EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY

FRENCH WINE EXPLAINED

When you lift the lid on French wine, it is not all as complex as it seems. As the French celebrate Bastille Day with full French flair in July, it seemed timely to focus on France.

With a few key pieces of information, we’ll have you an expert (or seemingly so) in no time at all.

Bordeaux Bordeaux, located in France’s south-west, has for many years been the centre of the world’s fine wine trade - an historic region producing exceptionally long-lived wines. The five key red varieties of Bordeaux red wines are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

White wines focus on Sauvignon and Semillon. The top producers make outstanding wines, year in, year out. In great vintages they require a good part of your lifetime in the cellar, whilst the tougher vintages are usually earlier drinking.

2018, 2019 and now 2020 the latest vintages from Bordeaux - the greatest trilogy of vintages ever! Now that is a big call, however the wines fortunately have no difficulty achieving these great heights; they deliver.

Burgundy The romantic region of Burgundy starts with Chablis in the north and finishes with Beaujolais in the south. Wines from Chablis are made from 100% Chardonnay, and from the heart of Burgundy white wines are also made from Chardonnay, whilst red wines are made from Pinot Noir. In the south, the grape variety of Beaujolais is Gamay. A tip – the 2019 vintage in Chablis is exceptionally good, unfortunately tiny quantities made though. Worth seeking out.

Alsace The region of Alsace makes it a little easier to understand by putting the variety on the label. The five noble varieties grown here are: Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Muscat. The classification system is also a little simpler (perhaps the addition of a little German efficiency has helped this small northern region), there’s AOC – Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée and Grand Cru. Rhone Distinctly broken into two sections, the Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône, and stretching itself over 800km from just south of Lyon in central France to Avignon in the south of France. The Northern Rhône is home to the great Syrah of France, rich and superbly textured. The white superstar of the north is Viognier which is grown in and around the village of Condrieu. The Southern Rhône is home to Grenache and the great blended wines of the Rhône.

Loire Valley There are numerous wines produced in the Loire - we choose to focus on the areas of Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and Vouvray. Sancerre is produced around the town of the same name and wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc. Pouilly-Fumé (not to be confused with Pouilly-Fuissé from Burgundy) are also made from Sauvignon Blanc, the term fumé not referring to a smoked flavour in the wine but rather to the mist that rolls into the region. The wines of Vouvray are grown on top of the steep chalk slopes alongside the Loire River. Vouvray wines are made from Chenin Blanc and in a wide array of styles from dry to very sweet.

The South Lumped together it is a big generalisation and a large area to cover. The south coast of France produces the most diverse collection of styles in France. Starting in the west, close to the Spanish border, there are rich and robust reds like the wines of Madiran and Banylus. Moving east and across the sun-drenched beaches of the Mediterranean all the delights of Côtes de Provence Rosé hit you, which, just for the record, is not just a summer drink. Try a Rosé with roast duck in winter; the match is delicious.

To put your newly found knowledge or refresher to the test, pop in store any Thursday, Friday or Saturday during July as we’ve got French wine open for tasting in store. Or come along to Glengarry Victoria Park on 24 July to taste through the wines of France with us. Booking details online.  PN

www.glengarrywines.co.nz

Here at Glengarry IT'S ALL ABOUT

FRANCE WWW.GLENGARRY.CO.NZ P: 0800 733 505 E: SALES@GLENGARRY.CO.NZ

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY FACES AT GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET

Elise Batt is the founder of LAZY gluten-free and vegan baking mixes. She sells these at Grey Lynn Farmers Market.

Where did you grow up and what brought you to Auckland? I grew up in Christchurch and moved up to the big smoke in 2015 to study a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Finance and Analytics.

Has food played an important part in your life? I’ve always been a foodie! My mum is an amazing cook and has her own catering business, so I’ve always been surrounded by good food. It’s something we’ve always loved to do together, and even though we live in different cities now, we are always sending recipes and photos of our dinner to each other. While my whole family loves food, surprisingly I’m the only one of my sisters that has really taken to preparing the food; the others just love to eat it!

How did you come up with the idea for LAZY mixes? I remember having a gluten-free vegan cake at a friend’s birthday. We discussed how annoying it was that baking for dietary requirements was never as good as ‘regular’ baking. I also felt disappointed that my friends had to eat a very average cake to suit my gluten-free requirements - it was these moments that were the catalyst for LAZY and my desire to create a quality product that was suitable for most dietary requirements but was still considered delicious by those who followed a ‘regular’ diet.

You have changed your packaging recently - why was that? The first packaging for LAZY was quite rudimentary as I just wanted to test the product to see if anyone else liked it. I had such a good response from the customers at Grey Lynn Farmers Market that I felt comfortable making the investment into professional branding. Now I am totally in love with our LAZY characters - Millie Measures, Stu Spoon and Sammy Spatula.

How has the market helped you grow your business? The market has been absolutely essential to the growth of LAZY. Being able to talk with customers and get immediate feedback on the mixes has been invaluable. If it wasn’t for the Grey Lynn Farmers Market, I would have never learned that most schools are nut-free, and I would have continued to try to sell a nut bar for school lunches.

Where can we find your mixes, and what is next for LAZY? As well as Grey Lynn Farmers Market we sell online, or you can find our mixes at The Vegan Shop in Grey Lynn, and Bulk Food Savings in Mount Eden. We’ve just started selling to shops so hopefully you’ll see us in more stores very soon. We’ll also be releasing a couple of new products this year. Next up is a brownie! We’ll be keeping you up-to-date on our Instagram @lazymixnz.

What do you enjoy when you aren’t working? Prior to Covid-19, I loved travelling - mainly for the food of course! In my spare time I love to be in the kitchen trying new things and eating at new restaurants around town. I’ve also got a Spoodle called Fig who keeps me busy. She’s a lot of fun and super social. We’ve made a lot of new friends and she loves to drag me to the park every night to see them!  PN

www.lazymix.co.nz

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

Sunday mornings at the Grey Lynn Community Centre 510 Richmond Road

SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS: VEGAN VIBE

I recently visited Satya Chai Lounge on Karangahape Road with my family on a Wednesday evening after an exhibition opening at a local gallery.

It’s in the heart of the arts district so a great way to continue the night with friends for a round of drinks and shared communal food.

Satya Chai Lounge is the brainchild of Sammy Akuthota whose family has owned and run the Satya restaurants for many years. Sammy is behind this Chai Lounge and another in Sandringham, that is well worth a visit, as well as the “World Famous in Central Auckland” Hyderabad Hotel pop-up in Ponsonby a year or so back. The Akuthota family are deeply entrenched in their local communities and have even been offering free Christmas meals to anyone that needs them at their Satya restaurants for the past eleven years. These are good people doing good things.

Upon arrival I was immediately struck by the atmosphere that was warm and welcoming and felt as though we had been transported to another time and place. The extensive drinks list made it hard to choose, but it felt apt to try the ‘cashew iced chai’ drink at a chai lounge. It was beautifully aromatic and was so good it hardly lasted five minutes!

Satya Chai Lounge specialises in Indian street food - sharing plates and communal grazing. We ordered a selection of dishes off the menu, all of which except one were vegan or could be made so. We began with the dahi puri, which although was not listed as vegan, was able to be made so by swapping the yoghurt for a flavour punch of tamarind chutney. These little bite sized nibbles had the perfect balance of crunch and deliciousness, savoured rather quickly by us all.

If you like fried food you’ll love what’s on offer here. We decided, in the interests of thorough research, to order every possible dish that was vegan - ‘onion baji’, ‘idly fry’, ‘cabbage 65’, ‘mushroom magic’ and ‘curry flower’. All were deeply indulgent with beautiful spices and aromatics, but we all felt the ‘curry flower’ stood out. Described as ‘spiced cauliflower flash fried’, this dish did not disappoint. The cauliflower was beautifully cooked and practically melted in our mouths, creating a burst of caramelised goodness. We collectively agreed that the ‘vege dumplings manchurian’ were our favourite. These tasty little morsels packed flavour, crunch and chew into each and every bite but would possibly order two of these next time - one wasn’t really enough. The environment sets the scene for a lovely date night as well; the low lighting and candles scattered throughout the rug filled room make it the perfect atmosphere for a more intimate night out with one’s significant other. Definitely recommended. (SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS)  PN

- Gusto Italiano GUSTO MEANING ‘TASTE AND ENJOYMENT’ When you dine with us, the focus is on freshly prepared classic dishes, featuring an excellent range of pasta, seafood, meats and our pizza classics.

We also offer our pasta dishes to takeaway, phone for details or check our website for the menu.

WHAT IS ON AT DIDAS THIS JULY?

Dida’s Wine Lounge is situated at 60 Jervois Road, right beside Glengarry Jervois Road.

Dida’s, which translates into Grandfather in Croatian, is a fitting name for an epic wine lounge located on the site where it all started for Dida Joe many years ago - the site being the original for the Jakicevich family, who established Glengarry on this spot in the 1940s and continue to own and manage it today.

So, what is happening at Dida’s this July? Sunday roasts continue throughout the month, however they are booked out weeks in advance (which is all a little overwhelming), so we do recommend you book quickly as we would love to see you.

On Tuesday nights we run a meatball special. Our chef is a master at meatballs which, for our pick, match perfectly with Pinot Noir and our warm open fireplace. Wednesday nights are all about sparkling wine and there is a different special each week. What is better than a mid-week get-together with friends?

Mark it in your diary though, Friday nights at Dida’s when each week the team come up with a cocktail creation. Cocktails start from $12, with a delicious weekly cocktail that will see you coming back week-in, week-out. Cocktails by the fireplace in mid-winter, what could be better?

Along with our neighbour Glengarry Wines, who are celebrating all things French throughout July, our ‘Wine of the Month’ is having a French makeover. Our brilliant chef is busy crafting fine French fare to match. We cannot wait to share his creations with you, which match so well with the excellent French wines by the glass.

Winter has well and truly got its grip on us, which sees our new winter menu rolling out very soon.

See you soon.  PN

DIDA’S, 60 Jervois Road, T: 09 376 2813, www.didaswinelounge.co.nz

M T

W T

$12

All cocktails now $12 with new creations every Friday ― COME DOWN AND SEE US.

Proudly sitting in the middle of Ponsonby Road with the best view of the city, your local Burger Wisconsin is a true Kiwi icon.

New Zealand owned and operated since 1989, Burger Wisconsin was doing gourmet burgers before burgers became cool, way before. At Burger Wisconsin it’s always been about the food, and sourcing topquality ingredients from local NZ suppliers and producers, such as 100% Free Range Chicken and Eggs, as well as prime NZ Angus Beef; making their handmade-to-order burgers the best they can be.

Committed to reducing both their carbon footprint and impact on the plant, all their packaging is made from recycled materials from local sustainable forests and printed with water-based ink. The local Ponsonby store has just launched a new $12 lunch menu so you can feel good about getting stuck into your favourite burger during your lunch break or after the kids’ sports games at the weekend.

Not only do they serve up a good time with their gourmet burgers, but you can also enjoy a special thick shake feature each month! Their chocolate and hazelnut flavour for July goes down a treat – but it is only around for a limited time so make sure you head in for one soon!

Whether you are an old school Kiwi Classic lover, a sweet tooth cranberry and chicken craver, or you’re totally into the Vegan hemp vibe, you can always rely on Burger Wisconsin to deliver the goods.

You can now get stuck in till late on Friday and Saturday nights. Nice.

BURGER WISCONSIN, 168 Ponsonby Road, www.burgerwisconsin.co.nz

GET STUCK INTO LUNCH

$12 CAESAR SALAD WITH EGG & BACON

ADD CHICKEN TENDERS

AS SHOWN ABOVE CHOOSE A PETITE BURGER:

– WISCONSIN W CHEESE – GREAT AMERICAN – BIRD ON FIRE – VEGAN HEMP + SMALL FRIES

VISIT YOUR LOCAL TODAY, DOWNLOAD THE APP OR ORDER ONLINE BURGERWISCONSIN.CO.NZ

OFFERS AVAILABLE AT PONSONBY STORE, 168 Ponsonby Rd

Hazelnut &Chocolate

THICKSHAKE OF THE MONTH

hazelnut & chocolate goodness

$750

available for a limited time only

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY PHIL PARKER: MID-WINTER WINES

By the time this is published, the shortest day will be behind us and we’ll be heading towards spring.

Again, it has been a mild winter and we’ve rarely been down to single digit temperatures in the central city. As a physio student back in mid-1970s Auckland, I vividly recall crunching my way across white frosted grass on my way up the hill to the school in Grafton in my flared plaid pants, green wool jacket and tan suede boots. My Parnell student flat bedroom had a broken windowpane which I patched with cardboard and Sellotape – to little avail.

I do miss those clear, crisp frosty mornings where you could almost smell the cold in the outside air in the mornings and layer-up against the cold – and then be rewarded with a blue-skied sunny day. Anyway, here’s to magnolias and tulips and fresh buds on the grapevines! box and dark chocolate. Match with venison or robust tomato-based winter dishes.

Available: Pegasusbay.com

Pegasus Bay North Canterbury ‘Maestro’ Merlot Cabernet Malbec 2016 - $49.99 Another fab, ripe and full-bodied red from the Waipara Valley. There is so much hype about North Island ‘hot climate’ reds, yet the South Island can produce some stunningly good reds in a good year. Big bold and juicy. This is a fruity red, with flavours of Christmas cake, spiced plums and blackberries. Match with beef, lamb or bold tomatobased vege dishes. Available: Pegasusbay.com, Vinofino.co.nz

Soljans Barrique Reserve Kumeu Pinotage 2019 - $32 Spicy aromas. A medium-bodied wine with soft tannins and typical pinotage smoky/tar flavours. Black currant, plum and fruit cake. Soft and silky. Great with lamb or spicy tomato pasta. Available: Soljans.co.nz

No 1 Family Estate Assemblé Non-Vintage - $33 The very latest release of Daniel Le Brun’s flagship methode. 22 Ct gold colour, fine beaded bubbles. A good whiff of CO2 and a hint of yeasty brioche on the nose. Mouth filling and rich flavours of pear, crisp apple and stone fruit, with a dry mineral tangy finish. A traditional blend of chardonnay, pinot noir (and pinot meuniere 60/35/5) with a minimum 18 months lees (on yeast) aging. Available: Widely. (PHIL PARKER)  PN

www.finewinetours.co.nz

Bohemian ‘The Composer’ Gewürztraminer Alsace, France 2018 - $21.99 Classic Alsatian gewürzt. Medium sweet and 12% alcohol. Lush and spicy with musky Turkish Delight, marmalade, dried pear and a tangy finish. Bargain. Fab with a cheese board, pork dishes and mildly spicy Asian foods.

Available Fine O Wines, Little India.

Greystone Nor’wester North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2018 - $19.99 Still a youngster at three years old. Bright and light bodied, with savoury umami soy and a hint of smoke. Cherry and dark berry fruit, with medium tannins on the finish. Match with rich ratatouille or slowcooked beef casserole.

Available: Caros, Blackmarket.co.nz

Pegasus Bay North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2011 - $40 Wow. Pinot perfection. Gorgeous wine from north Canterbury. Soft and seductive, with ripe black cherry, spiced plum, soft tannins, mocha and savoury mushroom umami. Goes with your best duck dish or eggplant masterpiece. Available: Pegasusbay.com

Pegasus Bay North Canterbury Aged Release Prima Donna Pinot Noir 2010 - $115 Gracefully aged and very savoury, with hints of black cherry and a hint of tawny port. Complex and soft with roasted mushroom, cigar

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