New Zealand (or ‘Aotearoa’ – meaning ‘land of the long white cloud’) could easily be described as one of the most picturesque places on earth, with wonderfully diverse terrain. From dramatic mountain ranges, to rugged coastlines, sweeping valleys and enormous, dominant skies – it is spectacular.

With no immediate neighbours, New Zealand is a remote nation with a population of almost 5 million inhabitants. The isolation has created an environment with unique flora and fauna – the most recognisable being the Kiwi bird. A flightless, nocturnal creature with a highly sophisticated sense of smell – and endearingly, our national symbol.  Intrinsically inventive, New Zealanders (affectionately known as ‘Kiwi’s) are often characterised as being open and friendly…yet fiercely patriotic.

The POUNAMU wines are grown at specially selected sites throughout the Marlborough Valley, New Zealand’s largest wine growing region.

Behind the vineyards are the mighty Southern Alps. This mountain range forms the backbone of the South Island. This mountainous terrain helps protect our valley from fierce Oceanic winds. Over time it’s pushed down alluvial deposits – terraces of stony, free draining soils – which are well suited for grape growing. On a day-to-day basis these mountains feed our aquifers with exquisitely pure water.

During the ripening season (December – April), Marlborough experiences hot days, but at night the Ocean breeze cools the atmosphere dramatically. This extreme diurnal temperature change means our grapes produce intense flavours throughout the day, yet we’re able to preserve and retain acidity from the cool conditions at night. It’s this expression – this sense of place – that you can find in the POUNAMU wines.

Casual dining is common, and always we expect our ingredients to be fresh, and from the season. It’s relatively easy for us to gather mussels, oysters, scallops from the seabed. Often we fish for Cod, or other white fish species found in our Oceans. Or during the season, we head to the rivers or lakes for rainbow or brown trout. Salads or vegetable dishes are a daily staple.

For successful pairing; we’d recommend savoury, vegetal, salty or oily dishes for Sauvignon Blanc. For Pinot Gris, it suits umami, nutty, fragrant or creamy dishes. For Pinot Noir, we’d recommend savoury, smoky, earthy, vegetal or (some) spicy dishes, where star anise or 5-spice might feature. More ideas illustrated below…