FREE COPY: MAY 2018
MAY EATING WITH FARRO The Mediterranean covers a massive cross-section of flavours and tastes. Some say Mediterranean eating focuses on the southern shores of Europe: Italy, Greece, Spain and France. It can encapsulate the shores of: Morocco, Turkey and the Middle East. The characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine are typified by three key ingredients – olives, wheat and grapes yielding olive oil, bread, pasta and wine. But all are infused with fresh flavour and vibrance. We have picked just a few of our favourites to share with you this month… of course we could write a whole cookbook!! For more recipe ideas from the Med make sure you visit us online at farro.co.nz. Follow us for regular food-lover inspiration on: @farrofresh
ON OUR TABLE
OUTSTANDING FOOD From award-winning kiwi producers Every cook knows the key to creating great dishes is starting with the finest quality ingredients. That’s why we were very proud this year to team up with the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards as a sponsor of the earth category, to show our support for the fine New Zealand food producers doing amazing things out there.
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Celeriac is a much-maligned vegetable, some might even say ugly, and many people ask what on earth to do with it. We challenge you to give it a chance! It has a subtle, celery flavour and we’re grating it into salads, boiling, mashing, roasting it and adding it to slow cooks this month. One of our other favourites is the French classic celeriac remoulade – grated celeriac mixed with good-quality mayo, lemon and Dijon mustard, served next to beef – truly exceptional. Tri-tip steak might be our best-kept secret. It is a tender, lean cut of beef that takes its name from its triangular shape. What makes it special is the full flavour it promises for an affordable price. Season tri-tip and roast in the oven for an easyfix dinner, or cook it on the BBQ. Try our recipe for seasonal tri-tip with celeriac potato gratin.
Night Market Thursday 3 May
Our Grocery Category Manager, Suzanne Sparrow, spent a day in March judging alongside some of the country’s finest palates, tasting and assessing artisan products from across the country to choose New Zealand’s Outstanding Food Producers for 2018. We’re thrilled that so many of the winners are long established suppliers to Farro and we’re delighted they have been recognised for their energy, enthusiasm and determination to create the finest flavours of New Zealand. Clevedon Buffalo Co. took the top gong, being named Supreme Champion for their Clevedon Marinated Buffalo Cheese, which was also named champion of the Dairy category. We’re so proud to stock such a wide range of champions, gold and silver medal-winning products in the awards.
What’s in your basket
This is a selection of the gold medal winning products available at Farro. Clevedon Buffalo Company, Marinated buffalo cheese and Marinated buffalo cheese chilli and lime Forty Thieves, Salted macadamia butter with maple and vanilla Genevieve’s, Mahurangi oyster mousse Jenny’s Kitchen, Tamarind chutney, hot Line’s Knækbrød, Rosemary and Hauraki sea salt Over the Moon, Dairy Volcano Paneton Bakery, Ready-to-rise croissants The Drunken Nanny, Lemony Lush The Lucky Taco, Habanero hot sauce Whitestone Cheese Company, Ohau goat’s blue For a full list of the winners visit our website farro.co.nz
NEW TO STORE this month
Farro Constellation North Shore Free Entry $5.00/Plate
Mother’s Day Sunday 13 May Make your mum a meal to remember or give her a Farro gift card so she can treat herself. For brunch ideas visit our website.
Many people think of chorizo as ‘spicy Spanish sausage’, but the spice part isn’t a prerequisite, and the sausage itself comes in many and various forms. Traditionally, Spanish chorizo (pronounced chor-ee-tho), and its Portuguese cousin, chouriço, is a sausage made using pork mince and other spices. But the signature ingredient that gives chorizo its distinctive smokiness and deep red colour, dried smoked red peppers, or paprika (it can be either sweet or hot). Chorizo can be a fresh sausage that needs to be cooked before eating but, more frequently, it’s a fermented, cured, smoked sausage, in which case it can be thinly sliced (like salami) and eaten as tapas, fried, or put into soups or stews. It’s amazingly versatile and not to mention delicious. It’s no wonder more than 65,000 tonnes of chorizo are consumed in Spain each year!
Our Pick: Spanish Chorizo $3.49/100g
Olliff Farm premium pasture eggs
The Olliffs have taken the concept of free-range to the next level. With micro flocks of 300-400 birds, their ‘girls’ are housed in state-of-the-art, uniquely designed coops; the coops are on wheels and shifted daily to new ground around the farm. This style of farming ensures they are always free to roam on fresh green pasture, scratching and foraging on new ground all day long, doing everything chickens are supposed to do. The result: the Olliffs’ premium pasture eggs are full of flavour, nutrient dense and are glowing with rich golden yolks. ‘Eggs for the egg connoisseur!’
Lauraine Jacobs is the Listener magazine food columnist, and Head Judge of the Outstanding NZ Producer Awards. She loves popping into Orakei Farro to pick up fare for her dinner, and can never resist a few superb artisan products to keep in her fridge for nibbles when friends arrive for a glass of wine. “Now that autumn is truly making its presence felt, I am excited to choose from the range of pumpkins and squash in the fresh vegetable section. There’s no denying that it really is soup and risotto weather, so I have been making both. My favourite risotto involves roasting cubes of pumpkin until they are sweet and caramelised, adding them at the last moment with the parmesan when the risotto is ready. I start with finely chopped leeks in plenty of butter, add arborio rice and find fresh sage is the perfect herb with any squash. My soup has great flavours too – Indian spices perk it up, and I always use good chicken stock and a touch of coconut cream. The best way to get a silky smooth result is to puree the soup with a stick blender. I am also enjoying Clevedon Buffalo’s latest product, the marinated fresh buffalo cheese. I think I must be addicted to it as I keep on dreaming up wintry salads with spinach, fennel, grated beetroot and carrot and lots of herbs and then tossing a generous helping of this amazing cheese over everything. This cheese also provides an amazing finishing touch to baked pumpkin wedges. The aromatic marinating oil makes a great dressing it can even be used in stir-fries. The other product that is an absolute must for me is the range of Genevieve’s dressings. I keep about four or five of them in the fridge to drizzle over salads, vegetables, and even fish and chicken. Why make dressings when there’s something this good already to go?
PRODUCER PROFILE LA RONDE ORCHARD
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While best crunched fresh, apples also make fantastic chutney or relish and in season is the time to make the most of preserving fruit so you can enjoy it for months to come. Apple and black mustard seed relish is the perfect partner to a roast pork loin with crispy crackling or roasted pork chops.
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Try making Baked stuffed apples with walnuts, honey and cider … a take on a German classic.
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If you have a soft spot for caramel apples – and let’s face who doesn’t – why not try a Caramel apple and pistachio upside-down cake?
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Try a Crisp apple salad – a perfect partner for grilled fish or poached chicken. Mix apple, celery, radish and watercress, then toss in a dressing of fennel, coriander, sumac, chilli and olive oil.
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For the weekend, why not make some super-quick and easy Apple, bacon and cheese toasties? They are so flavour packed you may never want to make anything else for lunch.
Baked stuffed apples with walnuts, honey and cider SERVES 4 PREP TIME: 20 MINS | COOKING TIME: 60-75 MINS
La Ronde Orchard Kumeu, West Auckland
Orcharding is in the Neal family blood, dating back to a great-grandfather who started his own orchard in Marlborough, three generations ago. Today, Monte Neal and his wife own La Ronde Orchards in Kumeu, which he took over from his father. It’s named after the milk bar his grandfather opened in Mission Bay in 1961 but sold to start the Kumeu orchard in 1969. A small operation of just four which swells to 10 in season, the Neal family is totally hands-on in all aspects of picking, pruning, packing and selling. La Ronde
returns to Farro this month with their apples and 1-litre juice – look for them both in the produce area. As you can imagine, after nearly five decades, the established orchard is producing some pretty exceptional fruit. They grow a diverse range of apples: Royal Gala, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Jazz, Splendor, Pink Lady, Cox’s Orange, Golden Delicious. As well as that, they also grow plums (from 100-year-old trees), citrus (tangelos, grapefruit, navels) and grapes (grown for Kumeu River Chardonnay).
Apples, walnuts, honey and cider are fantastic bedfellows, and when baked in the oven, they become all sweet and caramelised. We’ve also added orange blossom water to enhance the aromatics. This is the perfect dessert dish to serve with a dollop of ice cream. INGREDIENTS ▢ 80g golden raisins ▢ 60g walnut halves, chopped ▢ 110g soft brown sugar ▢ 1 teaspoon orange blossom water ▢ 4 apples, such as Gala ▢ 200ml dry cider ▢ 60g unsalted butter, cubed ▢ 76g honey ▢ 5g ground cinnamon METHOD Heat oven to 180°C. Combine raisins, walnuts, sugar, orange blossom water and 40ml of the cider in a bowl and set aside. Core apples and place in a small baking dish, core side up. Fill each apple with the walnut mixture and add the remaining cider and butter to baking dish. Drizzle the honey over the apples. Cover tightly with foil and bake in pre-heated oven until apples are tender, about 60-75 mins. Remove from the oven and uncover, sprinkle with half the cinnamon and let cool slightly. Serve in bowls with the reduced cider-butter sauce, a scoop of your favourite icecream and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon over the top.
TAKE 5 OLIVE OIL
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Some say Mediterranean cuisine is geographically defined by the distribution of the olive tree. We’ve picked our favourite olive oils from the Med – and closer to home – to share with you.
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1 Filotea Pasta Filotea is a small family producer from the heart of the Marche region in Italy. Janene, Farro’s co-founder, met the family on her last trip to Italy and loved it so much that we are now importing a full range direct for you to enjoy. The pasta is made using high-quality, fresh ingredients and is prepared following their grandmother’s traditional recipe. It’s slowly dried to enhance the authentic taste. While the artisan preparation produces a unique product that is light and easy to digest, its textured surface also helps absorb sauces to celebrate the flavour of all the ingredients. Delizioso!
ILIADA EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
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Fruity and well balanced. Ideal for giving dishes an extraordinary taste.
$14.99/ 500ml
Save $3*
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Duck ragù is a great dish to make ahead – in fact it tastes better when cooked a day or two beforehand. You could also use a whole duck, just turn it occasionally while cooking. INGREDIENTS ▢ 4 duck legs ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil ▢ 1 onion, chopped ▢ 1 stick celery, finely chopped ▢ 2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped ▢ 50g pancetta offcuts, or thinly chopped pieces ▢ 2 cloves garlic, chopped ▢ sprig rosemary, very finely minced ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste ▢ 1 cup dry red wine ▢ 1 cup passata ▢ 1 teaspoon salt ▢ 1 cup chicken stock or water ▢ 400g dried pappardelle ▢ ½ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped ▢ freshly grated parmesan for serving
METHOD Heat a wide saucepan and brown the duck legs all over. Remove the duck from the pan and reserve the fat for another use. Heat the olive oil then add the onion, celery, carrots and pancetta and cook for 5 mins or until soft.
Remove the duck and set aside until cool enough to handle, then shred. Discard or keep skin, depending on your preference. Skim any fat from the ragù sauce. Add the meat back into the sauce. When ready to serve, heat the ragù and adjust seasonings if necessary.
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Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, stir to combine and cook for another minute. Add the red wine and reduce by half then add the passata, salt and stock, bring to a simmer, then add the duck and cover, simmering slowly for 1½ hours or until very tender. If necessary, top up with a little extra stock or water.
Cook the pappardelle in boiling salted water according to packet directions, drain, toss through the ragù along with the flat leaf parsley. Serve on warmed plates with freshly grated parmesan.
7. ORECCHIETTE PASTA Its name comes from its shape, which resembles a small ear. 8. SPAGHETTI PASTA A classic with tomato and fresh basil and, of course, meatballs!
Fresh aroma, fruity flavours and sweet taste. Recommended for salads, fish and pasta.
$24.90/Bottle
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5. STROZZAPRETI A hand-rolled pasta, typical of the Marche region in Italy, the shape resembles a rolled towel. 6. LINGUINE PASTA Complement a variety of sauces, a great choice for salads too.
$24.99/500ml
PONS ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
3. FILOTEA PACCHERI A type of pasta in the shape of a very large tube.
SERVES 6 | PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOK TIME 2 HOURS
Perfect base for cooking as well as a flavoursome addition to pasta dishes and salad dressings, also delicious combined with balsamic vinegar for dipping chunky pieces of rustic bread.
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2. FETTUCCINE AL LIMONE Made with the juice of lemons from Sicily. Perfect with a cream, ham and peas sauce, as well as shellfish and white sauce.
4. TAGLIATELLE PASTA Very thick and rough pasta that goes well with meat sauces.
D’ ORAZIO EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Save $5*
1. PAPPARDELLE PASTA Rough pasta – great with a slow-cooked ragù.
Duck ragù with pappardelle
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4 SIMUNOVICH LEMON INFUSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Perfect for adding burst of flavour to sauteed vegetables, salads, chicken and raw or cooked fish dishes.
$13.99/250ml
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OLIVO TUSCAN BLEND EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Serve with fresh crusty bread or drizzle over a green salad or any cooked food to enhance flavour.
$29.99/500ml
*Special prices valid 30 Apr to 3 June
Seared tri-tip beef with celeriac potato gratin and Waiheke herb spread SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 20 MINS | COOK TIME 60 MINS
Tri-tip is a triangular piece of beef from the sirloin. It’s lean with great flavour, but can be chewy if overcooked, so is best cooked to medium-rare and well rested before slicing thinly. However, given its shape, the small end piece often will be cooked closer to medium, so is good for those who prefer a more cooked piece of meat.
INGREDIENTS ▢ 1 large celeriac root, approx. 750g ▢ 3 large agria potatoes, approx. 750g ▢ 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced ▢ 1 tablespoon thyme leaves ▢ 150ml vegetable or chicken stock ▢ 150ml cream ▢ 20g freshly grated parmesan
Monte Nevado Chorizo Range
$15.49/200g SAVE $1.50 *Special prices valid 30 April to 03 June
METHOD Preheat the oven to 200°C. Peel and slice the celeriac and potatoes into 4mm thick slices. Put into gratin dish, scattering evenly with garlic and thyme, and season generously with salt and pepper. Pour the stock and cream over the vegetables, then sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Bake for 50-60 mins until the vegetables are cooked through, and the gratin is bubbling and golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with the steak and a green salad.
Spanish-style baked rice with chorizo and chicken SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 20 MINS | COOK TIME 60 MINS
Not many of us own a paella pan to make a true Spanishstyle paella, but with a wide and deep ovenproof frying pan you can get a good approximation of the dish, finishing it by baking in the oven like this recipe. It’s essential to use a good-quality rice such as Calasparra, which is known for its excellent absorption qualities. INGREDIENTS ▢ 600ml chicken stock ▢ pinch Greek saffron ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil ▢ 450g chicken thighs, cut into 6cm pieces ▢ 100g Monte Nevado chorizo, sliced ▢ 1 onion, chopped ▢ 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ▢ 1 teaspoon La Chinata sweet smoked paprika ▢ 1 cup Calasparra rice ▢ ½ cup white wine ▢ 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley ▢ wedges of lemon to garnish
TRI-TIP STEAK ▢ 700g tri-tip steak (Most pieces weigh between 600g - 800g) ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil ▢ salt and pepper ▢ Waiheke herb spread to serve
METHOD Preheat the oven 200°C. Heat the chicken stock gently with the saffron. Heat half of the olive oil in a 26cm paella pan or a wide ovenproof pan. Add the chicken and brown all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil and the chorizo to the pan and fry gently for 5 mins until it releases it oils. Add the onion and cook for 5 mins until soft, then add the garlic and smoked paprika and cook for a minute. Stir in the rice and fry for a few minutes until well coated. Add the wine, then the stock. Season generously with salt and pepper and bring up to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins. Add the chicken pieces to the pan, pushing down under the stock. Place in the oven and cook for a further 10-15 mins or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through (add extra stock if you feel the rice needs a little more cooking). Remove from the oven and rest for 5 mins, then scatter the parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges.
Preheat the oven 200°C. Heat an ovenproof frying pan. Rub the steak with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef all over then put into the oven and cook for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove from the oven and the pan and allow to rest in a warm spot for at least 10 mins before slicing thinly. Put onto a serving platter and serve with some of the herb spread.
Tiramisu Kokako Aotea Whole Beans $12.90/200g SAVE $1.00 *Special Prices Valid 30 Apr to 03 Jun
SERVES 6-8 | PREP TIME 30 MINS + COOLING TIME COOK TIME 5 MINS. Needs to be made 24 hours ahead.
This classic Italian dish dates to 1970s Treviso. It’s a great do-ahead dish, and always spectacular. ▢ 1½ cups hot strong Kokako brewed coffee ▢ 100g caster sugar ▢ 3 tablespoons Marsala, rum or brandy (or more to taste) ▢ 3 egg yolks ▢ 250g mascarpone ▢ 1 packet (200g-250g) sponge or ladyfingers (savoiardi biscuits) ▢ 2 tablespoons cocoa
METHOD
Mix the coffee with 3 tablespoons caster sugar and the Marsala until the sugar is dissolved. Chill before using. Whisk the egg yolks in a mixer until light and fluffy. Place the remaining caster sugar with 50ml water a small saucepan and bring to the boil. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup on the eggs and beat until the mixture is thick and cold (about 5 mins). Add the mascarpone and whisk until thick. Line an 11cm by 22cm loaf tin with cling film. Spread a thin layer of the egg mix on the base. Take enough sponge fingers to line the base of the tin, trimming them if necessary. Dip the non-sugared side of each finger into the chilled coffee for a few seconds. Drain off the excess then place in the tin, sugared side down. Dust lightly with cocoa and top with another layer of the egg mix. Repeat the layers twice more, finishing with mascarpone. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. To serve, remove the cling film from the top of the dish and turn out on to the platter. Remove the remaining cling film then dust with cocoa and slice.
FARRO FOOD HERO OF THE MONTH
WINE PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH “The media may often report on how the price of a cup of coffee has gone up, but there’s no depth involved in understanding the supply chain - how many hands the coffee has passed through in order for it to get to the consumer and what an artisanal product it is.” Being the second-most traded commodity in the world after oil, coffee is in high demand. In some cases, with large volume comes a large environmental and social footprint. So that got Mike thinking, how can Kōkako make a real impact? Although Kōkako buy from a variety of coffee origins, they began working closely with the Highlands Organic Agriculture Co-op (HOAC), in the eastern islands of Papua New Guinea, thanks to the help of Fairtrade. “We’ve got a number of initiatives that we are working on to help empower growers. We help them understand the unique nature of their product so they don’t think of it as a commodity. We also educate them in how they can produce a better quality product and what opportunities there are for coffee, beyond selling just green beans to us,” he says Kōkako are third-party verified by both Fairtrade and Biogro NZ, proving that the beans they roast meet strict social, environmental and economic standards. They have recently become Climate Neutral too, offsetting unavoidable emissions through a Fairtrade programme in Ethiopia. “The Fairtrade model is essentially a safety net for our producers, allowing the growers to know that they are going to be getting a guaranteed income for their product irrespective of the market dynamics, but over and above everything it’s also a tool for entrepreneurial change and development and puts some social parameters in place.” Their name sake bird deserves a mention too; the team at Kōkako have worked with a number of initiatives that help restore the flock of our native Kōkako, namely the Rotoehu Ecological Trust initiative that looks after the Kōkako habitat in the Pongakawa forest, Bay of Plenty.
Eleven years ago Mike Murphy (pictured) took over a small family-run cafe and roastery in Parnell. Today he’s built a fantastic local business brewing not only a great cup of coffee, but a really amazing community that is supporting coffee growers around the world.
sustainability, living in the Waitakeres - hence the name, Kōkako - one of New Zealand’s more modest and endangered native birds. Mike saw huge potential. “What I realised was that coffee is this amazing elixir. It’s a product that brings people together, it’s incredibly social and the industry is really dynamic, engaging and has a real strong spirit of collaboration as well, even amongst competitors,” he says. “I became drawn to the social and community aspects of coffee.”
Whether that be through their specialty coffee quality standards or their commitment to the future of coffee farming through Fairtrade Organic certification, we believe Kōkako really are the good guys in coffee.
Over the past 11 years, Kōkako has taken a few different paths in its business journey but it has always remained true to its original values: Bringing people together over a cup of Fairtrade Organic coffee, with shared values and leading the way, right through from crop to cup.
We shared a cup of coffee (Kōkako’s new 70/30 Filter Blend to be exact) with Mike at their new roastery in Mount Eden and chatted about the driving forces behind Kōkako, the journey of their coffee from crop to cup and what’s next for the coffee culture. It all started while living in Melbourne working as a food consultant...Mike became fascinated by the emerging third wave of coffee, spending most weekends checking out Melbourne’s best micro-roasteries. He saw a gap in the New Zealand market and came home with the intention of starting a cafe but was presented with an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up. He happened upon a business for sale - Kōkako Organic. At the time it was a small cafe in Parnell, opposite the Domain, with a coffee roaster out the back and a mobile coffee cart that has become a familiar sight at Farmers Markets across the city. The couple who founded Kōkako six years earlier, Helen Ollivier and Christian Lamdin, had a huge appreciation for conservation and
You’ll now spot that distinctive Kōkako bird in some of the city’s best eateries. “Pasture, who brew our coffee by hand, The French Cafe, The Grill, Gusto at the Grand, Cibo as well as many fantastic locally owned cafes across the country.” And of course in the heart of Farro, as one of our three favourite locally-roasted blends available to you daily from our baristas. Mike sees a huge part of Kōkako’s role being educating and empowering coffee farmers, and to tell their stories to the New Zealand public. “I think it’s always really good to kind of dream of what you could do. The first seven or eight years were literally just surviving in business and it was really hard to understand what impact we could make,” he says. “But after I made my first trip to Papua New Guinea in 2013, the penny dropped and I said to myself : ‘We can actually make a difference here’.”
So, what does the future hold? Living by the Japanese principle ‘kaizen’, which means ‘continuous improvement’, Kōkako have always been ahead of the game. “We’re constantly searching for new interesting coffees that we could use in our blends or for a new single origin. The diversity of coffee on offer has dramatically changed,” he says. This month they relaunch in Farro their special edition, Bukonzo Joint from Uganda. This single origin coffee has a fantastic story behind it and $1 from every pack sold goes to support Medical Aid Abroad. Mike is proud, not only of the support they give their producers but he’s also proud of everyone who has ever worked in the business. “I’m really proud of the professional development of our team - I would have employed hundreds of people over the last 11 years; many of them have gone on to own their own cafe where we now supply them with coffee.”
Steve Bennett, Wine Importer Steve Bennett has worn many hats in his career in the wine industry– importer, retailer, educator, writer, judge and producer. He was the youngest person in the world to be inducted as a Master of Wine at the tender age of 25 and in his career he’s tasted more than 100,000 wines. Wine writer Joelle Thomson said of Steve: “We are spoilt for choice in this country by some of the most adventurous wine importers in the world, like Steve Bennett. If you are buying wine from Steve, it is likely that the wines will stop you in your tracks.” We are very lucky to have the founder of Bennett & Deller wine merchants, bringing his expertise to Farro, sourcing an array of different varieties and styles from Spain, Italy and France. We caught up with him this month… What do you love about importing wine? New Zealand wine is very good, but over 90% of it comes from just five grape varieties and there are thousands of different varieties in the world. In New Zealand we enjoy a wide variety of cuisine – Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian etc, but can get caught in the trap of drinking sauvignon blanc and pinot noir with everything. I love being able to provide consumers with a whole array of different varieties and wine styles to those available localyl – like a ‘food-court’ of wine if you will. What do you think the Spanish, Italian and French wines offer? Spanish wines offer amazing consistency and value, especially the full-bodied reds. Italian wines offer an array of exciting indigenous flavours and are brilliantly food-friendly. French wines have poise and polish from decades of refining their styles. Do you think the influence of the Med adds a certain character to wines from the region? Broadly speaking, Mediterranean wines offer bright, bold, intense flavours derived from the consistency of the regions warm climate. Centuries of foodculture have refined those wine-styles to partner local cuisine.
How do you select your wines? I’m fortunate to have a world-wide circle of contacts through the Master of Wine fraternity and access to huge variety. I use my experience to select wines based on both taste and value for money – with the Kiwi consumer’s tastes in mind – we like bright, clear flavours. I want wines that stand out from the competition and offer great value… people tend to buy my wines over and over again. Choosing wine can be a bit daunting What tips can you offer customers? It’s good to make a note of wines that you really like so you can remember them and then venture forth try similar varieties and regions. I’d also encourage consumers to try something new. Your favourite wine might be the next one you buy. If you come across a variety/region/ producer you aren’t familiar with use Google – there’s a wealth of readily available info a finger-tip away that can give you the confidence to move out of your comfort zone. What's your favourite wine memory? My favourite wine memory was just back in 2014 in a restaurant in Barolo, Italy. The restaurant owner popped home to his private cellar to get me a bottle of my birth year Barolo from my favourite producer (and charged me a very modest price) - at 46 years old the wine was in much better condition than me!
Steve’s Picks IL SARONE PUGLIA ROSSO 2014
$15.99
A unique blend of Southern Italian grape varieites; Negroamaro, Primitivo, Montepulciano and Nero d’Avola blended to create a harmonious, balanced, yet intensely characterful wine. VIENTO ALISEO BIODYNAMIC TEMPRANILLO/PETIT VERDOT 2016
$16.99
Castilla La Mancha, Spain 70% Tempranillo, 30% Petit Verdot. This is a superb find from a new-wave producer in Las Pedroñeras, halfway between Valencia and Madrid. The Organic Estate comprises more than 110 hectares of family-owned vineyards. An interesting blend of Spain’s iconic variety Tempranillo with the classic but lesser-known Bordeaux variety Petit Verdot. BODEGAS PIQUERA VALCANTO SYRAH 2013
$15.99
Sourced from hand-harvested, 25-30 year-old, organically-farmed vines grown at 700-800m above sea level in calcareous, stony soils. Valcanto is a pure, intense, elegant expression of Syrah with delicious, natural acidity and is aged in fine-grained 300l American oak hogsheads for 6 months to give a gentle, creamy texture.
As we finished our last sip of coffee, we realised it’s near impossible to talk about all the great things he and the Kōkako team have done for the coffee communities they work with, and for the Auckland coffee scene too. This is only the beginning. Pictured : Sierra Armantes, Calatyud Vineyard (2 hours north of Madrid)
ON OUR SHOPPING LIST May All special pricing valid April 30 - 27 May 2018
Gaea Kalamata Olives $6.50/300g Save $1.00 Pampero Milk Caramel Spread $8.99/300g Save $1.00 Wooden Spoon All Good Banana and Chocolate Ice cream $8.99/500ml Save $1.00 valid April 30 - 27 May
New to Store: Oro Vinegar Range Oro Gold Balsamic Vinegar $29.99/250ml
Dense, full-bodied, produced according to century-old methods. Due Vittorie Oro spends a good part of its life in durmast barrels that encourage the transfer of tannins and the absorption of the essences of the wood. You can taste the difference.
Due Vittorie Apple Cider Vinegar $19.99/500ml
Made using the same traditional slow fermentation methods of authentic balsamic, but using apple juice.
Monte Nevado Chorizo Range $15.49/200g Save $1.50
This cheese is matured for around 11 months to ensure a fruity flavour and excellent texture. It is made with only 100% Italian Milk and is a true Vegetarian Italian Hard Cheese.
$5.99/150g Save $5.00
Mediterranean Mains
Franks Sausages Swiss Veal Bratwurst $8.99/370g Save $1.00
Quattrocentro
Fresh Meats Lamb Hind shanks $15.99/kg Save $1.00
GREY LYNN | ORAKEI | EPSOM | NORTH SHORE | MT WELLINGTON | ONLINE
Filotea Linguine Pasta $7.99/250g Save $2.00