The cocktail hour interior entrance was surrounded by romantic and sultry, beige fabric, that hung from the ceiling and kept the dinner seating a surprise from the guests, until it was time to be seated. The service was quite the grand entrance as well, with servers in two rows across each other, holding silver trays with delicious hors d’oeuvres and wine, and a path for mingling in between.
The breathtaking long dinner table looked about 20 yards long, and the immersive Earthy environment around the table, transported us to New Zealand (where Cloudy Bay originates from), thanks to the huge display of marine-based plants, and a soothing ASMR soundtrack of birds chirping throughout the whole dinner experience. The gorgeous and elegant seating arrangements had personalized name tags and white peonies, alongside the menu (made out of plantable seed paper that says “make me grow”) rundown, which included a specific wine pairing for each artistic course.
The Dinner was hosted By Senior Winemaker Nikoli St George, who flew in solely for the special celebratory evening, and introduced us to the smooth wines we would be tasting. Chef Yann Nury created the delicious following course-menu: For the Amuse Bouche, Bluff Oysters paired with Cloudy Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc 2021; for the First Course, New Zealand Crayfish paired with Cloudy Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc 2022, and Cloudy Bay’s Te Koko 2020; for the Main Course, Lamb and Leeks paired with Cloudy Bay’s Te Wahi 2018, and for the Dessert, Fig and Thyme.
