The Tasting Shed

Yum food here tonight

My other half surprised me by taking me out to dinner at The Tasting Shed a couple of Sundays ago. Neither of us had been before. The first thing that immediately had my interest piqued was its location - an unassuming little building nestled comfortably among the vines, with a gorgeous green lawn and ample outdoor seating. We sat inside in the corner on some booths, knowing that the winds could easily pick up and make our evening less comfortable - although I doubt that would be much of a problem, now that we know they provide their own woolen "tasting shed" blankets and plenty of outdoor insulation. Simple comforts that go a long way. My partner knew as soon as I opened the wine list that we were in for a LOT of fun. I was like a kid in a candy store - I've never seen such a diverse and eclectic range of tastes before, grape varietals I'd never heard of, as well as blends I'd never have imagined. We decided to take turns ordering meals and he passed the baton to me to try and match our wines. (Not sure how much 'matching' went on, I more or less let my curiosity lead me - though this is apparently how Ganesh would like his patrons to go). The format of the Tasting Shed is designed less for a traditional sit-down meal and more for a taste extravaganza. All of the dishes, both single and sharing plates, seem to have been made not for their singular enjoyment but for something to be shared, tapas-style. Smaller whole meals, basically. So we began. After some fresh bread and olive oil (some balsamic thrown in there, as well) we started off with the Market Fish of the Day - pan seared Terekihi on a bed of prawn risotto. I was so taken with the prawn risotto that I almost forgot to try the Terekihi, which was delicious as well. For our wines, I tried a glass of La Huella De Adaras, an interesting blend of 45% Sauvignon, 45% Verdelho, and 10% Monastrell. It was a lovely wine that interestingly had more in common with a well-barrelled Tequila than of a white wine! I ordered my guy a glass of the Cooper's Creek Cee Vee - 70% Chardonnay, 30% Viognier - and we both conceded that this was the better wine. So much gentler, with plenty of florality and light apple notes. A Chardonnay even I could easily handle (me at Chards have had a falling out over the last few years). The second course we tried was a Venison terrine with golden raisin puree and pickled beetroot. Absolutely gorgeously tender venison and the golden raisin puree really added a kind of sweetness and acidity to the meaty, fattiness of the terrine. To pair, I ordered myself a glass of the Santa Cristina Sangiovese/Merlot, and my partner a glass of the Avaniel Tinto Fino Temperanillo - we both conceded that my wine was the best one this time, although the Temperanillo was packed full of berries and spice - probably could have been paired better with our next dish! Let's just say I let my curiosity run away with my tongue... The third course: scotch fillet with a blue cheese melt, miso and gnocchi.. Wow, what a combination. The scotch fillet was cooked to perfection and the miso added a rounded, sweeter note next to the blue cheese. The gnocchi was a great finish. With this course, we were barely about to order our wine when we were finally visited by one of the core proprietors, the one half of the dream team that started The Tasting Shed - Ganesh Raj. He had heard we were having a little tasting extravaganza and had come over to investigate. And by investigate, I mean blow our minds and have an exciting discussion about wine, cuisine, his vision for The Tasting Shed and the choices we'd made already. Before we knew what was happening, he'd poured us two complimentary glasses of his bottle-only Acustic - 65% Samso, 35% Garnatxa, 10months in french oak - that I'd expressed I'd wanted to try as soon as I saw it. An incredible wine, like nothing I'd ever tasted, with spicy tannins that easily craved the scotch fillet we so easily polished off. Last course and our curiosity got the better of us both: Seared and spiced ostrich liver, with marinated zucchini and a salad of rocket and beetroot. We were both pleasantly surprised at the consistency and texture of the liver, spiced a-plenty with cumin, cloves and peppers - the salad accompanied it perfectly. For this last course, I enjoyed a glass of the Nobilo Pinot Noir: a gorgeously feminine Pinot Noir, less astringency and more red fruits, and a nose like a perfume. I ordered my man a glass of the Conde de Valdemar Rioja, a very different glass altogether - lots of tannins and spice, a big, Spanish wine that took the cumin and coriander right off the liver and ran down the road with it! Ha! And so, onto dessert. I ordered the Manchego cheese and my partner ordered the Creme caramel - a neat little layered dessert with a caramel and semillon jelly, and bergamot ice cream. The ice cream was a perfect round-off to the sticky sweetness of all the caramel flavors in the glass. Again, before we could order our wines, Ganesh did as I had requested and surprised us both, my man with a glass of the Moscato D'Asti (sparkling!), and myself with a glass of the Peregrine Charcoal Riesling - another wine which would ordinarily only be served by the glass. I'm notoriously picky with my white aromatics but the Charcoal was exactly what I never knew I was looking for in a white. Light, airy, and not too many tropical fruits that punch you in the nose like so many southern hemisphere wines. We ordered coffee and again found the evening taking a whole new course when Ganesh fetched us to make our own! With plenty of pizazz and flamboyance, we rocked that coffee machine and soon had our last beverages to enjoy as the night wore on. It was strange to look at the clock and see only 8.45pm - hadn't we been here all week? We had both been on an incredible journey of flavors, personalities, experiences and new perspectives and didn't want to leave. Ganesh came to see us one last time as we paid the bill - (hard to believe it only came to $150!) and blew us away by giving us a bottle of the Jose Pariente on the house ("to enjoy in a hot tub, and only in a hot tub" - lucky I have one of those at home!) and fared us well. We both knew we were all the better for such an incredible night and swore to return, and here I am - two weeks later, sitting in house and enjoying a glass of french viognier on Good Friday. If you're looking for something unforgettable and indelible, then just go. But be prepared: you'll leave a little different, a little better, a little more widely traveled than you were when you came.

The service was excellent, we were encouraged to take our time and enjoy the evening.  The food was unique and well priced.  The standout had to be the black olive caramel. Will definitely be back!

Feel like you're in the south of France at The Tasting Shed in the heart of Kumeu. This venue has plenty of indoor-outdoor flow for all types of weather. A great place to go with a group of friends, family or with your partner for a romantic lunch or dinner. You can also have the option of sitting under a tree on a picnic rug - just ask the friendly staff to set this up for you. In terms of food, you will find a range of tasty delights - small tapa-like tasters with scrumptious food such as Scotch fillet, gnocchi, blue cheese and miso (which was my favourite)  and an extensive wine list.

We had been dying to check out The Tasting Shed since it opened, but with 2 young girls we found it hard to find the time.  On Christmas Eve, we decided to treat ourselves and took the kids too!  We enjoyed the excellent food (kids did too - even the more complex dishes were universally palatable) and the vast wine selection.  We dined early and enjoyed the fact no one minded the kids running around the large garden outside.  We endeavour to head back one night, child free to get the total experience.

The Tasting Shed, a mere 23 min journey from Auckland city on our outstanding new northwestern motorway extension, is an oasis of civilisation - and our new local.  The food is all "small plates," i.e. entree-sized and you can match it with wine by the glass. The food is delicious!!  The staff are excellent!  You can sit in the (rustic and roomy) restaurant, snuggle up in a corner, sit in the terrace or in the cabana, or even on the lawn if you like.  I don't think they'd mind.  They're probably going to be busier and busier over the next few months so booking is a good idea.  Stop on the way back from Woodhill or Muriwai, it's open for dinner 5 evenings a week and if you're local, they might even shuttle you home.