Get summer ready with our festive season inspirations

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Whether you're preparing to host or heading out with a bottle in hand, we've got the perfect inspirations to elevate your summer entertaining. From creating the ultimate grazing platter to a fun way to chill your wine, these simple yet impressive inspirations will light up your summer celebrations.

Wine Ice Cubes
Baked Camembert
White Wine Sangria
Gift Wrap Idea
Grazing Platter
Fresh Summer Salad

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Kick off your summer get together with a perfectly chilled glass of white wine and these gorgeous wine ice cubes. They're simple to make and a fun way to chill your wine without diluting its flavour.

Sooo refreshing

A fun way to chill your white wine

Using Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc

Instructions:

For these wine ice cubes, you will need one bottle of white wine, a handful of edible flowers and an ice cube tray.

  1. Pour around a quarter of the wine you are going to be drinking into an ice cube tray
  2. Add in some colourful edible flowers
  3. Place flat in freezer and freeze until frozen solid.
    Around 4 hours
  4. Remove wine ice cubes from tray and place into a glass
  5. Pour in your wine and enjoy

For a quick and easy indulgent dip that is sure to impress any guest of yours, try our decadent baked camembert paired with our succulent summer wines to celebrate the return of summer!

Decadent

Baked Camembert

Paired with Esk Valley Pinot Gris

Ingredients:

  • 1 wheel of camembert
  • 1 tbsp of honey
  • 1 sprig of thyme if fresh or a pinch of thyme if dried
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C
  2. Take the cheese out of its packaging and score the top of the cheese in a criss-cross pattern using a sharp knife.
  3. Drizzle honey over the top of the cheese and add a sprig or pinch of thyme.
  4. Put the cheese in a ramekin or small baking dish and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
  5. Once the cheese has finished baking, add a little salt and ground pepper, drizzle with a little extra honey and garnish with fresh sprigs of thyme.
  6. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.

We have turned Sangria on its head to prepare for the long and sunny days ahead! Instead of using a red wine, why not try using a white wine? This super easy recipe will sure turn some heads around at you next social mixer!

Turn sangria on its head

Using Leftfield Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredients:

  • 750ml (1 bottle) of Leftfield Sauvignon Blanc
  • ½ cup of simple syrup
  • 1 cup of vodka
  • 1 lime, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 2 granny smith apples, sliced into wedges
  • 8-12 mint leaves
  • Ice

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients into a jug and stir
  2. Pour and enjoy, it's that easy!

Whether you're bringing a bottle to a dinner party or giving one as a present, a nice bottle of wine makes a wonderful gift. For a more personal touch, try our simple, sustainable and unique wine bottle gift wrapping ideas.

Simple & Sustainable

Gift wrapping idea

Using Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc

When gifting a single bottle of wine, presenting it in a special way can often be tricky or expensive, not to mention wasteful. Here are our tips for gift wrapping a wine bottle which not only looks fabulous but is also sustainable.

Instructions:

1. The bow: Rather than using paper or a gift bag to wrap the whole bottle, simply tie a bow around the neck. You can get creative here and use any type of materials you might have lying around the house. Reuse some ribbon, eco-friendly twine or cut some strips of cloth or hessian. We like to use both a strip of cloth and some twine tied together.

2. A touch of colour: The next step is to add a touch of colour. You could use either dried or fresh cut flowers or simply cut some foliage straight from the garden.

3. Add a gift tag: Add your personal touch and a message by adding a gift tag. We like to use kraft paper tags which can be recycled after use and have a natural appearance in keeping with your bow and foliage.

Begin your event in style and wow your guests with this ultimate grazing platter. We've put together some tips and tricks to help you create a platter that looks amazing, tastes incredible, and pairs beautifully with a crisp, chilled glass of white wine.

The ultimate

Grazing Platter

Paired with Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredient ideas:

  • Assorted crackers & breads
  • Cheeses: Brie, Swiss, Feta, Gouda, and Gruyère
  • Cured and smoked meats: Prosciutto, salami, sliced chorizo, smoked salmon
  • Dips: Smoked salmon, hummus, roasted beetroot and feta
  • Pickled goods: Olives, baby bell pepper stuffed with cream cheese
  • Fresh seasonal fruits and nuts: Grapes, strawberry, blueberries, passionfruit
  • Condiments: Jams, honeycomb, pickles
  • Serving utensils: Toothpicks, serving tongs, small plates, napkins, spoons, cheese knives

Tips and tricks

  1. Decide the location of your grazing platter
    A clean countertop is a great location for a large grazing platter. You can put the items straight on the counter or use baking or parchment paper for easy clean up.
  2. Add height
    This adds a great visual effect as well as making it easy for people to access the dips and condiments. You can use anything from a pedestal server to a serving plate on top of an upside-down bowl.
  3. Place bowls with dips and condiments
    Place small bowls for dips, nuts and condiments and add a small spoon to each.
  4. Add cheese
    Cheese is truly the star of the show and always the first to be eaten. Place a variety of sliced and whole chunks to the table with a cheese knife beside each. People can be timid about being the first to cut into whole chunk of cheese so have a few slices already cut beside it.
  5. Add fruit
    This adds a wonderful fresh element to the platter as well as some fabulous color. Choose whatever is in season and make sure it's in easy to grab bite size pieces.
  6. Add meat
    Now it's time to add the meat. You can make tall piles of salami circles or lay meat slices around a chunk of cheese or even try a few salami roses for visual interest
  7. Add remaining items
    Lastly add remaining nuts, crackers and bread. Fill all the gaps and if you don't have space for everything, you just can replenish throughout your event.

Remember to give yourself enough time to get the grazing platter together, a large platter on a countertop typically takes up to an hour to get everything set up. Lastly, don't forget to chill your wine so it’s ready to pour and enjoy with your grazing platter!

This fresh and vibrant green salad is the perfect side dish to accompany the bright and refreshing flavours found in a chilled glass of white wine. With simple ingredients, it's an easy crowd pleaser that pairs well with roasted or grilled meats and fish.

Fresh

Grilled asparagus, rocket, goat's cheese and pine nut salad

Paired with Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Ingredients:

  • Salad
  • 2 bundles of asparagus
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 100g rocket, washed
  • 150g goat's cheese
  • 75g pine nuts, toasted
  • Dressing
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp grainy mustard
  • 1 tbsp runny honey

Instructions:

  1. Trim the asparagus as necessary. Place on a baking sheet or in a bowl and toss with the 2 tbsp olive oil, making sure all the asparagus is coated. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
  2. Put the asparagus on the grill rack of the barbecue and cook for approximately two minutes each side, until lightly charred. Remove from the barbecue and set aside.
  3. For the dressing, mix all the ingredients and whisk well. Season to taste.
  4. Place rocket in a big bowl, top with the barbecued asparagus, crumble over the goat’s cheese, sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and drizzle over the dressing.
  5. Serve immediately
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