TRAVEL BREAKS

ROSS THORBY: WE MAY BE SKIRTING THE EDGES OF COVID ANNIHILATION, BUT THAT HASN’T STOPPED US TRAVELLING

Relaxing with ever-changing scenery and accompanied by an agreeable companion and a chilli bin - what more could you ask for?

This day of departure we stand before a long steel behemoth - its modern streamlined contours detracting from its lack of private balconies.

Even though it’s early morning, the ‘berth’ is busy with the hustle and bustle of passengers; provisioners loading food and beverages for the coming journey and porters stacking luggage into the cavernous ‘hold’.

There, amongst the melee of passengers, I detect an air of palpable excitement. Here we are, boarding at the beginning of a new journey. Some are along for the scenic wonders, others as a necessity of getting from one place to another.

In any other year at this time, I would normally be surrounded by stacks of luggage about to board a ship bound for some exotic locale, but today extra bags are unnecessary. Although we are about to board a ship of a type; it is the Northern Express train - Auckland to Wellington - I have only an overnight bag. I note that my travelling companion is holding only a chilly bin.

Ahead, instead of looking forward to days relaxing around a pool mesmerised by the calm of the Pacific passing by, I will be entertained by the sheer landbased beauty of New Zealand in all its glory.

Twelve hours of rail travel across the spine of New Zealand; the ravines, rivers, forests and deltas of the North Island; its history and grandeur within a stones-throw of the steel tracks laid in the 19th century when NZ was a very different place.

We are shown to seats rather than cabins, large picture windows, shiny modern interiors accented in wood, and featuring soft reclining seats. There’s ample room for carry-on luggage and that mysterious chilly bin. The aisles and ‘companionways’ too, have plenty of room to move about with ease. The bar, the restaurant, the observation car, are all waiting to be explored.

Bruce, our ‘concierge du jour’ - like any great cruise director - will prove his versatility and acumen, doubling as entertainer, ticket master, conductor, station master, historian and general smoother of paths, and a knowledgeable repository of all things trivia.

Precisely at the appointed time, we begin moving alongside the Waitemata, the calm basin of Orakei and back-yards of Panmure, Onehunga and Takanini sliding effortlessly past the window; scenery ever-changing until the wide-open spaces of Pukekohe and the Waikato appear. It’s about here that the contents of the chilly bin begin to spill out across the aisle.

The tempting smell of fresh baking (home-made scones and Christmas cake) accompanied by barista-made coffee from the café, brought to sudden life the otherwise inert occupants of our carriage and they begin moving towards the restaurant car. disembarked there for a few days before, reboard, continuing the journey south.

Lunch from the restaurant arrives for those unlucky enough not to be seated next to a gourmet foodie who is intent on ruining my post-Covid diet.

Our lunch of panini and salad is accompanied by a fine New Zealand wine from the bar, and (extracted from the depths of the chilly bin) an extravagant pavlova, fully dressed in whipped cream and berry fruits.

The Raurimu Spiral - a technological marvel of its day, heaves into sight. With the announcement of an afternoon negotiating Victorian viaducts arching high above raging rivers and gaping chasms, we rush, wine glasses in hand, to the open space of the observation car. We spiral ahead; the train’s tail reaching back into the distance as we wind our way up and back on ourselves, rising up gradually onto the Central Plateau only to descend slowly on the other side, with the slopes of Ngauruhoe towering above the landscape and overlooking our train snaking beneath.

Returning to my seat with the intention of a post banquet doze, I am unceremoniously nudged from my slumber with a cheeseboard - grapes, brie and a fine French gruyere, the scent masked by the New Zealand blue; its heady tang now filling the carriage.

A finishing course of prosciutto and preserved fruit accompanied by another glass of fine New Zealand red is consumed as we pass along the captivating rugged Kapiti Coast. Then, as Wellington rises up against the evening calm, the orange glow of the sunset lights up the distant hills of the South Island which have never looked so good.

Give me the calm majesty of train travel over domestic flights any day. Cheers. (ROSS THORBY)  PN

roscoesseafever.blogspot.com

FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET

Terry Phillips is the driving force behind Real Dog Food at the market.

How did you get involved in making dog food? I had a very sick dog. I was spending lots of time and dollars at the vet, and trying everything that I could. Then someone suggested that I try this food. Two weeks later, my dog was much better and lived a long and healthy life. I believe that all dogs deserve a healthy life.

So dog health is important to you. I love dogs, and dogs are getting a raft of health problems at an alarming rate. I’m sure that the preservatives and other fillers that go into largescale commercial products aren’t good for dogs, just as they aren’t good for us. Preservatives kill a lot of the beneficial microbes in the gut that are needed to properly digest food.

And this mirrors your own health journey? Yes - I was very sick myself. I needed a break, so we booked a bach and found out that we had booked in the middle of a healing retreat. I received a lot of advice and support to dramatically improve my own diet. Now our whole family has become vegan and we feel much better for it.

How is your dog food different? It is locally made in West Auckland using locally-sourced, human-grade ingredients. We sell direct to customers so they get very fresh dog food and we don’t need to add preservatives. This food was developed for the genuine love of dogs. A lot of thought has gone into our recipes to make sure that we provide a complete and balanced food for dogs.

That sounds expensive. Not at all. We think that all dogs deserve good food, just as people do. Part of that is making the food affordable. Selling direct to customers at markets and online cuts out a lot of cost. I was shocked when I investigated the costs of selling through vets and supermarkets. So markets work well for you? We love the market because a lot of customers bring their dogs with them - they can try it there or take samples. Owners know immediately whether or not their dogs will eat it. We love talking about dogs and the specific challenges they are facing.

What has pleased you the most? We are blown away by the feedback that we get from owners about how our food has helped their dogs. Dogs are an important part of their families and owners are increasingly aware that dogs need better food choices.

Has anything surprised you about customers? I have been delighted at how important it is to customers that we are a local business. People are conscious that New Zealand has excellent quality food and lately everyone is making an extra effort to support New Zealand businesses.

Do you have an important dog in your life? Yes - Jem Jem is a big dog and a big part of our family, along with my wife and four young children. We are all involved in the business. We really are a small Kiwi family business.

Do you have any time for hobbies? Not really. I love fishing and watching sport but, at the moment most of my time is taken up by work and family. I’m an early riser so I focus on work before collecting my kids from school. My afternoons are focused on homework and our kids’ activities. I love spending time with my family. And of course, Jem Jem and I walk daily.  PN

www.realdogfood.co.nz

GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET @ the Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road, www.glfm.co.nz

YOUR LOCAL – DIDA’S WINE LOUNGE

Dida’s Wine Lounge encourages leisurely engagements with the comprehensive wine list and the ever-changing, always innovative food menu.

The small plates, called in Croatian ‘Mali’, pair perfectly with the multiple by-the-glass options of local and imported and hard to find wines. The superb skills of our talented culinary team are exceptional. Open Tuesday-Saturday 4pm - 10pm and Sunday 3pm - 9pm.

Built on the site where grandfather Josef Jakicevich started his grocery store 70 years ago, the lounge is the operative word here reflecting, as it does, both the relaxed vibe and the welcoming European hospitality style. Lounge is the perfect spot to lose a few hours while broadening your hedonistic horizons.

Alongside these vinous delights, Dida’s has an excellent collection of cocktails on offer around the clock - all crafted with the finest ingredients by the talented team. Whilst the ‘standard’ collection are anything but the norm, it’s the weekly cocktail specials that’ll no doubt leave you breathless - not to mention that the cocktails are all just $12.

For an after-work stopover, a conversational lunch, or a ‘because it’s what we do on Thursdays’ drink with friends, Dida’s Wine Throughout April, there’s live music every Sunday at Dida’s. Cocktails and Jazz - that’s Sunday sorted.

DIDA’S, 54 Jervois Road, T: 09 376 2813, www.didaswinelounge.co.nz

$12

Cocktails

EVERYDAY

If you read my last column, you would be aware that my dear stepdaughter has moved to Wellington to start her first year of studies at Victoria University.

And with her absence, the home has taken on a whole new (quiet) ambience. Maybe it was the right time. She was getting a wee bit tetchy. She had itchy feathers and was ready to fly as soon as year 13 finished. We did have one last summer together as a family, but we didn’t see much of her, other than regular huge piles of washing dumped in the laundry, random articles of clothing left abandoned throughout the house, and a bedroom that looked like a crime scene. She would emerge mid-morning, grumpy and hungry and then disappear for the day – returning just in time for dinner. And then ... not that we were worried or awake or anything ...she would go out and then sneak in at about 4.00am. Anyway, there is wine for parental consolation in times of need.

19 Crimes ‘Hard Chard’ Chardonnay South Eastern Australia 2020 - $15 From the third largest Australian producer, Treasury Estates (who also own New Zealand’s Matua). A great value entry level priced chardonnay for fans of the big, bold and buttery. Generous palate of canned peach, mango, butterscotch and toffee. The label celebrates female English convicts who were exiled to Australia rather than face execution. Each screwcap details one of the pitifully trivial reasons for conviction. Erm. Cheers. Available: Countdown.

Land of Saints Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2018 - $45 Another ripper USA chardonnay for fans of oak and butter. Sealed with a plastic look-a-like cork that was nigh on impossible to extract from the bottle. Grrr. Otherwise, a creamy and medium bodied style with peach, honey, vanillin oak and a dry finish. Not quite as lusty and at twice the price of Bogle (my fave Calif chardonnay), but more subtle at 13% alcohol. Good match for creamy seafood dishes or chicken. Available: Point Chev Organic Wines.

De La Terre Hawke’s Bay Reserve Chardonnay 2016 - $40 Former Church Road winemaker Tony Prichard makes limited quantities from hand-picked fruit. 100% barrel fermented with a mixture of wild and commercial yeasts in 50% new French oak. Soft and creamy palate, like a scaled back version of the Land of Saints (above). A hint of tropical pineapple, with ripe stone fruit and a dry tangy finish. Great with crayfish. Available: Prego and delaterre.co.nz

De Martino Estate Carmenere (Chile) 2018 - $20 Formerly a French Bordeaux variety, carmenere (AKA carménère), has found a new home and loyal following in South America. Chile now grows more of it than anyone else in the world. This wine presents as a youngster with ripe blackberry, boysenberry, cigar smoke and spice. Very smooth and ripe with soft tannins. Tonight’s match - BBQ steak and snarlers. Alternatively, ratatouille or tomato-based pasta dishes. Available: Meldrum Philips, Advintage, Blackmarket

La Marca Prosecco Veneto - $22 Made in Veneto, North-Eastern Italy, using the stainless-steel secondary ferment ‘prosecco’ process from the native Glera grape variety. At 11% alcohol, it’s not a lightweight quaffer at all. Fine beaded frothy mousse, with flavours of apple cider and grapefruit and a dry yeasty finish. This is a great aperitif. Available: Fitzroy Lounge Bar, Herne Bay Cellars, Point Chev Organic Wines. (PHIL PARKER)  PN

www.finewinetours.co.nz

FINE WINE & FOOD TOURS

“No. 2 Auckland Wine Tour” – TripAdvisor

Your host, Phil Parker wine writer.

Affordable tours for small and large groups.

E: phil.parker@xtra.co.nz www.finewinetours.co.nz

THE BROOKFIELDS WINE RANGE @GLENGARRY

All too often we find ourselves talking about the newest wines we have tasted and looking forward to exploring new producers.

It is far too easy to overlook the tried and true, particularly when they are so understated. I have been selling Brookfields wines for almost three decades and throughout that time there have always been wines I have been supremely confident in recommending. Knowing that everyone who tries them will come back for another bottle, they are nothing if not consistent.

I recently visited with Peter Robertson at Brookfields and must say I find myself rewriting the story a little. The quality of the wines and understated value have not diminished at all. In fact, the quality has never been as grand, and the styles of the wines are evolving as this tiny winery in Hawke’s Bay continues innovate.

Biochemistry graduate Peter arrived in Hawke’s Bay from Otago in the early 1970s, where he proceeded to work at the McWilliams winery with the legendary Tom McDonald. In 1977 Peter purchased the Brookfields Winery and redirected its focus towards producing fine table wines. Within a decade he had firmly established Brookfields as one of Hawke’s Bay’s premier wineries.

As Peter puts it: “Our philosophy is to produce fruit-driven, balanced wines that are enjoyable in their youth, have the potential to mature, and are above all, good with food. We are currently planting new varietal clones with the aim of improving the quality of the yields because I believe that great wines are made from superior fruit.”

I can certainly vouch for the aging ability of these wines. During the festive season we had the opportunity to open several older bottles and magnums of both the Hillside Syrah and Gold Label Merlot Cabernet; all excellent and all showing younger than expected, these wines do age beautifully. Tasting through the recent releases with Peter, a few notes stood out. Marshall Bank Chardonnay is wild fermented with 50 percent of the wine going into oak. The wine now only goes through a partial malolactic fermentation - the acidity and freshness enjoyable. Brookfields Viognier is a wine to hunt out; Peter has been making this for many years. The style has changed and it is back to being a barrique fermented viognier, with only one of those barrels being new.

Bergman Chardonnay 2018 and 2019 were both wild fermented; the palate is broader and the texture impressive. Talking to Peter about this, he explained the ferment is not getting as hot which is allowing the freshness of the fruit to be retained. The 2019 Bergman is delicious.

Robertson Pinot Gris 2020 is drier than it has been before. It’s a wine focused on food and is a delicious, fruit forward, leaner style of pinot gris.

Rose 2020 is a dry style and there is a great perfume to this wine which is made from free run syrah, with the roundness coming from a sweet reserve from partially fermented pinot gris being added to the wine.

Ohiti Cabernet is one of the few straight cabernet’s made in New Zealand. My notes from tasting this read – ‘this is impressive plus!’ Peter has changed the clone of his cabernet from the earlier days to the Langhorne Creek Clone LC10. It ripens a week earlier than the old mass selection, which avoids the rain pressure that usually occurs a week after harvest.

www.glengarrywines.co.nz

NZ owned proudly so&Celebrating NZ owned wineries this month with Brookfields

Peter Robertson Brookfields Winemaker WWW.GLENGARRY.CO.NZ | P: 0800 733 505 | E: SALES@GLENGARRY.CO.NZ