Winetopia, presented by Singapore Airlines is back at Shed 10 on Friday 18 and Saturday
19 June and features a whole new line-up to tempt every wine lover.
Sixty wineries will descend on the city for the event which features over 30 talks, demos and masterclasses - an opportunity to try all the different varietals and buy direct from the producers.
One question that visitors keep raising at Winetopia, is what goes into a great wine and food match?
Des Harris is no stranger to the food and wine scene. Foodies will know him from the kitchen of fine dining restaurant, Clooney, where he directed the kitchen for more than 8 years. Since then Des has consulted to many other top restaurants around Auckland and tells us he has an exciting new position that will be announced soon.
Des is appearing at Winetopia this year in a brand new initiative sponsored by luxury German appliance manufacturer Gaggenau. Featuring climate controlled wine cabinets and a cooktop from the Vario 200 range, Gaggenau sommelier sessions offer the audience a chance to glimpse into the mind of a sommelier to learn about the thought processes behind selecting the perfect wine for an occasion and creating that perfect food match.
“One sommelier I worked with very closely from my time at Clooney was Gary Olasz, who taught me that the texture of the wine is very important and the textures of the food match need to be in symmetry. Does the wine call for a bit of fat, or should I keep it clean? This is almost more important to get right than the flavours.
The more complex the wine the more simple you need to make the food. It’s really important not to compete with the wine - you’re looking for synergy. Through experience you learn what not to do and often the key is not to bomb the plate with flavours.
“My main tip to doing this well at home however is to just start with what you enjoy. For example I often like to start with a barrel fermented sauvignon blanc. The barrel ferment adds an additional layer which goes really well with cold smoked salmon and fresh Italian cheeses like stracciatella or ricotta. It’s a really versatile wine to work with.
“What I’ve learned from working with great sommeliers is that the wine selection is a key first step. Once you have chosen your wine you now have some distinct boundaries for being creative in the kitchen. Next I like to source some great produce and then treat them really naturally to allow the wine to sing. At Winetopia I’ll be doing this, demonstrating some simple tastes people can put together themselves that match with some of New Zealand’s great classic wine varietals.”
Wine service professionals appearing within Gaggenau sommelier sessions at Winetopia include: Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas, Jeremy Ellis and Candice Chow. The schedule can be found on the event website.
Peter Lorimer’s first Winetopia experience was last year. He brought along his chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and arneis carrying the new Deep Down Wines label (a collaboration between Peter and ex-Seressin Winemaker Clive Dougall).
“What I loved about Winetopia was connecting direct with people who are fascinated by wine and interested in how people craft their elixirs. It was both fun and it gave us a chance to tell our story of starting a boutique company committed to organic farming and creating wines with little or no other additions – just beautiful organic grapes.
Winetopia is a great chance for people to explore the different wine regions, soil styles and grapes especially from boutique producers that you don’t often find in supermarkets.”
Deep Down Wines are back at Winetopia when it hits Shed 10 on Friday evening and Saturday 18 – 19 June.
“This year we’ll be bringing our wines from what was possibly the best vintage on record. It was a seamless growing season, the grapes have incredible balance and flow. Of course 2020 will be a vintage not just remembered for the weather but for grapes picked under the cloud of the pandemic. The wines produced from 2020 are the absolute silver lining from an unmistakably challenging year.
If you can only try one wine from us at the event, make more time and try two! We only make 90 cases of the arneis which tend to get snapped up by top restaurants and there’s also our sulphur-free pinot noir, which is simply great juice in a bottle – it’s brisk, vibrant and full of energy.”
Sixty of New Zealand’s most exciting wineries will participate in Winetopia at Shed 10 from 18 – 19 June with tastings, talks and masterclasses, plus live music at the end of every session to round off the experience.
Buy tickets from $35 + Booking Fee at www.winetopia.co.nz
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