DIARY DATES

10

23 / On the Rocks Head to Whanganui’s Majestic Square for this boutique spirits festival, showcasing distilleries from around New Zealand with local food and live music. instagram.com/ tastewhanganui

23 / Vegan Vibes

omnivore, vegan, Whether vegetarian you’re or flexitarian, an make products, your performances, way to Mt Maunganui exhibitions for and food, speakers environmental on veganism, issues. sustainability and

facebook.com/

veganvibesnz

23 / Westport Whitebait Festival Live music, cooking demonstrations and competitions, delicious food and a heap of family fun while celebrating the history and culture of whitebaiting on the West Coast. westcoast.co.nz/events/westportwhitebait-festival

23-24 / Culley’s Smoke & Spice Festival

Auckland showcases the very best of BBQ with New Zealand’s best live-fire chefs, artisans, distillers and brewers, plus whiskey masterclasses with Jack Daniels.

culleys.ac-page.com/smokeandspice 24 / First Light Gisborne Wine & Food

Gisborne Spread across three lovely locations (TW Wines, Matawhero Wines and Bridge Estate) here’s a collaboration that brings together 14 different wine varietals, local cuisine and live entertainment.

firstlightwineandfood.co.nz 29-30 / Dunedin Craft Beer & Food

Festival Get along to the Forsyth Barr Stadium for this celebration of local, national and international craft brewing, beverage and culinary heroes. Think your brew is up for the home-brewing competition? dunedinbeerfest.co.nz

30 / Oktoberfest Think traditional Oktoberfest – lederhosen and dirndl, schweinshaxe pork roast, bratwurst sausages, brezels, cheese, a stein band and other traditional and contemporary entertainment, matched with beer, wine, steins, low- and non-alcoholic options – and you have Germany right in Tauranga. wearethemakers.co.nz

30 / New Zealand Brewers Fest Brewery mates from across Aotearoa hang out and do what they love best – talking about beer, serving their world-class beer to happy customers, matching beer with delicious food and chilling out to great sounds. brewtown.co.nz

30 / Christchurch Brewery Festival The first ever beer festival featuring exclusively Christchurch breweries. facebook.com/ events/3957195764390296 30-31 / Better Food Fair It’s Wellington’s turn for the Go Green Expo, which focusses on organic, vegan, paleo, glutenfree and raw food. betterfoodfair.co.nz 11

2-7 / Culinary Cambridge A five-day foodies festival of Waipa region’s food producers, suppliers, chefs, cafés and restaurants, with organic farm tours, cocktail mixology sessions, cooking demonstrations, long lunches, fancy roasts, the finest steak, Belgian-style mussels, Indian, Japanese and Italian food. culinarycambridge.co.nz

5 / Women in Wine Enjoy a four-course dinner from Giada Grilli and Des Harris at FISH at Auckland's Hilton Hotel, while Jane Skilton MW introduces some of New Zealand's leading women winemakers and their highly acclaimed wines – Jen Parr (Valli Wines), Kate Radburnd (Radburnd Cellars), Helen Masters (Ata Rangi Wines) and Claire Allan (Huia Vineyards). Along with live opera with Claire Caldwell of NZ Opera. fishrestaurant.co.nz/women-in-wine 5-14 / Summer F.A.W.C. This summer it’s time to celebrate 10 years of Hawke’s Bay’s F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic, with clever culinary masters, awardwinning winemakers, artisan brewers and fabulous foodies in some of Hawke’s Bay’s most stunning locations. fawc.co.nz 6 / Ōtāhuhu Food Festival An all-day family event with over 100 ethnic food stalls and trucks lining the Great South Road in Ōtāhuhu. foodfestival.co.nz 6-7 / Chocolate & Coffee Festival

Aucklanders can smack their lips with New Zealand’s coffee roasteries, chocolatiers and associated tasty enterprises. chocolatecoffeeshow.co.nz 7 / Festival Italiano The largest Italian festival in New Zealand celebrates la dolce vita in Newmarket. facebook.com/

Festivalitalianonz 7 / Vegan Expo Billed as New Zealand’s culinary equivalent to the Big Day Out, you get to indulge in tasty plant-based food, master culinary secrets from top vege chefs, discover vegan living tips, and shop your heart out with everything cruelty-free. At both Whangarei and Christchurch. veganexpo.co.nz

11 November-18 December / Christmas

in the Caribbean Tauranga's Kitchen Takeover is back with a secret supper event – a six-course degustation of Caribbean delights from Shane Yardley and Rob Forsman with calypso beats for grooving. kitchentakeover.co.nz 13 / The New Zealand Cider Festival

Heaven for cider-seekers, this festival celebrates all things cider. Now at Tomoana Showgrounds in Hastings. nzciderfestival.com

13 / Auckland Fried Chicken Festival If you’re into hot chicken, look no further than the fourth year of this finger-lickin’ festival. foodtruckcollective.co.nz/aklfried-chicken-festival

13 / New Zealand Charcuterie Festival

If you know your salami from your salumi (or are keen to learn), get along to Churly's Brewpub in Auckland for New Zealand's first charcuterie festival celebrating all things cured and meaty. churlys.co.nz 13 / Kumeu Food and Vines Fest As if any excuse were needed, head out west and see what Kumeu and the northwest have to offer by promoting local wineries, breweries, restaurants, produce and arts. aucklandnz.com 13 / Brewday Brewday goes on safari to Palmerston North – great craft beer, cocktails, wine, food and entertainment

in Fly Palmy Arena. brewday.co.nz/ palmerstonnorth 20 / Taste Tasman Nelson’s newest beer, cider and food festival comes to Rutherford Park. Oh, and did we mention

fab music, too? tastetasman.co.nz 20 / Beers in the Park Auckland’s inaugural outdoor Beers in the Park Festival is coming to Victoria Park, showcasing some of the best craft breweries, local wineries, street food and music that NZ has to offer. heartofthecity.co.nz/auckland-events/ beers-park-festival

21 / Toast Martinborough The Wairarapa’s favourite vineyard-crawl event returns with 10 vineyard sites offering wonderful wine, food and music choices throughout the day. All participating vineyards are within an easy stroll of one another, or hop on one of the free buses – it couldn’t be easier. toastmartinborough.co.nz 27 / South Island Beer Festival Held at the historic Ilam Homestead, and with over 30 beers and ciders from craft breweries all over the South Island, the South Island Beer Festival is always a great day out – so what are you waiting for? sibf.nz Note: all details were correct at the time we went to press, but COVID-19 has caused uncertainty and cancellations so we recommend you check details before making plans.

The 2021 Women in Wine NZ Mentoring Programme is underway as 11 women working in the New Zealand wine industry share their experiences and knowledge to mentor 11 other women in the industry. The mentees come from all around New Zealand and work in a wide variety of roles within the industry. “‘Connect, inform, change’ is Women in Wine NZ’S motto,” says Nicky Grandorge, Leadership & Communities Manager at New Zealand Winegrowers and National Co-ordinator of Women in Wine NZ. “The strength of the mentoring programme is that it encapsulates all three.” The 2021 Women in Wine NZ mentors are Lynnette Hudson(tongue in Groove), Jenny Dobson (Jenny Dobson Wines), Julie Bassett (Constellation Brands), Tiffani Graydon (Yealands), Erica Crawford (Loveblock), Julia O’connell (The Booster Wine Group), Lesley Boon (Pernod Ricard), Anna Remond (Delegats), Karin Schoch (Kina Beach), Kerry Stainton-herbert (Stewart Town Vineyard) and Tracy Taylor (Accolade Wines).