Toast Martinborough a blast
BY TANYA KATTERNS
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Food & Wine
It huffed and it puffed and it blew the tents down at Toast Martinborough, but gale-force winds failed to blow away the festive atmosphere of the country's biggest wine party.
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Wind gusts of 120kmh had the fire service and vineyard staff scrambling yesterday.
Martinborough Vineyard's main food and wine tent was turned into a toppled pile of canvas and steel at 10.30am. Dozens of people held on to keep it from blowing away until backup arrived.
During the next hour, two more marquees crumpled, signs were ripped from their posts and power was knocked out at Ata Rangi vineyard.
But still the party went on, with gas cooking and backup generators keeping the food hot and the white wine cool.
Now in its 18th year and attracting 10,000 revellers, the event continues to pull in newcomers and old-timers – those who have weathered the conditions as they come year after year to taste, mingle and swirl the fine vintages.
Helen Beaumont, family and friends have enjoyed the event over the past 15 years. Twenty of them, a mix from Wellington and Wanganui, converged on Martinborough this year and reckoned the party atmosphere was the best yet.
"We saw the first tent lift and all I could think was, 'The wine didn't spill' and 'Wouldn't it have been nice to see those firemen without so much of their uniforms on'," she said.
Rob Goldsbury, from Wanganui, said the wind, though battering, did not take anything away from the event. "We were here one year in the hail. It just made it a little more intimate. Rain, hail, wind or sunshine, it just does not lose its gloss."
Roz Fraser from Melrose, Wellington, and her mates know the hit on their pockets was worth it. The five women spent an estimated $2500 on the wine party once accommodation, tickets, airfares for one from Auckland and spending on the day was tallied.
About 9500 litres of wine – about 12,670 bottles – were drunk, 15,500 portions of food were whipped up by an army of chefs, and work was provided for about 1000 people. The Wairarapa economy received an estimated $1 million boost.
MetService forecaster Gerard Barrow said winds in Martinborough gusted up to 120kmh for most of the afternoon.
The strongest gusts in the lower North Island, recorded around Castlepoint, hit 139kmh yesterday morning. Temperatures hovered around the 17 degrees celsius mark.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Quit complaining about the young drunk people, it's bound to happen so ignore it and have a good time like myself. Plus not just the young ones, I saw one middle aged lady getting the drink on, dancing on a table with just her bra on at Alana Estate, embarrasing her son, while Elvis was singing and men were giving her $5 francs!!
Seeing as it was my first time this year at Toast, I went with a few girls and we drank and tried the food, yes it was an expensive day out, but rare and totally worth it, I will be there next year :)
What a weekend of celebrations, not only great wine but a great comedy festival!
A 'small' modest group of us attended this event and were highly entertained; it was only part way through the day when the antics started including a 'rowdy' bunch of “maniacs” that had an attraction to the word 'OK', which they were far from!
'Tracey' was a name that came out often at a winery we attended, followed by the word 'Slapper', and some other words that cannot be mentioned.
There were strict rules from within the group about pointing, how thoughtful of them, the pelvic thrust was much more inconspicuous!
Fun was followed by a bit of bush diving, in all forms! I would hate to think about the carnage that was caused when arriving at their final destination after the madness we witnessed!
All in all a great day out, only 362 days until it can all be done again!
I wouldn't mind, but Benfield & Delamare is the only decent wine produced in the whole village and they don't take part in Toast!
Paying $8-$12 a glass for most of that stuff is insane.
Scott C #49 10:06 am Nov 17 2009 @ Simon #38 - If the Wairarapa is not part of Wellington then why is it governed by the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Scott - that is a question that those of us who live over the hill would dearly like the answer to!!
Thanks st3vo, been looking a new event to tarnish. See you at Long Lunch in Napier. Only if my summer loan comes in on time
@ the people complaining about the youths urinating outside: Todays youth are very environmentally conscious, I'm sure they were just doing their bit to conserve water. Maybe everyone should take a leaf out of their book and save a tree too.
@ Simon #38 - If the Wairarapa is not part of Wellington then why is it governed by the Greater Wellington Regional Council. There is a difference between Wellington city and the Wellington region you know (or obviously don't).
Where I come from, "go the bush" would mean heading to the waxing salon. Does it mean something else here?
I was there and won't be again. As many have said, it seems to be evolving into a student wine piss-up.
The site of three girls squatting on a Martinborough pavement (in the village!) and urinating as people walked by was so disgusting that I want nothing more to do with it.
Shameful.
Yes, unfortuantely they have lost a lot of true winelovers in their quest for the mighty dollar - it is no longer what it started out to be - I too no longer go. Firstly I cannot get a ticket if I wanted to, or if I could afford the day out. Secondly I do not wish to pay that much to watch the 20-somethings get drunk and puke on the way home. Too sad Martinborough. You had a good thing going there for a while.
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it is a cool event but extremely overpriced considering there is no shipping involved, at one vineyard it was straight out of the barrel... the prices should be cheaper. aviators were amazing at martinborough vineyard! although i nearly died in a toilet that was on the verge of blowing over. a good fun day had by all 15 in our group.