No.1 News and Updates

Here at No.1 Family Estate, we believe that our Methode Traditionelle Wines are wines for all seasons…

So whether you’re just approaching summer in the Northern Hemisphere, or winter in the Southern Hemisphere, there’s no excuse not to enjoy a glass or two of bubbles.

Although Methode Traditionelle wines are often served on their own as an aperitif, we’ll let you into a little secret… They are food-pairing champions. What may differ from season to season is the food you choose to serve alongside your No.1 Family Estate wines.

Here are a few suggestions for seasonal menu inspiration…

Celebrate the best moments of summer by sipping your bubbly with lighter dishes.

Oysters and No.1 Cuveé are a match made in heaven!
Smoked salmon, served with brown bread and butter. Simple yet delightfully satisfying.
Fresh Dover Sole with buttery potatoes and fresh peas, will become even more tantalising for your taste buds when served with No.1 Assemblé.
Ripe strawberries become deliciously hedonistic with a glass of No.1 Rosé. Now sit back and enjoy Wimbledon!
Choose desserts that aren’t too sweet, a delicious Lemon Posset is a family favourite. An alternative might be a berry filled summer pudding.

Enjoy the cooler months by pairing No.1 wines with comforting winter foods...

Hibernate on a winter’s evening, with fish and chips picked up from the local takeaway.
Serve any combination of terrines, pâtés and ham, add some warm breads and crackers, but don’t forget the bubbles!
What could be more comforting than a winter roast? Choose lamb and pair it with No.1 Rosé.
Delight your guests with a winter cheese board, choose hard nutty cheeses, such as Gruyere or Comté. Or a beautiful creamy cheese, like Délice.
A warming seafood chowder served with a crisp glass of No.1 Cuvee is perfect as a lunchtime treat or light supper.

Now all you need is your wine!

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, here at No.1 Family Estate we don’t think that bubbles need to be reserved for a special occasion. We tend to concur with Madam Lily Bollinger, who 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.”

That said, a bottle of bubbles is often the best way to get a celebration started! If you’re throwing a party and really want to make your first bottle memorable why not make it a Magnum!

Nothing sets a festive atmosphere like a giant bottle being opened and poured!
Investing in a Magnum ensures that when your guests, friends and family drink their first glass from the same bottle, your celebration becomes a truly shared experience.
It is often easier serving wines at a dinner party or function from a Magnum.
You can expect to get around 12 glasses of wine from a Magnum.
Don’t forget that a Magnum makes a fabulous gift for somebody special.
A Magnum is not the largest format wine bottle you can get; The Melchizedek, which is named for a king & priest in the Book of Genesis, is the equivalent of 40 standard bottles of bubbly. However, go any larger than a Magnum and pouring could become a team event… That’s why we recommend the Magnum for your celebration.

Our No.1 Reserve is available in very limited numbers as a Magnum, and presented in a wooden box.

Drinking a glass of bubbles may seem a straightforward undertaking, after all the only steps you need to follow are open, pour and sip… Isn’t that so?

Here at No.1 Family Estate, in essence we’d agree… Drinking a glass of our wine should be a simple pleasure and we don’t want to complicate that… But, as it happens, there are a few things you could be doing to ensure you get the best from your bottle of bubbles. Here’s a list of three of those:

1. Raise your glass – Vintage shaped coupe glasses have had a popular resurgence of late, but you could be forgoing taste and experience for aesthetics… The extra-wide mouth overexposes your wine to air, which means the bubbles to escape too quickly and you won’t enjoy all of its aromas. At No.1 Family Estate we serve our Méthode Traditionelle wines from a flute. The design of the long stemmed flute enhances the flow of bubbles to the crown and concentrates the aromas of the wine. We believe that there’s nothing more enjoyable than watching the long stream of tiny bubbles rise like a string of beads, funneling the flavour and bouquet to explode joyfully at the top of the glass.

2. Keep your cool – Chill your bottle of bubbles to optimum temperature. Serving temperature is very much based around personal preference. It certainly shouldn’t be warm, but don’t over chill or you may miss delicate flavours and aromas. A great method of chilling is to fill an ice bucket with a mixture of cold water and ice cubes and leave your bottle to sit for ten to fifteen minutes.

3. Take with food – Whilst it’s no secret that bubbles make a delicious apéritif, 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. We have taken part in and held dégustation dinners where bubbles are served with every course… What a joy! Another misconception is that bubbles should be served with fancy food… Not true. Some might say there is no greater pleasure than fish and chips served with a glass of  No.1 Cuvée!

Here at No. 1 Family Estate, as our name suggests, we believe family are tremendously important!

The day is fast approaching where we celebrate the family member who is often the emotional backbone of the entire household, It’s Mother’s Day in New Zealand on May 8th, just a couple of weeks away.

It’s a great occasion to take the opportunity to treat somebody that you think is a top Mum… This may of course be the person you call Mum, but it might be your Nana, your sister, your wife or partner, or a friend that you think is doing a great job cherishing and nurturing their family.

If we wrote a job description for the post of Mum, it would be pages long, a mother is always busy putting others first, so on Mother’s Day why not treat your top Mum to a day putting her feet up, and prepare a special treat for her…

Breakfast in Bed –Smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, served on a tray with a fresh flower and a glass of No.1 Assemblé… A sparkling start to a celebratory day!
Lovingly prepared lunch  – Make the Sunday lunch for Mum. How about roast lamb? This pairs perfectly with No. 1 Rosé. Dry, yet fresh and elegant, No. 1 Rosé leaves a lasting impression of opulence and splendour, and can definitely hold it’s own as a main meal accompaniment.
A tea full of treats – There’s something deliciously decadent about a traditional afternoon tea… Finger sandwiches filled with cucumber and smoked salmon, scones with jam and cream and cake! Serve this classic tea with classic bubbles, Cuvée No. 1.

However, you choose to spoil Mum we wish you all a marvellous day and remember, we can deliver a special gift to your special mum!

Here at No.1 Family Estate we’re thrilled that No. 1 Reserve and No.1 Assemblé are included on the wine list at Blenheim’s newest restaurant, Made in Aotearoa, or MIA.

 This unique restaurant offers a cellar door experience in central Blenheim. So if you’re visiting on a quick business trip and don’t have time to venture to our cellar door (although we hope you do!), this restaurant is for you!

 Located in one of Marlborough’s oldest buildings at 14 Scott Street, the restaurant has a casual bar area for pre-dinner drinks, local brews and hand crafted cocktails along with a wine cellar. Owner and manager Jetti is passionate about hospitality and service, so you’ll find the service is professional and friendly, creating a relaxed and sophisticated dining experience.

 The menu at MIA features freshly sourced local food with a European twist. The menu constantly evolves reflecting seasonality, innovation and a creative approach to modern New Zealand cuisine. Tempura battered Coroislles Oysters pair perfectly with No.1 Assemblé.

We can’t recommend this new restaurant highly enough!

Visit the website HERE, or give them a thumbs up on FACEBOOK!

With less than two weeks to go until The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, New Zealand’s original and longest running wine festival, (Saturday 13th February), we’re thrilled to be part of the Méthode Marlborough Sparkling Master Class.

We are proud to be part of Méthode Marlborough, a society of ten highly regarded Marlborough producers; established in 2013 with the aim of communicating the quality and heritage of Marlborough traditional method sparkling wines.

All “Méthode Marlborough” wines are made in the traditional method which means the second fermentation is in the bottle, followed by the intricate riddling and disgorging process. This produces the finest and most persistent bead. Additionally, all these wines are aged for a minimum of 18 months before disgorging takes place. This allows complex flavours to develop, balancing fresh and fruit driven character with savoury notes of toast and brioche.

Méthode Marlborough is dedicated to promoting wines made only from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. This trio of varieties is internationally recognised as a benchmark style by sparkling wine producers all around the world.

What better way to kick-start your Festival than with a glass of celebratory bubbles? In this 60 minute Master Class (running fro 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.) you will have the rare opportunity to not only hear first-hand from some of the producers themselves but also taste wines from all 10 in the group. This is an opportunity not to be missed!

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.

We have beautiful “Two of One” gift boxes, choose from

Two bottles of Cuvée No. 1 or
One bottle of Cuvée No. 1 plus one bottle of No 1 Rosé

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.

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 thirteen fabulous restaurants.

The French Café – Auckland
Annabelles Restaurant – Auckland
Ortega Fish Shack & Bar – Wellington
Dockside Restaurant & Bar – Wellington
MIA Dining & Wine Cellar – Blenheim
Raupo Riverside Cafe – Blenheim
The Boat Shed Cafe – Nelson or Mapua
Urban Oyster Bar & Eatery – Nelson
Saggio Di Vino – Christchurch

Summertime brings with it a renewed energy and eager playfulness. It give us the perfect reason to slow down, take a break, and refocus our energy on the things that matter most in life – adventure, rest, relaxation, and of course refreshing summer bubbles. Whether you’re poolside, beachside, or mountainside, a glass of bubbles (or two) is sure to help you restore your inner zen.

We often gauge the turning of the seasons by which drinks we desire, and a yearning for bubbles is as accurate as any calendar for telling us it’s summer. It’s the time for festive celebrations, and casual impromptu gatherings with friends and family, wherever the mood takes you. Day or night, at home or a welcome invitation, bubbles is simply perfect anywhere and anytime.

Here are 3 reasons why you should always have a bottle of bubbles at hand!

Popping a cork to toast an occasion with an elegant fizzing glass of bubbles is a traditional way to celebrate all around the world, (although you know our mantra… Don’t save it for the celebrations). Nothing captures joy and exuberance more aptly. Hot summer days and balmy evenings are reason enough to celebrate the abundance of a perfect Kiwi summer.
Fresh, crisp and elegant, this versatile great classic tickles the tongue like stars exploding on the tastebuds. Perfect for an aperitif or throughout the evening, it can be savoured on its own or with delicious summer food pairings. Every sip provides an effervescent bouquet of freshly-picked berry fruits.
Why not surprise your host with bubbles instead of wine, and spoil them with its depth and sophistication. With its light body and tiny ethereal bubbles, it provides a little instant luxury, making it just perfect for sharing.

There is so much fabulous summertime joy that can be enhanced by bubbles, they truly are ready for any kind of party.

A Happy New Year to all of you!

If there’s one celebration that’s sure to get the corks popping it’s the start of a brand new year, we hope you celebrated well and enjoyed your evening, wherever you were.

It’s a traditional time of year to make resolutions, so we thought we’d share a few that we think could make 2016 a truly sparkling affair…

Try something new – You could go sky-diving or book a bungy jump, but if you’re not the adventurous type we have just the thing! Our newest release, 70 Caliber, this wine celebrates our founder and winemaker Daniel Le Brun on the occasion of his 70th birthday (late 2015) and 35th year pioneering Methode Traditionelle in Marlborough.
Be more romantic – Get a head start on Cupid, don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to show your significant other how much you care. A touch of romance can give your health and well-being a delicious boost… A loving relationship can bolster your immune system, a simple hug can keep you and your loved one stress free! A bottle of bubbly is the perfect way to say “I love you” at anytime of year, and it doesn’t  get anymore romantic than No 1 Rosé.
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.
Celebrate more – Enough said. Life is full of celebration, but we don’t always recognise them; that said…
Don’t save the bubbles for celebrations – Heed the wise words of Madam Lily Bollinger…..

“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.”

Here at No.1 Family Estate, we love producing extraordinary wines, and nothing makes them more special than when they mark a unique occasion.

That’s why we’re proud to introduce two new releases to you.

Cuvée Virginie 2009

Vintage Méthode Traditionelle

Daniel produces a vintage blend in only those years he considers to be outstanding in quality. Cuvée Virginie is blended from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir and crafted especially by Daniel as a proud tribute to his daughter Virginie. Over four years on lees has produced a Méthode Traditionelle displaying many dimensions, it is well-rounded and has good yeast autolysis, a hallmark of this winemaker’s well-known style.

Read More & Purchase HERE

70 Calibre

This exclusive release celebrates our founder and winemaker Daniel Le Brun on the occasion of his 70th birthday and 35th year pioneering Méthode Traditionelle in Marlborough.

70 Calibre is a tribute to this Champagne maker who left his home and heritage in Champagne, France, with a vision of Marlborough becoming a world class Méthode Traditionelle region.

30 months on lees, this blend is Pinot Noir predominant, a Blanc de Noirs, carefully blended in secret from our reserve base wines. Zero dosage is the mark of full development and autolysis, requiring no enhancement.

Read More & Purchase HERE