For Release October 24, 2000
Wellington will stage the most prestigious fine wine and food extravaganza New Zealand has ever seen from January 25 to
28 next year.
Tickets for the Pinot Noir 2001 public programme are now on sale through Ticketek nationwide.
Around 8000 people will visit Pinot Noir 2001. The public programme offers a wine tasting exhibition, cooking
demonstrations and a series of speakers from the internationally acclaimed pinot noir fraternity. Alongside the public
programme celebrations is a four-day international pinot noir conference for serious wine and food lovers.
“This is a rare occasion for the public and international guests to taste the country’s best pinot noir wines and
cuisine in the one location,” chairman of Pinot Noir 2001 Richard Riddiford said.
The public will have the chance to participate on a grand scale. Pinot Noir 2001 will be a real “feast for the senses”.
The Wine Tasting Exhibition runs from January 26 until 28 in the Wellington Town Hall and is time-ticketed to three and
half-hour sessions to avoid congestion.
Leading wineries from New Zealand will present tastings of their pinot noir in the ‘Pinot Noir Court’, alongside those
of Burgundy, Australia and the United States.
The pinot noir will be served region by region and specialty foods from Gourmet Direct and Kapiti Cheeses will be
available to complement the wines.
Tickets priced at $30 will provide entry to the exhibition, a glass and ribbon holder and catalogue.
Wine and food tastings will be purchased using the exhibition money system called ‘pinots’.
A special card, which works like a phone card, will be available for purchase at the door, and all wineries offering
tastings will have a terminal to accept the card transactions.
The opportunity to meet and talk with winemakers should not be missed while enjoying the quality and diversity of styles
on offer. White wine enthusiasts are also catered for and Champagne Bollinger is available in the Bollinger Bar. Bottles
of wine can also be purchased at the wine shop on site.
The list of speakers, winemakers and guests for Pinot Noir 2001, reads like a who’s who from the wine and food world.
The keynote speaker at Pinot Noir 2001, a real coup for this country, is internationally respected wine commentator
Jancis Robinson. Other speakers include wine luminaries such as Burgundian pinot wine master Robert Drouhin,
editor-at-large of the US Wine Spectator magazine Harvey Steiman, along with local Master of Wine Bob Campbell.
The shining stars of the food world include ex-chef of the Sugar Club in London and writer Peter Gordon. Ruth Pretty is
the culinary director, so the food will be fabulous.
“There are very few opportunities to hear the world’s leading wine commentators speak across a broad range of topics
including international and regional style differences in pinot noir,” winemaker for Kumeu River Wines Michael
Brajkovich said.
“These people receive invitations to wine events every day and their presence at Pinot Noir 2001 is a big endorsement of
New Zealand as one of the premium pinot noir regions of the world.”
Jancis Robinson MW is to present the keynote address, ‘The World of Pinot Noir’, in association with Cuisine magazine on
26 January in the Michael Fowler Centre auditorium.
This session will include an entertaining visual presentation by Stephen Cary on ‘A Photographic Journey through the
World of Pinot Noir’. Oregon winemaker and photographer Stephen Cary’s colourful presentation includes images from the
grape’s ancient home in Burgundy and from its newer residences in the western and southern hemispheres. Tickets to the
Jancis Robinson Keynote Address are $60 each and include a two-hour visit to the Wine Tasting Exhibition.
Another ticketed event to Pinot Noir 2001 is the International Panel Discussion. An impressive line-up of wine experts
will discuss issues raised during the conference on ‘The Difference Facets of Pinot Noir’ in the Michael Fowler Centre
auditorium on January 27. The panel comprises Jancis Robinson, Harvey Steiman, Champagne Bollinger president Ghislain de
Montgolfier of France, chairman of Wine Australia James Halliday, Robert Drouhin, and Bob Campbell.
The ticket price is $60 which includes a two-hour visit to the Wine Tasting Exhibition.
Top chefs will demonstrate the great diversity of food which can be eaten with pinot noir in ‘Culinary Theatre
Demonstrations’ in the Ilott Theatre, Wellington Town Hall. Those tipped to be taking demonstrations include Peter
Gordon, chef of Huka Lodge Nicolas Huffman, chef and owner of Essence Restaurant in Auckland Michael James and
expatriate New Zealander, Juliet Harbutt, founder of Jereboams, one of London’s finest wine and artisan cheese shops and
author of the World Encyclopaedia of Cheese.
Chefs will prepare three recipes with the emphasis on home entertainment. Each of the 12 one-hour demonstrations will
have a theme ranging from alfresco through to slow cooking. Tickets to the Culinary Theatre Demonstrations sell for $25
a session.
“This is a fabulous opportunity to listen to the philosophy and life history of many accomplished chefs,” says Ruth
Pretty. Recipes will also be available for ticket holders.
There will even be a public art exhibition in the City Art Gallery presenting contemporary works, on a pinot noir theme,
of ten well known New Zealand artists including Ralph Hotere, Simon McIntyre, Chris Heaphy, Richard Killeen, Michael
Hight, John Reynolds and Grahame Sydney.
…ends/
Pinot Noir 2001 - Public Programme
(Tickets can be purchased through Ticketek nationwide.)
Wine Tasting Exhibition Pinot Noir Court Wellington Town Hall
From January 26 to 28 Ticket Price $30 incl. GST
Jancis Robinson Keynote Address Michael Fowler Centre Auditorium
January 26 at 9am Ticket Price $60 incl. GST
(Ticket price includes a visit to the Wine Tasting Exhibition.)
International Panel Discussion Michael Fowler Centre Auditorium
January 27 at 4pm Ticket Price $60 incl. GST
(Ticket price includes a visit to
the Wine Tasting Exhibition.)
Culinary Theatre Demonstrations January 26 to 28 Ticket Price $25 incl. GST
Pinot Noir 2001 - Conference
(Contact Verve Consulting Limited for a conference registration brochure.)
The Conference Michael Fowler Centre
January 25 to 28 Conference registration fee is $1250
For further information:
Richard Riddiford Michael Brajkovich
Chairman of Pinot Noir 2001 Kumeu River Wines
Tel: 06-306 9019 Tel: 09-412 8415
Caroline Green
Public Relations
Tel: 04-476 4539
Email: winedown@xtra.co.nz
Contact Caroline Green for this press release to be sent electronically. Please state the headline.
The web site for the Pinot Noir picture library is
http://www.pinotnoir2001.co.nz/pinot_pics/index.ht
New Zealand Participating Wineries
Auckland Marlborough / Nelson
Babich Wines Cellier Le Brun
Delegat’s Wine Estate Cloudy Bay
Kumeu River Wines Forrest Estate
Foxes Island Wines
Wellington / Wairarapa Fromm Winery
Alana Estate Greenhough Vineyard
Ashwell Vineyards Grove Mill
Ata Rangi Highfield Estate
Craggy Range Vineyards Huia
Dry River Hunter’s Wines
Linz Estate Isabel Estate Vineyard
Margrain Vineyard Jackson Estate
Martinborough Vineyard Lawson’s Dry Hills
Muirlea Rise Mount Riley Wines
Murdoch James Estate Nautilus Estate
Palliser Estate Nelson Polytech
Solstone Estate Neudorf Vineyard
Te Kairanga Wines Ponder Estate
Voss Estate Seifried Estate
Walnut Ridge Estate Seresin Estate
Stoneleigh Vineyards
Central Otago Wither Hills Vineyard
Chard Farm
Felton Road
Gibbston Valley Wines Bay of Plenty / Hawkes Bay /
Gisborne
Mt Difficulty Wines CJ Pask Winery
Mount Edward Craggy Range Vineyards
Olssen’s of Bannockburn Kim Crawford Wines
Peregrine Wines Mills Reef Winery
Quartz Reef Milton Vineyard
Rippon Vineyard Morton Estate Wines
Two Paddocks Vidal Estate
Canterbury / Waipara Larger Wine Companies
Alan McCorkindale Ltd Montana Wines
Canterbury House Nobilo
Chancellor Villa Maria
Daniel Schuster Wines
Giesen Wine Estate
Mountford Vineyard
Muddy Water Fine Wines
Pegasus Bay
St Helena Wine Estate