Plume Cafe in North Shore Times

Posted on 21-1-2013 9:30 am

Relax and enjoy Matakana this summer at Plume

Plume Cafe, Matakana opens from Noveber 30 in time for summer.

The cafe promises good food, wine and coffees. It offers indooor and outdoor seating, plus a lovely fireplace to warm the soul in winter.

Read the full article here.

Plume Cafe in Rodney Times

Posted on 21-1-2013 9:23 am

Decadent delights at Plume Cafe

Plume cafe opened in Matakana on a wet and windy day at the end of last November.

A boulangerie and patisserie, it sells breads and pastries direct to the public and can also take retail orders...

Read the full article here.

Plume Cafe in Mahurangi Matters

Posted on 4-12-2012 2:16 pm

Move to Matakana's heart just the beginning

The former Brookview Teahouse, in Matakana, will re-open to the public on November 30 under its new name Plume Cafe.

The teahouse, which was owned and operated by Lynne Curry, closed several months ago when former owner Richard Didsbury sold to Clyde and Farida Cooper, who also own the Plume Restaurant in Sharp Road...

Read the full article here.

Rodney Times reviews Plume Restaurant

Posted on 17-9-2012 1:15 pm

Matakana’s Plume Vineyard Restaurant has just released its new spring dinner menu. As usual the dishes sound divine and taste just as good. They’re laid out beautifully on the plate by head chef Gaetano Francelle or one of his team. Plume has beautifully decorated gift vouchers – perfect Christmas gifts for loved ones. You don’t have to visit, simply phone or email details and the team at Plume will do the rest like posting the voucher to the recipient, making Christmas easier for you.

Read the full article here.

gayexpress.co.nz reviews Plume Restaurant

Posted on 29-3-2011 10:46 am

Plume is a beautiful name for a stunning vineyard restaurant out in Matakana. The team at express heard a few rumours and decided there was no better way to spend a long Christmas lunch than out in the sunshine in this lovely place. Our much-used (and slightly abused) tastebuds could not have made a more perfect choice. Not only did we enjoy escaping the uproarious but too clambering Ponsonby Road, but loved every taste, sip and every breath of the fine summer air.

Read the full article here.

John Gardner reviews Plume for NZ Herald

Posted on 23-12-2010 10:53 am

How pleasing it is to watch the chef amble out from behind the stoves into a well-stocked kitchen garden followed by the sound of vigorous chopping before your beautifully garnished meal arrives at the table. This is what country eating is all about, we told ourselves as we sat in the pastoral setting of Plume, even if the view on this particular visit was shrouded in drizzle and mist...

Read the full article online here.

Peter Calder reviews Plume for NZ Herald

Posted on 13-12-2010 10:34 am

...Plume occupies the building that was Heron's Flight's cafe, though it's had an impressive facelift and is usefully divided into several spaces so large parties won't disturb private diners. And the view - did I hear someone mention Tuscany?

The attention to detail that characterises the refit has carried over into the operation: service is slick and staff can talk about the food and wine without acting all snobby and up themselves...

Download a PDF of Peter Calders full 4 star review here.

Sue Courtney's Wine of the Week

Posted on 13-9-2010 4:53 pm

You really should taste the Runner Duck wines," said David Hoskins of Heron's Flight Vineyard in Matakana when I asked him about his new restaurant partners, Clyde and Farida Cooper. I'd been pestering him for a photo of them and him and his wife, Mary Evans, for my wine column in the local paper.

A few days later Clyde and Farida dropped in, bearing wine, on their way from Auckland to Matakana. I welcomed them into my humble little abode and listened to their story. Wine was already part of their lifestyle when they arrived in New Zealand from Bombay, India, a few years ago. There they had been introduced to the accessible Jacobs Creek brand, which in turn led to a fascination with Bordeaux wines.

When they decided to look for a small block in the country where they could perhaps farm, or grow grapes, they were immediately smitten with a property in Warkworth's Duck Creek Road, not even knowing it had a vineyard on it. "The driveway was just so beautiful," recalls Farida, with a glaze in her eyes.

The 3.2 hectare vineyard, planted in Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Pinotage, and an olive grove with 400 trees, were welcome added extras.The Coopers purchased the property mid-2008 and although the former owners did not harvest the grapes that year, wine from the 2007 vintage, in barrel, was included.

They arranged with winemaker Shayne Cox, for the wines to be bottled and worked about developing the brand. They decided on 'Runner Duck' because their address is Duck Creek Road, the duck is the icon of Warkworth, the Indian Runner is a breed of duck that harks back to their native country and runner also correlates to the former careers in the courier / air cargo business. The upright Runner Duck logo they developed is drawn in the Henna designs that Indian women wear on their hands and feet.

Taking their new venture seriously, they enrolled in the Eastern Institute of Technology's Diploma in Viticulture correspondence course to learn the ropes as well as learning the nitty gritty from their full-time vineyard Manager, Joe Schroff.

Looking for an outlet for the sales of the wine the Coopers noticed a number of Matakana wineries were on the market, including the Herons Flight Winemaker's Centre. The restaurant / cellar door channel seemed an ideal way to promote the Runner Duck wines.

In March this year Clyde and Farida became the owners of the front block of the Heron's Flight property, which includes the restaurant building and eight rows of Sangiovese vines. But more importantly they formed a business partnership with David Hoskins and Mary Evans to manage the restaurant and wine centre. Now tastings of Heron's Flight and Runner Duck wines are held together.

While Clyde prefers to work on the Runner Duck property, one of Farida's passions in life is food and she will be at the winemakers centre four days a week where her favourite place is in the kitchen. Indo-Persian flavours are her specialty and they will be gradually introduced to the menu. She says the soft spices of this style of food are more wine-friendly than the hot Indian curries many of us know.

Runner Duck Syrah 2007 ($39) is a full, spicy red that they enjoy with Parsi (Indo/Persian) food. "Soft spices make the food more wine friendly," says Farida. "You tone down on the Biryani-type spices." She also likes to marinate steak in ginger and garlic and serve it with a mushroom sauce to accompany the wine. "It's a fusion," says Clyde, adding that they also enjoy it with lamb shanks, or even just a slice of smoked cheese.

Runner Duck Matakana Red 2007 ($39) is a warm, soft wine with an impressive marriage of fruit and oak. Farida says she would be happy serving this as an accompaniment to Tandoori Chicken. Farida says it also goes well with soft Brie cheeses. We were not quite as adventurous when tasting the wines accompanying them to a warming winter lamb casserole.

Runner Duck Matakana Red 2007 is this week's Wine of the Week. Made from a blend of Cabernet Franc, Pinotage, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot, it's a dense dark red colour with a rich, warm glow. Fragrantly scented with red and black berries, cedar and smoke, it has a rich, ripe savoury flavour with deep, dark fruit reminiscent of berries and plums with fruitcake piece, herbs, creamy oak and vinous richness. The impressive marriage of fruit and oak has well-balanced underlying acidity, fine textured tannins and a warm dry finish. Medium to full-bodied in style, the bottle states 13.5% alcohol/vol and it's closed with a Diam cork. You can taste the French-inspired Runner Duck Wines alongside the Italian-inspired wines of Heron's Flight at Heron's Flight Winemaker's Centre, Sharp Road, Matakana. They open daily. Find out more from www.heronsflight.co.nz.

© Sue Courtney, 29 Jun 2010