Mark Ellis, TV personality & former All Black, along with 4 surfie friends, have received approval for their planned Piha Cafe. After 3 years delay, a court decision has just been reached, and the cafe owned by “Preserve Piha” will go ahead. It is not to exceed 35 patrons at one time, can not serve alcohol, and can only undertake light cooking.
Archive for February, 2009
Don’t Scrimp on the wine when dining out!
Saturday, February 28th, 2009It is quite normal to forgo the quality of the wine when times are tight, but wine and food are just as important in the dining room.
When chosing a wine, from the list or from the rack or wine shop, do not judge by the label. Labels are getting worse in the new world in a bid to get seen on the shelf.
Wineries should put just as much effort into their name and label as they do the wine in the bottle.
When dining out be experimental and choose wine that you are unable to get at your local store or supermarket. Little restaurants sometimes have exceptional wine lists and have wines that are not available anywhere else.
For more run of the mill labels one cannot go past the Craggy Range second label ‘Wild Rock’. They are a lot more attractive in their new outfits and the wine is good too!
The best wines in the stable are the Angels Dust Syrah, Cupids Arrow Central Otago Pinot Noir, and the Pania Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay. All can be bought from shops for under $25 and $50 in Restaurants.
Written by Jayson Bryant
www.thewinevault.co.nz
When rockstars become wine
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009I have often thought about wine in terms of music, with sweet sounding music being Pinot Noir (most of the time) and Riesling being Garage music full of excitement but not long lived.
Well as I continued this thought it became apparent that the wine I was drinking at the time needed to be tamed by food. That is when the idea struck me to refer to all wines in terms of my favourite and least favourite food.
The roast dinner is my benchmark and if any wine is good enough to be compared to a roast dinner, or the Beatles, then this is truely a great wine.
Only one New Zealand Pinot Noir has been near to being called a roast.
The wine in question is the Rippon Pinot Noir from Wanaka, Central Otago. This wine had all the elegance of Cindy Crawford (in her prime, as I am not sure what she looks like nowadays), depth of Sir Edmund Hilary, and integrity of Nelson Mandela. Soft, supple ripe red fruit with a floral nose and light robe. The palate weight was fantastic and it lingered like, well something that lingers for a long time.
This wine was the Beatles, but not a roast.
Fish ‘n’ Chips and its Ideal Match
Thursday, February 12th, 2009People are forever asking what wine matches fish and chips. Well you may be shocked to find that Champagne is far the best match for this underated food.
The fat of the fish is cut through neatly by the acid of the champagne thus delivering a wonderful match. The dryness of Champagnes with ‘Zero Dosage’ or Champagnes without any added sugar are more suitable.
What better way to show off on the beach than to pop the cork of Bollinger, Bruno Paillard, or Ayala with your fish and chips takeaway.
Why not try it while the weather lasts and see the reaction of the other beach goers. OK so the food is cheap but the wine good and the location great.
The alternatives are to have it at home if you don’t want to be seen eating on the beach.
Jayson Bryant
www.thewinevault.co.nz
Chenin Blanc, let’s not be intimidated
Friday, February 6th, 2009When going to a restaurant don’t be intimidated by the wine list. Either ask the Sommelier or make the judgement yourself.
Chenin Blanc or Vouvray as it is called in Britain and Europe is an amazingly versatile grape. The wines from Chenin Blanc can be sweet and age for decades or can be firm and stiff with lots of acid at its core.
This is why this wine is so good at being match with food. The dry Chenin’s are ideal with white fish, creamy sauces, and Hams.
The sweet wines are great as aperitifs or digestives, and when match with some traditional dessert are sublime.
So don’t be intimidated, be bold and take some risks and you will be rewarded.
Jayson Bryant
www.thewinevault.co.nz
