to amazing cheeses; morning coffee to private dinner, L’Atelier du Fromage transports you and your tastebuds to France. L’Atelier du Fromage have also recently been named in Metro magazine’s Top 50 Auckland Cafes...

We love this place for the slightly daggy décor alone, its wood and shelves stuffed with imported deli items providing a characterful counterpoint to the white tiles and bare walls now so ubiquitous in Auckland's cafes. But it's lunch we keep coming back for: the array of quality French cheeses, charcuterie, quiches, croques and sandwiches, cakes, pastries and tarts tatin takes cabinet food to a whole new level of mouth-watering (there's also a menu). It all tastes like the antithesis of mass-produced, and the service is friendly and efficient. 

Adjourn upstairs to the wine room for long enough, and squint your Francophile eyes, and you might even forget you're in a side street off Khyber Pass Rd and not a rustic French village.

That is the question... or maybe the question should be what is a brie since there are so many out there? And the other question is what exactly is the difference between brie and camembert?

When it comes to cheese categories, I was absolutely over the moon to be given 'hard ewes' cheese' at this year's International Cheese Competition in Cheshire...

You see them everywhere in France and especially in the Loire and Poitou. Rows upon rows or piled high in straw-lined boxes, tiny rounds, logs, hearts and pyramids covered in wrinkly rinds with splodges of delicate blue grey mould...

Among a myriad of colourful wild flowers and herbs, beautiful silence and glorious, unploughed summer pastures, is where some of the finest raw-milk cheeses in the world are created...

Never easy to find, though often very good value - specialist importers such as The Wine Importer and Maison Vauron in Auckland may be your best source - these wines will take you on a journey to somewhere enticingly different...

"SAVOIR BIEN VIVRE" Parce que oui, c’est la définition de la French Touch selon Gilles. On peut dire que c’est par la nourriture que cette expression s’illustre le mieux. Et c’est aussi comme cela que l’Atelier du fromage peut se démarquer de ses concurrents : "les saveurs et les subtilités que vous viendrez goûter, vous rappellerons le Pays et toutes les émotions qu’elles procurent "...

How do you pick French wine? We asked Jean-Christophe (JC) Poizat, co-founder of Maison Vauron wine merchants for his tips on picking the perfect drop. How do you tell the difference from one bottle to the next? Telling the story of the wine is what sets it apart. A bottle of wine is the same as a million...

The great grandson of a French wine merchant, Jean-Christophe Poizat was born with wine in the blood...

I then often go to Maison Vauron to buy a few bottles of wine, saucisson and a bit of cheese, ready for a long mid-afternoon lunch...

Prepare your favourite cheese board and get the champagne on ice, here are our favourite French restaurants and eateries bound to transport you from the dreary Kiwi winter to your favourite French locale...