Ensemble Supper Club at San Ray
At Grava, we make wine with the intention that it plays a supporting role—a quiet but steady presence alongside a good story, a good meal or a moment worth remembering. For most of us, the dining table is where we do our best talking and our best listening. It’s where stories are exchanged and, on a rainy Thursday night in Tāmaki Makaurau, we had the pleasure of pouring a vino tinto or two at the first Ensemble Supper Club—an intimate evening hosted by Rebecca Wadey and Zoe Walker Ahwa, founders of Ensemble Magazine spent around the private dining room table at San Ray.
The space, tucked away above the restaurant, was a perfect place to unwind. Full of good people, open conversation ensued and that wonderful feeling of time slowing down over a long dinner was the shared experience.
The special guest for the night was actor and writer Morgana O’Reilly, who recently graced our tele screens on The White Lotus. Morgana brought generosity, humour and a kind of unfiltered honesty that set the tone for a genuinely enjoyable evening.
As is standard for San Ray, the menu offered delicious dishes to be shared ‘family styes’. Woodfired mushrooms, wagyu bavette with cognac butter, spicy fries and other sides and a rich chocolate mousse to finish provided plenty of moments for guests to indulge in their favourite Grava wine or taste across the whole portfolio.
We poured our New Zealand wines from Martinborough alongside our Grava España selection of a Godello and a Mencía. While no wine pairing rules were applied, it is safe to say the Grava Carbónica always sings a little when served next to a chargilled piece of quality wagyu! It was a great opportunity to share our full lineup in a setting where people were really paying attention—not just to the wines but to each other.
We were so proud to be involved in a night that felt equal parts casual and considered. Our gratitude to Rebecca and Zoe of Ensemble, Rebecca, Camilo and the team at San Ray, to Morgana for regaling us with some of the best stories including how she once earned a living by allowing paying punters to suck her toes (true story!) and of course everyone who joined us.
¡Salud!
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Photographs by Karen Ishiguro for Ensemble
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