Sit down tasting with Jean-Christophe Poizat - $60 pp

Jean-Christophe Poizat from French Importers Maison Vauron will guide us through the sub-regions of France's world famous Burgundy region - Chablis, Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Côte Chalonnaise, Maconnais and Beaujolais. The tasting will feature 9 wines (5 whites and 4 reds), including 6 Premier Crus, matched with fabulous finger food from La Fromagerie :

Burgundy Wine Region Map

To Start :

Louis Michel Petit Chablis 2011 (Chablis)


Flight 1 (Whites)

Billaud Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre 2008 (Chablis)
Cave Lugny Macon Villages 2011 (Maconnais)
Paul Jacqueson Rully 1er Cru Gresigny 2010 (Côte Chalonnaise)
Deux Montille Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Gain 2009 (Côte de Beaune)


Flight 2 (Reds)

Tour du Bief Moulin a Vent 2009 (Beaujolais)
Clos Salomon Givry 1er Cru 2010 (Côte Chalonnaise)
Michel Lafarge Beaune 1er Cru Les Aigrots 2006 (Côte de Beaune)
Pierre Naigeon Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques 2006 (Côte de Nuits)

The wines range in price from $22 to $160 and all will be at special prices on the night. Bookings confirmed on receipt of payment.

Read about a previous Burgundy Tasting here...

Casual Stand Up tasting featuring 6 of France's famous Champagne Houses... Pol Roger, Laurent-Perrier, Bollinger, Ayala, Charles Heidseick & Piper Heidseick... with delectable finger food from Kevin Hopgood.

Three Prestige Vintage Champagnes (only produced in the best vintages) are included in the line-up: Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1999, first launched in 1984 to honour one of Pol Roger's greatest devotees (Sir Winston Churchill's love of Pol Roger Champagne is legendary); Laurent-Perrier Brut Millésimé 2002; and Bollinger La Grande Année 2002. Also featured is the Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut, widely recognised as the benchmark for Rosé Champagne. Full wine list (12 wines in total), with respective Distributors & Representatives below:

The above Champagnes retail from around $80 to $330 and will all be at special prices on the night. Plus, all those who order on the night will go into a draw for a 3 bottle gift pack of Champagne NV half bottles. Filling up fast! Bookings confirmed on receipt of payment.

Neudorf & Felton Road Tasting
Wednesday 17 October 6.30 - 8.30pm

Sit down tasting with Tim Finn & Todd Stevens from Neudorf Vineyards
$50 pp (including finger food)

A marvellous opportunity! Neudorf Winemakers Tim Finn & Todd Stevens (newly arrived from Felton Road) will present a fabulous line up of wines from these two great siblings of the prestigious 'Family of Twelve' wine producers. Some of New Zealand's best Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir will be featured - 13 wines in total.

Here's the mouth-watering tasting list:

We'll have some delicious finger food to match with the wine. Retail prices for the tasting wines range from around $30 - $110, and all (excluding the 'taste only') will be at special prices on the night. Bookings confirmed on receipt of payment.

Sit down tasting with Sophie Cotter from St Vincent's Cave
$35 pp (including finger food)

After many years living and working in the wine industry in Spain, Sophie Cotter returned to NZ and established her wine company St Vincent's Cave (aptly named after Spain's patron saint of wine). She looks for complex and interesting wines, often from lesser known Spanish wine regions. The tasting will feature nine wines from various regions across Spain: Cava (the 'Champagne of Spain') from Valencia will be followed by three exciting aromatic white varieties from the North-West - Verdejo, Albariño, and Godello. The reds will include Tempranillos from Rioja and Ribera del Duero in the North and a Garnacha/Syrah blend from Montsant in the North East. We'll finish with a stunning sherry style sweet Pedro Ximénez (96/100 Wine Advocate) from the hot southern Montilla-Moriles region. Full wine list as follows:

To Start: Beso Brut Cava (Valencia)
Menganito Verdejo (Rueda)
Sin Palabras Albariño (Rías Baíxas)
Valdesil Godello (Valdeorras)
Marques de Riscal Próximo Tempranillo (Rioja)
Avaniel Tempranillo (Ribera del Duero)
Lasendal Garnacha-Syrah (Montsant)
Marqués de Riscal Reserva Tempranillo (Rioja)
Alvear Pedro Ximénez Solera 1927 (Montilla-Moriles)



We'll have some delicious Spanish finger food to match with the wine. Retail prices for the tasting wines range from around $20 - $50, and all will be at special prices on the night. Bookings confirmed on receipt of payment.

Italian Tasting
Thursday 12 July 6.30 - 8.30 pm

Sit down tasting with Richard Klein from Artigiano Imports $30 pp (including finger food)

Richard Klein has a passion for Italian food, wine, language and culture. Based in Wellington, he visits Italy regularly, and his focus is on quality 'artisan' wines at affordable prices.

The tasting will feature 3 whites and 7 reds (including a 2001 Barolo 'the wine of kings' and a 2005 Aglianico del Vulture 'the Barolo of the South'); from various regions covering the length of Italy (including Piedmont, Veneto, Marche, Abruzzo, Basilicata & Puglia). He'll be bringing delicious Italian finger food to match with the wines.

The wines range in retail price from under $20 to around $80, and will all be at great special prices on the night. Bookings confirmed on receipt of payment.

Read about our previous Italian Tasting here...

Languedoc-Roussillon Tasting
Wednesday 13 June 6.30 - 8.30 pm

Sit down tasting with Jean-Christophe Poizat from Maison Vauron

Some of France's best value wines are to be found in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France. Jean-Christophe will talk us through a range of wine styles from various appellations; including 7 reds, a white and 3 of the famous sweet BanyulsSimilar to Port, using a wine-making process known in France as mutage. Alcohol is added to the must to halt fermentation while sugar levels are still high, preserving the natural sugar of the grape - 11 wines in total. As always, the wines will be matched with fabulous finger food from La Fromagerie. Wine list as follows:

Mas Blanc Banyuls Blanc
Château la Bastide Corbieres Blanc 2010
Chemin des Reves Coteaux du Languedoc Bois Moi 2009
Sauvageonne Coteaux du Languedoc Les Ruffes 2009
Mont Tauch Fitou Les Douzes 2008
Cazes Cotes du Roussillon Villages Marie Gabrielle 2009
Terre Georges Minervois Quintessence 2008
Jean-Michel Alquier Faugeres Maison Jaune 2009
Château la Negly La Clape La Falaise 2009
Mas Blanc Banyuls Dr Parce NV
Mas Blanc Banyuls Rimage 1998

The wines range in price from around $20 to $120, and will be at special prices on the night. Cost is $40 pp, which includes finger food - bookings confirmed on receipt of payment.

You will find links to all our French Regional Tastings here...

Sit down tasting with Winemaker Kevin Judd & Kimberley Judd

Don't miss the opportunity to meet a New Zealand winemaking legend! Kevin Judd is one of Marlborough's pioneer winemakers, a highly respected figure in wine making both in New Zealand and internationally. As the founding winemaker at Cloudy Bay, he went on to direct the company's first 25 vintages, and was just the second recipient of the Sir George Fistonich MedalAwarded annually to a "living legend", in recognition of services to NZ wine at the country's largest wine competition, the International Wine Show for outstanding contribution to the New Zealand Wine Industry (Bob Campbell was the first). In 2009 Kevin and his wife Kimberley established their own Greywacke label, with the aim of producing small quantities of exceptional quality, distinctive Marlborough wine. The Greywacke wines, especially the Sauvignon Blancs, have had outstanding reviews. Kevin Judd is also a highly acclaimed photographer and his evocative images appear in countless publications, as well as on his Greywacke labels. The tasting will feature the full range of 7 Greywacke wines (including 4 pre-releases):

Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Pinot Gris 2011 (June 1 release)

Riesling 2011 (June 1 release)

Late Harvest Riesling 2011 (June 1 release)

Chardonnay 2010 (October official release)

Pinot Noir 2010

The wines will be at special prices on the night. Cost is $25 pp (including finger food), bookings confirmed on receipt of payment.

See our Greywacke 'Photo Essay' here...

Sit down tasting with Jean-Christophe Poizat from Maison Vauron $45 pp (including French finger food)

Jean-Christophe from French Importers Maison Vauron is back with a handpicked selection of aromatic wines from top producers in France's Alsace region. The wines will be matched with fabulous finger food from La Fromagerie. Wine list as follows :

Jean Boxler Pinot Blanc 2009
Marcel Deiss Riesling 2009
Albert Mann Riesling Grand Cru Furstentum 2009
Remi Gresser Pinot Gris 2009
Marcel Deiss 1er Cru "Burg" 2007
Bott Geyl Gewurztraminer 2009
Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Steingrubler 2009
Marcel Deiss Grand Cru Schoenenbourg 2007

The wines range in price from around $35 to $165 & all will be at special prices on the night.

You will find links to all our French Regional Tastings here...