Grapes on a train!!!

All aboard!

On September 16th, around 50 sommeliers, journalists, bloggers and winemakers boarded a train in New York City, bound for the beautiful city of Montreal, via a 9 hour journey to New Zealand – or at least a journey through NZ’s wines, courtesy of the Complexity NZ wine project.

What an innovative concept – it certainly peaked the interest of the New York wine scene.

The logistics of a moving tasting in a confined space for 9 hours required some creative planning… the Complexity team took inspiration from Murray’s office in Flight of the Concords with retro NZ Tourism posters adorning the carriages, while “bento box wine flight trays” and stemless glassware kept things stable and avoided stains and spillage. Several masterclasses were held throughout the journey and guests rotated between the tastings. Travelling winemakers were given a briefing before they left on (I quote) “Handy hits for being delightfully engaging for 9 hours in confined spaces”!

The event culminated in a “kiwi barbeque” in Montreal itself, with time for a little sightseeing before guests departed back to NYC and the normal routine.

So how did it go?

“Thank you for one of the best #wine events I’ve attended. Compelling wines, people & unique environment-all superbly organized.” Mary Burnham

“Nothing like being whisked away on retro train to Montreal with a bunch of New Zealand winemakers! Many thanks” The Wine Cellarage

“Loved @PinotNoirNZ – may have overindulged but it was worth it!” Annie Dolce

Great job Complexity! We were so proud to be a part of this event and are looking forward to a re-enactment over here in NZ!