Taylor Wines and Brown Brothers Wines Dinner
I love a good call-to-action and especially when there’s wine in the title. Taylors Wines and Brown Brothers Wines (Australia) have been living in the land of the grape for a long time now (think over 100 years between the two). The idea to share their stories over wine and food was a given and they planned a splendid evening with the masters of meat here in Queenstown, Botswana Butchery.
I attended their five course with wine match marathon last week. We slugged some absolutely mind-blowing wines paired with delicious food and settled in for an evening of story telling and mischief. Caroline Brown from Melbourne (Brown Brothers) and Justin Taylor (Taylors) from Sydney (both 3rd generation) hosted just fifteen of us special guests and told their stories about the wine, the people, the family and their love for these award winning wines.
Being the first time Botswana Butchery have produced a menu especially for wine brought into the restaurant you’d have been forgiven for thinking they would be a nervous bunch. But there wasn’t a drip of sweat to be seen (maybe in the kitchen) as the meals were delivered with flourish and rigour. Both Justin and Caroline were audacious in the art of a good yarn as we heard about Grandmother Patricia Brown and her “you can make a wine in my name. But it’d better be bloody good”. She sounds like a woman after my own heart.
It was also a wonderful opportunity to get to know some of the sellers of their wines from Wanaka nd Queenstown and share their love of stories and product. I happily regaled stories about my favourite pinots and some of the wonderful things to do here in Queenstown.
Before we knew it the evening was drawing to a close and we had to drain the last dregs of the glasses and head home. I was like the lady at the end of a wedding, creeping around making sure there was nothing left. What a wonderful opportunity to get to know some of the families behind the wine and hear their stories. Stories that will continue to be part of their brands and part of the wine we continue to drink.
Thanks to Brown Brothers, Taylors Wines and Brand Amp for the opportunity to be part of this special evening.
