Waipara New Zealand Food and Wine Festival

Looking for a fun food and wine event? Check this one out just north of Christchurch and a just around the corner on the calendar.

Waipara Valley Wine and food festival 

March 3, 2012 – first Saturday in March

The most exciting wine and food region in New Zealand presents our annual festival. Every year we celebrate the upcoming harvest with a festival. After the earthquake damaged the Glenmark church last year, the festival has moved to a new home in another stunning Waipara Valley environment.

Over 20 wineries and many local food producers will come together in the beautiful Waipara Valley setting of the Mud House Winery and Cafe, serenaded by:

• Herbs
• Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra
• Christchurch Pops Choir

Join us for a wonderful day of wine, food and music. Observe cooking demonstrations, and be encouraged to make your own Waipara Valley platters with ingredients from the food producers themselves.

The festival is located just 50 minutes north of Christchurch at the Mud House Winery and Cafe, 780 Glasnevin Road, State Highway 1, Waipara.

PS — If your calendar is booked for this weekend just plan your own private Waipara Food and Wine tour at your next opening – don’t forget to bring your friends.

Virtual Tasting of Very Special New Zealand Wines

All wine regions throughout world produce a wide range of quality wines and these special wines from New Zealand are now gaining recognition and appreciation around the world. I wrote about this a while back and was excited to see this virtual wine event sponsored by New Zealand Complexity. It will be an evening that is both delightful and informative. To participate just follow this link.

Saturday February 4th, 2012 

Virtual Tasting 7:00pm Central Standard Time

In association with Wine Channel TV we’re celebrating Waitangi Day, New Zealand’s National holiday,  with a virtual wine tasting and cooking demonstration – and you’re invited to ‘come along’! With Celebrity Winemakers in attendance, and a live audience in Chicago, you’ll have the opportunity to message in questions as you sip along with us from the comfort of your living room. Gather up a group of friends, register, and tune in with fellow-wine lovers from around the globe for this fun, social way to taste and learn about New Zealand’s finest wines!

Be sure to stock up with a few bottles from our featured wineries at a participating retailer beforehand. To stay up-to-date with #nzwineday news including competitions, participating retailers and restaurants, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

See you online!

Got Questions? Email us! events@complexity.co.nz

Note: Once you’ve registered for this FREE event we’ll send you everything you need to know about how to access the virtual wine tasting online.

You will also be automatically entered to win a Complexity Fine Wine t-shirt and other great Kiwi prizes!

Is it New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc From New Zealand?

There is a difference between New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and here it is.

Not long ago, New Zealand wine commentator Jayson Bryant wrote a column with the title “Where Has All the New Zealand Wine Gone?“. Today there are multiple categories of production in the world of New Zealand wine, in fact the industry body lists producers by size and includes three categories of small – medium and large. This has nothing to do with quality – just raw volume of wine produced.

The wines in the Jayson’s photo  are generally New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs – well made wines that are readily available in wine departments from Hong Kong – Tokyo – London – New York – Chicago – Los Angeles & beyond. These wines have won many awards, generally have honorable scores, priced fairly and adequate at most meals. These wines are produced by global conglomerates or large family run businesses. None of this is either good or bad – it is just the way it is.

To understand Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, you have to take a moment and imagine walking through a farmers market filled with vendors who have a dazzling array of fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, eggs, cheese and so on. This market is a true delight for the senses where the creators of these wonderful foods have assembled to sell their goods. This is Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, wines that are only produced in small quantities with limited availability.

In another blog Misha Wilkenson writes about the small New Zealand wine producers and the marketing challenges facing this large group of small producers. In round numbers about 90% of all New Zealand wine producers make less than 25,000 cases of wine. This is the farmers market of New Zealand wines – challenge is finding them.

This is why I suggest Sauvignon Blanc (or Pinot Noir etc) from New Zealand is the proper designation for these special and hard to find New Zealand wines. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is everywhere – Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, not so easy to find.

Back to the farmers market – basket loaded and now home in the kitchen preparing a meal for friends – imagine a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand with the first course and for the second a Pinot Noir from New Zealand – there was an effort to put it all together – the smiles on your friends faces confirm the effort was worth it.

Here is another side story that suggests if you truly want to find these special wines from New Zealand you have to either live there or get on a plane. (Quote is from end of article).

“I also met 2 charming Antipodeans from New Zealand who were working in Bristol to whom I apologised beforehand about part of my talk re the additives in cheap New Zealand wines.

Their reply was

“Please don’t apologise. It’s a well known fact back at home that the cheaper wines are produced for the masses and the locals won’t buy it – so we send it over to you!”

Wait – there is a Sticky from New Zealand for desert and a car with driver to take you home!

Wineries to Visit in New Zealand

 Planning a New Zealand trip to find undiscovered wines, restaurants or special locations for meetings or weddings then Wineries to Visit in New Zealand   is a web site for you. The site lists wineries around New Zealand that are open to visitors for tasting’s, wine sales, meals, weddings, accommodation, functions, tours, etc.

It’s easy to find the big players, just look for the parking lots with the oversize buses, finding the hidden gems requires a little research. Wineries to Visit in New Zealand will make your trip more exciting and memorable.

New Zealand Wine Movie Bride Flight

BRIDE FLIGHT is a lavish romantic drama inspired by the true story of the 1953 KLM flight that won the “Last Great Air Race” from London to Christchurch. The flight was dubbed “Bride Flight” by the international press, because of its special passengers — young women with wedding dresses in their suitcases, traveling to join their fiancés who had already emigrated to New Zealand. Leaving behind the gloom and scarcity of post-WWII Europe, shy but sensual farm girl Ada, dogmatic Marjorie, and Jewish fashion designer Esther are filled with hope for a future of love and freedom. Each takes a very different path in their strange new land, but together with handsome bachelor Frank, they form a bond on the flight that continues to link them for decades to come. Honored with Audience Awards at film festivals across the country, BRIDE FLIGHT evokes a time of slim choices and desperate optimism, with sweeping views of the New Zealand countryside, stunning period dresses, and the faint smell of Pinot Noir from the thriving vineyard Frank establishes in New Zealand.

To watch the trailer and check local theater listings, please visit:

Bride Flight movie trailer

Facebook

Directed by Ben Sombogaart.

Stars Waldemar Torenstra, Karina Smulders, Anna Drijver, Elise Schaap, Rutger Hauer, Pleuni Touw.

Screenwriter Marieke van der Pol also wrote the best-selling novel.

A Music Box Films release.

Willowridge Wanakafest Food and Wine Fest

A combined effort from 5 Wanaka vineyards and several of Wanaka’s top restaurants has created a food and wine fest to be held in conjunction with this years Willowridge Wanakafest.

For the first time, this is a solely Wanaka event. Only grapes grown in the Wanaka area and food prepared by local chefs will be involved. People will have the opportunity to head to Pembroke Park and sample some of our town’s top wines and foods, while listening to some relaxing music and socialising with friends.

The event has been largely driven by the Wanakafest community trust with help from Mount Maude wines and Rippon Vineyard.

Here is the link to the original post

How Sauvignon Blanc is Stored Does Matter

Auckland scientists studying the unique characteristics of New Zealand sauvignon blanc have shown that cold storage can triple the shelf life of the wine by reducing the loss of characteristic tropical fruit aromas over time.

Associate professor Paul Kilmartin, of the wine science programme and department of chemistry at the University of Auckland, says that New Zealand sauvignon blanc has a variety of styles and aromas, but wines from Marlborough in particular are known and valued for their intense tropical fruit and herbaceous aromas.

“It has been widely accepted that these aromas are lost with age and that the wine, which has traditionally been stored at room temperature, is best enjoyed young,” he says. For the rest of the article click here

New Zealand Atkins Ranch Rack of Lamb

Atkins Ranch Rack of Lamb

2 Atkins Ranch Racks Of Lamb, frenched if you like

2 T fresh chopped marjoram, basil, mint or parsley

2 tsp melted butter 4T bread crumbs– whole meal

2 tsp Dijon mustard Grated rind of 2 lemons

1. Toss melted butter through the breadcrumbs, add fresh herbs and lemon rind.

2. Coat the back (meaty) side of the rack with mustard. Firmly press on the herbed breadcrumbs.

3. Preheated oven to 4000 F, cook the racks for 20 minutes for rare lamb, 25 minutes for medium.

4. Remove lamb from the oven and let stand, covered, 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with: Small whole potatoes, with a side dish of tomatoes, zucchini, onion and peppers sautéed together till tender. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

To Barbecue: Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes each side. Cook the herbed side last.

A wide choice of New Zealand wine will complement this dish. Look for Pinot noir from Central Otago, Waipara or maybe Martinborough. Or Bordeaux blends from Hawkes Bay or Waiheke Island.

Finding New Zealand Wine From Importer Station Imports

Sometimes the trick to finding new and delicious New Zealand wines is as simple as reading the back label and getting to know who the importer is. Station Imports is one example of a small and specialized wine importer who only imports wines from one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Station Imports is very focused and exclusively works with wineries in Central Otago. This is a unique collection of wines including Rippon, Kawarau Estate, Sleeping Dogs, Freefall, Nevis Bluff and Mount Michael.

These wines are special, they are not in every grocery or wine store or on every wine list. You will have to go exploring to find them and that is all part of the joy.

Unplugged Wine Interview With @Garyvee and @TheWineVault

I saw this the other day and enjoyed seeing a mellowed out Gary Vaynerchuk. Maybe the Southern Hemisphere suits Gary.

 

It was refreshing to listen to Gary and Jayson talk about wine with no pretense – just sharing what they feel is important to them. 

 

This video reminded me of the summer of 1993 I moved back to the USA from New Zealand and Eric Clapton’s unplugged album was released. Great music in a very laid back feel to it. Something we all need from time to time.

 

Thanks to Gary and Jayson for sharing their thoughts.

 

Vodpod videos no longer available.