Some of the biggest names in Hollywood have had a chance to sample a New Zealand-made wine at this year’s Oscar Nominees Luncheon, an event that’s widely regarded as a highlight of the awards season.
The luncheon at the Beverly Hilton earlier this month featured just three wines, one of which was a Sauvignon Blanc produced by New Zealand label, Loveblock.
Approximately 175 of this year’s Academy Award nominees attended the event, including Hollywood royalty such as Meryl Streep, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Fogel, Gary Oldman, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Guillermo del Toro and more. The luncheon was an opportunity for the nominees to mingle and pose for the annual Oscars Class Photo ahead of the awards ceremony on March 5 (NZ time).
The Loveblock wine, believed to have been chosen by the caterers at the Beverly Hilton, was paired with a menu that included Chilean Sea Bass with mango and red and white quinoa; roasted asparagus with crispy shallots and oven-roasted tomatoes; and a dessert made up of mini lemon tarts, mini tiramisu cups and fresh berries.
Loveblock founder Erica Crawford, recently named by Reuters as ‘one of the world’s most notable winemakers’, is thrilled her vineyard’s Sauvignon Blanc made its way on to the menu at such a prestigious event.
“New Zealand is obviously famous for its Sauvignon Blanc and we’re really pleased ours was selected for the Oscar Nominees Luncheon this year,” she says.
“At Loveblock, we pride ourselves on crafting a collection of organic and sustainable wines that are also elegant and complex, and we hope all those Academy Award nominees enjoyed tasting our little slice of Marlborough.”
Loveblock is found high on the hills overlooking the Awatere Valley, where Crawford and her winemaker husband, Kim, produce their varietals through low intervention farming, which allows the wines to show their true terroir.
