Last night L and I went to a friends house for dinner. They have a lovely home high above Korokoro with dramatic views down on to Wellington harbour.

L brought along a bottle of Spy Valley Chardonnay 2011 – $$. It was fantastic – mealy, nutty, buttery, great mouthfeel. A top chardonnay from Marlborough. 4.75.

Our hosts followed this up with a serious pinot gris. I didn’t note what it was, but I did like the ginger beer character on the palate. Yum.

And the meal of braised beef and pears, followed by a dessert of summer fruits and Kapiti White Choc and Raspberry Ice Cream was fabulous. Thanks very much!