Been There, Done That: Pouring New Zealand premium wines for the Room That Knows

Three wines, ten guests and one honest table at Christine’s (Ofa’s wife) family home.

Mālō e lelei, fellow wine explorers.

I crossed the Tasman for one reason. Sips & Scrums II in the Hunter Valley, a two-hour drive from Sydney.

Then Ofa, my good friend and business colleague, had an idea. Why not run a private tasting of New Zealand wines before we head over?

So last Thursday I stood in Ken & Sally’s home (Les beaux-parents d’Ofa) with three bottles and a room full of people who have seen it all.

Ten guests. Friends of Ken Grover, well established in business, finance, travel and tourism.

They have been there and done that. They know what good looks like. They know what their clients are looking for.

I’ll be honest. That’s a tough room for a Tongan boy from Glen Innes.

And I love that.

It wasn’t just a tasting. It was a chance to put our format in front of people who would tell us the truth. Premier Ligne. Wine and rugby, fused together.

Two Halves, One Table

Ofa organised the night. I chose the wines and led the tasting.

Part one was formal. Three wines. Three stories.

Part two was Ofa’s. While I talked, he cooked. Then out came a lovely steak, a simple lettuce salad with parmesan on top and some mean frites.

We had six other bottles waiting. Puriri Hills 2022 from Clevedon. Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2022 from Martinborough. A few Australian wines too.

The notes went away. The conversation opened up.

That’s not a presentation. That’s hospitality.

We know this in Tonga too. A guest in your home is not an audience. You feed them. You sit with them. You show faka’apa’apa (fah-kah-AH-pah-AH-pah), or respect.

Three Glasses, Three Stories

Prophet’s Rock Dry Riesling 2023, Central Otago. We started on the steep schist of the Rocky Point vineyard. Winemaker Paul Pujol learned his Riesling in Alsace, and he’s patient. Slow wild ferments, then two years in bottle before release. Think tangelo, sweet apple and a little mango.

Prophet’s Rock Cuvée aux Antipodes 2022, Central Otago. Cuvée aux Antipodes (koo-VAY oh-zahn-tee-POD) is Pinot Noir with a friendship behind it. In 2009 Paul worked a vintage in Chambolle-Musigny (sham-BOL moo-zee-NYEE) with François Millet of Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé. Six years later, François was making wine with him in Central Otago. This beauty tasted even better the day after!!

Chambolle is just down the road from Dijon, where this rugby player first fell for wine.

Burgundy and Bendigo. Two hemispheres. One glass.

Te Motu 2020, Waiheke Island. Te Motu means “the island”. The Dunleavy family planted their roots here in 1988, which makes them one of Waiheke’s pioneers. This Cabernet-led blend comes with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. They make it only in the best years, then give it time in bottle. Blackcurrant, dark chocolate, tobacco and spice.

“Anyone can pour a good wine. The story and the table are what people remember.”

Why This Room Mattered

Let them experience the essence of these wines, then get their feedback on our format.

Ofa spoke briefly on the night. This is what we do. This is what we’re trying to create.

The feedback from Ken Grover and his lovely wife Sally was positive. Then the room gave us something better than a compliment. Honest feedback.

One guest reminded me that people already respect us as rugby men. So why not walk through that door first? Rugby into wine, not wine into rugby.

You don’t get that from a brochure. You get that at a table.

What We Learned on the Drive

What we learned that day was special. On our drive, a few things kept coming up. Our business approach. Our format. The experience we offer.

Positive feedback is lovely. But it doesn’t rest there.

There is more space to improve. More space to develop.

It’s just like rugby. Keep trying. Never give up. Be consistent.

Those are the true values of our old profession, and they transfer easily into this one.

Hosting at Home? Try This

1. Keep it simple. Three wines give every bottle room to breathe, and every guest room to talk.

2. Bring one story per bottle. A place, a person, a reason you chose it. That’s plenty.

3. Play two halves. Taste first with a little structure, then let the dinner take over.

4. Keep the food simple. Steak, salad, frites. Job done.

Final Pour

Simple evening. Great people. Constructive feedback.

Mālō ’aupito to Ofa, for organising the night and cooking it too. To Ken Grover and his lovely wife Sally, for helping us in so many ways, and for letting us host their friends and do what we love. Ofa lahi atu!!!

Thank you to Paul Pujol and the Prophet’s Rock team, Rory Dunleavy and the Te Motu whānau, Puriri Hills and Ata Rangi. Your wines opened the door. Now we get to keep walking through it with Premier Ligne, sharing New Zealand wine one table at a time.

If you look after clients, guests or a team who would enjoy a night like this, please spread the word. Come and find us at premierligne.com.

Wine Chief takeaway: the toughest room is the best room. Buy the story, not just the bottle, then share it at the table.

Choose well, drink with joy, and keep it simple.

Mālō ’aupito

Semisi Telefoni — The Wine Chief