Supporters help Craggy Range celebrate

WORLD OF WINE: Terry Peabody leads an introduction to wine tasting as part of a Craggy Range club member day.

Craggy Range paid tribute to 300 of its most loyal supporters with a 'Deep Purple Club Day', held at the winery on Saturday.

Guests flew in from across New Zealand and Australia to be hosted by the Peabody family for an event celebrating the brand and some of the people who have made it so successful.

"We were delighted by the turnout, it was great to see so many club members here at Craggy Range," owner Terry Peabody said.

"It has always been our dream to have people care as much about this wine as we do and to be able to share our vision and our stories with them."

The event was loosely modelled on an annual wine "festival" held by acclaimed Napa Valley producer Joseph Phelps. It aimed to "capture the spirit of Craggy Range" while rewarding club members with a truly memorable day and VIP experience.

The programme for the day included a number of "stations" featuring different Craggy Range wines and matching food. Among them was a riesling which was matched with a vodka cured salmon grissini and several vintages of 'Le Sol' syrah matched with a spiced venison skewer.

Entertainment included a local kapa haka group, a string quartet and the Bay City Stompers.

Workshops were also held including a tasting of Craggy Range's first Prestige collection, a cooking demonstration with chef David Griffiths and a food and wine matching masterclass with Mary-Jeanne Peabody.

The day was also used as a chance to preview some of the 2009 Prestige Collection wines which won't be released until June.