From humble beginnings less than 100 years ago, the Land of the Rising Sun started brewing and distilling Single Malt Whisky. Adhering to the Scottish template of whisky-making but with the aim to create their own style which reflects the beauty and simplicity of the Japanese culture. Today there are literally hundreds of Japanese distilleries, some old and some new. A style of whisky that is hard to get and are sought after worldwide. At Glengarry we have sourced some little gems to share with you so do come along and learn about them, and the history behind these drams that Jak has been able to put together alongside some other fresh offerings to cleanse our palates.

Pairing wine expertise and refined design, this special glass is a result of a collaboration between product designer Richard Brendon, and renowned wine expert Jancis Robinson MW. This Wine Glass has been specifically designed to offer the best tasting experience for every wine, whatever its colour, style or strength, including things like Champagne and port. Made from mouth blown crystal the glass is ultra-fine, but remarkably strong, putting the wine drinker in intimate contact with the wine. We will have David Nash the New Zealand importer here to guide us through the glass tasting, while Regan McCaffery presents the wines.This will be unique, in that we have specially selected top wines that vary tremendously in flavour and texture, so we can put this glass through it's paces. Henri Giraud L'Espirit De Giraud Brut Nature, Josmeyer Hengst Riesling Grand Cru 2015, Greywacke Wild Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Chartron Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru VV 2016, Wild Earth 'Earth & Sky' Pinot Noir 2014, Biondi Santi Morellino di Scansano 2012, AALTO Ribera del Duero 2015, Chateau Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2015. Only 15 places available for this first tasting so book quickly!

Millton and Castagna are Australasia's pioneering biodynamic wineries. James Millton started New Zealand's first organic and biodynamic wine estate in 1984, on the banks of the Te Arai river near Gisborne. His Clos de Ste. Anne wines are some of the finest (and hardest to find) wines in New Zealand. Julian Castagna had a successful career in film and advertising, before planting his vineyards in 1996 at 500m altitude in Beechworth Victoria. James Millton was his early mentor, and was a powerful influence on the possibility of biodynamics. These are some of the most exciting (and un Australian) wines in Australia, with a style and precision all of their own. For the very first (and probably only) time , these two inspiring winemakers will be presenting a tasting together. This will be a fantastic evening of stunning wine and insights not to be missed.

Over the last 20+ years, the Glengarry Wine Academy has established itself as one of the leading wine educators in New Zealand. Initially created to train Glengarry staff, it is also widely used by the hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts. Informative, but never intimidating, the Glengarry Wine Academy courses are an opportunity for beginners as well as experienced aficionados to expand their knowledge and develop their interest.

For only the third time, a third stage of our Wine Academy is being offered. This course has been written recently and follows on from stage 1 and 2. In stage 1 you learn about the varieties; stage 2 you explore their differing personalities around the world. Now in stage 3 you take a major look at key wine making regions in the world. This course dives under the cover, you learn all about the great wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and many more.

A four week course | Wednesday 8th May, Wednesday 15th May, Wednesday 22nd May, and Wednesday 29th May | The course fee and content covers all four weeks.

This particular Wine Academy is a little different as it is the first time this stage is being presented and as such will also be used to train future presenters for this course. With that in mind it will be presented by our General Manager Liz Wheadon, who knows this subject inside out and has written this new stage. So not only will you receive all the training you can expect at a Wine Academy, you’ll have four nights of stories, great wine and a fair amount of good humour from Liz.

One of our favourite days of the year! Join us for our 3rd edition of the massive World Whisky Day tasting. Our aim is to ensure we have as many new releases for you to experience. Single Malt, Bourbon, Irish, Kiwi, Japanese, Wood finishes, Old Malts and young, join us for what will be a fantastic day! Is there something you wish to sample, let us know! Last year there were over 150 Single Malts to try, expect it to be bigger and better this time round. You'll even get a Glencairn glass to keep, plus the Jack Daniels grill will be there serving up some awesome BBQ. This event will run from 2-5pm.

The new release of a La Grande Année (The great year) from Champagne Bollinger is always an occasion. This year is something very special indeed. The 2008 vintage is one of the finest in history for the region, and possibly the greatest vintage Bollinger ever made. A truely artistan product, each bottle is touched around 40 times in this incredibly costly and complex process. The blend of 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Chardonnay has been crafted from 90% Grand Cru and 10% Premier Cru vineyards, mainly Ay and Verzenay for the Pinot Noir, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant for the Chardonnay. Fully fermented in small old oak casks, it was then aged for another 9 years on the lees under natural cork, before being 100% riddled and disgorged by hand. Join us and the charming Guy de Rivoire from Champagne Bollinger for this cocktail party release event. You will enjoy the Special Cuvée and the La Grande Année 2008 along with canapes. More will be available to purchase on the evening. Dress to impress!

This is a regal and heroic Bollinger characterized by restrained power and energetic energy. I love meeting this untouched force and carefully analysing its sublime elements, but at the same time I have to admit that we are dealing with a real 'vin de garde' that will not reach its maximum capacity before its 25th birthday. The structure is impressive, based of course on the high acidity of the vintage in the first place. This very high acid means that the other building blocks can appear as subordinate, but they have a great wealth of both oak embossed secondary aromas and flaunted dark fruit. At present, the aromatic spectrum is characterized by fresh hazelnuts from Piedmont, green apples, critical minerals and perfumed orange blossoms. Buy a case and follow its aromatic journey to heaven over the coming decades. - Richard Juhlin, 98pts

Maverick Wines was established in 2004 by Ronald Brown. The objective was and is, to be one of the top artisanal boutique wineries in Australia. Although young, Maverick owns 75 acres of vineyards from the top terroirs across the Barossa and Eden Valleys. Approximately half of the vines are over 100 years old, and many much older - their Ahrens' Creek Vineyard at Vine Vale has 1840's Semillon, 1840's Grenache, and 1870's Shiraz, while in the adjoining Barossa Ridge Vineyard they have Riesling from the 1860's! For decades the fruit from these vineyards went into the top names of the Australian wine industry. The combination of full biodynamic viticulture with zero chemicals, old vines and dry farming, results in very low yields which give a pure and intense fruit, with lower alcohols and greater finesse and elegance. Their unashamed goal is to always over-deliver, by producing small lots of genuinely hand-crafted products which will always denote outstanding value, regardless of commercial considerations. The winery is aptly named, as Brown is every bit the Maverick. Before he found these historic Barossa vineyards, he lived in the far east for over 30 years, running the Jardine Matheson wine and spirit desk for China and Japan. He then started his own wine importation and brand company in Japan, establishing a wine magazine, founding Japans most renowned wine bar Tastevin Aoyama, as well as setting up and chairing the Japan International Wine Challenge and the China International Wine Challenge. He is also a huge charity supporter, and now has his own called ‘Wine into water’ that build wells for communities around the round. Ronald himself will be here in Auckland to present these stunning wines. Prepare to have some of your notions of Australian wine challenged!

Over the last 20+ years, the Glengarry Wine Academy has established itself as one of the leading wine educators in New Zealand. Initially created to train Glengarry staff, it is also widely used by the hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts. Informative, but never intimidating, the Glengarry Wine Academy courses are an opportunity for beginners as well as experienced aficionados to expand their knowledge and develop their interest.

In stage 1 you learn about the varieties, stage 2 you explore their differing personalities around the world. In Stage 3 you take a major look a key wine making regions in the world. This course dives under the cover, you learn all about the great wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and many more.

A four week course | Wednesday 12th June, Wednesday 19th June, Wednesday 26th June, and Wednesday 3rd July all starting 7pm. The course fee covers content for all four weeks.

Over the last 20+ years, the Glengarry Wine Academy has established itself as one of the leading wine educators in New Zealand. Initially created to train Glengarry staff, it is also widely used by the hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts. Informative, but never intimidating, the Glengarry Wine Academy courses are an opportunity for beginners as well as experienced aficionados to expand their knowledge and develop their interest.

In stage 1 you learn about the varieties, stage 2 you explore their differing personalities around the world. In Stage 3 you take a major look a key wine making regions in the world. This course dives under the cover, you learn all about the great wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and many more.

A four week course | Wednesday 17th July, Wednesday 24th July, Wednesday 31st July, and Wednesday 7th August all starting 7pm. The course fee covers content for all four weeks.