News of Vidal Estate winemaker Hugh Crichton putting another haul of trophies on display in the games room comes at the same time as news that Vidal Estate's restaurant, New Zealand's oldest winery restaurant, has undergone a snazzy, modern makeover.
For decades Vidal Estate has been a fantastic incubator of great winemaking talent, kickstarting the careers of Elise Montgomerie, Kate Radburn, Rod McDonald, Simon Fell, and now Hugh Crichton has the reins and is steering the company to dizzying heights of crafting fine wine.
The Vidal Legacy Series Syrah 2009 won the Champion Syrah trophy at the recent Royal Easter Show and the Vidal Legacy Series Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009 was awarded Champion Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The Legacy Series is a new range of four wines that has taken years of planning and development by Hugh and his team. It represents the absolute epitome of what can be achieved from tiny amounts of exceptional quality fruit from Hawke's Bay.
Both trophy-winning wines have already collected several top awards including three trophies, four gold medals and four five-star ratings between them. So, understandably, the Vidal team are chuffed, and now visitors to the winery can enjoy a glass or two in the salubrious surrounds of what hospitality manager David Hodson describes as "a new lease on life".
Anthony Joseph Vidal journeyed from Spain to New Zealand in 1888. His first 11 years here were spent in Wanganui working for his uncle, Joseph Soler, but Hawke's Bay beckoned and, in 1905, he converted a Hastings racing stable into a winery and set about building a reputation for innovative winemaking that's still going strong over a hundred years later.
In 1976, Sir George Fistonich, owner of Villa Maria Estate, bought the company to reinvigorate the wines and create an all-encompassing wine and food experience at the site.
In 1979, Vidal Estate became New Zealand's first winery restaurant. Growing up in Hastings in the 1980s, I remember Vidal's was always heaving with people enjoying a steakhouse menu. Carpetbag, mignon, they were all there; and the deep-fried camembert was seriously classy to a 12-year-old. Since then it's gone through different guises.
"If you look at what Vidal's has been in the past, for the last couple of years it's been seen more as a 'special occasion place' where you'd come once or twice a year for a birthday or a work function or whatever," says Hodson. "So we needed to change it into more of a bistro-brasserie, user-friendly place, a more casual dining space that people can just pop into."
And popping in they are, whether for Monday night steak and syrah, ribs of beef on the bone for two, Friday night paella or the famous platters "which are basically the most lovely components of our 'small plates' menu".
Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market inspires the new express lunches. Think escabeche of white fish and mussels, zucchini tempura and a peach and tomato salad; steak, chicken thigh or salmon fillet and all manner of scrummy puddings.
"It's a great little lunch menu, which means you can also choose a glass of wine and it'll only cost you around $30."
The chef is Argentinian native Daniel Pistone, who started at Vidal when he arrived in the country six years ago. He then became sous chef at Cape Kidnappers Resort before returning to Vidal Estate as head chef.
The restaurant's makeover is comprehensive. "The back terrace has been completely redesigned. There's a pizza oven and a barbecue there now. I've tripled the seating ... and we've planted loads of gorgeous palm trees and other bits and bobs," enthuses Hodson.
The vines, which famously draped the courtyard ceiling, have been tidied so there's a lot more light. "The back courtyard is just amazing, it's like an urban oasis. and the restaurant has been stripped back and opened up. Remember those huge barrels that used to line the walls? Well we've moved them around, shuffled them off and now we've got a big, bright, summery dining room.
"Apart from a couple of thousand [dollars] on our fabulous pizza oven, there hasn't really been much of an expense," Hodson says.
"We just felt it was time to clean things up, manage things a bit differently and look at the decor with fresh eyes; re-organising and decluttering and brightening things up.
"Another really exciting thing is that we've given our wonderful barrel room space a makeover and upgraded and lengthened the long table which runs through the middle so that now it really is the most magnificent banquet space."
The main restaurant may have had a zhoozh, but fans of the bygone Vidal era will be pleased to know that the old 1970s' carpet in the upstairs room is still tacked to the floor and it's going nowhere.
TOP SIPS
NEUDORF MAGGIES BLOCK NELSON PINOT GRIS 2012, $26
Wow! Intensely spicy, and fragrant with quince paste and frangipane on the nose, the annual release of this pinot gris is something I look forward to every year because Neudorf have pinot gris production down to a fine art. I love the crisp apple and pear flavours, how luscious it feels in the mouth and its ultra-long finish. Superb. www.neudorf.co.nz
ESCARPMENT MARTINBOROUGH CHARDONNAY 2011, $33
Lifted white florals with grainy minerality, delicate, Chablis-like citrus and white peach flavours on the palate. It is incredibly clean, focussed and guarded, restrained on the finish. It's a lovely, lean, dry wine that works wonderfully with goat's cheese. www.escarpment.co.nz
