Events and Experiences
“Our job is to build a bridge through passion, education and experience so that you may appreciate and indulge in these wonders that you so well deserve”
The Launch of the Michelin Guide in New Zealand
When the news arrived that Michelin was coming to New Zealand, there was much debate. Was this a relevant award system? Was Michelin worth the millions of dollars of public purse? How many restaurants would they actually include in the guide?
My own dealings with the Michelin guide team have been positive and with shared purpose. There is a strong French emphasis in the team, but they are fully aware of the global appeal and reach of the Michelin guide and the need to reflect local cuisine and talent.
In the build up to the build up to the launch ceremony, much gossip floated around of the mystery diners traversing the four cities of New Zealand, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown, in pursuit of culinary excellence.
Well as we entered the ceremony with several hundred chefs, the nervous tension amongst them was palpable. And then the awards were announced. Top spot and grand honours to Essence in Queenstown, Chef Paul Froggat and our good friend Director and General Manager Stephen McAteer. Congratulations, guys. Fourteen restaurants received One star, thirty five restaurants received Bib Gourmand and a further sixty are included in the official Michelin Guide.
The Michelin award system is not perfect. Our amazing provinces were not included in this rollout and we can debate strongly and with merit that many more of our talented chefs and their outstanding restaurants should have been included in the Star awards. However as all the Chefs filed out of the awards ceremony there was a collective feeling of immense pride and that Internationally acclaimed recognition of their talent and service had been bestowed.
Heads were high, confidence brimming and smiles large. After going through this experience, my feeling is that the Michelin Guide can only help the whole of New Zealand culinary and hospitality scene.
Other Notable Experiences
It was wonderful to host Derek Fitzgerald of the exceptional boutique vineyard, Paisley Wines of Barossa in New Zealand in June. We had a wonderful experience with several clients enjoying Derek’s wines at the QT Rooftop in Auckland and then going to watch the ‘tour de force’ play ‘RBG – Of Many, One’.
An absolutely delightful dinner in May at Hamilton Icon Palate with four chefs (including Palate’s own Matt Mclean) creating 8 courses all paired with our wines.
A WOW moment at The French Cafe as we opened up the exceptional Bordeaux wines of Chateau Branas Grand Poujeaux including the launch of their ultra premium Marpaout ‘The Left Bank’s Petrus’
And to top it all off, an intimate dinner at the impeccable Bossi in downtown Auckland with the best of Super Tuscan wine Ornellaia. What a treat. I decanted the 2018 Ornellaia one hour before dinner and ensured to keep the decanter at Cellar temperature (hovering around 16-18 degrees celsius). The wine was a triumph especially paired with the Venison Ossobuco.
Owen Calvert and Winemaker Sarah Burton were kind enough to host me at the vineyard recently. Firstly, I must commend Owen on the most wonderful creamy vegetable soup that shared on his verandah overlooking the vineyard with a 2022 Calvert Pinot noir. The vineyard is testament to Owen’s horticultural skills and belief in sustainability. It really is one of New Zealand’s greatest single vineyards.
The team at Toast & Oak are World-Class. We opened up some of our most prestigious cuvees of Billecart-Salmon with a very happy crowd of local ‘hospo’ and of course Ambassador extraordinaire, our good friend Sebastien Papin. Suffice to say a lot of fun was had and delicious Champagne imbibed.
Exciting New Products
“We respect those who make wonders by patiently, lovingly toil on their small piece of earth through the generations…”
As usual, in the last quarter there were so many exciting new products! We launched five new boutique and ultra premium brands.
The first were our Italian pair – the ever chic Enzo Bartoli (I challenge you to find an equally delicious Barolo anywhere in New Zealand at this price,) and the quintessentially Italian Zaccagnini (and who would have known that the delightful small piece of Vitis vinifera twig on every bottle could cause such a commotion upon entry into New Zealand)…
We launched a truly world-class Gruner Veltliner by superstar Laurenz V. from the Kamptal valley in Austria. (I have Magnums of aged Gruner for a future Masterclass with owner Dieter Hubler).
Truly the best Pouilly Fumé I have ever tasted from Domaine du Bouchot, and then to pack a punch one of the finest sipping Tequila’s ever made – FINO, 100% Blue Agave, no additives and just incredible. If you have not tasted ultra fine Tequila then FINO is a show stopper.
Our allocations of fine and rare wines did not last long either. We released allocations of incredibly rare Champagne houses Egly-Ouriet and Larmandier-Bernier. The Premier and Grand Cru Chablis of both Domaine Testut and Domaine Christian Pere et Fils.
Our Pokeno Sauternes-Aged Whisky did not last long! Our six bottles of Château Marpaout went within a day. The allocations of Vintage Billecart Nicholas Francois, Cuvee Elisabeth and Cuvee Louis were all also snapped up. And possibly the greatest Chardonnay I have tasted, Kongsgaard from Napa – after 10 years of work to secure an allocation – went within a week.
These allocations are extremely difficult to secure and such vibrant activity ensures that we can secure further allocations in coming years, many thanks.
Our Team, Our Suppliers, Our Customers
And finally my heartfelt thanks to all of you for a truly awesome first half of the year.
My wonderful team is the foundation, which unlocks our true potential as New Zealand’s leading supplier of fine wines and craft beverages. Every member of the team has been contributing with 100% commitment to our growth. The dynamism, initiatives and shared spirit we are feeling now is just jaw-dropping.
Our World Class Suppliers. We cultivate long-term relationships with our suppliers. This opens the door to astonishing brands, a diverse and exclusive array of delicious treats. For some of you the sheer distance to New Zealand has been a supply-chain challenge of immense proportions. I can only thank you for our continuing dialogue and solution-making to make sure that the finest wines from New Zealand and around the world are available for our deserving customers.
And finally a big thank you to our customers. Your custom and value of Dhall and Nash is truly appreciated well beyond the transaction. This business of ours, celebrating fine wine is my true passion in life and I wish for you to experience and delight in these treasures that we work so hard to bring to you. Aroha and looking forward to a wonderful second half of the year 🙂
