Drop of the Day – Selaks Buttery Chardonnay
When Marino Selak first arrived in New Zealand from his native Croatia in 1906, there were a few things missing. Apart from olive oils and the traditional Croatian food, it seemed that wine was in seriously short supply.
Back in Croatia, wine was an everyday necessity, the centre of the table that brought families and friends together – part of everyday life. So Marino decided to create his own by buying some land for a market garden, orchid and vineyard and in 1934 the Selaks wine legacy commenced an incredible journey.
Fast forward 90 years and Selaks wine, continues to honour a long and lasting family tradition and are dedicated to bringing you carefully crafted wines.
Selaks believes great wine started here as Selaks celebrates 90 great seasons of winemaking and The Taste Collection Buttery Chardonnay is no exception.
The Taste Collection is a celebration of the generous and distinct flavours that have made Selaks wines so extraordinary and sought after for 90 years. It's called buttery because it is smooth, creamy and simply melts in your mouth. The beautifully integrated toasty oak results in flavours of brioche and vanilla, while still enabling the delightful ripe stone fruit characters to shine through. Thinking about what to have this buttery chardonnay with? This buttery Chardonnay is stunning with crayfish or pumpkin risotto.
Selaks winery located in Hawkes Bay is home to the hero buttery chardonnay. The unique terroir of the region and partial fermentation in French Oak delivers a smooth and creamy chardonnay, a favourite for Selaks Hawkes Bay winemaker, Kate Curd.
Kate’s vision for the winery team is to keep crafting great wines that pioneer Marino and family would be proud of, delivering their devotion to taste in a bottle across all varietals while continuing to foster a pioneering spirit in New Zealand's wine industry. Earlier this year, Selaks proudly unveiled Selaks Origins Breeze 5% lower alcohol fruit wine, a revolutionary addition to its portfolio.
The emphasis on elegant, consistent winemaking that brings people together continues to this day. Take your time to enjoy this buttery chardonnay that’s been generations in the making.
Dish Recipe Pairings:
This wine is stunning with fresh seafood, especially crab, crayfish or delicate, flaky fish dishes like our South of the Border recipe, or our Market Fish with Rocket, Fennel, Preserved Lemon and Currant Salad. We also find the wine delicious with a creamy risotto like our recipe with Toasted Walnuts, Sage Brown Butter and Creamy Brie as well as pasta dishes like our Roasted Pumpkin and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta with Hazelnut and Sage Brown Butter.
Visit www.selaks.co.nz
Facebook: @SelaksWines
Instagram: @selakswines
Enter the dish tasting panel:
New Zealand Emerging Whites.
It’s that time again where our next Dish Tasting Panel will focus on New Zealand Emerging Whites, with results to be published in our April/May 2025 issue.
latest issue:
HOLIDAY
dish HOLIDAY is your go-to magazine for summer entertainment. Chock-full of recipes to share in the warmer weather dish HOLIDAY is a one-off special edition, designed for the beach, bach, boat or back yard. Different than a regular issue of dish, it is dedicated to making the most of warm-weather leisure time, including barbecue and salad recipes, Spotify playlists, a beach read, crosswords and puzzles, fish and chip and ice cream guides and much more.
This issue is not part of the 12-month subscription and is available only at retail in Aotearoa New Zealand.