International presenters are back this year at Winetopia with Chef and TV personality Colin Fassnidge joining the Auckland line-up from 21 – 22 July at the new venue of the Viaduct Event Centre.
Originally from Dublin, Colin Fassnidge is best known for his long-standing role as judge on My Kitchen Rules and as a chef and restaurateur of Banksia Bistro and the Castlereagh by Fassnidge, both in New South Wales. Colin will be at the event all three sessions, sharing a glass with visitors at the Main Stage, cooking up his favourite dishes to match with wine in the Gaggenau Sommelier Sessions and meeting ticketholders in the Premium Lounge.
“I’m looking forward to exploring all the fantastic wines at Winetopia and discovering some new favourites. I hope to meet with lots of food and wine lovers over the two days too.” – Colin Fassnidge
Colin is joined by comedian and TV Presenter Ben Hurley who is hosting the event’s Main Stage with a line-up of wine gurus and entertainers who will appear to share their favourite wines.
Main stage entertainment is included in your Winetopia ticket and across the two days you can hear from the likes of Master of Wine Bob Campbell and acclaimed chef Ben Bayly, Cuisine wine writer Mary Therese-Blair.
Winetopia, a part of Elemental AKL, has always offered visitors a deep dive into the very best of the New Zealand wine scene, with a collection of wineries from right across the country showcasing Albarino to Syrah and everything in between. With over 50 wineries attending there is something for everyone whether that be trying new releases from prestige brands like Craggy Range, Rippon and Cloudy Bay or discovering small boutiques like Mawhitipana Ridge, Pisa Range and Deep Down.
This year the events will also feature a new exhibit “Wine Art with CCL Label” with designs from some of New Zealand’s more striking wines displayed in large format at the event to unpack the story behind the wines. The exhibit features winery artworks from all over the country and takes the visitor into the minds of our wine making teams.
In the Gaggenau Sommelier Sessions you can get up close and personal with chefs and sommeliers collaborating in food demonstrations and wine pairings. This is an intimate and highly sought after experience at the event and this year the luxury kitchen set up will feature chefs Colin Fassnidge, Des Harris, Tim Reid and sommeliers Joe Wong, Candice Chow and Jeremy Ellis.
Winetopia Auckland, this year part of Elemental AKL, has a new venue, the Viaduct Event Centre, and a new feature of pop-up Auckland restaurants serving their signature dishes. This allows for more people than ever before to explore the best of our wine and food scene during the city’s winter festival.
The restaurant line-up represents a new-wave in the Auckland culinary scene. This includes Bar Magda from Cross St, Taco Teca (from the team behind La Fuente) and Gochu of Commercial Bay. With dishes like Duo Eatery’s Crispy Eggplant with ndjua and buffalo curd for $10 or Duck Frites - duck breasts rolled with duck leg sausage served with duck fat and pecorino fries, you’ll want to arrive hungry.
Other new additions to the programme include a Māori wine and food experience “Ngā hua a te whenua - A gift from the land with Tohu” and an exploration of Auckland wineries being led by Mermaid Therese-Blair (AKA Mermaid Mary) on the Friday evening.
Winetopia is about celebrating excellence – the best wine the best food and the best entertainment. This year that includes live music by Love Square which will on Friday also feature Nick Atkinson (of Supergroove and Hopetoun Brown fame) plus Finn Scholes on trumpet, Alistair Deverick on drums and Synthony’s Lewis McCallum playing sax on the Saturday sessions.
Each New Zealand wine region is represented at the events and all wines can be considered premium. The optional Golden Coins even offer a chance to try bottles of wine that retail for over $100 per bottle and have achieved top marks by reviewers (96+).
Tickets start at just $49 including a Spiegelau glass to take home, five tasting tokens and all the action on the Main Stage. Full line-up information for each city is available at www.winetopia.co.nz
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Published 3 July 2023