BY THE GLASS
Where first-class fizz meets fine food, the world’s most expensive wine, and the story of a Kiwi vintage hits the big screen
Yvonne Lorkin rounds up all the latest drinks news.
CHAMPAGNE SERVICE
Few food and wine pairing events come close to those at The
Rees Hotel’s True South Restaurant in Queenstown. I attended their Champagne Taittinger dinner, part of their Culinary Series, where executive chef Corey Hume prepared a multi-course degustation paired perfectly to six exceptional styles from the third largest grower in Champagne. Think crayfish, bone marrow, asparagus and tarragon risotto with Taittinger Les Folies de la Marquetterie; spiced duck breast, kūmara, burnt apricot, pastille and Pedro Ximénez jus with Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2006. It was luxury all the way and it’s no surprise they were named best New Zealand hotel for the third year running at the prestigious
2019 Australasian Hotel
Management Awards. therees.co.nz
Kombucha newbies
Nelson-based Renegade Ferments has launched a line called Kombucha Bros, including a first-of-its-kind Nz-hopped kombucha and a range of alcohol blended flavours featuring gin and vodka. It’s all about putting Kiwi flavours to the fore as an alternative to other kombuchas on the market. Available in supermarkets and Gilmours stores. kombuchabros.co.nz
A CHARD DAY’S NIGHT
Fans of chardonnay need to scoot to Gisborne to fill their boots with all things golden and glorious. To toast International Chardonnay Day, Gisborne wineries have a series of events planned between May 21 and 24, kicking off with Rendezvous on the Chardonnay Express, a steam train experience; cocktail events; loads of tastings; and even a Long Lunch. Go directly to thechardonnayaffair.co.nz for tickets!
What could be better than relaxing in your own home, wine in hand, watching a film on… wine?! In a New Zealand first, Villa Maria have worked with US film-maker Colin West to offer a behind-the-scenes peek at the vintage process. Feature-length film Vintage reveals the highs and lows, the passion and devotion that go into making world-class wine. Watch it on Threenow. villamaria.co.nz
A grand wine... 40 grand, that is
If you had $40,000 to spare, hands up who’d blow it on a bottle of wine? Lots of people apparently, and the Royal Tokaji Essencia 2008 is no ordinary bottle. Designed by Hungary-based artist James Carcass, just twenty 1.5L magnums exist of the world’s most expensive wine. Essencia is made from the juice of the best aszú berries grown in the Tokaj wine region. Only in certain years, when conditions are perfect, the grapes are infected with noble rot fungus; this dries the grapes on the vine, raisining them. After a long, slow fermentation, the wine is matured for up to 10 years before bottling. royal-tokaji.com
Gin the Beginning…
Hawke’s Bay wine industry veterans Kate Galloway and David Ramonteu have been quietly kicking on with a years-long project to launch a boutique ginnery in the artisan precinct of Heretaunga St
East and they’ve finally opened their doors. Hooray! The Hastings distillery is a shopfront for enthusiasts to sample their East Block 200 (a nod to the spiritual home of Hastings Distillers) and their flagship gin, Albertine, created using a whopping 38 exotic botanicals including a number of rare peppers. All their products are Biogro-certified organic and they’re also producing an Eau de Vie and a delicately delicious bitter orange infusion named L’opera. “We have an ever-expanding botanical gin garden based at Te Koha Orchard just outside of Havelock North,” adds Kate. “It includes staples such as lavender, bay, pineapple sage, jasmine, angelica root and a number of trial blocks that will one day make it into an infusion or gin-iteration. Edible dye plants are also being explored.” hastingsdistillers.com