It's almost duck-hunting season, so that means it's time for premium winery Cloudy Bay's annual Pinot & Duck Tasting Trail, which gets underway next week on May 1. This year sees more than 30 chefs around New Zealand taking part in the event, now in its fourth year. Each chef has created a signature duck dish designed to pair with Cloudy Bay pinot noir, which will be available at a set price per pairing on menus until the end of May — the dish pictured is Duck and Shiitake Pithiviers made by Des Harris for Augustus Bistro, and it comes with a glass of the excellent Te Wahi 2014 for $72.
Cloudy Bay's personable viticulturalist Jim White will also host two exclusive, intimate dinners — at Oyster & Chop at the Viaduct in Auckland on May 3, and at Baretta Bar and Restaurant in Christchurch on May 4. Tickets, $150, are on sale at Oysterandchop.co.nz and Baretta.co.nz/reservations.
PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS
Auckland
Augustus Bistro
Black Cottage
Botswana Butchery Auckland
Euro
Harbourside
Hotel DeBrett
La Fourchette
Monsoon Poon
NSP
Oyster & Chop
Pilkingtons
Sails Restaurant
The Grounds
The Grove
The Pullman Hotel
True Food & Yoga
Vivace
White & Wong
New Plymouth
Social Kitchen
Taupo
The Hilton Lake Taupo
Havelock North
Malo
Wellington
Intercontinental
Monsoon Poon
Christchurch
Bloody Mary's Baretta
King of Snake
Mona Vale
Queenstown
Botswana Butchery
Eichardt's
Pier 19
The Hilton
Dunedin
Bacchus