Saint Clair showcased its wines alongside top class cuisine from the Vineyard Kitchen at a special five course degustation lunch earlier this month in aid of Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ’s Blue September fundraising appeal.
Senior winemaker Kyle Thompson hosted the long lunch style event, introducing everyone to Saint Clair, our approach to winemaking and what to look for and think about when pairing wine with food to bring out the best of both.
Guests feasted on a menu that included sesame seared tuna with avocado, mandarin and hoisin paired with Saint Clair Barrique Sauvignon Blanc 2021; allium and date ravioli with spinach, toasted hazelnuts and black garlic paired with Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Chardonnay 2024 and red wine poached beef fillet with potato torte, mushroom jus and beet relish served with Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Pinot Noir 2024.
A silent auction was run alongside the lunch with a fabulous array of items donated by incredibly generous local businesses. Items such as two nights at Bay of Many Coves, a night with degustation dinner at Antria, wheel alignment at Tyreland, Dinner at Oak and Ivy and freshly shucked Marlborough Oysters were eagerly sought and bid on by guests at the Vineyard Kitchen and an incredible $6,100 was raised for Blue September. This placed Saint Clair by far and away number one in the business category for fundraising for the 2026 event, for which we can be very proud!
Huge thanks to all who made the event such a success and to the local business community who gave to the auction so readily.
Lunch guests thoroughly enjoyed the experience, commenting how special it was to enjoy such a delicious meal with outstanding wines and to get real time insights into the wines and the process behind creating them. There was great enthusiasm for another event soon!
