December meeting
This month Cromwell Rotary's vocational visit was to Domaine Thomson's beautiful new tasting room on the hills overlooking the vineyard and upper Clutha Valley. The fact that it's almost the festive season when good wine is high on one's priority lists was a very fortuitous coincidence.
Staff member Ashlyn Monk gave us a very lively and informative presentation as she introduced the wines on offer to us, told us about the formation of the vineyard with initial plantings in 2000, and then the subsequent purchases from 2012 of 5 allotments of vines throughout Burgundy France, making them one of the only tasting rooms offering Burgundian wines alongside Central Otago Pinot Noir. (45th parallel in NZ versus 47th parallel in France).
The Domaine Thomson company is now a certified organic vineyard that practises biodynamics, so the vines share the somewhat idyllic space with cattle, hens, and bees as well as a small and select group of passionate staff.
The wines were complimented by an amazing grazing table of assorted condiments, rounding off a most enjoyable two hours.
Thanks Ashlyn and colleagues - you made for a very pleasant Monday evening.
