The Lord of the Wines

Maybe, like me, you've come to associate New Zealand with The Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit Trilogy movies. After all, the rolling green hills, lush forests, mysterious caves and even active volcanoes make the idyllic setting for "Middle Earth."

At the Oyster Bay Launch at the Trinidad Hilton, hosted by Massy Distribution, I discovered though, that New Zealand also plays home to some of the world's most distinguished wines. In fact, many wine connoisseurs attribute this to New Zealand's unique terrain and climate.

At the event last night, guests were treated to a wine tasting and education facilitated by my friend Francis Ragbir ( one of T&T's very own wine experts and also an all round jolly fellow!). 
 

Francis telling us all about the proper way to do a wine tasting

I was surprised to find out that Oyster Bay is the #1 premium New Zealand wine brand in the USA and is ranked #7 in terms of premium wine brands imported into the US. The last two years in a row, has also seen Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc being listed as a Top 200 wine brand in Wine and Spirits Magazine.

Even the Wall Street Journal has poured ( pun intended!) accolades onto Oyster Bay, citing that "Every seafood restaurant should have a Sauvignon Blanc from Oyster Bay." Across the pond, it's also the most consumed merlot in the UK. Interesting facts, indeed.

We were asked to sample four wines in turn and each came with a food pairing. 

Four tastings of wine each, makes for very happy bloggers!

 Here's my take on them (I'm no wine expert but I can tell you what I liked!):

Salmon cake, brie cheese in filo, tuna taster in cucumber and beef brisket (on the spoon)

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc - My favourite of the four! This was a medium-bodied, aromatic, spicy wine. I would even say that for me, I detected herbal notes. Definitely a type of wine that you can savour. We were asked to sample it with a tuna taster wrapped in cucumber. 

Oyster Bay Marlborough Chardonnay  - This was a crisp, tart wine that you could perhaps start dinner off with and continue drinking, since it's light bodied. At first whiff, I got hints of peach. We were asked to sample this with the salmon cake.



Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir - This was very fruity and fragrant - with notes of vanilla and cherries. We were asked to try it with brie cheese wrapped in filo pastry. This wine would also pair well with chicken and fish.

This Merlot also went very well with the chocolate and fruit dessert.

Oyster Bay Hawke's Bay Merlot - This medium-bodied wine had big, rich flavour. I'm actually not keen on red wine but I would definitely have this another time; since I found its acidity level perfect for me. This was my second favourite of the four. 

We were asked to try it with beef brisket. I certainly think, as a red wine option, that this would be a crowd pleaser for weddings



All in all, my table had so many interesting people and blogger friends that I felt quite at home. Every one left with a gift bag with this nifty wine opener!

Would you like Trinidad Weddings.com to cover your event or review your product? Drop me a line at simone@trinidadweddings.com and I would be happy to help you.

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M&D’s ‘Discover’ Event

Marketing and Distribution’s (M&D) “Discover” event on October 5, 2013 was an absolute pleasure for www.trinidadweddings.com to cover.

It was a night of wine and premium liquor tastings, fine cheeses and appetizers that all culminated in quite a swanky soiree.

The objective of Discover was set to be more than a gathering of the nation’s taste-makers but also to provide an event for true connoisseurs to socialize and sample luxurious libations in an elegant environment



A selection of Crystal Farms' Cheeses paired with Gamay wines.

  

True to expectation, The Oval’s Century Ballroom was filled with a smartly-dressed crowd who savoured M&D’s display of its entire Wine and Spirits Portfolio.

Yes, that’s over 100 brands; such as Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque and Mumm Champagne, Absolut vodka, Ballantine’s 30 year-old Scotch, Jose Cuervo Res de la familia Cakebread (winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best US wine), Louis Jadot Gevrey Chambertin, Cascine Prosecco and Fonseca 20 year-old Port to name a few.

There were also unique execution stations such as the Absolut Vodka Martini Makers Bar, Alize Cocktail Bar, Jose Cuervo shots as well as a Bubbly station.

One of my favourite cocktails is the Tom Collins. So a stand-out moment was when bartender Clinton made one for me on-the-spot with Beefeater 24 Gin. One of the best Tom Collins ever!

My Tom Collins being made!

Tasty hors d’oeuvres such as scrambled eggs with caviar served on spoons, spinach filo pastries, samosas, shrimp and pineapple on skewers and chicken sliders were had by all in attendance.  Of note was Jaffa’s authentic Indian buffet, featuring naan, mushroom pakoras and butter chicken accompanied by a selection of Patak chutneys and sauces.

Guests were given champagne flutes as tokens and treated to a rocking after-party with DJ Nuphoric, as the event drew to a close.

Trinidadweddings.com’s relationship with M&D began when they were an elite sponsor for our event, The Wedding Convention in September 2013; and we certainly look forward to more fabulous events from M&D.

If you would like TrinidadWeddings.com to cover your event, please drop us a line at contactus@trinidadweddings.com

All photos by: TrinidadWeddings.com

Ideas for a Smashing Wedding Cocktail Hour!

Tiny bites and delectable morsels! Who doesn’t love hors d’oeuvres? And what a better way to “wow” your guests from the very onset of your reception than by having delicious selections in tempting displays? Nothing will guarantee a better conversation starter and get the festive mood going than happy guests dining on munchies! However, choosing hors d’oeuvres can be quite challenging, considering the vast number of options.

Here are some tips to get you started:

(1)    “Let your food talk” - that is, use your hors d’oeuvres as a way to communicate your wedding’s theme or to give meaningful hints about your family heritage, for example – is your mother or grandmother famous for making something? Serve a mini version of it! If you’ve had a double ceremony, featuring two religions, serve up nibbles that reflect those two cultures.

(2)    Create a tasting bar based on the countries you have travelled to. This way, guests get an insight into your romantic journey together and they also get to sample unusual fare.

(3)    Serve foods that are inspired by your location; for example, if you’re giving a garden wedding, foods with fresh, garden influences, lemons and herbs would be lovely; or if it’s a beach wedding, easy seafood dishes such as: ceviche (raw fish marinated in citrus juices and seasoned), accra, crab cakes, mini shrimp cocktails, served in shot glasses or grilled items would be appropriate.

(4)    Try miniature versions of your favourite foods – If you enjoy fast foods, you can certainly have sliders (mini burgers), doubles, aloo pies, tiny shark and bakes, “coo coo” squares, meatballs, mini pizzas, or French fries served in beautiful paper cones to match your décor.

(5)    Have an unusual food station such as sushi or a “baked potato bar,” where guest can choose their own toppings such as: cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, sour cream etc.

(6)    Ensure your drink selections do not clash with your food selections. For example, if you’re going with more Mexican-inspired foods, choose margaritas or if you’re having an Italian-inspired menu, offer up some limoncello. Garden weddings would do well with lemonade and a selection of iced teas. To close your reception, a nice idea if you’ve had an “all-Trini” menu would be to serve some Trini cocoa tea in take-away mugs, which serve as wedding favours.

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