So I was lucky enough to spend the weekend over there on Waiheke island. 

I was invited to attend the Te Motu wine release dinner, it was a celebration of the Te Motu 2012 release.

The Te Motu Vineyard story began in 1988 when the Dunleavy family procured 30 acres of prime “vineyard valley” and nourished it into a haven of premier wine.

As one of the pioneers of the Waiheke wine movement, the family’s vision was clear from the outset: To master wines of the ‘Bordeaux’ style, comprised predominantly from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

In 1989 the first vines were planted. The first vintage of Te Motu was produced in 1993.

The vineyard’s name ‘Te Motu’ comes from the original Maori name for Waiheke, Te Motu­Arai­Roa

The night was an amazing one, the chef Bronwyn did a fantastic job. Paua fritters, pheasant pate, braised Taupo beef and a rich chocolate dessert.

Whilst the food was great the wine was the hero of the night, ever since Paul Dunleavy (original Dunleavy family) would hand deliver the wines to our first restaurant I have had a soft spot for Te Motu wines. With good reason!

I believe their wines are some of the best reds you can have in NZ, they hand pick all the grapes, press by hand and mix in with the family surrounding the barrels. 

With all this talk of wonderful red wine what else could I match to this to then a good chicken liver pate!

Fast chicken liver pate

Serves 4

350g chicken livers, cleaned
175g butter, diced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
75ml madeira
75ml cream
½ tsp salt
1 allspice, ground
¼ tsp ground ginger

1. Quickly wash the liver under cold water and drain,  heat a knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and thyme and soften, then turn up the heat to medium-high, add the livers and saute for a couple of minutes until browned on the outside but still pink inside. Tip into a food processor.

2. Add the madeira to the pan and boil until reduced to a couple of tablespoons. Tip into the food processor, add the cream, salt and spices and whizz until smooth. Add all but 75g of the butter, and whizz again. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

3. Pass through a sieve into a serving dish and chill for half an hour. Melt the remaining butter and pour on top, then refrigerate until set.