Top US Chefs fly in for Pinot Noir 2007

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

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