The Aristologist

The Aristologist New Zealand home cook, writer, researcher publishes a food history journal “The Aristologist.”

2025 Symposium of Gastronomy. Two days of eating, learning, talking and laughing. What could be better? Food by and wi...
02/12/2025

2025 Symposium of Gastronomy. Two days of eating, learning, talking and laughing. What could be better? Food by and with the help of and
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Intellectual day 1 menu included talented food historians - Singaporean Christmas by Nicki Tarulevicz, the Swede by Tracy Berno, Indians in New Zealand - Leanne Mirander, the Hare - Alison McKee, accompanied by brilliant Hare Pies- Book conservation by Juliet Galuszka, Why I cook the way I do with Dave Veart, The odd Mr Butneer by John Webster and Omai’s BBQ by Alison Vincent.
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Day two, with a viticultural bent saw a stunning line up of new wave viticulturists and winemakers: Ian Quinn talking about ; Raquel Kallas on the birth of Vitis and Natural selection - ; Dan Brewster of Smith and Sheth on regenerative agriculture; me on my vineyard (less talent and no qualifications); Nicholas Drinning on Wild Vines; Amy Farnsworth of on biodynamics; Peter Howland and Joe Brockliss on Maori Winegrowing; Karen Wishart on Malcolm Abel (with accompanying delicious Abel Pinot from Matahiwi Estate) and Max Di**le on South Australian Sparkling Shiraz.
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With thanks to all for a wonderfull two days.
Next year in Wellington. .

Reducing the little Carmenere to a single shoot, pinching off any clusters, and generally being terrified of making a fa...
02/12/2025

Reducing the little Carmenere to a single shoot, pinching off any clusters, and generally being terrified of making a false move. A delicate operation needing the guard to be lifted. Only a couple of errors in retrospect. But 100% of the grafted newbies doing ok. Some are slower than others - some almost at the top of the canes and some still to emerge from the guards. Slowest where there were multiple shoots but no doubt other reasons - sap flow? roots? Just like a classroom of kids.

Bistronomy. Symposium of Gastronomy Banquet - Friday evening. 🌞For the second year, Jason and Sabrina lived up to expect...
30/11/2025

Bistronomy. Symposium of Gastronomy Banquet - Friday evening.
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For the second year, Jason and Sabrina lived up to expectations with a brilliant, textbook perfect, procession of totally considered and delicious dishes. Tantalisingly interesting touches - from rue to mulberries - ensured that 24 gourmands were constantly fascinated. The accompanying wines partnered perfectly with the dishes, and trying to think what stood out I’m at a loss - all were damn good.
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All in all, a lovely menu, created for us by a very intelligent and talented Jason and a perfectly considered wine list by a hugely knowledgeable Sabrina. So, so good!!
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Faith, hope and love. Pre-Symposium of Gastronomy dinner. One of the few family run, small scale ethnic eateries in Napi...
30/11/2025

Faith, hope and love. Pre-Symposium of Gastronomy dinner. One of the few family run, small scale ethnic eateries in Napier, where authenticity is guaranteed.
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A brilliant feast:
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skewers chicken satay
Dumplings (Pork and prawn)
Mushroom Dumplings
Roti
Tofu
Chilli Pan Mee
Beef Rendang
Ayam Bunga Kantam
Assam Fish
Laksa
Veg. Mee Goreng (stir-fried noodle)
Mee Kacang (warm noodle salad topped with peanut sauce)
Sambal sotong and, to make this dish special, with petai (smelly beans)

For Dessert,
Sago
Black sticky Rice
Homemade D24 Durian Ice Cream

Fabulous service, fabulous food and a fab start to the Symposium. Couldn’t have been better! Thank you FongYee and family!!!

Morning walk through the vineyard. Of 750 vines planted ( and - all have now broken bud - 100% success (touch wood). A ...
19/11/2025

Morning walk through the vineyard. Of 750 vines planted ( and - all have now broken bud - 100% success (touch wood). A couple won’t be out of intensive care for a few days but the prospects are good. 245 have climbed above the vine guard. Rain over the past few days, so sulphur when it gets cooler this evening.
Flowers seeded around the vineyard seem to be doing well, should bloom in the next week or so.
Last image: bought 20 Sauvignon Blanc from and growing these up Kingston black cider apples. Coferment? Just a thought…..

Marion’s / Gannets Bar at Haumoana for ‘s birthday. Brilliant evening at a classic NZ beach bar now run by foodies - G...
19/11/2025

Marion’s / Gannets Bar at Haumoana for ‘s birthday. Brilliant evening at a classic NZ beach bar now run by foodies - Great wine list and classic menu with some surprises. Pool table, salty old characters, and clearly a place hugely popular with a diverse range of locals. Packed on a Wednesday evening. Highly recommended venue for a totally relaxed evening of food, wine, beer and local watching. The entire bar broke into Happy Birthday as Ollie was presented with a delicious carrot cake with far too few candles. Two French wines last night- a refreshing Sav/Vermentino blend and a classic Chablis. Fries and three pizzas - all delicious. Loved the place, loved the evening and loved the company.

brim

Aged sirloin, potatoes and a very simple salad: Abbazia, Barbera d’Asti.🌞Gloriously warm day in the Bay (or actually a b...
17/11/2025

Aged sirloin, potatoes and a very simple salad: Abbazia, Barbera d’Asti.
🌞
Gloriously warm day in the Bay (or actually a bit inland). B came home from with two pieces of aged sirloin; she knows I don’t like eye-fillet. Peppered, pan fried, with sliced air frier potatoes, iceberg lettuce and sliced baby cucumber, dressing. Sirloin packed with flavour - a classic combination difficult to mess up.
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100% Barbera from Asti - a town better known for its Spumante. A garnet-hazed complex multidimensional Italian red with gentle tannins, perfectly balanced acidity and a Pinot-esque elegance of sorts. Deliciously excellent with steak, salad and sunshine. Definitely recommended.

Freshly from the printers - Aristologist 18. A cool little volume for food historians and philosophers. If in NZ, consi...
16/11/2025

Freshly from the printers - Aristologist 18. A cool little volume for food historians and philosophers. If in NZ, consider subscribing. A very classy, limited circulation, print rarity.
Www.aristologist.com

Two volumes currently in preparation are on the origins of curry and Indian food in New Zealand.

Bronze beetle seems to have abated (it came and went early), and spring frosts are (fingers crossed) still being held at...
16/11/2025

Bronze beetle seems to have abated (it came and went early), and spring frosts are (fingers crossed) still being held at bay. After a long period of hot, dry, windy weather the heavens broke and it may have been that that caused the little Carmenere to decide they were going to climb out of their cots (guards) - at least the most adventurous. About 745 of the 750 vines have taken nicely and I haven’t given up on the other 5 yet. It’ll soon be time to start tying the vines to the bamboo and making a decision which shoots (there are multiple in each vine) will be preserved. Meanwhile, once the rains were over a shot of sulphur to ward away grapevine coughs and colds (downy mildew) - the paddock meanwhile is pretty brown and dessicated but the heavy rain has brought out toadstools of some form - weird stuff.

Cellar 495 : Hastings. Bistro, international wine bar and a godsend. Weird thunderstormy weather and what better place ...
15/11/2025

Cellar 495 : Hastings. Bistro, international wine bar and a godsend. Weird thunderstormy weather and what better place to be for dinner. In fact the thunder and rain had passed by the time we sat down to Te Kouma oysters and (the brilliant) fries, sipping an unheard of Italian grape variety (Nascetta) - rescued from extinction by the vintner in the 1990s. Medium bodied dry and minerally with a herby, slightly bitter rivulet of acid. An interesting experiential wine.
🌞 With a delicious confit of duck, griddle cake and endive with apple and hazelnuts, a red - another unheard of Spanish grape - Mencia (Menthia I guess) from Bodega Godelia - lovely rich, slightly medicinal in a spicy nice sort of way - elegant and an excellent pairing with the duck. 🌞
B had a lovely Austrian Steininger Gruner Veltliner with oysters and a Pinot Gris (?) with a sensational Whitestone Haloumi caramelised to perfection with beetroot and leaves.
🌞 Before dessert (affogato) another Italian red of unheard of pedigree - the grape Susumaniello - like a symphony - rich ever changing deliciousness - sensations entering like oboes and violins — swelling magic, rich fruit under a cloak of the finest cocoa tannins. Brought in by , this is a real gem! ….. As is cellar495!

Life really is too short for chardonnay conservatism ….. with 5000 grape varieties to try, there is no time to waste!

Friday and Saturday Program 28/29 November. $80 one day registration available, and $50 / day registration for unwaged s...
09/11/2025

Friday and Saturday Program 28/29 November.

$80 one day registration available, and $50 / day registration for unwaged students.

Registrations at www.aristologist.com. Day 2 - Saturday may be of particular interest to students of viticulture. Morning, afternoon tea and lunch provided.

Friday

9.00 am: Tracy Berno : The Humble Swede

9.45 am: Nicki Tarulevicz : Christmas in Singapore

10.30 am: Morning tea

11.00 am: Juliet Galuszka : Conservation of Historic Cook Books

11.45: Dave Veart : Why I cook the Way I Do.

12.30 pm: Lunch:

1.15 pm: Leanne Miranda: Chai pe Charcha - Migrant Community kitchens

2.00 pm: Alison McKee : The Hare

2.45 pm: Afternoon Tea:

3.15 pm: Omai and the Tahitian Barbecue

4.00 pm: John Webster : The Self-styled Honest Man - Richard Butneer

Saturday

9.00 am: Ian Quinn : Premium Viticulture at Two Terraces

9.45 am: Amy Farnsworth: Biodynamic winemaking

10.30 am: Morning Tea

11.00 am: Dan Brewster: Regenerative Viticulture

11.45 am: Raquel Kallas : The Fruit of 11.000 years labor: Domestication of Vitis

12.30 pm: Lunch

1.15 pm: Nicholas Drinnan: Wild Vines of the Ngaruroro

2.00 pm: Duncan Galletly: One and a half days to dig - an Amateur Vigneron

2.45 pm: Afternoon Tea

3.15 pm: Karen Wishart : Abel or Fable (Pinot Clone)

4.00 pm: Max Di**le: Sparkling Red – An Australian Regional Tradition

Chateau Garage-ista social club gathering at the garage. 🌞Invited members of the club were spoilt rotten with delicious...
06/11/2025

Chateau Garage-ista social club gathering at the garage.
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Invited members of the club were spoilt rotten with delicious platters and almost the full range of Chateau Garage’s wonderful wines - the two rosés, Albariño, Chardonnay (22 and 24), Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.. Tasted en masse it reinforced for everyone that Ollie Powrie gilds small-batch wines of exceptional character, there is nothing so-so, no duds, nothing boring - all deliciously interesting.
🌞
Joining the club is highly recommended - chateaugarage.co.nz


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