“Are we deserving of a seat at the table of the world’s finest yet?”
This is the question filmmakers David Nash and Simon Mark-Brown set out to answer in their new documentary A Seat at the Table, which looks at New Zealand’s place in the world of wine, and its ambition to make some of the best wines in the world.
The documentary kicks off with a landmark blind-tasting that took place in 2015, which pitted Auckland winery Kumeu River against leading French producers Leflaive, Lafon, Sauzet, Drouhin, Girardin and Niellon.
The four Chardonnays submitted by Kumeu River were clear winners in three of the four taste-tests, and tied for first in the last.
A Seat at the Table comes at a time that ATEED are focusing on Auckland’s food story, as a strategic action outlined in our Destination AKL 2025 strategy.
Not only will food tourism be a great boost for our visitor economy, it will provide significant help to other elements of the plan:
- Improving night-time economy
- Promoting Auckland’s identity and narratives – recognising it as a cultural city of the Pacific
- The development of authentic Maori cultural experiences
- Improving sustainability
- Introducing all-weather experiences and attractions
- Expanding product and services in the Hauraki Gulf and greater Auckland region
A Seat at the Table premieres at the Civic Theatre in Auckland for the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) on Sunday, 28 July 2019.
The trailer can be watched on Vimeo and further information found on its NZIFF webpage.
The New Zealand International Film Festival takes place between 18 July - 4 August in venues around Auckland. More information on the festival can be found on their website.