New Zealand’s most comprehensive wine tasting event Winetopia presented by Singapore Airlines, will challenge your perceptions of wine this Friday and Saturday at TSB Bank Arena. It will also be a great place to spend the afternoon – 55 wine makers can’t be wrong.
Here are ten reasons not to miss this wine tasting extravaganza:
Framingham Wine
1. Rock star, award-winning wineries have come from all over the country to meet Wellingtonians and they prove that wine has come a long way since the days of “Country White”. Framingham, known for their Riesling and Pinot Noir as much as their Blenheim Harvest Festival, picked up the Winery of Year award two years running from Bob Campbell’s The Real Review. Trinity Hill won Decanter’s Gold Awards for their Homage 2016 and Gimblett Gravel’s Chardonnay. While you’re working your way through the regions be sure to stop off in the Central Otago region to discover the new Providore wines from Pete Bartle (27 gold medals to his name and counting). Make sure you check out some of the legends like Mt Difficulty and try some of the locals like Martinborough Vineyard. In all there are more than 250 wines from 55 wineries so this truly is the place to discover your new favourite wine.
2. Win flights to ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Well, almost – every visitor to Winetopia can get a taste of Business Class in the Singapore Airlines Lounge and enter to win a trip for two to any destination on the Singapore Airlines network. Did we mention Virtual Reality? Yep, they’ve got that for you too. As if an afternoon discovering the best wines in Aotearoa wasn’t enough!
3. Cheese. It’s hard to find any wine lover who doesn’t go gooey over a roquefort or aged gouda. Not all heroes wear capes but you will find some at the Kaikoura Cheese stand or try their handiwork in one of the tasting classes with Kapiti. Even the team from Salty Pidgin have put cheese on the menu.
4. That’s right, Salty Pidgin are popping up at the event with an exclusive menu designed for Winetopia that matches to our most classic wine varietals. Try the Te Matuku Oysters, Cucumber & Verjus, or the Canterbury Duck Brik, Wild Thyme, Olive, Quince, Watercress with a Pinot Noir or a Syrah with their Chocolate Liquorice Mousse, Hawkes Bay Pear, Chocolate Rice Crispies. Food and wine heaven!
5. Dive a little deeper into the wonderful world of New Zealand Wine with one of the 7 Masterclasses in the Vintec Connoisseurs Lounge. Learn food and wine matching with Noble Rot, enter a Battle Royale of Pinot vs Syrah with Stephen Wong MW and a chance to get Fizzy-Cal with Gabrielle Webster. These 30 – 40 minute sessions are loaded with premium wines and in some cases food matching and cost just $20 – $45.
6. Lead figures from Auckland music group the Hipstamatics will take to the stage as Two Many Chiefs with a few surprises thrown in by the pseudo circus performers from the Dust Palace, just to round out your Winetopia tasting adventure in rhythm and style.
7. “Share a Glass” with famous faces including film maker and former TV journalist Amanda Millar, author and blogger Emily Writes and former All Black and commentator Murray Mexted. They’ll share their stories and a favourite wine. These are just some of the 15 free talks and tastings that will be taking place throughout the 2 days.
Gabrielle Webster
8. Take a fresh perspective from one of Australia’s most awarded Sommeliers and bona fide hospitality legend Gabrielle Webster from the Iconic Icebergs Restaurant at Bondi Beach. Gabrielle will be running masterclasses, free talks and will be at every session of the event. We’ll also hear from the Singapore Airlines Food & Beverage Director Antony McNeil about what it takes to serve top wines on Trip Adviser’s “Best Airline in the World” and try some wines they are currently serving.
9. Be quick to snap up one of the last remaining Mindfood Premium Tickets which include over $170 value yet cost just $75 plus booking fee, then revel in the outstanding value. Not only do you receive your Spiegelau Tasting Glass and 5 tasting coins like every visitor, you’ll also be sampling a complimentary No 1 Family Estate Marlborough Cuvee on arrival, and pick up a premium gift bag with a Spiegelau Vino Vino Burgundy glass, 3 MiNDFOOD magazines, manuka honey body lotion, bee venom face mask, double movie pass, wine linen napkin from No. 1 Family Estate.
Don’t forget, the event is taking place totally undercover at TSB Bank Arena, so no matter what the winter throws at us, Winetopia presented by Singapore Airlines is the place to be this weekend.
There will be three sessions for Winetopia in the capital; Friday from 5:00pm – 8:30pm, Saturday from 12:00pm – 3:30pm and 4:30pm – 8:00pm.
Visit www.winetopia.nz for tickets and further information.
On the social – #winetopiaNZ