No.1 News and Updates

It’s that time of year again the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival takes place on Saturday 11th February, and we’ll be there to help your day sparkle!

We’re as delighted to be involved in this iconic Marlborough event this year, as we were to be asked to the very first one back in the 1980s by Ernie Hunter. We’ve had a lot of fun over our years at the festival, with themed stands from Putting on the Ritz to an occasion where we marked the bicentennial of the French Revolution, guillotine and all! You’ll have to visit us at the event, if you want to know what Remy has planned this year, but we can confirm there will be fun, frivolity and fizz!

The event garners a great sense of occasion and we’ve been thrilled to help our No.1 fans make their own traditions over the Wine Festival weekend. This year will be the twenty fifth anniversary that one group of special ladies, “The Girls on Tour”, have been attending the event, and we always look forward to welcoming them not just to our stand on the day, but also to our cellar door on the Sunday. The Girls on Tour inject some real glamour to the event as they all take on Hollywood names for the weekend… Last year Adele was made an honorary GOT as Lady Penelope! And yes she has the t-shirt to prove it!

If you’re visiting the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival here are our top 5 tips to ensure you have a corking time!

• Don’t forget the sunscreen – The weather gods have pretty much always been kind to us, so sunscreen, sunshades and hats are an absolute must!
• Dress to impress – There are some great prizes up for grabs at the Fashion in the Vines competition, so load the Instagram app on your phone and get snapping your sartorial shenanigans. All the details are HERE.
• Cash is King – There are cash facilities on site, but who wants to queue for money, when you could be drinking bubbles?!
• Bring your dancing shoes – With a great line up of live music and Supergroove on the mainstage from 4:30 p.m. we know you’ll want to boogie!
• Make a weekend of it – Be like the Girls on Tour and make the most of your weekend by visiting the cellar door on Sunday. We’d love to see you!

It’s that time of year again… Just under three weeks until that most romantic of day arrives, so we wanted to remind you how easy it is to let us play Cupid. Spoil your No.1 love with bubbles this year.

If your love is a fan of all things classic - No. 1 Cuvée is one of New Zealand's most highly regarded Methode Traditionelle wines. It was the first wine produced by No. 1 Family Estate. It is renowned throughout New Zealand and internationally winning numerous trophies (including IWSC and Winestate), gold medals and five star awards since its release.

For a fresh new love, keep things in the pink with No 1 Rosé, This wine celebrates the superb climate of Marlborough, delicate salmon-pink with a mass of tiny bubbles, the wine offers a seamless balance of subtle cherry and almond hints combined with a fresh acidity. Dry, yet fresh and elegant, this wine leaves a lasting impression of opulence and splendour.

If you want to give a truly wonderful gift that celebrates the longevity of your love for your Valentine, then look no further than a bottle of No.1 Assemblé. A non-vintage brut, Assemblé has spent a minimum of 18 months on lees, encouraging full yeast autolysis, making it an easy-drinking, aperitif style. It is fresh and inviting with sophisticated and typical characters, intense flavours, and a long finish.

Order your wine HERE

We’re so thrilled to play Cupid we’re even running a Facebook promotion at the moment. It’s easy to enter! Simply LIKE US then enter the draw on our Facebook Page and you could win a $150 Voucher from your choice of five fabulous restaurants.

• Little Jimmy - Auckland
• Noble Rot Wine Bar - Wellington
• Gramado's Restaurant & Bar - Blenheim
• FORDS  Restaurant & Bar - Nelson
• Roots Restaurant - Christchurch

ENTER HERE... GOOD LUCK!

Random fact... Did you know that by the second week in January one third of people who made a New Year’s Resolution will have broken it?

So we thought we’d offer you a resolution for 2017 that we feel is attainable… Make 2017 the year you drink more bubbles!

Here are five ways to help you keep that resolution.

• Don’t save it for a celebration – Bubbles are too often saved for a special occasion, but live your life knowing that every day is special, and that there’s always something good to celebrate and you’ll pop a cork more often!  
• Think beyond the canapé – Bubbles are often served as an apéritif but we always think it’s such a shame when they’re reserved solely to tickle the taste buds and stimulate the appetite prior to a fine celebratory lunch or dinner. Our wines, happily hold their own as part of the main attraction or dessert. We often share recipes that will give you super new ideas for serving bubbles, sign up to our newsletter so you don’t miss out.
• Make it a Magnum - No we’re not suggesting you polish this off on your own! But making time for friends is a sure fire way to get the bubbles flowing.
• Don’t dilute it – We know that fancy cocktail bars and classy clubs will serve bubbles with other ingredients. At No.1 Family Estate we suggest you enjoy our wines as they should be enjoyed… On their own!
• Take advice from Madam Lily Bollinger -  Who famously said... “I only drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not in a hurry and drink it when I am, otherwise I never touch the stuff unless I am thirsty.”

Christmas is a time for giving, and often the best Christmas gift you can give is one that you would enjoy receiving yourself, and who doesn't enjoy a glass of bubbles.

If you're still searching for festive inspiration, here's our No.1 Family Estate Christmas gift guide to bubbles.

For your boss... No.1 Cuvée

One of New Zealand’s most highly regarded Methode Traditionelle wines. The wine is 100% chardonnay (blanc de blancs) – A perfect balance between ripe, fresh fruit and toasty yet creamy yeast.  It displays a fine, consistent bead and firm mousse resulting in a complex character. The palate is smooth and seamless with a wonderful balance of acidity, giving a wine of elegance and style.

Your boss will be so impressed we'd be surprised if you didn't get a pay rise next year!

For your bestie... No.1 Rosé

This wine celebrates the superb climate of Marlborough, delicate salmon-pink with a mass of tiny bubbles, the wine offers a seamless balance of subtle cherry and almond hints combined with a fresh acidity. Dry, yet fresh and elegant, this wine leaves a lasting impression of opulence and splendour.

Gift your bestie a girls night in, with a bottle of No 1 Rosé and, of course, your company! Someone has to share that bottle with her...

For the teacher... No.1 Assemblé

It's the end of the school year and time to thank the tutors that have guided and educated your little poppets over the past twelve months.

Give them a fabulous bottle of bubbles for top marks!

For the family - A mixed case

Hint of Pink Case, contains 2 bottles of each of the above wines. You might want to buy it to share with your own family or to give to the family next door, hopefully you'll be invited around to share it!

Here at No.1 Family Estate, we're rather fond of a toast.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without raising a glass to mark the occasion!

We've no doubt that you have your toasts prepared, but just in case you need a little inspiration here are some of our favourites!

• Christmas spent with friends and family is the best gift of all
• A glass of fizzy before we get busy. Health and happiness to all
• May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart. (Inuit Proverb)
• Here’s to us that are here, to you that are there, and the rest of us everywhere. (Rudyard Kipling)
• A Christmas wish... May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten.

Join us on Facebook to share your Christmas Toast!

There’s something that the Danes do even better than Nordic noir crime, and that’s hygge… The concept of hygge (pronounced hooga) is hard to explain, and the word itself defies literal translation, but roughly translates to cosiness.

Hygge is the Danish celebration of simple pleasures, it’s about creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.

We like that the word sounds a bit like hug… And if you’re reading this from New Zealand, some of you will no doubt feel like you could do with a warm embrace in the form of a little hygge in your life, after a challenging time from Mother Nature over the past week or so.

If you’re reading this in the northern hemisphere, you’re entering the season where hygge comes into its own; as colder weather inspires long family lunches and darker evenings spark a longing for at home suppers with friends.

Here at No.1 Family Estate we believe we have one of the perfect ingredients for inspiring a little hygge in your life… Bubbles!

Here’s how to Hygge with No.1 Family Estate…

Add some fresh flowers to your home
Prepare food that’s good to share – You might like to take some inspiration from our last blog post
Light some candles, choose festive scented candles in the northern hemisphere; and if you’re embracing hygge in the southern hemisphere choose floral or fruity aromas to arouse the spring senses.
Gather friends and family close
Open the bubbles!

Buy No.1 Assemblé for easy-drinking hygge.

Buy No. 1 Cuvée for classic hygge.

Some of you may have seen No.1 Family Estate featured on the television show Thirsty Work, just a few weeks ago. Pop back to our Home page to view a snippet.

When the show was being filmed we hosted the delightful, Yvonne Lorkin, for lunch… We thought you might like to give a bubbles inspired lunch at home over the festive season, so here’s what we served…

To Start:

Gravadlax of Salmon served with No.1 Assemblé

For a super simple Gravadlax follow this Jamie Oliver recipe.

Main Course:

Confit Duck with Truffle Potatoes and Blue Cheese, Cos and Chestnuts served with No.1 Rosé

Farro Fresh have a recipe for Confit Duck online here.

Cheese Course:

A mixture of French cheeses served with 70 Calibre

This New Zealand Herald article shares four of the best specialist cheese shops in Auckland. Or visit your local supermarket or deli and search for some imported French cheeses.

To Finish:

Lemon Posset served with No.1 Cuvée

This is known as Adele’s signature dish, and whilst she first took the recipe from a Jo Seagar book, she’s made it so often, she doesn’t need the recipe book these days! 

Now buy your wine!

Hint of Pink Mixed Case
70 Calibre

No.1 Family Estate is proud to have a long association with the Nelson Regional Breast and Gynaecological Cancer Trust.

Formed in June 2010, the trust raises money to benefit breast and gynaecological cancer patients and their families throughout the top of the South Island, including our beautiful Marlborough region.

Because we love supporting the events that raise money for this trust, when we were approached to sponsor the latest fundraising initiative we jumped at the chance; and as many of you who know all of us at the cellar door will attest to, there’s only one thing we love more than a glass of bubbles, and that’s a glass of bubbles with some fashion and retail therapy thrown in!

Please support this great cause and buy your tickets for the Fashion on Morrison Event that takes place on Thursday November 10th.

With your ticket you will receive a complimentary glass of No.1 Family Estate bubbles, a goodie bag, plus plenty of opportunities to win spot prizes. There will be a fashion show, show casing 19 local shops, live music, canapes, a cash bar and dont forget, the charity auction. This is an event you will not want to miss! All proceeds from this event will be donated directly to NRBGCT.

Tickets are available from Morrison Square Centre Management – (above Morrison St Cafe), Cache and the Nelson Mail. You can also private message the event’s Facebook page to reserve yours.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Do you know someone who loves travel and enjoys great wine! Well we’ve found the perfect gift so you don’t have to!

This beautifully written and photographed hard cover “Lonely Planet” guide promises 52 perfect weekends. It introduces the secret gems in well-known regions such as Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Central Otago, Napa, Sonoma, Tuscany, Burgundy and Rioja, and also explores off-the-beaten-path regions in Georgia, Greece and beyond.

Detailed itineraries recommending the most interesting wineries and the best places to stay and eat in 52 wine regions near major cities make this perfect for travel enthusiasts who enjoy wine. Winemakers offer personal insights into what wines to taste and why they’re special and help you to understand a place, its people and their traditions through the wine that is made there. Gorgeous photography, maps and in-the-know authors complete the package.

Turn to page 204 and you’ll discover the No.1 Family Estate entry. One of just eight entries from Marlborough.

Pop in to our cellar door where we have these fabulous books available for sale.

If you’re living in the UK, it’s time to rejoice, September heralded the beginning of England’s native oyster season. Native oysters, which take about 5 years to mature, spawn from May to August, and during this time they’re protected by an act of Parliament. But in the autumn and winter months, native oysters are widely available. Adele will always tell you there is no better match for No. 1 Cuvée than oysters.

If you’re visiting London, check out this article from  The Telegraph, with a list of the best oyster bars in the capital.

This article has a list of restaurants around the UK from Whitby to Falmouth, where you can also enjoy this seafood delicacy.

If you’d like to try some at home, visit Simply Oysters to order yours, they offer next day courier delivery to addresses in the UK.

Once you have your beauties at home, we recommend that you serve them “Au Naturel”, the flavour of the oyster is so delicate that they are best served chilled with a squeeze of lemon, a grind of black pepper and a little brown bread.

Of course, it’s absolutely obligatory to serve with a suitable chilled glass of No. 1 Cuvée, order yours from Amathus.