NZ Sommeliers hosted Travel by Glass at NZSFW and Tori’s chose to feature wines from the 1000 kilometers of the Loire River.
NZSFW graduate Tori Haysom enrolled first as a cookery students and followed this by studying the Certificate of Professional Wine Knowledge. She is now Auckland fine wine specialist for Dhall and Nash wines.
Vincent Careme Vouvray 2018
Aphonse Mellot La Moussiere 2020
Domaine de Noire Caractere 2016
Domaine des Pothiers Gamay St Romain, from Cote Roannaise AOC. This clone of Gamay Noir is found in a remote location of the central Loire Valley in the Auverne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Our students, under the guidance of Chef Finn prepared a selection canapés to accompany the wines:
Potato croquettes with remoulade
Goats cheese goujons
Chicken liver parfait, quince puree on crouton
Compote of mushrooms, pickled onion on toast Melba
Smoked Salmon Vol au Vent
Duck confit rolls with mustard mayonnaise and gherkin
Cucumber cases
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#finewine #cooking #winetasting #somm #sommelier #sommlife
Warnings about scams
This Fraud Awareness Week, we’re reminding everyone to stay sharp and look out for the warning signs of scams to stop them before they start.
Here’s what to watch out for:
🔍 Unrealistic offers or promises of easy money that are too good to be true
🔍 Pressure tactics: Scammers may rush or threaten you to act immediately.
🔍 Requests for personal info: Be cautious if you’re asked for bank details, passwords, or sensitive information.
🔍 Unusual payment methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.
🔍 Unverified contacts: Emails, calls, or messages from unknown or suspicious sources.
How to protect yourself:
✅ Stop and think before sharing personal details or making payments.
✅ Don't click on any links until you know that it is safe.
✅ Verify the source: Contact the organisation directly using official channels.
✅ If something’s not right, it's OK to hang up, walk away, ignore it and move on.
If you wish to report a scam, contact Police on 105 or report it online via 105.police.govt.nz/use-105.
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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5% Second half of November
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44.6% 1st December
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16.7% A week before Christmas
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32.4% Whenever you wish
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.