Misha's Vineyard » Food and Wine

Thirsty Work at Misha’s Vineyard

administrator — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:14:47 +0000

Arriving on the Harley

From the 13th to the 16th of January Misha’s Vineyard hosted presenter Yvonne Lorkin, Director Carolyn Sylvester, cameraman “Scotty” and sound recordist Donna as they filmed an episode for the upcoming Food Channel series “Thirsty Work”. It was an amazing experience working with such a professional and fun team as Misha, Andy, Rich, Olly and Jill all turned into actors for their roles in telling the Misha’s Vineyard story.

After weeks of fine sunny days the weather was looking a little foreboding just as the team arrived, but a dusting of fresh snow (yes it is summer!) on the mountains across the lake provided an amazing backdrop for the filming.

The stunning scenic footage they shot will provide the setting into which the interviews and stories will be woven.

Yvonne, Misha and Andy having fun in the interview

Misha and Andy rode to the vineyard on the Harley Davidson with Scotty and his camera in the back of one of the vehicles so he could film along the way. The lake and vineyard were bathed in sun as they rode past the second camera on several passes to get different angles.

Yvonne did the introduction interviews with Misha and Andy in the vines, asking how they had become interested in the wine industry and developing Misha’s Vineyard Wines.

Then Vineyard Manager Rich Williams – filmed working with the tractor – talked about the land and soils that give the wines their special characteristics.

Rich being interviewed "at work"

During the interviews Yvonne delved into the Chinese history of the vineyard, looking at the areas that had been preserved to show the gold panning and sluicing that took place in the gullies, and discussed the occurrence of the number 8 – considered very lucky in Chinese culture.

Scotty "in focus"

The wines of course also took centre stage with winemaker Olly Masters talking about the wines in a tasting at Ah Foo’s House, our recreated goldminers stone hut in the top block of the vineyard. The team also went through another tasting segment on the last day when we completed a shoot on the lawn at Misha and Andy’s house where Yvonne interviewed Olly on each of the range of Misha’s Vineyard wines. The wines were also filmed being poured into a glass with an array of “sensory” items around the glass to show the flavours and aromas each wine varietal shows.

Whitebait Fritter -Yum!

The Misha’s Vineyard team, assisted by Yvonne, had the challenge of preparing a local dinner on camera for the Sunday night meal. Rich cooked his favourite Whitebait Fritters – which given he caught them himself seemed to be the perfect starter. Andy, along with Yvonne and Jill did a Hare Wellington main course served with locally vegetables from Goodies on the Gorge. All washed down with some fantastic Misha’s Vineyard Wines.

Our Visual Historian – genius photographer Tim Hawkins – was there to capture the process of filming and interviews in a portfolio of photos.

The whole experience of filming the episode was quite amazing – and the production team are such wonderful people we all felt we have made a lot of new friends. Now we wait until the editing is complete and the episode goes to air – expected around mid-year.

Misha’s Vineyard Winemakers Dinner at The Providores and Tapa Room – LondonThe Providores

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 04:59:20 +0000

3rd May 2011

A sensational menu prepared by celebrity New Zealand Chef Peter Gordon accompanied wines from Misha’s Vineyard in Central Otago at The Providores and Tapa Room in Marylebone High Street, London on 3rd May. The menu was an eclectic mix of dishes with exotic spices and delicately prepared seafood and meats which matched the wines perfectly.

The Providores and Tapa Room, featuring a popular formal dining room and a cafe/wine bar in the heart of London, is the home of the most exciting and innovative fusion food in the UK, and Britain’s largest range of New Zealand premium wines.

Download PDF of Providores Menu

Sell out dinner at The Cliff – Sentosa Resort & Spa

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:38:40 +0000

Misha’s Vineyard Wines – Wine dinner at “The Cliff “ Restaurant sells out.

The Cliff restaurant at the Sentosa Resort & Spa on beautiful Sentosa Island in Singapore hosted a sell-out wine dinner featuring a menu of sensational delicacies from the chefs at The Cliff kitchen paired with the range of Misha’s Vineyard Wines. Guests from The Cliff, Rubicon Reserve Wines and Misha’s Vineyard were treated to some amazing pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres including cherry tomatoes on a small balloon of basil oil which when squeezed gave a burst of fragrant oil into the tomato! The setting – despite the rain – was very special and somewhere that everyone visiting Singapore should put on their list of places to dine.

The menu – simply put – was sensational!

MISHA’S Vineyard WINES @ THE CLIFF
2ND DECEMBER 2010

OYSTER,
lemon granite, tabasco jelly, seawater foam
Misha’s Vineyard “The Starlet”, 2009, Sauvignon Blanc

FOIE GRAS & APPLES
fizzy lemonade, apple espuma
Misha’s Vineyard “Limelight”, 2009, Riesling

TUNA
hot miso-lemon vinaigrette,
Japanese sweet potato and yuzu purée
Misha’s Vineyard “Dress Circle”, 2009, Pinot Gris

LAMB
loin and shank, fava beans, artichoke and
Sardinian fagiolo salad, yogurt textures
Misha’s Vineyard “The High Note”, 2009, Pinot Noir

CHEESE
selection of Frech cheese with preserves
Misha’s Vineyard “The Gallery”,2009, Gewurztraminer

Thank you to Restaurant Manager Kim Drew, F & B Director Adam Haywood, the whole team at The Cliff, and to Rubicon Reserve Wines for organizing such a wonderful event. We’re looking forward to going back!

Chef’s Lok Lok Night at The Pines, featuring Misha’s Vineyard wines

administrator — Sat, 22 May 2010 05:42:09 +0000

The versatility of Misha’s Vineyard 2009 “Dress Circle” Pinot Gris was on show at The Pines Club in Singapore on Friday evening 21st May where was it was matched with 3 courses of a Chef’s Lok Lok night menu served to 70 of The Pines members and their guests at the Pine Garden Chinese restaurant. Lok Lok is normally community steamboat style dining, cooking small pieces of food on sticks, however this menu was prepared with the chefs doing the work and matching with some interesting baked elements.

The Pine Garden 3 part Combination course was splendid with Sharks Fin wrapped with Egg White, Suckling Pig Skin with Foie Gras sauce and Steamed Prawn with Minced Garlic. The off-dry style of the Misha’s Vineyard “Dress Circle” Pinot Gris complimented the delicate flavours of the seafood, and the citrus acid finish freshened the palate after more oily texture of the Foie Gras and Pig Skin.

The second course was a cleverly prepared mix of Minced Australian Scallop and Minced Shrimp formed into two small fish designs swimming in a pond of Supreme Stock. The hints of Pink Grapefruit and long palate of the Pinot Gris melded superbly with the shellfish and crustacean mince and enhanced the flavours of the stock.

The last course paired with the Misha’s Vineyard “Dress Circle” Pinot Gris was a Stewed South African Abalone served with Pigs Trotter (no, not the whole trotter but small boned pieces carefully stewed, pickled and tenderized to compliment the Abalone). The paring was magic! The slightly more pungent elements of this dish bought out the pear essence in the wine and again the acid in the finish left a clean refreshed palate.

Winners of the Misha's Gift Pack

To match the last course of the evening we served a Misha’s Vineyard 2008 “The High Note” Pinot Noir. The Baked Kurobuta Pork with Fried Rice was an easy match for the savoury and dark fruits of the Pinot Noir and the subtle exotic spices in the wine added to the flavours of the sesame coating and slightly creamy sauce on the pork.

The wine matching across the range of foods worked very well, proving the versatility of Pinot Gris with a wide range of Chinese foods, and the lighter more elegant style of Pinot Noir allowing the flavours of the pork dish to marry with the wine. Thanks to David Lim – food and Beverage Director at The Pines for arranging this wonderful event.

A new dimension for BYO

administrator — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:19:55 +0000

Curtis Marsh – The Wandering Palate of Singapore – had some friends join him at a local hawker centre in Singapore after his Sunday afternoon birthday bash. His coment was;

Gewurztraminer makes a great fit with Mutton Curry

“BYO takes on a different dimension when you’re in Singapore and craving hawker stall food, bringing your own glasses (Riedel of course) as well as the wine! Indeed, some of the very best, wholesome local food is to be had at the Adam Food Court, particularly the Mutton Curry, a hedonistically rich and spicy dish that paired brilliantly with the Misha’s Vineyard Gewürztraminer”.

Curtis Marsh, The Wandering Palate

Dean Wilkinson’s Match of the Month

administrator — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:05:57 +0000

Dean is a chef based in Sydney, Australia. His chef roles in restaurants such as The Bathers Pavilion, Glass, Ripples at Chowder Bay, Four Villages and other restaurants has given him experience in selecting the right wines to suit a range of cuisines from delicate seafood to powerful red meat dishes. “Selecting the right wine compliments the efforts put into a dish by the chefs in the kitchen” says Dean. ” Wine should enhance the dining experience, highlighting the individual or combination of flavours that have been selected to create a unique taste sensation”.

November’s Match of the month
It never ceases to amaze me the strong nostalgia that is associated with the memory of a satisfyingly good meal. One can remember exactly what they ate, where they ate it, whom they were with, why they were there & what delightful beverages were on hand to wash it all down.

A man very close to my heart recently took one of those nostalgic journeys midway through a conversation about all things food & wine. Many moons ago (I won’t discuss how many), this New Zealand national crossed the ditch and fell into life as a Jackeroo, living and working in the Australian outback, spending long hot, dry and dusty days in the saddle tending to the land, mending fences and the keeper of thousands of livestock. You can just imagine the hunger and thirst a day of hard yakka in the harsh Australian sun could conger, and the camp cook who fed the jackaroos and jillaroos definitely had his work cut out for him.

One perk with this line of work, was that fresh meat was a very ready resource, with many different cuts of the beast at the cooks disposal. A particular favourite memory for this Jackeroo is a shoulder of lamb that would be submerged in brine and cooked slowly for many hours over a campfire until the flesh could no longer contain itself and fell willingly from the bone. “The only thing missing though was a good drop of wine to wash it down…”

So many years on, after a long global career in the IT sector, this ex Jackeroo along with his wife felt the call of the land once more and set about fulfilling a shared dream of producing top quality wine. That dream is today, very much a reality and Misha’s Vineyard is in the throws of releasing their first full vintage of wines with the flagship of the portfolio their “The High Note“ Pinot Noir.
This wine with its aromas of blackberry and red fruits would have been a heavenly match with that shoulder of lamb so here is my recipe and guidance for braised shoulder of lamb to be enjoyed with a bottle or two of Misha’s Vineyard ”The Hight Note“ Pinot Noir.

BRAISED SHOULDER OF LAMB
With french beans, sautéed mushrooms, crushed rosemary potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
Feeds 4-5 hungry Jackaroos/Jillaroos

1 Shoulder of Lamb (approx 2 kilo’s with bone remove)
4 litres Veal Stock (and 500ml of *demi-glaze)
500 ml Red Wine (A cheap merlot or cabernet is fine. Leave the good stuff for drinking)
200 grams Tomato Paste
4 Eschalots (or small brown onions left whole)
1 Stick of Celery
1 Carrot (peeled and left whole)
200 grams Portabello Mushrooms
400 grams Green Beans
8 New Potatoes (small to medium)
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
1 bunch Rosemary
½ bunch Thyme
½ tsp White Peppercorns
½ tsp Sea Salt
100ml Olive Oil

Before you start it is important to know that the secret to a good braise is the love and flavour you put into the braising liquor. The shoulder will be a sponge for all the goodness you put in. Also take note that this is a long process that could take up to 4 hours depending on the size of the shoulder so if its for a dinner party give yourself plenty of time or do it the day before.
EVERYTHING DONE IN THIS RECIPE IS SLOW AND LOW!

METHOD:

To start, pour yourself a glass of pinot and throw on an apron. It has been said “that you should always cook with wine, and occasionally add it to food…”

If cooking in a roasting pan, preheat oven to 150 degrees C.

Place a roasting pan or large heavy based pot on a low heat on the top of the stove. It should be able to hold enough love juice (braising liquor) to fully submerge the shoulder.
Pour In half the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Season the fat of the shoulder with a good wack of sea salt and place skin side down in the base of the pan/pot. Let this cook for 10 mins or so to render (melt) down the fat. Take care to check that the temperature is low and the skin browns, but does not burn. Once the skin is bordering on the crispy side remove the shoulder and set aside.

Add the rest of the olive oil, onions, carrot, celery & garlic on a low heat and slowly brown the vegetables. Once they have a nice tan on them crank up the heat a little to a medium heat, add the tomato paste and continue to stir. Tomato paste has a high sugar content so it will want to stick and burn. Don’t let it win!!

After 3-5 minutes pour in the wine and keep stirring for a further 3-5 minutes so the wine and the tomato paste become good friends. Let simmer for 5 minutes or so to let the alcohol burn off then add the stock (and demi-glaze* if you have it), the bay leaf, white peppercorns & mushrooms.

Once the braising liquor has come to the boil put in the shoulder skin side up. If you need more liquid, flick the kettle on and top up the pot with hot water.

If you are going to cook it on top of the stove adjust the heat so the braising liquor is bubbling slightly. Like it wants to start to boil but you wont allow it. Cover with a lid or aluminium foil and check every half hour.
If you are cooking it in the oven 150 degrees should be about right but all ovens are different so check after the first 15mins and adjust if necessary.

At about the 3hour mark throw in half the rosemary & the thyme and after another half hour, check the meat. As the Jackeroo tells me, “if you can carve it with a fork it’s done”.

Place the potatoes (skin on) in salted cold water and bring to the boil, then turn temperature down to medium. When the potatoes are just cooked through, remove from water. Lightly crush the potatoes with a fork and toss with chopped rosemary and a little salt & pepper.

TO SERVE:
Strain 1 litre of the braising liquor into a small pot and reduce by 1/5 to make a sauce.
Remove the shoulder very carefully, place on a chopping board and carve into 4-5 pieces.
In a hot pan, drizzle a good amount of olive oil, toss in the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 mins. Add crushed potatoes and sauté for another 3 mins.
Blanch greens beans in hot salted water.

Place a hefty spoon of mushroom & potato on the plate, slide a chunk of the shoulder on the top, let the green beans cuddle up on the side and drizzle with sauce.

Kia mākona!!

NOTES:
*Demi-glaze is a greatly reduced stock that is quite rich. Some butchers carry it so ask around. It really lifts your braising liquor but it’s not mandatory.

Welcome to Misha’s Vineyard

administrator — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:01:38 +0000

Introduction to Misha’s Vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand