TOLKEIN thought “cellar door” one of the nicest sounding phrases in the English language. Yet add the words “tiki tour” and it promises so much more than just sonorous satisfaction.
With the latest 2011 copy of Cuisine magazine’s Wine Country ($17.90) in hand, you can add spice to your summer hols by tiki touring cellar doors in any of the fifteen wine growing regions of Aotearoa. From Northland to the Waitaki Valley down south, no matter where you go there are vineyards with cellar doors beckoning.
Flicking through my copy, I don’t know where to start. I’ve heard it’s nice up Matakana way (north of Auckland). Brick Bay Wines looks like one of many good spots to visit. Not only can you taste their wines in the flash ‘glass house’ (a giant conservatory set on water), but you can also wander the sculpture trail that wends its way through vineyards and native bush.
Another tempting option is offered by our newest wine region, the Waitaki Valley in North Otago. There you can pop into two cellar doors: Kurow Estate and the Vintner’s Drop, where you can taste wines from a bunch of smaller vineyards. Other highlights of the area include historic limestone buildings, Maori rock drawings, Oamaru’s penguins and seafood restaurant Fleur’s Place in the sleepy fishing village Moeraki.
The mag also lists other crucial info for tiki tourists: farmers’ markets, artisan foods, restaurants and places to stay.
Wine of the week: Coopers Creek The Limeworks Chardonnay 2009 ($17 on special at Regional) is very aromatic, reminiscent of fresh baked buttery apricot upside down cake. In the mouth, it’s soft, oaky, textural and biscuity. The Bragato Wine Awards recognised its quality with a gold medal. Coopers Creek’s cellar door has just opened a new tapas bar in Kumeu, West Auckland. If you’re in the mood for a tiki tour, you can also visit the nine other cellar doors in the sub-region, including Wine & Art, a combined cellar door for four boutique producers complete with art gallery.