There's a time and a place for bluegrass music and the Waipara Valley Wine & Food Celebration is definitely it.
From the back of a truck the banjo pinks and harmonica wails through the fuggy summer air to the crowded grass amphitheatre. Tots dance maniacally - arms in the air - as mums and dads sip at plastic wine glasses and absentmindedly nod their heads to the rhythm. From their makeshift stage, Johnny Possum and his Goodtime Hootin' Band holler and fiddle, coaxing their audience into a toe-tappin', thigh slappin' frenzy.
On the sloping grass, nestled against a scratchy, sweet smelling bale of pea straw, I'm having a hard time balancing my glass of wine. It threatens to topple over once again as the man leaning on the other side of my bale begins yee-hawing to the music with ear-splitting zeal: time to leave Johnny Possum and friends and investigate the source of those smoky, barbeque aromas wafting on the humid breeze.
Kiwis, it would seem, have developed a hunger for wine and food festivals. In the past decade they've sprouted the length of the country, from Northland to Bluff. They range from the general 'wine and food fest' with a bit of everything, to the specialised variety, such as Auckland's Beer Festival, Whitianga's Scallop Festival, the Summer Salmon & Wine Festival in Twizel and, of course, Hokitika's famous Wildfoods Festival. Whilst the Waipara Valley festival (held annually in March) may appear to be of the 'general' variety, it is in fact a specialist event - wine is Waipara's forte.Since the late 1980s, the Waipara Valley has been producing award winning wines at an increasing rate. Currently, there are around 80 vineyards, or 1200ha of vines in the area, with 11 cellar door operations open to the public. The forecast 2009 opening of the luxury Waipara Wine Village & Day Spa is set to increase visitor numbers to the flourishing area.
Looking out the bus window as Mum and I arrive after a 45 minute drive from Christchurch, I wonder how an increase in visitor numbers is possible! Our bus joins the queue into the parking field, where cars and buses sit neatly side by side in ever-increasing rows. At the same time carriage loads of people are emerging from their train ride, and more still arrive by helicopter - all destined for the lush grounds of the charming Glenmark Church, just north of Waipara township.
Amidst the kerfuffle a chugging tractor arrives, towing a trailer of hay bales. We nab a bale each, legs swinging off the side of the trailer. "Hold on ladies!" calls the gruff driver before we trundle off. He's wearing a blue chequered shirt beneath white overalls. Periodically he turns his sun-worn face back to check on us, like a rooster minding his brood. Bouncing along the gravel driveway we pass hordes of people, disguised by their sunhats and sunglasses, balancing towers of folded deckchairs, picnic baskets and blankets. The air is abuzz with excited chatter and barks of laughter.
Exchanging our tickets for a programme/site map and a souvenir wine glass we bustle in to the church grounds. Instantly I notice we're lacking the requisite accessory: a freehand wine glass holder. Comprising a string looped over the neck, and a small triangle of plastic or leather into which the bowl of the wine glass nestles, these dinky accessories are on sale at the front gate. Everyone that hasn't brought their own flings one around their neck, slides their glass in and wanders off, brandishing their two free hands. As festival first-timers, Mum and I don't really see the need for such accessorising. Surely we can hold our glasses in our hands, we muse.
Twenty minutes in, we realise our mistake - with hands full of giveaway bags, bottled water, packets of chilli-infused salt and mini loaves of fresh bread we barely manage to point out the local Chardonnay we wish to taste. We fumble our coins and awkwardly fish around in bags to find our cups before precariously balancing our wine in thumb and forefinger and heading to a shady corner to regroup. Having reorganised our cache, we eat the bread, quaff the Chardonnay and watch the people go by.
From then on, my glass is tucked into my belt, holster style. At each wine stall I pay first, then whip my glass from my holster, proffer it for a refill, then carry it to a shady corner or sunny hay bale to sip in comfort.
Waipara's regional specialties include Riesling and Pinot Noir, but on offer today are myriad varietals - from dessert-sweet Gewurztraminer, to sharp, fruity reds. Most stalls have a taste on offer for $2, a glass for around $5 or a bottle for about $25.A taste here and a glass there soon add up to a lazy, hazy head and we go in search of food. With more food on offer than wine, the hardest part is choosing what to have! After perusing the garlic buttered escargot, the whitebait fritters and the chicken kebab pockets, Mum opts for a giant lamb shank - eaten in-hand and covering her face in salty, peppery grease. I select an open Akaroa Salmon sandwich: lemony, fresh and delicious. Later in the day we give in to the temptation of spicy Thai fishcakes, then fresh wedges of watermelon, waffles covered in icing sugar and finally, a good old fashioned cookie and coffee.
Lulled by the late afternoon sun, our full bellies and too much wine, we amble back to the bus and wait. Before long, hundreds of people appear, dashing frantically, looking for the vehicle in which they arrived. Shoes are off, shoulders sunburnt, eyes drowsy. Our bus leaves with far more passengers than it arrived with, and we're driven back to Christchurch to raucously drunken versions of 'The Wheels on the Bus', yee-haws and all.Amelia attended the 2007 Waipara Valley Wine & Food Celebration courtesy of Waipara Valley Winegrowers Inc. and www.fourcorners.co.nz.
