This week we are chatting with Celia Hay, Owner of New Zealand School of Food and Wine. She generously shared some of her country’s finest wines with us, as well as incredible stories. As a child waiting tables for her parents’ dinner parties for dignitaries she learned to appreciate fine food that led to her success as a premier wine and food destination in New Zealand. You’ll enjoy her funny wine story at the end as well – don’t mind the sound of dishes breaking in the background.
NEW ZEALAND SERIES – PART 1
In this episode we are heading to New Zealand for a taste of some fun and interesting wines, and we’re also going to bring you a taste of culture in the form of an interview with Celia Hay, Owner of the NZ school of Food and Wine.
Drinking:
So in our glasses today are two wines from New Zealand’s North Island – bet you thought we had another Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, didn’t you?
The white: 2014 Gisborne Albarino called Bell-Ringer from Cooper’s Creek. The Wine region is Gisborne, and this is on the North Island, as we mentioned. Gisborne is more commonly known for its Chardonnay, but also has many other varieties like Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Viognier and this one – Albarino. You may recall this grape from the Spanish wine series this past summer, and this one comes from a select plot of Coopers Creek vineyards that is considered “super premium.” This is about a $19 bottle.
Now, we are going to weave this week’s factoids in with our tasting and interview because there’s just so much cool stuff about this area. For example, Gisborne is not only the third largest wine producing area in NZ, but also is the first place the sunrise can be seen in the world, and also the first place Captain Cook is believed to have made landfall! How cool is that?
The red: This is a 2013 Carmenere – what? It is from Ransom Wines in the very small Matakana region of New Zealand’s North Island. It’s about an hour north of Auckland. You may remember Carmenere as one of the original blending grapes of Bordeaux, or perhaps, now, the signature grape of Chile (which we tasted with Sharon McCarthy back in Episode 51, The Devil in the Cellar). Ransom Wines is considered a “must visit” winery and has been producing classic styles since their first 1996 vintage. This is currently about a $22 bottle in USD. About $30 or so in NZD.
So, shall we get to our guest interview?
Interview with Celia Hay, Owner, New Zealand School of Food and Wine
Celia Hay‘s great love of delicious food, fine wine and the art of hospitality led her to establish Hay’s Restaurant in 1994 and the New Zealand School of Food and Wine in 1995 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Using organic lamb, sourced from her family farm in Pigeon Bay, Banks Peninsula, Celia was able to carve out a unique dining experience at Hay’s. Both businesses flourished and Celia went on to established the Duvauchelle Store and Café located in Akaroa Harbour and Celia’s Pies, a concept for healthy pies featuring the organic Pigeon Bay lamb and lower fat pastry.
On February 22, 2011 a series of devastating earthquakes struck Christchurch forcing the closure of Hay’s Restaurant and the relocation of the New Zealand School of Food and Wine to Auckland.
Today, the New Zealand School of Food & Wine offers fully-equipped modern demonstration and practical kitchens, dining room, cocktail bar, wine tasting and barista training rooms, seminar and reception area. As specialists in culinary, wine & hospitality education, NZSFW has trained thousands of students. Many have gone on to enjoy success as respected chefs, food writers, sommeliers and restaurant owners.
Celia is a qualified chef and holds the WSET Diploma of Wine. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History, Master of Education and MBA from Canterbury University.
Celia’s book, How to Grow your Hospitality Business: a guide for owners and managers, provides invaluable advice to hospitality students and people wishing to establish their own café, restaurant or catering business.
In 2014, Celia published The New Zealand Wine Guide which was awarded the Gourmand World Book Awards Best in the World for Wine and Tourism.
Celia has three children and regularly travels south to the farm in Pigeon Bay. (Courtesy of Celia Hay and FoodAndWineNZ.co.nz)
We hope you enjoy this chat with Celia as much as we did. Also, here’s an interview with her on the “Breakfast” show:
WINORADAR:
Reminder to all our dedicated listeners – The New Zealand Food & Wine Event will be happening at Celia’s School, the NZ School of Food & Wine in Auckland, this September 10-12th 2016.
SHOUTOUT:
Special thank you to Celia and the New Zealand wineries, Coopers Creek and Ransom Wines, who create beautiful wines for our pleasure and enjoyment.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our New Zealand wine series next week, September 8th, 2016!
Connect with Val on Twitter @WineGalUnboxed and on the Vino With Val FB page, and on instagram as Vino with Val.
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Celia is on Facebook, twitter, 
and her stunning images can be seen on instagram as well! To learn more, go to FoodAndWineNZ.co.nz
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One more thing… Don’t forget to use the #W25Challenge when you are trying new wines and drinks. Here’s a beautiful entry from one of our listeners on instagram!
And another one from twitter:
I have never tasted this before, but I think it is delicious! #W25Challenge #wine #picpouldepinet #languedoc pic.twitter.com/8anJAzwSJe
— Side Hustle Wino (@SideHustleWino) August 27, 2016
Get in on the fun for an opportunity to come chat with us on our show! Until next week …. Cheers!