20 December 2006

Top US Chefs fly in for Pinot Noir 2007

Delegates at Pinot Noir 2007 will not only be treated to great New Zealand wine and food – they’ll also get to sample the culinary skills of some of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Ambassador Chefs.

Three American-based chefs will join North Canterbury’s Graham Brown in each designing a main course at the Gala Dinner on the last night of the four day event being held in Wellington from 29 January – 1 February 2007.

Culinary Director Ruth Pretty says the chefs’ guest appearance will be a fitting culmination to what is tipped to be the biggest wine event of its kind ever held in New Zealand.

“The chefs will prepare a Cervena dish they have designed as a perfect match for the Pinot Noirs that will be on offer. The chefs serve Cervena and New Zealand Pinot Noir in their restaurants and I am really looking forward to their interpretation.

“It is exciting to have the opportunity to work with them.”

Ruth says the 1000 guests at the Gala Dinner, being held in a special marquee on Wellington’s waterfront, will be treated to four courses – a sumptuous seafood entrée, followed by the Ambassador Chef’s Cervena main course, then a Whitestone Cheeses buffet and a dessert perfectly matched to New Zealand dessert wines.

The American NZTE Ambassador Chefs coming for the event are:

- Shawn McClain, chef/owner of Spring, Custom House and Green Zebra restaurants in Chicago
- Todd Gray, chef/owner at Equinox in Washington DC and
- Brad Farmerie, chef/owner at Public in New York

Graham Brown is the chef/owner at The Cookhouse in Rangiora and for more than a decade travelled through Europe, Asia and the US promoting cervena on behalf of the New Zealand deer industry.

As well as the Gala Dinner, Brad will take part in a conference session earlier in the day in which top international chefs (New Zealand’s Rex Morgan and New York’s Josh Emmett will join them – Josh via a video link-up) will create a gourmet sausage to match with Pinot Noir.

NZTE food and beverage sector director Leone Evans says the ambassador chefs have been a big success in promoting New Zealand food and wine in the United States.

“These are multi-award-winning chefs, all of whom have a high profile both within the industry and with American food-lovers in general.

“When they publicly praise the quality, freshness and vitality of New Zealand food, you can be sure that people pay attention.”

ENDS