The World of Wine Festival is coming to Auckland's AUT Campus on Wellesley Street East this weekend - the 12th & 13th May - and I couldn't be more excited, it is the first time a wine festival has showcased ONLY International wines, that's right, not a single drop of NZ Wine will be available on the tasting floor (gasp). I think it's great and judging by how ticket sales are going, I am not the only one! Tickets are $60 ($45 students) and include a Riedel Ouverture Glass alone worth $25 (and it's full size!) a tasting booklet & pen, & unlimited tastes in the Tasting Hall. Worth noting that the pour size will be tastes only, so don't give your pourer any slack! If you fancy a larger pour there will be a bar on site for purchases, but frankly I think that 140 tastes is more than enough for anyone!
The team from the fest have given me a few wines to chat about and these are just three of the 140 wines from 14 countries that will be available to taste over this weekend.
Boy do the team at World of Wine know the way to my heart! This Septima Malbec 2016 from Mendoza in the foothills of the Andes is the definition of big Argy Malbec, chewy, spicy, fruity with flavours of dark plums and figs, amazing stuff and a long finish - insane value at $18
Did you know that they make wine in Upstate New York? Well they do and they make a pretty decent drop too! The Finger Lakes are long, thin finger-like (funny that) lakes that run out of Lake Ontario and it is the main wine region in New York. It has very defined seasons & gets COLD in winter. This Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewurztraminer comes from the Finger Lakes region & is dry with lovely citrus & stonefruit flavours with lovely florals & that signature Gewurtz spice! Dry, medium bodies & a real treat for me as it was my very first New York wine! Worth seeking out for $35
Last but not least is the Nino Franco, Rustico, Prosecco Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore NV - yea try saying that after a glass or two of Italian Bubbles! Let's just call it the Rustico Prosecco shall we? From the area of Veneto in Northern Italy this is from one of the oldest wineries in the area of Valdobbiadene’s. It's bright & fresh & refreshing & off dry and really a great wine to enjoy by itself or with seafood. A bubbles I feel it would be very easy to drink too much of! Good job it comes in at only 11% ABV.
This is a mere taste of the delights that await you at the World Of Wine Festival this weekend - if you fancy coming along then head on over to my Instagram page where you can win two tickets to Sunday's session, I'll be there so if you see me, come over & say hi!
Click the link below to hear my chat with Wendyl on the Long Lunch.