On February 11th I had one of my best days in my travels so far! I attended the festival celebrating the flavors of the Malborough region. Hundreds of people, tourists and locals alike, came together to eat good food and share with each other about where and how food and wine comes from in the area.

Now- a little about the region. The area is especially known for it’s astounding Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, though many other varieties are grown and sold here with great success. Riesling and Chardonnay are next in line in terms of most produced. The region is particularly a great place to grow wine because it has long, sunny days and cool nights, plus large flushes of rain in the autumn, according to Naomi from Two Rivers Vineyard, who I spent some time talking with. Rolling hills that fill the landscape create fertile valleys with soils rich in alluvial deposits, that are well-draining and nutrient rich.

 

I sampled a wide variety of wines from different locations across the region, and recorded some short tasting notes for each one.

• Brancott Estate Pinot Gris 2015 – peachy and warm with a long linger that was a little bit acidic

• Mount Riley Chardonnay 2015 – strong tones of apple and pear, full on fruit flavor with a hint of cinnamon like spice

• Two Rivers Riesling 2016 – light and slightly citric with earthy notes

• Babich Rosé 2016 – incredibly dry and not very sweet at all, burst of floral flavor

• Kings Series Savignon Blanc 2015 – astringent with a sweet finish, accompanied by a buttery texture

• Mud House 2014 Pinot Noir – complex, layered mineral rhythms that played on my tongue in patterns, very thick and full with musty and vine-like undertones

Every one of these was unique and special to taste because I knew it came from this place with these people, and the all-encompassing experience is what made it so fun. Most of what I chose to try a glass of was based on reccomendations from the winery owners/workers, and from my curiosity to try different varieties. Overall, my favorite that I tried was the Pinot Noir from Mud House. Bottles of their Pinot Noir can go for $200 so I guess you could say I have expensive tastes! I only paid $6 for a glass at the festival, though, don’t worry.

I paired my glass of Mud House Pinot Noir with my lunch, which was a cheese platter from Kaikoura cheese. Halfway through the platter, though, I had finished my glass so the cheeses on the right hand side of the platter were paired with the Mount Riley Chardonnay.

This was easily the absolute best lunch I have ever had. I spent a good 5 minutes just admiring it’s beauty before I even started, and then took at least a half an hour start to finish to savor it. I wrote down some tasting notes to share with you too!

• Farthest left- Tenara goat cheese – erotically buttery, oozing with a briny, playful flavor that reminded me of an ocean wave swelling in my mouth

• Middle right- Harnett cow cheese – unbelievably pungent and musty, like a punch to the face full of mud-like milky goodness

• Middle left – Gouda – light, nutty and mild, smooth velvety texture that was softer than most gouda

• Farthest right – Windsor Blue – brisk and salty, crumbled and tingled on my palette with a robust, heavy flavor that lasted for several minutes after a bite

After this immensely pleasurable experience, I laid down for a few minutes just to absorb the feeling of the connections in the air. Growers, chefs, and consumers, together in the heart of a place renowned for it’s food and wine, the atmosphere was full to the brim of community development as people all along the food chain, who are often invisible to each other, celebrating one of the most sensational parts of being alive (eating and drinking) in shared harmony.

 

Ready for more experiences like the last one, I set out to find dessert. What I discovered was a delicious masterpiece, more delectable than anything I ever could have dreamed of tasting.

This fluffy cloud of caramel and cream smeared across my tongue like satin and melted gradually, making my heart pound. I took another half an hour to eat this, and by this point my brain was swimming in absolute bliss from the delightful tastings and feelings of the day (which I’m sure was intensified even further from having several glasses of wine).

 

I was pretty full after this so I took some time to hangout near the stage where live music was being played by a snazzy jazz band, and got to know some of the other attendees. The group of people I met were also raving about the Mud House wines, and I encouraged them to go and get a cheese platter since that was the highlight of my day.

 

Dinner was a Paua patty, made of minced meat from the glistening paua shell which is native to the shores here.

Being apart of this day was a fun experience in which I got a better look into the community, the land, and the flavors of Malborough! Wishing I could come back every year.