AND TO DRINK…
A TOUCH OF ITALY: Ricotta, Silverbeet and Pea Rollatini; Honey, Whisky and Aniseed Caramelised Pears 1. Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay
Verdelho 2018 ($19.95). Gordon Russell has been making wine at Esk Valley for 35 years, and he’s responsible for producing the first New Zealand version of verdelho in 2002. It’s a famous white grape grown mainly on the Portuguese island of Madeira, where for aeons it’s been used to make sherry. Esk’s example shows fresh white peach, lemon pith, pineapple, and ridiculously lovely rain-onhot-rocks minerality. It’s fresh, feisty and fabulous with silverbeet rollatini. eskvalley.co.nz
2. Tinpot Hut Marlborough Late Harvest Riesling 2017
($28). Winemaker Fiona Turner has worked her magic on this stylishly sticky, sweet wine that carries candied citrus, toffee apple and heavenly honey notes on the nose and palate. Fresh and flirtatious, it’s seriously sweet, yet finely tuned and beautifully balanced. tinpothut.co.nz
CASUAL SUNDAY LUNCH: Spiced Salmon; Chickpea and Beetroot Raita Salad; Warm Dates with Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt and Crème Fraîche 3. Astrolabe Kekerengu Coast Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016
($25). The Kekerengu Coast is as far south as you can stretch ‘Marlborough’ to be, but it’s those limestoney, windswept soils that keep the pinot gris plants in check. Crunchy-dry and chock-full of pear and stonefruit notes and a hint of white pepper, it’s got fresh, cheek-slapping acidity and a long, fine-grained texture that make it a winner with this rich, spiced salmon. astrolabe.co.nz
4. Behemoth Brewing Co Triple Chocolate Milk Stout 440ml can
($9.50). Is there anything more delicious to sip with warm dates, dark chocolate, sea salt and crème fraîche than a rich, silky, malt-maxed chocolate stout? I think not. This beer is so creamy, so velvety yet intensely fresh and breezy to sip. Gorgeous stuff. whiskyandmore.co.nz
LATE SUMMER DINNER: Sticky Roast Chicken and Potatoes; Green Beans, Rocket and Preserved Lemon Salad; Salted Yoghurt, Mint and Tahini Sauce 5. Mahurangi River Winery Field of Grace Matakana Chardonnay 2015
($23). Hold the phone, stop the car, and get out of the CBD, because how good is this wine?! Erupting with ripe nectarine, pineapple plushness, and nutty notes, the oak is in your face but in a fabulous first-kiss kind of way. Elegant and effortlessly stylish, it’s like the Kate Middleton of chardonnay, if you will. In fact it’s so graceful that it could easily be served to royalty, or at least to your impossible-toimpress older sister Sandra. Roast chicken? No-brainer. mahurangiriver.co.nz
“Serve the aromatic spiced salmon with lemon chutney, avocado and cucumber salad and crisp, golden poppadoms”