The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to Stoneleigh Metro in Metropol St Kilda to imbibe a deluxe cellar door experience in the city! A great concept!
Stoneleigh Metro, an urban oasis bar created by Marlborough wine brand Stoneleigh, is giving Melbourne locals a unique experience in the heart of St Kilda. (And we all love Marlborough wines). Until February 28th 2015, Stoneleigh invites locals to enjoy a ‘Wonder of Nature’ at Metropol, St Kilda as the brand brings to life the essence of the Marlborough region. Visitors can enjoy a range of Stoneleigh wines alongside delicious canapés, while listening to live local DJ sets or joining a unique Cellar Door experience... We came at 6pm so there was no DJ, but the ambience of the curated space was fabulous.
Stoneleigh Metro was for us a high quality cellar door experience. The tasting involved 4 of Stoneleigh's best and the wines were at "premium" level. A no-brainer was the Rapaura Sauvignon Blanc, which walks out the door in Aussie liquor stores. You get the refreshing "straw and strawberries" hit, but there's depth and elegance and length on the palate. This was served with Fresh and smoked salmon Rillettes Crostini - a superb match.
The Chardonnay was also a pleasant surprise for its elegance, served with Serrano Ham with Olives and Orange with Country Bread. Rustic and charming, the Chardonnay had an excellent length on the palate.
The Rapaura Pinot Gris was a full style with a nuance of sweetness, served with Goats Cheese stuffed Piquillo Peppers. Wine and goats cheese are always a great match, and the peppers added extra kick, with the Pinot Gris cutting through thre piquant taste.
A highlight was the Rapaura Pinot Noir, served with Grilled Gippsland Beef Fillet and Asparagus. This was my favourite match and favourite wine. Then again I'm biased towards pinot. There's a fabulous earthiness about this wine! Smooth and flavoursome, with red cherries and plums dominant.
Another highlight was being personally "talked" through the wines by a Stoneleigh Advisor (wine expert) behind the bar. Cool apron by the way...
Fascinating is the river rocks prevalent in the vineyards at Stoneleigh, which give off a heat that can add an extra 2 hours a day to the ripening process!
Check out the canapes for 2 in all their glory...
Stoneleigh winemaker, Jamie Marfell, invites visitors to share a glass of Stoneleigh Marlborough wine with friends in this urban oasis. “Stoneleigh wines are created by a small wonder of nature; the stones in our vineyard retain the heat from the sun and spend their nights warming the vines creating our vibrant wines.” “Stoneleigh Metro offers locals the experience to feel closer to nature, to tantalise their taste buds through the rich flavours from the canapés paired with matching wines in a relaxing sanctuary close to the beach,” he added.
Created by Australian stylist and design editor of Belle Magazine, Steve Cordony, the ‘Wonder of Nature’ experience will be full of lush flora, hanging gardens and Stoneleigh’s iconic sunstones; for locals to indulge in an urban sanctuary near Melbourne’s beachside.
On designing Stoneleigh Metro, Steve Cordony explains: “Working with nature has always been a passion of mine and I loved the challenge of capturing New Zealand’s natural beauty. Stoneleigh Metro offers Australians an environment where they can escape the daily grind and relax while enjoying a glass of wine. With summer just around the corner, it’s the perfect venue to appreciate nature.”
Celebrated floral sculptor, Katie Marx, will create an original suspended garden in this urban oasis, to capture the luscious surroundings of the Marlborough region. In addition to enjoying Stoneleigh wines, visitors can book one of three unique Stoneleigh Cellar Door experiences. The experiences, which can be shared with up to seven guests, see a Stoneleigh Wine Advisor explaining the unique features of Stoneleigh Marlborough vineyards as guests explore the different Stoneleigh varietals.
The Stoneleigh Cellar Door experiences include:
The Stoneleigh Marlborough Tasting – Guests will take their palate on a journey through the Marlborough selection including Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Priced at $10.00 per person, this tasting takes 10-15 minutes.
The Stoneleigh RAPAURA SERIES Tasting – Experience Stoneleigh’s single vineyard range crafted to deliver the iconic flavours of Stoneleigh including Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Priced at $12.00 per person, this tasting takes 10-15 minutes.
The Stoneleigh DELUXE Tasting – Enjoy Stoneleigh’s Rapaura Series Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris plus expertly matched canapés Priced at $20.00 per person, this tasting takes 20-25 minutes.
Stoneleigh, the leading premium still bottle wine brand in New Zealand, takes its wine style from the natural environment of Stoneleigh vineyards, Rapaura soils and distinctive sunstones. Stoneleigh vines are planted among famous sunstones, in ancient stony riverbed soils, renowned for delivering Stoneleigh wines their quality and flavour. The Rapaura region is slightly warmer than other areas of Marlborough, which drives early ripening and allows grapes to be harvested earlier than those in most other regions. The result is a wine style; elegant and crisp, yet intense – the flavour of Stoneleigh.
Stoneleigh is committed to sustainable practices and is accredited under the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) scheme. The planting of more than 3,000 native trees, shrubs and flax on the Stoneleigh vineyard has been carried out to attract the Tui, a native nectar feeding bird, to return to the Marlborough region.
Stoneleigh Metro was a delightful experience. Check it out before February 28th!
