20 December 2006
Top US Chefs fly in for Pinot Noir 2007
Delegates at Pinot Noir 2007 will not only be treated to great New Zealand wine and food – they’ll also get to sample
the culinary skills of some of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Ambassador Chefs.
Three American-based chefs will join North Canterbury’s Graham Brown in each designing a main course at the Gala Dinner
on the last night of the four day event being held in Wellington from 29 January – 1 February 2007.
Culinary Director Ruth Pretty says the chefs’ guest appearance will be a fitting culmination to what is tipped to be the
biggest wine event of its kind ever held in New Zealand.
“The chefs will prepare a Cervena dish they have designed as a perfect match for the Pinot Noirs that will be on offer.
The chefs serve Cervena and New Zealand Pinot Noir in their restaurants and I am really looking forward to their
interpretation.
“It is exciting to have the opportunity to work with them.”
Ruth says the 1000 guests at the Gala Dinner, being held in a special marquee on Wellington’s waterfront, will be
treated to four courses – a sumptuous seafood entrée, followed by the Ambassador Chef’s Cervena main course, then a
Whitestone Cheeses buffet and a dessert perfectly matched to New Zealand dessert wines.
The American NZTE Ambassador Chefs coming for the event are:
- Shawn McClain, chef/owner of Spring, Custom House and Green Zebra restaurants in Chicago
- Todd Gray, chef/owner at Equinox in Washington DC and
- Brad Farmerie, chef/owner at Public in New York
Graham Brown is the chef/owner at The Cookhouse in Rangiora and for more than a decade travelled through Europe, Asia
and the US promoting cervena on behalf of the New Zealand deer industry.
As well as the Gala Dinner, Brad will take part in a conference session earlier in the day in which top international
chefs (New Zealand’s Rex Morgan and New York’s Josh Emmett will join them – Josh via a video link-up) will create a
gourmet sausage to match with Pinot Noir.
NZTE food and beverage sector director Leone Evans says the ambassador chefs have been a big success in promoting New
Zealand food and wine in the United States.
“These are multi-award-winning chefs, all of whom have a high profile both within the industry and with American
food-lovers in general.
“When they publicly praise the quality, freshness and vitality of New Zealand food, you can be sure that people pay
attention.”
ENDS