Ka Pao Edinburgh will host a special winemaker’s dinner this month in collaboration with boutique New Zealand winery Little Beauty.
For the occasion, the winery’s co-founder Fleur McCree will travel from New Zealand to share her story and guide guests through the wines on the night.
McCree’s visit acknowledges the vital role that Scotland played in Little Beauty’s journey, when listings at some of the country’s top restaurants helped the winery survive its early tribulations.
At the Ka Pao event, taking place on Wednesday 15 October, guests will enjoy a five-course Southeast Asian-inspired feast paired with Little Beauty’s single-vineyard wines from Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley.
The menu promises to showcas Ka Pao’s bold flavours – from delicate White crab with calamansi and coconut shrimp crackers, pork and bone marrow stuffed chicken wing with oyster glazed sauce, through to a Southern yellow curry of Gigha halibut.
Each dish will be matched with one of Little Beauty’s rare wines, including its Black Edition Sauvignon Blanc, Limited Edition Pinot Noir and Noble Edition Gewurztraminer.
Launched in 2008, Little Beauty is known for its small-batch, single-vineyard wines – and its remarkable story of survival from a shaky start.
Fleur and her husband had turned a derelict sheep farm into a vineyard, only to see floods devastate their early vines and a global recession hit just as their first vintage was ready. That is when Scotland proved to be the lifeline.
Some of the winery’s very first listings were at Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, The Kitchin and Martin Wishart. Since then, Little Beauty has built lasting ties with Scotland, with supporters including Roy Brett at Ondine, Paul and Lisa at Wedgwood, Murray at The Ship on the Shore, and Philippe and Richard at L’Art du Vin, who placed the first ever Scottish order in October 2009.
Every wine is made in limited volumes, with Little Beauty representing just 0.15% of Marlborough’s production and New Zealand itself only 1% of global wine production.
McCree said: “Scotland and New Zealand have a lot in common – both are small countries with incredible landscapes and a deep food and drink culture.
“When we launched Little Beauty in 2009, it was the worst possible time, recession and setbacks made us think all was lost. But Scotland truly saved the day, and we’re proud to still be working with Scottish restaurants today.
“I love coming back to Edinburgh, but the whole country holds a special place in my heart,” she said. “Ever since I first tried Ka Pao, I thought it was something different, so fun and vibrant, but with food that’s seriously world-class.
“The varieties we grow are perfectly matched to Ka Pao’s cuisine, and I can’t wait for people to experience how the right wine with the right dish can really elevate a meal.”
Ka Pao’s chef director, Sandy Browning, said: “Food and drink coming together is at the heart of what we do. We always want to give our guests something unforgettable, and this collaboration with Fleur brings another layer to the Ka Pao experience.
“We hope this will be the first of a series of dinners where we invite our suppliers and collaborators to share their journeys with our guests.”
