Pegasus Bay Estate, more than just a winery
Pegasus Bay Estate, Waipara Valley, New Zealand
LOCATION
Waipara Valley, New Zealand
VENUE
Winery
TREND
Local Produce
MAPPING
Food and Beverage
Welcome to Pegasus Bay Estate
I had little knowledge of Pegasus Bay Estate before my visit, but with the support of a helpful navigator, I found Pegasus Bay Estate tucked away 54 km north of Christchurch on the South Island, in the heart of the Waipara Valley. Once I arrived it was clear that this winery had more to offer than just wine. It was a wonderful location with beautiful landscaped gardens. The main estate building was surrounded by sprawling lawns and manicured gardens with bean bags, picnic tables and large umbrellas overlooking a lake.
PEGASUS BAY WINERY
263 Stockgrove Road
Gasnevin, 7482
New Zealand
Ph: (64) 3 314 6869
Web: www.pegasusbay.com
A little about the history
The Donaldson family have been immersed in the wine industry since the early 1970s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making. Ivan Donaldson an Associate Professor and Consultant Neurologist became interested in wine when he was given a book simply called - ‘Wine’. With a new keen interest he travelled through Europe exploring all the wine regions. He returned home with plans to plant one of the first vineyards of modern times in Canterbury.
His first vineyard was a hobby with Ivan making wine in the garage at home on the weekends and in- between seeing patients at his private practice. But that is history now as Pegasus Bay Estate has grown into thriving winery in its own right, sharing the limelight with its Mini Deli.
It's not just about the wine, let me tell you about the innovative mini deli!
Pegasus Bay Estate promoted their wine through their cellar door. Open for visitors from Thursday to Monday I was keen to head straight for the cellar door to taste their awarded wines, however once inside I was drawn to explore a little more. Adjacent to the tasting room was the mini deli. Here customers could purchase a range of home made hot meals made with ingredients sourced from local suppliers.
The menu was displayed on a large paper roll strategically placed behind the order counter. An alternative to ordering a hot meal was to create a personalised picnic. This proved to be a wonderful option that brought together good food, good wine, good conversation and a great way to experience new local food and wine trends. The Estate sums up the experience in three words, CREATE, EXPLORE, RELAX.
Step 1: CREATE
Select your favourites or try something new
The mini deli displayed a range of locally sourced artisan products ideal for an antipasto board. The extensive range included various cheeses, dips, pastes, spreads and meats along with chilled juices. Nearby was a selection of crackers and sour dough bread. The deli staff provided wooden boxes and encouraged us to wander through the deli and select our products.
Once we had finally made our choices the deli team took payment; but they went one step further. We were surprised to see them pack all our items into a picnic basket. Along with our purchases we were given ceramic plates, cutlery, sharp knives, chopping boards and a glass of ice for the juice. A really thoughtful touch was a vase of fresh flowers. With the picnic ready to go there was the option to purchase our wine. We ordered some chardonnay and shiraz by the glass.
Step 2: EXPLORE
With the order in hand the next step was to explore the grounds to find the best place to sit
Step 3: RELAX
This was the easy part. We found a shaded picnic table under a grape vine. With our spread all laid out we took the advice and enjoyed our wine, cheese, as we relaxed.
Stephen's Take
I visited Pegasus Bay Estate with the intent to taste some local New Zealand wine. While I did this, I also was treated to an alternative food and beverage service experience. The Mini Deli was an innovative way to serve up cheese and crackers, and make it an experience to remember. What I learnt from this was; there are no boundaries to how we can deliver hospitality. This type of experience was an invaluable way to challenge my way of thinking and identify new ways to present and serve food.
Unit of Competency Mapping
Please note; the purpose of this article is to introduce current hospitality trends. The content broadly applies to the units of competency listed. It is not intended that all content in this article maps directly to all performance evidence and knowledge evidence in the unit of competency.
Teacher Resources
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Article and photos by Stephen Duncan