Gibbston Valley opens Arrowtown deli, café, cellar door

Media Release Gibbston Valley Winery
June 12 2013

Award-winning Gibbston Valley Winery opens flagship deli, café and cellar door in Arrowtown

Award-winning Gibbston Valley Winery has opened a new Mediterranean-style delicatessen café, and cellar door experience this week in the historic Central Otago township of Arrowtown.

Following a six week refurbishment of one of the township’s most distinctive high-profile historic buildings, the doors opened yesterday (Tuesday 11 June) to welcome a number of locals and visitors to A Taste of Gibbston Valley.

Harking back to the early days of the old gold-mining town, the store is styled with an historic theme and materials with an array of homemade goods available for take-away or dining in.

Direct from the kitchen of Gibbston Valley Winery chef Mark Sage, guests can savour Mediterranean-style dishes including fresh pasta and sauces made on site, and cakes and pastries baked daily.

A spacious and light-filled tasting room offers guests a relaxed atmosphere where they can enjoy award-winning Gibbston Valley wines in a comfortable lounge seating area with a cosy fireplace.

Guests can browse a wide range of Mediterranean and artisan-style food and wine related products. There is even fresh flowers available, courtesy of Wild Poppies Queenstown.

The store is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch from 7am to 5pm and for deli and wine tasting into the evening.

Gibbston Valley Winery CEO Greg Hunt said he was “thrilled” with how the store has turned out and is excited about welcoming visitors and guests to “taste a slice of Gibbston Valley.”

“People can indulge in our fresh coffee, award-winning wine, pastries, cakes and food as they relax and savour the history of the area,” he said.

“Fresh pasta will be made on site in front of visitors, deli meats sliced to order, and fresh coffee roasted daily.”

“The wonderful smells alone have been enough to draw people in already. It really is a wonderfully old-fashioned store with all the amazing homemade delicacies you can imagine.”

The interior of A Taste of Gibbston Valley has been carefully renovated using local and recycled materials as well as unearthing some of the building’s original features.

New York designer and Gibbston Valley winemaker Terence Vallelunga was charged with renovating the store which incorporates recycled Kauri timber shelves, a reclaimed steel deli counter, exposed stone walls on both sides of the store and other unique features to complement the history of the town.

“We wanted to ensure the true history of the region and building was reflected in the end result,” Mr Vallelunga said.

“Scratch tests carried out on the walls revealed historic paints which were then used as a guide for the final colour palette, and where possible we preserved the original wall coverings.”

“The end result is a beautiful light-filled and open space that’s ideal for dining and relaxing. It perfectly marries the old with the new and makes extensive use of local and environmentally-friendly materials where possible.”

The new store will not only service the local community with artisan products and a deli-style cafe but also offer visitors the chance to learn about Gibbston Valley Winery food and wine.

“The store will enable us to ‘whet the appetite’ of visitors for what we offer at the winery, to encourage them to spend more time in the area and visit the winery itself,” said Mr Hunt.

“We want to help raise Arrowtown’s profile as a culinary and wine destination and bring even more visitors to the township year-round.”

“It really does provide a veritable feast for the senses.”

The store will be managed by Rita Kroemer, who brings a passion and background in coffee roasting and experience in the hospitality industry. Her passion for making exceptional coffee is second-to-none and she is “excited about providing fantastic service” to locals and visitors.

“Guests will enjoy amazing coffee every time they visit,” Ms Kroemer said.

ENDS

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