Waterfall Bay February 2008

We are very excited to announce that Brad Farmerie will be our guest chef for the 2008 February Dining Series at Waterfall Bay. Brad is the chef behind the celebrated PUBLIC restaurant in New York and serves a style of cuisine described by Peter Gordon as “the magpie approach to food, a free spirited fusion of international flavours”.

Brad moved to the UK in 1996 to work under some of the most influential chefs shaping the culinary revolution taking place in Britain. He obtained the 'Grande Diplome' at Le Cordon Bleu and then worked at such acclaimed restaurants as Coast, Chez Nico and Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons. Most influential to his own style was his experience working with Peter Gordon at The Providores and Tapa Room. Brad has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa and Southeast Asia resulting in his creative, global style of cuisine that New York magazine has described as "free spirited fusion" and a menu that the New York Times raves "swings for the fences with each and every dish".

The dining series coincides with the Marlborough Wine and Food Festival. Dinners will be held on Friday 8th, Saturday 9th, Sunday 10th and Monday 11th February with lunches on Sunday 10th and Monday 11th.

Tickets are $265 per person (incl. GST) including return boat travel from Picton, and a five course wine and dinner match. For reservations contact Jan Whillans: jan@seresin.co.nz, (03) 572 9408

Phone 139M

In the 1950's and 60's, Waterfall Bay was run as a holiday campground by the Burdekin family and, before them, the Millsons.

The leaflet shown here was given to us by Olive Burdekin who believes it was produced in the mid 50's.

Not only what the leaflet says, but also how it is said, gives a lovely feeling for New Zealand in that era.

While a lot has changed since then, Waterfall Bay remains a magical and much treasured place. To paraphrase; we ourselves feel it deeply and like it well.

>> Click on the picture of the leaflet to get a bigger, readable image.

Sue's Views

New Zealand wine writer Sue Courtney recently had some nice things to say about some of our newly released 2006 wines.

Seresin Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
"Light gold, clear and bright with fragrant, grilled peach aromas and a smooth creamy fruity palate full of juicy stone and tropical fruit with spiciness from the mealy yeast lees and an oaky finish with a touch of hokey pokey and caramel - this is a full-bodied, powerful wine with fruit evolving through peach to apricot with hints of pineapple and a reflux of passionfruit. It seems to get richer and more complex with every mouthful amassing increasing deliciousness and the toasty oak that seemed a little dominant on the first taste settles down to a supporting role in the background. When I found out this was from Seresin, I though it was the 'Reserve', but while it has some of the taste qualities of the 'Reserve', it's a little more affordable at its $28 recommended price. This tasty little chardonnay has 14% alcohol and really hits the spot with the cook. And its beaut with food too."

Seresin Leah Pinot Noir 2006
"Deep cherry guava red, opaque only in the very core of the glass. Fragrant, smoky and savoury on the nose with a lovely floral depth and crisp, savoury and spicy to the taste with crushed velvet tannins, slightly tart red fruits like cherry and cranberry, dried herbs, smoky bacon, an earthy undercurrent and the musky florals detected on the nose adding a lovely touch to the lingering finish, which seems to go on and on. Medium to full-bodied in style with beautifully integrated French oak (just 15% new) playing a supporting role throughout, it's made from a myriad of pinot noir clones and seems to get more and more complex as the contents of the glass disappear. I remember the 2004 Leah was all chocolate and cherries. This is much more refined and complex but every bit as deliciously drinkable. The finished wine has 13% alcohol and costs $33 a bottle."

For more from Sue visit http://www.wineoftheweek.com/ and to try the wines yourself visit our website.

There's more to sangiovese than Chianti

As well as containing a nice description of our 2005 Seresin Estate Leah Pinot Noir, an article in Canada's Globe and Mail headed 'There's more to sangiovese than Chianti' tries to clear up some misunderstandings about Italian wine;

• Chianti is a region (an area of Tuscany between Florence and Siena) not a grape
• Sangiovese is the grape often associated with Chianti
• In the township of Montepulciano, in southern Tuscany, there is a wonderful wine called Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is made from sangiovese and not the grape called montepulciano.

Confused? Thankfully there's not a grape called chianti made under the brand name Sangiovese from the town of Montepulciano. And thankfully the review of the 2005 Seresin Estate Leah Pinot Noir is easier to understand: "There's good, classic pinot character in this premium bottling from a country making good strides with the grape. Medium-bodied and slightly jammy, it offers up flavours of raspberry, beetroot, spicy plum and toasty oak, and a tight grip on the earthy finish."

Biodynamic Wines

Australian wine writer Max Allen has put up a website dedicated to Biodynamic Wines which is a very informative and interesting resource. Check it out at: http://www.redwhiteandgreen.com.au/