Sunday, April 5, 2009

A wine free life as I write the new list

You'd be forgiven for thinking that I'd given up even tasting wine as my posts slow to a trickle and the bump grows bigger.

In truth I'm tasting quite a bit as the pressure mounts to leave my restaurant in a 'good place' wine-wise whilst I swan off on Maternity leave. I've timed it quite well in the Nu Zillund wine calendar all things considered as this is about the time most Sommelier turn their attention to winter lists anyway.

I'm focusing on building the Pinot Noir and Syrah sections as many Pinots are rolling vintage about now plus enthusiasm for Syrah continues to build locally with many NZ Syrah helpfully keeping step with increasing quality. Also Syrah, as a rule, offers more value for money than Pinot. And this seems topical and necessary.

Just as the economy continues to dominate in the media it remains top of mind for me also. It seems so pertinent to maintain a list of wines that people can afford. To source wines that over-deliver at their price point so that a carefully chosen indulgence feels worth it to my guests. And to have all staff able and confident with gentle encouragement towards the lesser known but highly tasty drops. Actually, this is important all of the time, but doubly so if it starts looking like wine is at risk of being too much of a luxury for most.

1 comment:

Estelle Platini said...

Hi Sarah,
Would you care to post the new wine list, once it's about ready?