Despite some initial reservations with the weather, the inaugural Craggy Range Deep Purple Wine Club Day at Giants Winery on April 2nd was a great success and one we look forward to hosting again.

The event paid tribute to our most loyal supporters with guests flying in from across New Zealand and Australia to be hosted by the Peabody and Smith families. The feedback we have received has been extremely positive and we were pleased to hear that as well as spending a wonderful day at Craggy Range sampling some fantastic food and wine combinations, most guests were also able to attend at least one workshop and sample the en primeur 2009 Prestige Collection.

The Club day truly captured the spirit of Craggy Range and rewarded club members with a spectacular food and wine experience that is unique to New Zealand. Workshops included a cooking demonstration with Consultant Chef David Griffiths, a food and wine matching master-class with Mary Jeanne Peabody and two ‘Back in Time’ tastings presented by Steve Smith MW and Terry Peabody showcasing the very first Prestige Collection wines from our 2001 vintage.

Central to the event were food and wine stations situated throughout the Giants Winery grounds, with the wagyu pithivier at the Merlot station and vine barbequed venison skewers at the Syrah station proving to be the biggest draw-cards. The wonderful Twin City Stompers entertained the crowd with their art deco jazz and guests were educated on the Maori legends of the region by the Waimarama Maori Kapa Haka group.

For those who were not able to make the day, prepare to schedule some space in your diary for March 2012 and ensure you are signed up for the Craggy Range Deep Purple Wine Club as invitations for the second event are sure to be hard to come by! For those who did attend – please let us know using the comments forum below what you loved about the day or if you have any suggestions for 2012.

Deep Purple Day Reviews

Sign up for Deep Purple Wine Club

View additional photos of the day on the official Craggy Range Facebook page: Craggy Range Facebook