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Farm to table fabulous at the farm at cape kidnappers

9/26/2018

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Have you ever stayed at a hotel or resort and immediately felt at home?  It doesn’t happen often, but I’m still feeling the warm glow from my recent stay at the Farm at Cape Kidnappers located in Napier on the North Island of New Zealand.  I’ve racked my brain trying to find anything that I didn’t like about it, but nope I’ve got nothing! It’s a very special place where you will be made to feel like family the moment you set foot on their 6,000 acre property.
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Cape Kidnappers Main Lodge. Ⓒ Vita Vino Travel
During my stay I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend some one on one time with their Sous Chef Davey Howarth.   Your stay at the Farm at Cape Kidnappers includes a cocktail hour with canapes & dinner nightly. Whether you choose to dine in the Snug, the Library, the Main dining room or even your suite it is an experience for your taste buds & not to be missed.
Davey explained to me that each day the menu is created around what is fresh from their garden or sourced locally from Hawke’s Bay.   The food can be described as modern contemporary with an asian flair, but do not mistake that to mean asian food. You may find some fresh bok choy on your plate, but you will also find delicious local seafood and meats that represent the best of Kiwi cuisine.   It’s impressive enough that each day the menu is rewritten, but they also cater to each guests needs whether they be food allergies or just foods you don’t enjoy eating. That could mean many, many different nightly menus yet they do it all with great care and a smile.  I definitely challenged them on that with my own food aversions, but they couldn’t have handled it better.

Davey was kind enough to give me a personal tour of their vegetable garden which always has fresh, seasonal options popping up.  I was able to taste several different herbs I had never tried before and helped pick some edible flowers that showed up on my dinner plate & breakfast the next morning. How cool is that?!
The food at the Farm at Cape Kidnappers is nothing short of fabulous!  Oh and did I mention the wine? They have their own wine cellar which is available for private tastings or dinners if you’re traveling with a group.   I was also lucky to enjoy a private tasting with restaurant manager John Logan. My personal favorite was the 2013 Craggy Range Te Kahu. Yes, I am a very lucky girl!  

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers lives to please their guests whether that be through the food, wine, accommodations, or any special requests.  If they can make it happen for you they certainly will. I truly cannot say enough good things about my stay here. I will be recommending this amazing property for all my clients and I cannot wait to return myself in the future.

Cheers to the Farm at Cape Kidnappers!   

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Cape Kidnappers. Ⓒ Vita Vino Travel
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Sipping your way around hawke's bay

8/7/2018

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Is there anything more fun for wine lovers than a fabulous day out wine tasting?  Now imagine doing that in one of the most beautiful areas of New Zealand. That’s taking it to a whole other level!  
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Ⓒ Vita Vino Travel. Oak Estates Chardonnay Vines.
PictureⒸ Vita Vino Travel. Church Road Winery.
Hawke’s Bay sits on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island.  It’s warm, dry climate is perfect for producing award winning, full-bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, & Merlot.  Never fear white wine lovers as you’ll also find great Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, & Rosé here too.  Hawke’s Bay is the starting point of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail. I recently had the opportunity to take a full day wine tour and it was everything I could have hoped for in a great wine tour.
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My full day tour included visits to 6 different cellar doors, a plated lunch, and ended with a tasting platter.  Yes, you read that correctly.  6 wineries!  How did I manage to visit 6 wineries & still be standing at the end?  We’ll get to that later.

My tour began with a complimentary hotel pick up.  Our schedule for the day included stops at Moana Park, Church Road, Mission Estate (including lunch), Te Awa, Sileni Estates, & Oak Estate (including a tasting platter).  Each winery was unique in their own right. Some were boutique & offered vegan wines (Moana Park).  Some were quite large & offered interesting insights into how wine is produced (Church Road).  Church Road has a very interesting wine museum which I recommend you include on a visit there even if you go on your own outside of an organized tour.  You’ll even get to taste some wine straight out of the barrel.  It may look a little scary, but it tastes good! Oak Estate is owned by a husband & wife tag team who not only make the wine, but they also make all of their own food.  Their freshly baked bread with burnt butter was to die for!  Trust me on this.
PictureⒸ Vita Vino Travel. Oak Estate tasting platter.


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​Food is a big component of the full day tour & as with all the food in New Zealand you will find it be be incredibly fresh, locally sourced, & delicious!   If you’re doing a full day tour it’s important to make sure there is a food element included. You’ll need something in your stomach to absorb the alcohol.  As I mentioned Oak Estate makes all of their own food. This was probably one of the best tasting platters I have ever eaten. A thing of beauty!


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One thing I have learned about wine is it’s very subjective & personal.  I am not a wine expert.  Wine lover, yes. Wine expert, no.  I definitely had my favorite wineries, but my palate & preferences are unique to me as yours are to you.  I’m not going to single out my favorites.  All I will say is they all offered a great atmosphere, great tasting room staff, & great wine.  You should plan a visit Hawke’s Bay & decide for yourself!  I highly recommend doing an organized tour.  Yes, you can do it on your own, but you’ll need to have a designated driver.  New Zealand has very strict drunk driving laws.  Just don’t do it.  Plan to go on an organized tour so you & everyone in your party can fully enjoy the day.​
PictureⒸ Vita Vino Travel. Te Awa vineyards.
​Now back to how to properly enjoy a visit to 6 wineries & still walk away sober.  Most tasting will be anywhere between 3-6 different wines.  Now multiply that by 6 stops.  That is a lot of wine!  So what do you do?  Use the spittoon!  That is what it’s there for.  Every tasting room will have a spittoon out or will instruct you on where to spit or dump.  It’s not poor form or an insult to the winemaker to sip & dump.  Not every wine will be to your taste & that’s ok.  Finish the ones you love, but dump the rest after taking a small tasting sip or two.  Pace yourself & you will still be able to enjoy what you’re tasting by the time you get to your final pour. This picture was taken very close to the end of the day.  Still sober! ​

I thoroughly enjoyed sipping my way around Hawke’s Bay.  Although I did visit 6 wineries I barely scratched the surface of fabulous cellar doors open for tastings.  I can’t wait to return again to try them all!
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Cheers!

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    Julie Sullivan

    As the owner of Vita Vino Travel my mission is to ensure your vacation is seamless & perfect for you!  You're unique.  Your vacation should be too.  The world was meant to be explored so get out there & explore it one sip at a time!  Cheers!

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