New Winemaker Series at QRC the ‘perfect entrée’

Media Release from Queenstown Resort College
9 Aug 2010

New Winemaker Series at QRC the ‘perfect entrée’ to internationally recognised wine and spirit course

Leading education institution Queenstown Resort College is launching into a new round of its increasingly popular Winemaker Series.

The fun and social wine tasting evenings, held in The Common Room @ QRC (formerly the Book Cafe), have been attracting up to 60 people a night, which Paul Tudgay, sommelier and tutor at the award-winning college, calls a “huge success”.

“For that many people to turn out regularly on freezing cold nights in the dead of winter, I think I can safely say the Wine Series has been a hit,” he said.

“People have been able to taste a broad range of superb wines, do a little food matching and even get hands-on experience of blending.

“They’ve become very social events which are probably 90% fun and 10% educational, and that’s what people like. It’s very relaxed, there’s always a quiz on the night, and at just $10 a session it has to be the best value event in Queenstown.”

The new series kicks off on Tuesday August 24 with a tasting and presentation from Alan Brady of Mt Edward Winery, widely regarded as the ‘godfather’ of the Central Otago wine industry after planting the first grapes in Gibbston Valley in 1981.

Other wineries confirmed for the six-week series include Olssens Winery with food matching by chef Ben Batterbury from The Rees, and the series will round off with an eagerly-awaited tasting from multi-award-winning winery Cloudy Bay.

The Winemaker Series is the perfect entrée to the second Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) course to be run at the college. The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is the foremost international body in the field of wine and spirits education, and completion of the courses results in formal qualifications recognised throughout the world.

The intensive two-day course will be held on September 27/28 and be led by Mr Tudgay. The course is designed to cater for a wide range of wine enthusiasts from around the region, from those working in hotels and restaurants to cellar door and winery workers, viticulturists and wine aficionados who want to broaden their horizons. Mr Tudgay said feedback from the first course run in April had been outstanding.

"This is a must-do course for anybody wanting a career in the wine and food industry,” said Agustin Novoa, restaurant manager of The Rees.

Now taught in 39 countries worldwide to both the trade and interested consumers, the WSET was originally founded in 1969 to provide high quality wine education to the UK trade.
The intermediate WSET course will cost $795 including text books. The course will be held over two days plus a morning for a written examination.

The tastings will be $10 per head or $50 for the series of six.

ENDS

Winemaker Series information:
Tuesday August 24th 6.30pm. Alan Brady – The Godfather of Central Otago Wine. Hear about the early days of Pinot Noir in Central from a true legend of wine and a great story teller.
Tuesday August 31st 6.30pm Olssens – Bannockburn Pioneers. Jen Parr, winemaker at Olssens, has asked Chef Ben Batterbury from The Rees to match exciting canapés with her new release wines.
Tuesday September 7th 6.30pm Sake with Daruma Restaurant. The Boys from Daruma have brought sake into the Queenstown dining scene and want to share their passion.
Tuesday September 14th 6.30pm The Wooing Tree – Cromwell’s Pinot Noir specialists. Hear owner Steve Farquharson on the subject of The Wooing Tree vineyard’s story of romance and passion. Apparently the place where 50% of all Central winemakers were conceived.
Tuesday September 21st 6.30pm Tarras Vineyards with Timbo Deaker. These sleek and intense wines are a favourite among NZ sommeliers.

Thursday September 30th at 6.30pm Cloudy Bay with Sioban Harnett.
A winery sought after around the world. Come and learn about a great New Zealand success story.

© Scoop Media