Exactly twelve months ago today, I was down the South Island
tripping around. On this particular day
a friend invited me to visit the Pegasus Bay Winery with her, situated in the viticulture
region of Waipara Valley in north Canterbury.
The entrance to the winery/restaurant/bar is impressive.
This family-run business was established in the mid-1980s
and produces award-winning wines from their vineyards, along with operating a
restaurant and function centre and hosting the occasional concert. Their gardens made a lovely backdrop as we
sat outdoors in the afternoon sunshine.
While my friend had a glass of wine, I sampled one of their
ciders.
I loved the inscription on the bottle:
“SCOUNDRELS AND ROGUES PLEASANTLY CORRUPTED APPLE CIDER
Corruption is good for you!
Alcohol 8.9%
WARNING: Not to be
consumed by narks, scabs, or good Samaritans.
This cider was made by the most irrepressible Scoundrels and
Rogues in North Canterbury. The apples
were lifted from numerous sites in the dead of night, and juice was obtained by
quietly taking them out back and methodically thrashing them with a
sledgehammer. They were then thrown in
the chiller for four days to soften them up before being frozen solid for good
measure. After thawing, the juice was
hand-pressed and then fermented in old oak barrels.
This cider is handmade and mildly offensive – but you’ll get
over it.”
It was a pleasant way to spend a quiet afternoon – good company,
warm sunshine, and a refreshing drink.
Sometimes it is the simple pleasures that stay longest in the memory J
Margaret.
LINKED TO My Corner of the World
The description of the cider is unique and brings a smile, The simple pleasures have always appealed to me!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a perfect day out.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of that winery. The pink building with its unique windows. Was the inside as attractive?
ReplyDeleteThere was a lot of dark wood inside, which gave it a rich and rather ornate feeling - but it was much nicer sitting outside in the sun :)
DeleteThe winery itself is an impressive building. Lovely grounds. Looks like the perfect place to enjoy a few glasses of impressive alcohol.
ReplyDeleteAll looks beautiful and perfect place to be.
ReplyDeleteI would have opted for the wine, but the cider sounds good too, with a fine tale to add to the pleasure. I hope you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteHello, the winery looks beautiful. Looks like a nice day spent with your friend. Have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteI love cider, as I'm from the Westcountry where cider is the drink of choice, or it used to be! I'd love to meet some of those Scoundrels mentioned on the label.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely place to visit! I love reading labels that are sarcastic and funny! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see you at 'My Corner of the World' this week!
Love the first photo Margaret! your smile can really brighten all of our days! That cider description is so much fun to read and I really was shocked when I read sledgehammer! OMG I am still laughing with taken from different sites in the dead of night HAHA
ReplyDeleteThis looks and sounds a perfect day out.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
What a fun day for you, maybe someday soon you can venture out again! :)
ReplyDelete