The Cloudy Bay Rooftop at The Emerald Peacock

In my time as a food blogger, I've been fortunate to receive some truly fantastic opportunities and invitations to some great events.  (You know, a pudding making class, a spring lamb degustation, that whole Barossa thing).  Most recently, I was delighted to receive an invitation that seemed to speak directly to me: "Celebrate 25 years of Cloudy Bay at the Emerald Peacock Rooftop".  My family's favourite wine?  At one of Melbourne's hottest bars? Yes please!  My week in the Barossa saw me develop a whole new appreciation for wine (fret not, many more blogposts to come!), so I was especially keen to revisit this family favourite with my newfound understanding.

The Emerald Peacock
233 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 9654 8680
Website

My dad has been drinking (and loving!) Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc for well over a decade now, long before the bottle shop shelves became awash with Marlborough sauvignon blancs.  (We've also enjoyed the pinot noir, and the late harvest riesling).  So it was absolutely no surprise to me when he said he'd be my plus-one for the night.

The rooftop has been done up very nicely - a lovely relaxed atmosphere with some "Cloudy Bay" touches.  As we walked up the stairs, my dad instantly recognised the distinctive mountain-range from the label on the bottle.  (What a connoisseur, eh?)

I thought the Cloudy Bay pillows, in the characteristic shades of muted grey, were a great touch too.  For me, parties are all about the detail! 

Pillows

How cute are these sheep?  A little bit of the South Island, right here on Lonsdale street!

On offer were a few different wines from the Cloudy Bay range; we tried the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2008 Pinot Noir and the Pelorus sparkling wine.  (I couldn't say no to the sparkling wine. Typical.)  The Pelorus, Cloudy Bay's sparkling wine label, was named after Pelorus Jack, an albino dolphin that was famous for meeting and guiding ships through Cook Straight in New Zealand.  It is a mixture of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, making it an easy drinking wine that would go well with savoury canapés - think Parmesan gougères or mushroom tartlets with flaky puff pastry.

In addition to the wines, we were served a light meal: an antipasto platter and pizza!

Antipasto Platter

The Cloudy Bay Bubbly Prawn Pizza

The Cloudy Bay Bubbly Prawn Pizza was created exclusively for the Cloudy Bay rooftop, and will be available for purchase whilst the rooftop is open - $30 with 2 glasses of sauvignon blanc.  It is topped with prawns marinated in Pelorus sparkling wine, (how luxe!) and has a nice fiery kick from fresh chilli.

Lovely night for it...

To celebrate 25 years of Cloudy Bay, the new Cloudy Bay rooftop at The Emerald Peacock will be open to consumers for a limited two week period from 21 March to 3 April.

Sarah and Fred attended The Cloudy Bay Rooftop as guests of The Emerald Peacock, with thanks to Victoria from Mango PR for the invitation.