The sun decided to play ball yesterday at the Christchurch Wine and Food festival in Hagley Park, after a cloudy start to the day.
From wine connoisseurs to general punters, everyone seemed to be soaking up the atmosphere and of course, the wine and food on offer.
One stall in particular caught my eye - Marlborough’s Allan Scott Family Winemakers and their craft wine series. Yes, you read that right, craft wine, believed to be a world-first.
Dreamt up with mates at a bar in Nelson, sales general manager Mitchell Gardiner says the response has been amazing.
On offer was the Green Hopped Gooseberry Bomb Sauvignon Blanc, the Phat Jam Pinot Noir with strawberries and my personal favourite Razor’s Edge Riesling with Kaiatia chilli, which had just the right amount of kick to compliment the sweetness.
Other festival-goers obviously enjoyed the taste too as it was sold out by mid-afternoon.
Central Otago’s Misha’s Vineyard was another popular stall, with the winemakers barely drawing breath to tell me how busy it had been. Misha’s Vineyard has no public cellar door and doesn’t sell their products in supermarkets, so the small queue for a taste was worth the wait.
Waipara’s Black Estate was a stall getting a lot of attention. Winemaker Nicholas Brown was on hand to show off North Canterbury’s finest. You should put Black Estate’s tasting room and eatery in the Waipara Valley on your places to visit in the Canterbury region.
Those who consider themselves foodies would not have been disappointed with a variety of food stalls offering up something tasty.
The Hungarian Fried Bread stall was something I hadn’t seen before. Deep-friend and topped with a range of fresh ingredients such as tomatoes and feta. It's the type of food that could impress even the toughest food blogger.
If the wine and food weren’t enough to keep you entertained throughout the day, Tahuna Breaks was on hand to get the dancing started.
This made way for Australia’s Sneaky Sound System, whose incredible energy on-stage was reflected in the crowd. Hits such as UFO and Pictures got everyone jumping and singing along not matter how young or old they were.
Sneaky Sound System was the perfect end to the day and finished their encore just as the clouds came over.
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