Monthly Archives: January 2020

With February 14th just around the corner, the time has come to decide how you’ll celebrate your love this year.

Sparkling wine and Champagne have long been synonymous with the dizzy heights and star-struck feeling of a new romance. In the seventeenth century, Dom Pérignon announced he was ‘Drinking the stars’. And, in the 1958 film, Gigi, Leslie Caron insisted that you could ‘Fly to the sky on Champagne.’ Whether you are in the first throes of love or a rather more established relationship, we think that a glass of bubbles is the perfect way to toast your togetherness!

With that in mind, we thought we’d share three ways to enjoy a fabulous bottle of fizz this Valentine’s Day:

Stay-at-home date night:

If you’ve decided that heading out on February 14th is not for you, then mark the occasion with a stay-at-home date night. You might choose to cook a romantic dinner and set the table for fine dining. Alternatively, you might choose to picnic in the backyard and drink in the same wonderful stars that Dom Pérignon experienced in the seventeenth century. If you want to add a little extra sparkle to complement those stars then you'll definitely find it in a limited-edition bottle of vintage Cuvée Adele. Coined by Yvonne Lorkin, the co-founder of Wine Friend as “A love story in a bottle”, Cuvée Adele is magnificently presented in a wonderful gift box that lights up when you open it, illuminating the stunning Swarovski crystal decorated bottle.

Low-key date night:

If you don’t want to go 'out-out', but want the romance of stepping out. Then head to the beach or the wharf and dine on fish and chips. Looking for a wine to pair with your fish supper? A bottle of deliciously crisp, No. 1 Cuvée is a perfect match... Just like you and your love.

‘Out-out’ date night:

If you’re going all out and booking a table for two then choose a restaurant that serves excellent fizz! To discover some of the fabulous dining establishments that serve No.1 Family Estate wine, take a look at our Distributor List.

You may also wish to enter our online giveaway. Simply fill out a short entry form and you could win a $100 Voucher from your choice of six fabulous restaurants.

• Hallertau - Auckland
• Logan Brown - Wellington
• Café Cortado - Picton
• Harvest Restaurant at The Marlborough Lodge - Blenheim
• Boatshed Café - Nelson
• Ivy & Lola's – Queenstown

Enter HERE.

In just over three weeks’ time we’ll be pouring bubbles in the sunshine (yep, we’ve had a word with the weather Gods) with the classic sound of Aotearoa’s Katchafire playing in the background.

Photo Credit: Richard Briggs

We, like you, can’t wait to experience the delicious tastes of Marlborough, all packaged up with some fantastic entertainment.

So, in the meantime, we thought it would be fun to help you enjoy a practice session. Here are three tips to help you arrange a mini Wine & Food Festival at home in the run-up to the main event.

Three tips for a Wine & Food Festival… At home!

Shop Local:

Marlborough’s Wine & Food Festival is all about local.

When you’re looking for flavour, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the local Farmer’s Market, wherever you are. Look for small, independently owned and speciality food shops for quality products full of flavour. Here in Marlborough we love BV Gourmet.

Pair Perfectly:

Once you’ve found the delicious morsels to whet your appetite, it’s time to wet your whistle with the perfect wine pairing, and don’t forget the bubbles. Contrary to popular belief, sparkling wine shouldn’t simply be reserved as an aperitif. All of our No.1 Family Estate wines are food-pairing champions.

• No.1 Cuvée and oysters are a match made in heaven!
• No.1 Rosé also pairs well with fish and seafood. That said it’s also delicious with duck and lamb.
• We love No.1 Assemblé with Gravadlax of Salmon.
• And you can even serve bubbles with dessert. Adele’s famous Lemon Posset pairs perfectly with No.1 Cuvée.

Buy your No.1 Family Estate wines from our online store, we ship throughout New Zealand. Or find your local stockist.

Spin some Sounds:

Prepare your Spotify playlist and get the party started. Spotify recommend that your playlists should consist of about 40+ songs or be at least two hours long. It does, of course, depend on how long you intend to party!

We hope you enjoy your home-based Wine & Food Festival, and if you’d like tickets to the main event we’re giving two away! All you have to do to enter is fill out a short form with your details. Enter HERE.