For Release October 24, 2000
Around 600 people from around the world will gather in Wellington for a conference of 100 percent pure indulgence from
January 25 to 28 next year.
The chairman of Pinot Noir 2001 Richard Riddiford said the celebrations will be very different from pinot noir
conferences of the past, which have been restricted to the winemakers.
The public will have the chance to participate on a grand scale. Pinot Noir 2001 will be a real “feast for the senses”.
“More than 50 percent of the tickets to the Pinot Noir 2001 four-day conference have already been sold at $1250 a head,”
said winemaker for Cloudy Bay James Healy.
Although the programme includes formal tastings, it is not a technical conference. “Yes we’ll be talking terrior, but
we’re also talking everything from pinot in Champagne, pinot with food, the influence of the internet in the wine
industry, and there will be culinary workshops,” he said.
“Pinot Noir 2001 is an event of pure indulgence for those who want to savour the very best of New Zealand wine and
cuisine.”
There is even a conference session on truffles, the luxury underground fungus so highly regarded by pinot noir
enthusiasts.
The conference begins in a grand marquee with the Thursday evening official opening with VIPs, winemakers and guests.
Sumptuous pre-dinner nibbles from Gourmet Direct and Kapiti Cheeses and New Zealand pinot noir wines will be served. The
Chef’s Choice Winemaker’s Dinner hosted at a number of leading Wellington restaurants will follow. On Friday, generous
bowls of Mediterranean style antipasto dishes designed to team up with a range of New Zealand pinot noir wines will be
prepared for the Mayor’s Village Lunch in Civic Square. And in the evening ‘Cordon Blair’ – the Blair Street party
dinner in a marquee where 12 restaurants will create exquisite cuisine served with New Zealand pinot noir wines. On
Saturday, the Wharf Walkers Lunch will take participants on a walking tour of Wellington’s waterfront, gourmet picnic in
hand reflecting the finest of New Zealand’s summer foods. The Grand Dinner with the Arts on Saturday night will be the
premiere cuisine event followed by dessert at a party in a marquee in Civic Square. A more relaxing, rural finale takes
delegates by train to the vineyards of Martinborough for lunch.
The list of speakers, winemakers and guests for the conference, 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 United States Wine Spectator magazine Harvey Steiman, along with locals such as Master of Wine Bob Campbell and
writer Warren Moran. 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.”
For a full-colour registration brochure, contact Verve Consulting Limited. Tel: 04-385 1458, Fax: 04-385 1498, Email:
mail@verve.co.nz or visit the website: www.pinotnoir2001.co.nz
…ends/
For further information:
Richard Riddiford Michael Brajkovich
Chairman of Pinot Noir 2001 Kumeu River Wines
Tel: 06-306 9019 Tel: 09-412 8415
James Healy Caroline Green
Cloudy Bay Public Relations
Tel: 03-572 8914 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