Hermit Ram x The Gatherings – Puffin Takeover
January
31,
2026
Puffin Wine Bar hands the keys over for one night only to two of the most exciting names in wine and food.
Hermit Ram will be taking over the bar, pouring a curated lineup of their characterful, site-driven wines including current releases, a new launch, and a few special bottles pulled from the cellar. Expect wines with personality, texture, and a strong sense of place.
In the kitchen, The Gatherings will be serving thoughtful, seasonal food designed to pair seamlessly with the wines. Simple, generous plates, bold flavours, and the kind of cooking that’s made to be shared over a glass (or three).
No formalities, no fuss, just great wine, great food, and a buzzing Puffin atmosphere. Come early, stay late, and settle in for a night that celebrates collaboration, craft, and good times.
About Hermit Ram
“It all began in 2002 when I stumbled across an etching of a large gnarly looking ram standing in a field during my travels. He was defiant, a little sauvage, had an old world charm and was very New Zealand. I bought him, had him framed and hung him up in my lounge…”
10 years after finding his gnarly ram etching, winemaker Theo Coles met Gareth Renowden, the owner of the Limestone Hills vineyard in the Waipara Gorge. Gareth’s vineyard ticked all the boxes of what Theo looked for in an interesting site, being close planted, naturally farmed and small.
“I made the first vintage of Pinot Noir in 2012, all naturally, no additions and matured in neutral oak hogsheads. As the wine progressed through maturation it got better and better, and revealed its true vineyard character to me. It had an exciting mix of savoury fruit aromatics and salivating salty acidity. I had to bottle it.
I was sitting on my couch contemplating how I’d present the wine in bottle and I looked up. There staring me in the face was the framed etching of the Ram. It all made sense.”
So ‘The Hermit Ram’ came into being. He summed up the ethos of working with tiny sites and ancient techniques applied to New Zealand flavours, that Theo really wanted to pursue.
Today, the range of wines has expanded. In general the fruit comes from tiny vineyards throughout the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Every wine has it’s own story to tell. The vines are naturally farmed and the wines made with the minimal amount of additions. Old techniques are employed. They are wines of depth, complexity, individuality and most importantly drinkability.”
About The Gatherings
Led by Chef Alex Davies, The Gatherings translates place onto the plate.
The restaurant’s philosophy centres on respect — for the growers, producers, hunters, and fishers who shape the ingredients, and for the shared act of dining itself.
Guided by the seasons, the menu reflects Aotearoa through a focus on organic vegetables, wild meats, and sustainably sourced New Zealand kaimoana.
About Puffin Wine Bar
Locally owned and operated in Wellington, Puffin is a wine bar with a focus on organic and minimal intervention wines. And some food. Small plates, charcuterie, cheese. All the salty, tasty, umami, acid driven deliciousness you could want.
“It’s important to be open-minded here and in life generally – Our aim is everyone’s enjoyment, all the time.”