Auckland’s newest neighbourhood wine bar The College Hill Wine Room by David Nash is opening tomorrow – for those seeking exceptionally crafted wine, spirts and food experiences.
Created and helmed by David Nash, one of New Zealand’s foremost wine professionals (the co-founder and co-owner of Helio, The Marlborist, Alpine Rift wines and the Bluff Distillery, and the writer and director of NZ wine story film A Seat at the Table), The Wine Room has been designed as a wine lover’s home away from home.
Set across a collection of above and below ground spaces, and centrally located in Freeman’s Bay, The Wine Room presents a neighbourhood wine bar, private rooms, subterranean cellar, sundeck and retail store.
The Wine Room is a venue for all occasions, from welcoming customers throughout the week to drop in for casual glass or two in the bar, or sipping away the afternoon on the sundeck, to picking up a bottle for dinner, through to exceptionally planned events in the private dining room and accompanying chef’s kitchen.
With many a great wine experience linked to food, The Wine Room offering will be elevated by the talents of Executive Chef and partner Ryan Moore creating a menu of classics and perfectly executed dishes, while Wine Director Joe Costello takes the reins in the design and pairing of the liquid offerings.
Below ground, The Wine Room houses New Zealand’s premier subterranean wine storage vaults. Built and managed in collaboration with Storage King, they provide seasoned wine collectors, or those with a bourgeoning investment interest, state-of-the-art cellar options of varying sizes, all expertly managed by The Wine Room Concierge.
“I wanted to set about creating a wine lover’s home away from home, that happens to come with a private dining room, a Michelin-starred chef and boasts some of New Zealand’s most experienced wine professionals. A state-of the-art subterranean wine cellar accessible 24/7 with unlimited corkage at your very own wine bar, and of course a shop with a curated offering to help replenish your cellar for a lifetime of enjoyment – all under one roof,” says David Nash.
The Wine Bar
Showcasing the classics – cocktails such as the Bluff Gibston, Hastings Negroni, and Kumeu 75, served alongside an extensive list of benchmark world wines by the glass with one of the country’s most extensive bottle lists. To match, a ‘by the glass food offering’ includes the likes of fresh Te Matuku oysters, duck liver profiteroles, wagyu tartare, jambon persill., crayfish crumpet and The Cheese List.
The Private Dining Room
A space for all seasons and reasons, from casual catch ups, and corporate celebrations to intimate family dinners, elegant, branded events and of course, David Nash’s legendary Atelier Nash wine dinners. The exclusive area seats from two to twenty people. With a variety of wine and food-matching Masterclasses, Ryan and the team have carefully created menu offerings which reflect their love of European flavours, traditions, and contemporary techniques that showcase New Zealand’s best produce.
Events and celebrations
Designed as a luxurious, elevated and versatile space, the entire Wine Room can transform into a celebration venue for larger groups including the Private Dining Room, Wine Bar and outside sundeck.
Fine wine retail
The College Hill Wine Room’s extensive retail offering, curated by David Nash, includes a selection of New Zealand and the world’s best wines. The easy-to-navigate store offers an ever-changing collection of current vintage must haves, along with a continuous roll-out of expertly cellared wines from some of the world’s most iconic producers. Customers will also be able to shop expertly sourced glassware and drinkware by world-acclaimed wine critic Jancis Robinson, MW. and a selection of Sommelier must-have wine tools and accoutrements to elevate the drinking experience.
The Fine Wine Cellars
The Wine Room is the perfect location for part of, or your entire collection. Wine cellar residents can enjoy free corkage drinking their own cellared wines in the bar, create a wine dinner of their own, or simply access 24/7.
For discerning collectors, The Wine Room offers over 450 individual cellars. The walk-in cellars cater for those with large collections, while the bespoke smaller cellars are an economical way to add on space as and when it’s needed for a growing collection, with multiple options starting at $136 p/m. State-of-the-art temperature, climate control and redundancy, along with on-hand The Wine Room Concierge service ensuring impeccable care and management of precious liquid assets. The ‘Residences Barrell Room’ located in the cellars is a place for members to appreciate, catalogue and consider their collections. An optional online inventory enables residents to select, order and have their wines delivered to their home, or prepared ahead of dining in the Private Dining Room, providing a discrete and premium service like no other. Residents will also enjoy preferential benefits at the retail store and unlimited corkage in the bar or private events.
