Pegasus Bay Winery Restaurant
Lauraine Jacobs and Simon Wilson
To choose the casual restaurant of the year we looked for a place that was neither stuffy nor formal, where eating was a relaxed activity and where all ages could be catered for. We had a friendly café or bistro in mind, and while there are plenty of those throughout the country, we also wanted to find superb food, delivered quickly and matched to an excellent wine experience.
The Pegasus Bay winery restaurant in Canterbury’s Waipara wine region answered the call on every count. Sitting proudly in one of New Zealand’s best boutique wineries, this is a familyowned operation where everything is guided by passion in a truly professional manner. The Donaldson family are all involved. The sons and their partners grow the grapes, make and market the wine, and run the restaurant and cellardoor operation. All this is overseen by parents Ivan and Chris Donaldson.You are likely to come across Chris in the extensive gardens, for she is often there weeding, planting or supervising garden extensions and changes.
We have eaten inside at Pegasus’ large solid wooden tables on wintry days when the fire is stoked and the atmosphere is warm and cheerful. We have relaxed outside in the hot summer sun, taking our shoes off to feel the grass under our feet at a table on the lawn. Always there’s a friendly welcome, a ready glass of wine and a menu offering delicious, wine-friendly food.
Great synergy between wine and food develops best where the two grow in the same environment. Pegasus Bay’s chef, James Stapley, creates a menu that not only reflects seasonal local produce, but also makes the most of the bounty from their gardens. He can pick fresh herbs as he needs them, add rhubarb and figs to the dessert menu, gather wild watercress for the salads from the lake, and preserve the plump quinces to use in the winter. Innovative ideas such as the dried grapes from the vineyard that we ate in the goat’s cheese salad are a direct result of pooling the passions and ideas of the whole team.
This restaurant exists to provide a stage for Pegasus Bay wines, so every dish is created with one or more of the wines in mind. The duck and chicken terrine, with rich, creamy layers that almost seemed like foie gras, was perfect with Pegasus Bay Aria, the late-harvest Riesling that is unctuous and syrupy. An aged beef sirloin washed down with the premium Pinot Noir, Prima Donna, was tender and mellow.
However, in the style of casual dining, probably one of the best platters in any vineyard in the country can be found here. It’s a tasting platter drawn from the best dishes on the starter menu, with every item prepared on the premises – except the bread which comes from Vic's cafe and Bake.
For the littlies, who can play to their heart’s content on the lawn without annoying other diners, there’s even a child’s platter.
It goes without saying the staff in this winery restaurant know their wine, and we enjoyed their suggestions for food matching. For those who know what they like, a special list of cellared Pegasus Bay wines is offered with vintages no longer available elsewhere.
It’s often the extra touches that set a good place ahead of the rest.The idyllic peaceful setting and the care taken with wine including fine glassware, the family pride and the delicious food made this a winner.
Stockgrove Rd,
RD 2,
Amberley,
Canterbury,
ph: 03-314 6869
For a recipe from Pegasus Bay Winery Restaurant try Baked French Goat's Cheese Parcel with Semi-Dried Grape, Fig & South Island Walnut Salad 
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