LEARN FROM THE BEST
Leaders and veterans from the wine industry are ready to share their wisdom with the next generation.
For over 20 years, the Len Evans Tutorial has proved to be an invaluable training ground for its scholars, many of whom have gone on to become wine show chairs and senior wine judges, industry leaders and senior wine professionals. This is the legacy of the Tutorial. Held annually in the first week of November, 12 lucky Australian wine professionals will attend Spicers Guesthouse in the Hunter Valley to learn, taste, critique and gain valuable knowledge about the great wines of the world. Leadership and guidance from many of Australia’s respected wine community will be there – too many to name, but including James Halliday, Iain Riggs, Michael Hill Smith, Vanya Cullen, Sarah Crowe, Tom Carson and Samantha Connew. If you are considering a career in wine at any level, then the Len Evans Tutorial should be on your list of endeavours. According to the website
lenevanstutorial.com.au, “Previous LET scholars have come from the fields of winemaking, liquor retailing, importing and wholesaling, restaurants, viticulture, marketing, education and journalism.”
HIGH SPIRITS
The New Zealand Spirits Awards aims to benchmark local products against overseas imports. The world of spirits is big business with quality, complexity and purity sought after in any successful brand. Often recognised through a comparative blind tasting by industry experts, the spirits that rise to the top are the ones that have correctness, balance, great length and persistent flavour profiles. The results of this competition offer guidance to our readers at MiNDFOOD, who will benefit from knowing what to buy and knowing they will be drinking a gold medal New Zealand-born spirit, aligned with global quality. Just a few double gold spirits winners include: Barrister - Blue Gin; Hastings Distillers - East Block 200 gin; Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 whisky; Talisker 10 Year Old whisky; and Lunatic & Lover – Barrel Rested Botanical Rum. spiritsawardsnz.nz
BOLLY, DARLING!
I remember the first time I ever tried Bollinger champagne, it was like coming home; it was fantastic. As a working ‘Somm’, I meet many great people and customers and for those who want to drink a champagne with power, elegance, finesse and charm I always offer them Bollinger first. A new ‘Bolli’ has been released: R.D. 2007. R.D. means recently disgorged, indicating wine that has been resting on yeast-lees for many months longer than standard champagnes before – the lees are only recently removed and finished wine prepared for sale. Power, weight, spice, richness, brioche, honey and with a deep-seated autolysis, fine mousse and lengthy dry finish, this is an excellent champagne.
Q’TOWN IN A BOTTLE
Broken Heart Spirits celebrates the region’s resilience with an exclusive Queenstown Edition Gin. Described as ‘warming and rounded’ to soothe the tastebuds in the heart of winter, the limited-edition gin has been released by Broken Heart Spirits to mark its ninth birthday. On the eve of its release, Broken Heart owner and master distiller Joerg Henkenhaf (below) and his team had reason to celebrate further, with news the Queenstown Edition Gin was awarded gold in the NZ Spirits Awards 2021.
Joerg says the Queenstown Edition Gin is reflective of the unique Central Otago landscape and seasons. It’s distilled in Arrowtown using untouched pure spring water from Paradise, flowing from Mount Aspiring National Park. He develops his own recipes for the 11 natural botanicals across the flavour profiles of spice, floral, dry, freshness and earthiness which are ‘carried’ by the alcohol and captured in each bottle.
“This gin celebrates what Queenstown is all about, it’s Queenstown in a bottle,” says Joerg.
“I like my gins to be clean and clear. The more alcohol, the more flavour it can hold, but I create a balanced gin where the potency of the botanicals creates a different flavour profile while still being super-simple.
“Whether visitors or locals have spent a day on the slopes, on the trails or on the golf course, sitting down to a glass of this with tonic and a sprig of thyme or rosemary captures the essence of Queenstown’s heart.”
WHISKY LOOT
Australian-based online whisky sales company Whisky Loot has released a limited collection of spirits, designed to showcase the best of American bourbon and rye. Pack options include an 18-year-old Sazerac Rye aged in American oak with notes of leather, molasses and all-spice; A W. L. Weller Antique wheated bourbon, which is sweet and floral with fruits and spice, vanilla and at 107 proof is a great learning dram; And the Thomas H. Handy Sazerac, an uncut and unfiltered rye with toffee, fig, candied fruit and coconut flavours. They come with two Buffalo Trace bourbons a pack. whiskyloot.com
RESTAURANT MONTH
After a decade of successful Restaurant Month seasons in Auckland (except the 2020 iteration), this year’s season from 1-31 August will be the place for great dining and food wine experiences. If you are visiting from out of town or finally have the chance to come to New Zealand from Australia, your timing is spot-on. There are quite a few venues featured, but to get you started I can recommend four, including The Lodge Bar, The Poni Room, Harbourside and Hello Beasty, all located downtown. Dining will be priced on a per-person basis and each menu indicates food that is GF, V or VG. In addition to dining there are ticketed events all over the city. Dress warm!