For the next four weeks, you won’t need to drive to Hawke’s Bay to experience one of New Zealand’s most storied wineries at its most intimate. Church Road has taken up residence at Somm Wine Bar, and is bringing with it a collection of wines you’d ordinarily have to visit the cellar door to taste.
Running from now till 7th June, the Church Road Guest in Residence series transforms Somm into a satellite cellar door for the celebrated Hawke’s Bay producer, with a programme spanning tastings, pop-ups, a limited-release wine flight, and a specially designed set menu. To mark the residency, Somm is giving away an evening worth $500. The winner and up to four guests will experience the Church Road Limited Release wine flight alongside the specially paired set menu. Enter here.
A tasting with the chief winemaker
The headline event is a wine tasting hosted by Church Road Chief Winemaker Chris Scott on Friday, 22nd May. With only four sessions available and each seating just 12 guests, this is about as close as you’ll get to a private audience with one of Hawke’s Bay’s most respected winemakers without being personally invited to the cellar. Tickets are $65 per person plus fees, and given the numbers, waiting is not advisable. Details and tickets are available here.
The limited-release wine flight
For the duration of the residency, Somm is offering a limited-time wine flight drawn from Church Road’s coveted Editions collection. The four-wine flight spans a Blanc de Blancs, a Viognier, a Tempranillo and a Grand Reserve Syrah, covering serious ground from bright precision to rich structure, priced at $40.
Thursday cellar door pop-ups
Every Thursday from 4 pm to 6 pm, Church Road’s cellar door comes to Somm in a more casual format. These drop-in sessions showcase the Editions Collection, a range usually reserved exclusively for visitors to the Hawke’s Bay cellar door. Tastings are $18 per person, though the fee is waived with the purchase of two or more bottles of Church Road wines. No booking is required, and you should allow 20 to 30 minutes per tasting.
Somm set menu
Somm has also developed a set menu designed to pair with Church Road Editions wines, offering your choice of a main and a glass of wine for $40 per person. Mains include truffle linguine with crème fraîche and chive, chicken vol-au-vent with mustard velouté and mash, or a prosciutto and pear rocket salad with orange agrodolce. For those inclined to linger, there’s a chocolate marquise with mandarin curd and almonds to finish.
