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.

Christchurch/Southern New Zealand wins wine capital of the world title

Christchurch/Southern New Zealand has been selected as the New Zealand representative on the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Global Network. 

The Great Wine Capitals network, which includes as members wine regions such as Bordeaux, France and San Francisco/Napa Valley in the US, is an international network of major wine producing regions which aims to promote tourism, education and business exchange.

The Christchurch City Council-led bid to join the international network incorporates the wine growing regions of Canterbury, Waipara Valley, Marlborough and Central Otago. As the largest wine-growing region in the South Island, Marlborough took a key role in the bid.

Click here to read the rest of the announcement…..

Torlesse Pinot Noir

For the past decade, New Zealand has been a rising star in the world of Pinot Noir. Bottlings from small producers like Torlesse showcase the beautiful character and elegance that result from careful nurturing in the vineyards and cellar. This Pinot has it all ? sweet plummy fruit, subtle spiciness and the refined complexity that mark a classic Pinot Noir. Torlesse winemaker Kym Rayner practically coddles this wine. He gains maximum color and full flavor extraction by fermenting in small vessels, hand-plunging the cap and allowing the wine to sit another 10 days on the grapeskins. In the classic Burgundian style, the wine is gently pressed in a traditional basket press and aged in French oak. Lots of work by Kym means an exceptional wine for us! This Pinot is excellent with lamb, beef and full-flavored pasta dishes.

Formats available: Windows Media (.wmv), Flash Video (.flv)

Tags: new zealand wine, torlesse wines, waipara, canterbury, riesling, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, kym rayner

New Zealand Pinot Noir Tasting

Interesting Pinot Noir tasting in New Zealand last week. This tasting had a different twist in that both consumers and wine professionals were given the chance to taste and ackowledge their favorites.

They did agree that New Zealand is crafting some very lovely Pinot’s right now and much pleasure for those who seek them out.

Torlesse Wines, winemaker Kym Rayner has a special project called Omihi Road that was a consumer favorite.

Video summary of the event is located at New Zealand’s TV 3

Do Winemakers Drink Their Own Wine

Torlesse Wines June 2008

One of the things I like about working with Kym Rayner at Torlesse Wines is Kym is someone who marches to his own tune. We were talking about his Pinot Noir one time and he commented he drank it quite frequently and had a pretty good idea about the wine and how it worked with food.

It was a comment that I shared one day with a wine buyer and who replied it was a good comment. She then proceeded to share her story about being with several wine buyers in her community when a visiting winemaker was asked the question:

• – “So, what made you start making better wine”

Imagine being in the room as the maker of the wine was asked this question. The reply is fascinating as he smiled and acknowledged it was not only a reasonable question but a good one too. He simply said:

• – “I started drinking more of my own wine and realized I had to step it up”

From this reply it is safe to assume that not all winemakers are into it to the same level. This creates a significant challenge for consumers to know who is drinking their own stuff vs. who is crafting for ratings and reviews.

This is why I commented earlier about seeking to know more by asking these questions:

• – who grew the grapes
• – who made the wine
• – what can you tell me about them

This will quickly let us know who is connected to the wines in a store or on a restaurant list, like those winemakers who drink their own wine.

We learn who really has passion for wine on their own terms. Torlesse Wines and  Kym Rayner are a great combination, creating distinctive wines.