Our cardholder draw this month is a personal wine experience with james from Starborough wine - buy any bottle of Starborough wine in March to go in the draw!

Starborough wines is a 100% family owned and run Estate, James and Andrew Jones share the task of caring for the land and soils from bud to bottle.

Starborough is fortunate to have family owned vineyards in both the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. Although both valley’s are located in Marlborough they each have differences in soil and climate forming their own unique characteristic fruit flavours.

One lucky Moore Wilson's cardholder will win an overnight stay for two people in the beautiful Marlborough region, including flights, vineyard and winery tour, an afternoon exploring the Marlborough Sounds with James, and a nights accommodation hosted by Starborough.

Itinerary:

• Return Flights and accommodation in Marlborough
• Fly to Blenheim in the morning
• Spend the morning with James Jones touring the Vineyards and Winery (including barrel tasting)
• Travel to the Marlborough Sounds with James for lunch on the water (weather permitting), or at the Bach.
• An afternoon fishing on the boat before heading back to the bach for dinner and Starborough wine.
• Stay the night in the bach hosted by James
• The next morning have breakfast then travel back to Blenheim for the return flight to Wellington

The prize needs to be taken at a mutually agreed time (as the weather in the Sounds can be pretty nasty in winter). Expiry date December 2021.

Buy any bottle of Starborough wine in March to enter and don't forget your Moore Wilson's card - it's key to entering any of our in store prize draws and giveaways!

Recipe shared by Brigid O'Flaherty
for Moore Wilson's 2021 Calendar

Milk Crate
Ghuznee Street, Te Aro
Milkcrate.co.nz

Recipe shared by Frank De Roose
for Moore Wilson's 2021 Calendar

The Lido Cafe
Victoria Street, Te Aro Lido.cafe

Mahi Wines

The Mahi winery is nestled into the escarpment that goes down a decent length of the Wairau Valley in Marlborough, with two caves going back into the earth to keep the barrels and winery cool.

Started in 2001 by Brian and Nicola Bicknell after they had made wine in various countries the idea was to show the diversity and depth of Marlborough by combining traditional hands-off winemaking techniques with some special vineyards.

Using a lot of hand-picking, whole cluster pressing, seasoned French barrels and natural yeast ferments the aim is to mess with the wines as little as possible so that the vineyards are the heroes.

An example would be the Mahi Chardonnay in which all the fruit from three vineyards is hand-picked before going over the sorting table at the winery. The whole bunches are then put into the press so that the juice does not sit with the skins and this juice goes straight to barrel with high solids, they do not let the juice settle. It is then left to sit and after about eight days the natural yeast from the vineyard do the ferment, adding depth, complexity and texture to the wine. After 11 months the wine is carefully blended and as it has been handled so gently no protein finings are used, so all of their whites are suitable for vegans. The wines are held for six months in bottle so that they are integrated and ready to drink on release.

The Sauvignon Blanc is complex with a small amount of Semillon, 39% wild yeast, 20% barrel and it rests for nine months on yeast lees, again adding texture and length. Made with love it is totally dry and vegan friendly, a Sauvignon with character.

Very much a family company with Max, Nicola and Brian’s son, returning soon after Covid hit from a winery in New York to help in the winery and the markets.

Lewis Farms

Lewis Farms strawberries are grown lovingly in the Horowhenua by Cam and Catherine Lewis. Bounded by the mighty Tararua Ranges to the east and the Tasman Sea to the west, the location of Lewis Farms and the corresponding temperate climate is what sets their produce apart from the rest.

They grow their strawberries in poly-tunnels utilising hydroponic technology, this provides an extended growing season from September to  May – with a small amount into the Winter months. They pick their strawberries daily to ensure they are perfectly ripe with superior flavour.

Their strawberries have a very sweet and intense flavour profile. They grow varieties specifically suited for tunnels and use a carefully tailored fertiliser and organic seaweed programme designed to give the plants precisely what they require for fruiting.

Lewis Farms is also the home of Tendertips Asparagus, which is sold in Moore Wilson's Fresh Markets when in season.

You will find Lewis Farms strawberries in all Fresh Markets.