MATUA Valley Wine Dinner @ Four Seasons Inagiku

MATUA wines, awarded New Zealand wine producer of the year in 2012 by the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC), based in London are passionate in the  way they make wine. They have a go and try things out and planted the first Sauvignon Blanc in NZ before anyone else.  They created wines that made New Zealand famous and held a wine pairing dinner in Hong Kong Four Seasons' Japanese restaurant Inagiku recently together with the presence of the Sam Glaetzer, Director of New Zealand Wine Production and Brands for Treasury Wine Estates as well as the Matua Senior Winemaker, Nikolai St George.

Since producing New Zealand’s first Sauvignon Blanc over 30 yrs ago, Matua have been pioneers of the New Zealand wine industry. This pioneering spirit and a focus on quality has seen Matua grow from humble beginnings in a tin shed in West Auckland, to become one of New Zealand’s premiere wineries on the global stage. Collective passion and a focus on quality and viticulture have seen Matua collect more accolades and awards in the last 12 months, than in the previous 10 years combined. "The award was a monumental win for the business.We are elated to receive global recognition by the IWSC. It’s a true honour and testamentto the whole Matua team for consistently producing wines of the highest standard and quality,” said Sam.

The Matua Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc's grapes were machine harvested, with the juice being separated from the skins on arrival to the winery through a drainer. The skins were then pressed and the resulting juice re-blended with the free run juice. The juice was cool fermented in stainless steel with various selected yeast strains to enhance the pungent natural aroma. After fermentation the wines were racked off gross lees and allowed to sit on light lees prior to blending and bottling. The fruits are harvested for this wine from a wide range of vineyards this gives a wine which truly reflects Marlborough as a region. The colour is pale straw green and the nose shows tropical citrus fruits with subtle  herbaceous undertones. The crisp fresh palate offers classic Marlborough acidity, structure and length for the palate.

 Urui Vegetable, Wakame Seaweed, Japanese Littleneck, Cooked Shrimp and Dried Grape paired with Matua single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. Sakura Snapper, Red Tuna, Young Yellow tail Sashimi paired with Matua Single Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2011 which has less oak, more fruit with aromas of apple, white peach and roasted cashews. Minerrally fresh and crisp.

Assorted Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura paired with Black grape society Marlborough Pinot which is solely dedicated to producing finest Pinot Noirs. his single minded focus ensures nothing gets in the way of crafting something truly exceptional. It is a showcase of knowledge, passion and dedication that is required to turn one of the most difficult grapes varieties into one of the most exciting wines. The Australian Wagyu Beef Steak Teppanyaki paired with MV Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir which flourishing with youth, this wine is vibrant purple in colour with a complex nose of Satsuma plums and fresh sage intertwined with summer bramble and vanilla pod. The palate is rich and plush, with layers of dark cherry, spice and vanilla. The wine is very structured with well integrated oak supporting ripe tannins.

Vegetable Fried Rice set served with Miso soup and pickles & Pomelo Jelly Dessert

Matua Senior Winemaker, Nikolai St George said he was speechless when he found out the news. “Wine is my passion and my life and I’m so honoured to carry on the tradition started by Bill and Ross Spence nearly 40 years ago. I can’t imagine doing anything else in the world other than making wine, so to be recognised globally as the best New Zealand wine producer feels like I’m in a dream. I am so proud to lead the Matua winemaking team and celebrate this win together,”

2012 is just the second time Matua entered the IWSC competition. “We’re also very pleased to receive a gold medal for our Matua Valley Single Vineyard Matheson Malbec 2009,” added Nikolai. The IWSC is also the only international wine competition that puts all wines through chemical analysis as well as judging by a team of senior tasters. This award completes another amazing year for Matua. In total, Matua has won seven trophies, 19 Gold medals, and 108 medals in local and international wine shows. Across the entire New Zealand portfolio, Treasury Wine Estates has won 32 Gold and 214 medals.