four women in a tattoo style label

Tasty tastings

Rules around advertising alcohol are pretty strict. That’s why Highball, Wellington’s first spirits & cocktail festival, was not able to tell you that for your $50 entry fee, you would absolutely be able to get your money’s worth of drunk in free samples. So instead it looked like you’d pay a lot of money to […]

Pig & Pinot – we’re as happy as pigs in mud

As you’re no doubt aware from watching Shortland Street, it’s duck-hunting season. Usually this means that Cloudy Bay would be doing duck & pinot noir pairings around the country, but this year they’ve decided to do something a little different and possibly a little more accessible – pinot noir & prosciutto – “bringing you the […]

WOAP 17: wine and whisky

It’s day five of this year’s Wellington on a Plate and the city seems to be buzzing. So let’s get down to it. Here’s two events I went to on Saturday. Tapas & Tastings with Matahiwi Wines at Avida Bar Woodfire & Whisky at Sterling Tapas & Tastings I wrote about this last year, which maybe […]

Win a VIP double pass to the Wellington Wine and Food Festival

Wellington is a city overflowing with good restaurants and fine drops to drink. It seems ridiculous that we haven’t had our own day-of-food-and-wine-and-oh-okay-fine-beer yet. Luckily, that’s about to change with the cunningly named Wellington Food and Wine Festival. The Festival brings together the best of local food, wine, beverages and restaurants, outdoors on the waterfront […]

LCB, TK and Sunday Stroopwafels

LCB.  Le Cordon Bleu.  Learned culinary bestowers. Legends of creativity and bonhomie (yeah yeah enough already…). The LCB WOAP Haute Cuisine du Terroir on Friday night was pretty impressive (not least for being nearly five hours of imbibing instead of the planned three!).  Seven courses of French food matched with each an old world Burgundy […]

Brancott all dressed up and ready to WOW you

We’ve really enjoyed going to  the Brancott Estate World of WearableArt Awards Show over the past couple of years, back from when the naming rights sponsor had a different name. We’ve also really enjoyed wine over the past twenty years or so as well. Naturally, something that mixes the two is going to make us happy.  Brancott […]

Steak frites: does what it says on the box

If you’re after a classic and hearty meal, then we heartily recommend you hoof it to Le Metropolitan on Cuba Street. In fact, we suggest you go there on Monday March 14 especially when they’re having a fundraiser for Christchurch. How about I tell you about the dinner I had there recently in order to […]

It’s Wine Time

I know we talked about this last year, when we made fun of John McGrath (you know, just for a change) but I feel the need to remind y’all that the Wairarapa Wine Harvest Festival is coming up again.

And now I can say for certain that it really is the most kickass day ever. Just $25 gets your ticket into the shindig, and you can get a shuttle from the train for $15. Taste wines from all kinds of boutique winemakers around the Wairarapa, many of whom don’t have a cellar door. Laugh as the man from Maebus describes his favourite Pinot Noir as tasting “like angels fornicating in your mouth” – and try and get in his good books in case he really is in with Google. Watch my parents try and win half a case of wine with their awesome dancing skills again. But one suggestion: don’t try and walk on rolling barrels. You will just fall off, hit your head and cry.

investing for the future

There are many kinds of investments available on the market today: putting a little something aside for later can be very rewarding. One of our favourite kinds is a bottle or two of nice wine. And where better to source your investment than just over the hill from Wellington, in Martinborough? Set aside a Sunday. […]