More than 30 newcomers to Central attended a wine tasting evening run by the Alexandra Newcomers Network (ANN) on Friday July 21.

Organisers had a waitlist after a flurry of registrations came in for the event, held at Alexandra’s Central Cinema.

Seventeen red, white, and rose wines from Central were placed in fabric bags to cover up the labels and sampled ‘blind’ by the crowd. 

Organiser Ann thanked the other ANN volunteers for helping with serving the tastes, assisting with set up, clean up, and putting together grazing platters. 

Ann unveiling the wines. 

Two couples, both only three weeks into residency in Central, told the Central App they loved the chance to meet other newbies and try wines from the Alexandra basin.

The reveal of the wines showed a wide range of answers and expertise with one man picking almost all of them, and many only selecting a few correctly. 

Attendees had relocated from various places in New Zealand such as Christchurch, Auckland, Blenheim, and Masterton as well as from the United Kingdom.

ANN supporters donated wines from Grey Ridge, Two Paddocks, Wooing Tree, Perseverance Estate, Ruru, Mt Difficulty, Pick & Shovel, Rua, Omeo, Hinton Estate, Judge Rock and Thyme Hill. 

Many said making friends in a new town was a challenge if you worked on your own, and that ANN activities were a welcoming and no pressure way to connect with others facing similar challenges. 

To find out more about ANN activities coming up email: [email protected]

The Central App champions the locals and those who contribute to make Central a vibrant diverse place. Do you know an individual or group with a newcomer story to tell? Get in touch: [email protected]

PHOTOS: The Central App