All posts tagged: wine

Winner of $150 New World voucher

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Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. With a big thank you to the New World Wine Awards I am pleased to announce the winner of the $150 New World voucher giveaway. The winner is… *drumroll please* Orlene Enoka! Congratulations! I hope you enjoy creating your own gourmet adventure with New World. Thanks to all who entered and if you missed out, don’t be sad,  I have more giveaways coming up so make sure you stay up to date with this blog and my giveaways by following my Facebook page here. This post was made possible by the good folks at the New World Wine Awards. Opinions are my own.

Gold reds with easy tapas and $150 New World voucher giveaway

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As a graphic designer I’m often attracted to beautifully designed labels…but if I’m deliberating between two bottles of wine, the one with a little gold sticker gets the final say. I usually buy wine on special in the $10 to $15 range. If I’m feeling fancy, or buying a wine for a BYO birthday dinner I’ll upgrade to a $20 to $25 bottle. I don’t often go over that because I don’t have to – there are delightful wines to be had for under $25. The New World Wine Awards takes wine just seriously enough for your garden variety wine drinker. They’ve just announced their Gold, Silver and Bronze winners – all under $25. A panel of experts double-blind taste test over a thousand wines so you can be confident that the hard yards of wine tasting has been done for you. Thanks to the New World Wine Awards, I have a $150 New World voucher to give away so you can embark on your own gourmet adventure. Look for the gold sticker next time …

Pinot Pinball at Pinot Palooza

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My friend Miss A and I attended the first Auckland Pinot Palooza on Saturday at Shed 10. This celebration of pinot noir is aimed specifically at wine drinkers rather than wine snobs. There was very little else aside from pinot noir so it was eye-opening to try pinot noir from different climates and vintages all one after the other. Pinot Palooza has been running in Australia for 5 years and has a cult following of feel good wine drinking over there. With over 60 pinot noir producers on site, each offering an average of 3 bottles each, there was no way we would get through them all. Not even close and especially since we weren’t spitting. Sauvignon Blanc are the number one planting in our vineyards taking a massive 72% of our production but Pinot Noir is (a very distant but growing) second with 8% of NZ wine production (Source: NZ Wine). After starting with a couple of wines from Wine Australia followed by Framingham in Marlborough, we quickly devised our plan of action which …

Pies and wine

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I had the BEST foodie day in Britomart last Friday. A couple of hours work in the morning and then lunch at Ortolana with fellow bloggers Ari Eats and Miss Charlotte Cake, followed by a gourmet pie masterclass, followed by coffee at Oaken (one of my favourite spots), followed by a food and wine matching class by Ostro, followed by dinner at Indochine with my bestie (and more wine).   Social Kitchen I was invited as a guest to a couple of masterclasses at Fisher and Paykel’s Social Kitchen in Britomart, set up as part of Auckland Restaurant Month. With a covered seating area, stage and demonstration kitchen, these were presented by Kelly Gibney of Bonnie Delicious blog. Chefs, restaurants and food personalities represented included Paul Carmichael (Momofuku Seiobo), Kyle Street (Depot, Federal), Gareth Stewart (Euro, The Culpepper), Michael Dearth (The Grove) Jordon Rondel (The Caker), Giapo Grazioli (Giapo) and more. Each class was starkly different and there really was something for every level of foodie. The weather was glorious so it was nice to see beanbags out …

Did someone say Palooza?

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I consider Pinot Noir the “gateway red” and next Saturday on September 3rd, Pinot Palooza, a celebration of Pinot Noir is coming to Auckland. Auckland’s first Pinot Palooza features unlimited tastings of 150 wines, 60 producers from New Zealand and Australia. Regions represented are Central Otago, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Waipara Valley, North Canterbury and Nelson. You may recognise some of the producers such as: Pegasus Bay  Neudorf Sileni Estates Giesen Wines Villa Maria Though there are many more, check out the full list here: http://pinotpalooza.com.au/auckland-your-wine-list/ If you’ve been to any other Bottle Shop Concepts events such as Game of Rhones, then you can expect the same token-free experience. That’s right no tokens meaning you can taste wines to your heart’s content without worrying how many pieces of silver you have left in your pocket. There will be music, there might even be dancing. Who knows? Tickets are $60pp which includes an EPIC crystal Plumm RedB Glass (value $35) or VIP tickets which includes early access, a food voucher, a curated tour and a special …

Game of Rhones AK16

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I made the most of a precious work-free weekend and had a BLAST at Game of Rhones. Being it’s second year here in Auckland, Game of Rhones is gathering momentum. Game of Rhones is different to other wine festivals and your $60 ticket gets you a quality PLUMM REDa wine glass (value $30) and all your tastings. That’s right, no tokens are required for wine tastings. It’s all included in your ticket price. Taste to your hearts content. Visitors are encouraged to dress up GoT style and I this year my fur and leather combo channeled GoT Nights Watch, Wildlings and the Iron Islands. Sitting on the bus in costume, no one even looked twice, which made me feel at ease. While I was quite warm, I felt more comfortable in this costume than the gown and cape I wore last year (not really my style). There were more attendees in costume this year and I feel that it will only get better with each year. Kiwis are naturally a little shy when it comes …

Game of Rhones – double pass winner

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With special thanks to Game of Rhones I am pleased to announce the winner for the double pass to this Saturday’s Auckland event (worth $120). Drawn by Random.org the winner is… **drum roll please!** Emma Tan Congratulations Emma, I hope you and your friend enjoy the event! All wine tastings are included, just bring money for food and take home bottles if that’s your thing. To keep up with giveaways and announcements, make sure you follow my Facebook page here.

#WineIsComing – A double pass giveaway

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(scroll down for giveaway)     There are people who like drinking wine and having fun. Are you one of those people? If so, keep reading. I was a late convert to Game of Thrones but I now watch it religiously. The season finale of Season 6 is in 3 days and it will be long, loooong wait until the next season in 2017. But wait! There’s more! Next Saturday, while the season finale of GoT is still warm, Auckland is getting a very special event called Game of Rhones. Not affiliated in any way with GoT, Game of Rhones is a big deal in Australia, where it began…Where Dan Sims, the founder started it as a bit of a joke, but then more seriously and rather quickly expanded into Game of Rhones events in 7 cities in Australia and New Zealand. Where people drink wine and are encouraged to channel their favourite GoT character. I’ve included some photos I took of Auckland’s 2015 event but check out their Facebook album to get the full effect of …

Winetopia 2016 – things I have learned

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I have been cursed with the realisation that I like expensive wine. Last Saturday, my friend and I attended Winetopia, an expo for wine lovers. Set upstairs at the expansive Shed 10 on Queens Wharf, in Auckland CBD, the event was bursting at the seams with well behaved but jovial attendees, wine exhibitors, food stalls and plenty of free wine talks (with tastings).       We’d already enjoyed a leisurely feast of a lunch (to line the stomach) but I couldn’t go past freshly shucked Mahurangi Oysters and my friend enjoyed a Food Snob cheese platter. There’s a decent array of food if you want or need it, but we were here for wine. Entry included a tasting wine glass and 5 tokens, though more tokens could be purchased for $2 each. Most wine tastings cost 1 token, though there were 2 and 3 token tastings for the more expensive bottles. For an extra $20pp you could also choose to attend various Masterclasses with guaranteed tastings. The King of Pinot Noir We were lucky to swing a …

Winetopia 2016 – double pass giveaway

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Around this time next month, a new wine event called Winetopia will descend upstairs at Shed 10 on Queens Wharf. With one evening session on Friday 20 May 2016 and two sessions on Saturday 21 May 2016, New Zealand’s top wineries will be represented as well as local wine experts, critics and sommeliers. Run by Lemongrass Productions, the good people behind Taste of Auckland and Wine AKL you can expect the same level of atmosphere and delicious tastings at Winetopia. If you’re interested in learning thing or two about wine, there will be free classes as well as $20 Masterclasses. Bluesy Jazz duo Hopetoun Brown (ex-Supergroove brass section) will play a live set at all three sessions. Thanks to Lemongrass Productions, I have a double pass to Winetopia presented by Singapore Airlines on Saturday 21st May 2016, 12pm to 3.30pm. This includes 5x tastings plus a wine glass each, plus free talks and entertainment. To enter, complete the form at the bottom of this post, including a skill question. With Earlybird tickets well and truly gone (I snaffled up …

Everything you need to know about Wine AKL 2015

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Do you like wine? Good. On Friday 14 and Saturday 15 August 2015, 80 of NZ’s top wineries will converge across the two floors of Shed 10 for Wine AKL. Wineries will be grouped by region so it will be like taking a little roadtrip vineyard tour of the country. Bottles of wine will be available for purchase and there will be a DJ, dancers and food from Euro available. Check out Euro’s festival menu here. Tickets are $25 plus booking fee and includes a tasting glass, the first five tastings and a wine guide. This event is strictly R18. There are 3 sessions: Session 1. Friday 14 August 2015, 5:00pm – 8:30pm Session 2. Saturday 15 August 2015, 12:00pm – 3:30pm Session 3. Saturday 15 August 2015, 4:30pm – 8:00pm For those with a thirst for some extra wine knowledge, there are 9 masterclasses which are $20 per class on top of your entry ticket. Masterclasses are: Session 1 Bob Campbell, Chardonnay – a regional round up of top wines Yvonne Lorkin, Organic Awesomeness! 5 of …

Game of Rhones Auckland – a review and a meaty recipe

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A couple of Saturdays ago, my friend Miss A and I found ourselves at upstairs at Shed 10 on Queens Wharf. We were dressed in Game of Thrones garb, feeling a bit foolish and ready to taste some good wine at Game of Rhones. Game of Rhones is different to other wine tasting events because of the  unofficial Game of Thrones theme and also the awesome feature being token-free. You don’t have to worry about rationing out your drink tokens, just try whatever you feel like. Each ticket holder also gets a Reidel wine glass to keep. (Just in case you’re wondering, “Reidel” rhymes with “needle”). The only thing you have to pay extra for is food which was priced well for the size and quality. For $50 we got entry, all our wine tastings and a wine glass to keep. A bargain. Game of Rhones has enjoyed sell out events in Australia for a few years but this is the first time Game of Rhones has come to Auckland. There were plenty of dressed up folk from the …

#BirdOnAWireIsComing #WineIsComing

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Game of Rhones, it’s on Saturday 4 July at Shed 10 on Queens Wharf. Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney have had their events and now it’s Auckland left. Over 100 wines by 20 producers, it’s going to be a hell of an afternoon. Check out my intro post here. The great thing about being last in a series of events is you get to see all the photos of the earlier events on Instagram as they happen…and get ideas for costumes. Game of Thrones attire is encouraged. If you feel silly dressing up in Game of Thrones gear, just know that after a few wines, you’ll be glad you did. Early Raven tickets were $40 and regular tickets are $50. The ticket price includes all tastings and a wine glass. Food (provided by Bird and Wire) is extra. For more information see the Game of Rhones website or their Facebook page here. I will be there in costume, with a prepped liver, an appetite and a camera. Will you? All men must dine Auckland’s event will be catered for by Bird …

#Winteriscoming #Wineiscoming

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Winter is coming! Winter is coming! If you watch Game of Thrones, this will be a familiar phrase. The Koala and I were quite late to Game of Thrones. We started watching at season 3 and binged on 30 episodes in about 3 weeks. Now that we’re caught up we have to wait week by week like peasants. PEASANTS! A little while ago, my friend Miss A told me about a Game of Thrones-themed wine-tasting event. Called Game of Rhones, it’s on Saturday 4 July at Shed 10 on Queens Wharf. The event has been celebrated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and for the first time this year, Sydney and Auckland. A celebration of fierce reds from the Rhone Valley in France representing faraway lands. There will also be 20 wine producers from our own land to battle them. Vote for your favourite wine and the winning house will rule the iron throne (or something). Tyrion would approve. Game of Thrones attire is encouraged. If you feel silly dressing up in Game of Thrones gear, just …

Tasting Menu with Matching Wines

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I was stoked to be invited to a Zomato Foodie Meetup at One Tree Grill last week. As much as I love food and wine (like, HEAPS), I have never experienced a tasting menu with matched wines. I was in for a treat. I was annoyingly early for our 6.30pm start. When I arrived I was greeted by Charlotte who I know from what feels like another era. About 8 years back we lived and breathed a restaurant and bar in Parnell called Blowfish. It was a funny time. Charlotte took my coat and set me up with a delicious Xanadu Shiraz on a comfy couch. We chatted about old times and One Tree Grill. There were 8 of us and it was a pleasure to dine with other foodies and we had plenty to talk about food-wise and about our experience. Bloggers at the dinner were Cecilia from Ultimate Om Noms, Amy from My Dining Journey, Tiffany from Heartshrooms, Jen from Mango and Beans. The decor is inviting with dark wood furniture, white tablecloths, neutral colours, a large …

5 NZ Wines paired with 5 NZ Cheeses

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I prefer to buy New Zealand cheese and wine. We have such wonderful products here it seems a pity to buy imported. I recently bought some NZ wine from the Advintage Online Wine Store who – like many New Zealand wines – are based in the Hawkes Bay region. Advintage offer a range of wines including wines from NZ, Australia, France, Spain Italy, and USA. What I liked about the Advintage website is you can easily sort wines by price, region and variety. They also have a few useful categories such as SPECIALS, CLASSICS or HIGH ROLLERS depending on how your shopping/drinking style. Prices are per bottle or per case with good savings for both. I found it super cool that their case pricing applies to mixed cases. You don’t have to buy all the same wine take advantage of their case pricing, as long as you buy 12 bottles of any wine, you’ll pay the case rate. I selected five New Zealand wines priced from $18-$22 on Advintage but actually retail at $24-$35 elsewhere. The wines I picked where ones …

Anticipating Wine AKL

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In the last year, a new phase in my wine drinking has developed. I don’t drink as much, but every time I take my first sip of wine, I sigh aloud: “I loooooove wine”. I can’t help it. A glass of wine is classy, relaxing, social and delicious. It demands to be appreciated. I used to drink red or white, but these days I am a staunch red wine drinker. I’ll always pass on the white but I’ll drink any red. Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cab Sav, Syrah, Shiraz, Malbec. Oh yes. This weekend is Wine AKL. I’ve never been before but it looks a bit like Taste, except instead of a celebration of our loveliest restaurants, it is a celebration of our wine makers (and wine drinkers). As part of the Auckland Restaurant Month celebrations, the wine glitterati of NZ will be there talking all about wine. Over 60 of New Zealand’s wine makers will be represented. Entertainment provided by Base FM DJ Murry Sweetpants. Reasonably priced food provided by Euro’s pop-up restaurant. Pop Up Menu Can …

Bastille Day Wine Tasting

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Our Bastille Day Cheese and Wine Tasting was a barrel of laughs. Tasting different wines side by side was awesome. You taste a little of each and then go back for more until it’s all gone. The wines changed as we drank them and some that I didn’t like at the start were delicious at the end. I suspect a combination of booze and air affected the taste. At our wine tasting, there were ten wine tasters and six bottles of red wine. There were three French wines in honour of Bastille Day, two Australian wines and one New Zealand wine. A good mix. I asked each guest to bring either  cheese or a red wine that they hadn’t tried before, with a price limit of $20. Loose lips and dutch rudders Being the slightly crazy foodie that I am, everyone was encouraged to take notes on the wines based on some key points. Strong opinions and poetic license were held in high regard. Our rating system from 0 to 10: 0 = yuck 5 = …