Elite Event: Cépage

Loved the vibes here. This was my first (hopefully not last!) elite event and I was pretty impressed!
Coming from the wine industry Maison Veron is definitely the go-​to if you want French Wine. They are at the top of their game when it comes to wine in my opinion. The representatives from Maison Veron are very knowledgeable and had a lot of great things to say about the wine and a wonderful interaction with us. Chablis is my favourite and we had a fantastic and affordable Chablis! I loved the guy that was serving the cheese in the back (sorry forgot your name!) from La Fromagerie. He was such a character and super knowledgeable! Can’t wait to come by La Fromagerie and buy Mini Chevrot which was my favourite cheese of the night. Each cheese was cleverly matched to the wine, so naturally I liked them all.
This was a very well organised event, however the size of the place and the fact that it was so stinkin’ hot did take toll on my partner (and guest) and myself. We both made the most of it by taking the party to the streets, as a lot of us did, and in the process I met some really cool people and we stood outside with our wine swapping travel stories.
I can’t wait to come back here on a date and have a nice glass (or bottle) of wine and choose from the pages of cheeses on the menu. Fantastic event!

This was my first Unilocal event and what an awesome experience. Who doesn’t love a glass of bubbles when you arrive at a new place. It was surprising to see so many people at the event because I didn’t realise there were so many other Unilocalers in Auckland!
The staff at the venue were so helpful and knowledgable about the different wines. They were so approachable and happy to answer any questions. The cheeses which accompanied the wines were delicious. We were able to sample cheeses which we had never even heard of.
It was great to mingle with everyone and pick up a few tips about wine and cheese. Im no wine connoisseur so it was very interesting to listen to the experts explain the different types.
This is a tiny little place but full of charm with an amazing selection of wine and cheese. Definitely worth trying.

French wine and cheese! How I love wine and cheese. I had a fantastic time (as I always do at Unilocal Elite events) getting to try the perfectly paired wines and cheese combinations. The vibe of the evening was cheerful and relaxed as we slowly made our way through the tasting tables with time for second or third tastes.
Cepage, a recently opened wine and cheese bar in Vulcan Lane was our venue for the evening. While we packed out the place I can imagine it being a quiet and romantic spot on a normal evening.
I thoroughly enjoyed all the wines and cheese (perhaps a little too much) however there were a few standouts of the evening. The ‘Metz Cuvee Anne-​Laure Pinot Gris’ was the first wine I tried and it was fantastic. Just to make sure it was indeed my favourite I had another small taste at the end and it indeed held up. My favourite cheese was the Epoisses. Served with a spoon, it was was wonderful and creamy with a rich, salty flavour.
A huge thank you to Alex, Cepage, Maison Vauron, and La Fromagerie for creating an amazing event where two of my loves were combined.

French wine + French cheese + a hole in the wall on Vulcan Lane = no brainer! Even though the event description for this Elite Event at Cepage was always destined for greatness, I am still surprised at how fabulously it was executed. The wine was well selected, perfectly paired with their cheese counterparts and the pours were more than generous. What was the greatest though was the overwhelming hospitality shown by Cepage, Maison Vauron, and La Fromagerie. There was no need to be shy for seconds or thirds on tastings and the unpretentious nature of our hosts led to a real laid back but fun energy (albeit sweaty) throughout the night. I will definitely be going back for a full experience to Cepage, Maison Vauron (still dreaming about that Chablis!), and La Fromagerie. Thanks Alex… Really hit a homerun with this one!

What a superb way to ring in the New year!
Tucked into a wee space on upper Vulcan Lane, Cepage is a beautiful, hip new French wine and cheese bar– where February’s Elite event took place. Definitely a must return place with the girls.
Though it got very hot in the small space with the many new faces and lots of Elite bodies and their +1’s, it was a fantastic night with delicious sip-​pers and fromage.
Thank you Alex and the team at Cepage + awesome suppliers, Maison Vauron (wine) and La Fromagerie (cheese) for a superb night of French-​ness. What an absolute treat.

Had a great time at the Elite event last Tuesday night. The venue was small but the wine and cheese were delicious and the hosts so friendly and knowledgeable. Loads of fun — looking forward to the next event and to a relaxed wine and cheese at Cepage in the near future.

An amazing little french wine bar hidden away down Vulcan Lane in the Auckland CBD. Logan, the owner, is very passionate and knowledgeable about the food and wine. Logan also runs the Black Hoof in the CBD which I’ve not checked out yet.
We were lucky enough to be invited here for a wine and cheese tasting. Was great to talk to some of their suppliers (Maison Vauron, La Fromagerie). I’d love to see this fabulous spot do a roaring trade. Try it out!

What a delicious night! From drinking French wines from Maison Vauron to salivating over the many cheeses from La Fromagerie, all at a small but sophisticated wine bar, Cepage, in Vulcan Lane.
I only drink wine and eat cheese on special occasions, so this was a real treat and an opportunity to learn more about French wine and cheese!
My favourite wine of the night was the ‘Metz Cuvee Anne-​Laure Pinot Gris’ — it was crisp and the texture made it wonderful to drink. Big thanks to Bertrand who was serving it, because I may have just become a convert! (That’s a good thing!)
My favourite cheese was an easy one to pick — after hearing from fellow Unilocalers that it’s a ‘must try’ and lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ I can definitely see why. The cheese is called ‘Epoisses’ and was rich, creamy and salty. What more could you ask for!!! The cheese also comes in a cute wooden box, which would be perfect for taking on a picnic!
Another highlight of the night was definitely meeting other Unilocalers (especially the ones I hadn’t met yet but had been following on Unilocal — hint hint you know who you are hehe). Love being with people who share the same love as you — FOOD! A huge thanks to Alex for organising another great event!
Overall, a lovely night with great company, wine and cheese. Thanks to Cepage, Maison Vauron and for La Fromagerie for making this happen! I’m definitely coming back for more of that Pinot Gris!!!

Unilocal Elite kicked off 2015 with a fantastic French wine & cheese tasting event at Cepage, the new brainchild of the very talented (& busy!) duo behind The Black Hoof. Cepage is a cosy little spot located on Vulcan Lane, that just begs you to come back & soak up the romantic lighting & intimate wine bar setting on another evening; the perfect spot for that after-​dinner digestif perhaps?
The selection of wines won’t disappoint, especially Francophiles. It’s generally pretty hard for me to top Kiwi sauvs, but the Pinot Gris from Alsace absolutely blew my mind! French wines have such a smooth finish compared to the New World vino we’re used to; far too easy to drink!
The cheeses were again top quality, and it was great to have so much knowledge from the friendly & hospitable guys from Maison Vauron (wine) and La Fromagerie (cheese). Loved Gilles’ beret & Bertrand’s enthusiasm! I was happy to finally make my way into the back corner of Cepage to discover the deliciously creamy Bleu d’Auvergne.
Great to re-​connect with other Unilocal-​ers as always, and I’m looking forward to the next Elite event. Merci Alex, you have definitely started the year on a high! Tres bien!

Yet another well deserved clap on the back for Alex. I have been to three of the Elite events now and all as was this one well organised and very informative. The guys running the place were really welcoming and willing to share thier knowledge. Though it kind of felt like being stuck in the middle of a herd of cattle on a very hot day at times inside the small area we made our way through we still managed to sample all the cheeses and most of the wines. I am not a big connoisseur of wine so really cannot state a favourite there as one tastes pretty much like the other to me. As for the cheeses i loved them all. Maybe because i am a big fan of cheeses overall. Again a very enjoyable time, a big thanks to Alex and the guys who opened thier doors to us and filled us with thier knowledge.

This was honestly such a lovely event!
It was cool and relaxed, everyone mingled with a glass of bubbles out on the lane before being given the chance to station hop and try the different wine and cheese matches.
Our favourite was the blue cheese and red match down the back. We hovered for way too long I think
The Cepage staff were full of stories and interesting bits of info, and the actual place itself is SAHHH CUTE!
I felt secretly smug, that this is somewhere I could wander to from my place with friends for a wine and eats! Will definitely be back
Another amazing event Alex, and looking forward to the next one x

Absolutely a hidden gem located down the end of Vulcan Lane, CBD, Cépage is a tiny French wine bar and bistro. You can find them directly across from Il Buco.
Je ai assisté à un événement Unilocal Elite qui était très bien une introduction à quelques-​unes des nombreuses régions viticoles et de la fabrication du fromage de France.
We were in great company tonight & it was great to catch up with fellow Unilocalers from past events. Cépage has a very concise menu after glancing over it I immediately found myself trying to plan how quickly I could return to sample everything they had on offer.
Co owners Will Thorpe and Logan Coath seem to be onto a winner here. As Logan said tonight, the idea of a French wine & cheese bar seemed to be a «criminally good idea» as no one else is doing it (in Auckland anyways). Logan definitely knows the ins & outs of gourmet cuisine from working with Sid Sahrawat (Sidart), time spent at Clooney, and of course not to overlook an extensive period he spent working in various kitchens in London and France.
They offer Charcuterie, which, of course is a no brainier as they also own and run The Black Hoof.
Check them out at
&
respectively. You won’t be disappointed.

What a pleasure it was to attend the first Unilocal elite event for this year at Cepage in the very trendy and centrally located Vulcan Lane. Opening in Nov of last year, Cepage played host to a lively and generous crowd of Unilocalers eager to sample the delightful and exquisite French fair (wine and cheese matches) from Maison Vauron, French wine merchants based in mccol st, Newmarket. At each of the tasting stations we were expertly guided and educated about each cheese and wine match. Suffice to say they were all amazing but the intense blue was my pick along with their Pinot Gris. Thanks again to Alex from Unilocal for an enjoyable evening. It looked like everyone had a great night and I’m sure Cepage will be the go to place for a taste of France right in the heart of Auckland city! Cest magnifique!

A well executed event. Even though the venue was small we managed to get around every station and sample the great wine and cheese on offer. I had an outstanding time at my first elite event, definitely the perfect choice to kick off 2015.
The staff at cepage were so knowledgeable and so eager to speak with us. The wine and cheese were of the highest quality and the pairings were excellent. There was definitely more than enough to go around so we even got to revisit our favourite station.
It was great that the owner was so friendly and seemed genuinely excited to have a bar full of Unilocalers. His enthusiasm really added to the vibrant atmosphere of the event.

Such a lovely introduction to the Unilocal community :) Alex picked a wonderful event and venue for us all! The wine was phenomenal (Especially that Pinot Gris!), the cheese was delicious and the staff were very warm. The setting was also incredibly warm due to the masses of people, so air conditioning wouldn’t go amiss — but that small gripe is totally eclipsed by how lovely everything and everyone else was.

The food was amazing, the crowd was buzzing, and the three stations with cheese and wine pairings were all well attended. Would like to commend Alex and her team for their hospitality — they always do such an amazing job getting together an eclectic mix of people, welcoming them in with a smile and free bubbles, setting the mood for the rest of the evening.
Loved how friendly the staff from Cepage all were — so knowledgeable about the wines, their origins and how the paired with the cheese selections. Super hot down the back of the room with the large crowd that was gathered — but once you got your full glass and a stack of cheese it was actually much nicer standing outside on the cobbles to chat and mingle with other Unilocalers.
Loved the location and vibe, and also meeting so many other foodies ! Looking forward to more of events in the months to come. Nice work team !

Woohoo! Had great fun at the first Unilocal meetup. Awesome to put finally put faces and personalities to reviewers. Big thank you to Alex for organising this, and the staff at Cepage who were so knowledgeable and patient with our bustling crowd. Loved the pairings with the cheese and wine and very helpful to have the notes sent to us afterwards.

Yes it was hot and it was crowded… But… Hello! New secret favorite place! Seriously though, can we keep it secret? Legit French wine and cheese bar… Totally cute and hidden on Vulcan lane!
The French wines were amazing, particularly the Burgandy in the back paired with the incredible blue cheese. And the Chablis? Yum. I’ve been drinking a LOT of NZ wine lately (locovore!) but this place reminded me why France set the standard on wine and cheese.
The cheese in the wooden box? Amazing. The server told me it wasn’t quite as runny as he likes, so clearly I’ve got to go back and try it when it’s appropriately runny. And go back and eat more until it’s exactly right.
End of story: well done Alex! Super fun event, good company with friendly Unilocalers, fantastic knowledgable staff, and a new favorite hangout spot in my hood. Will be back.

First ‘Yelp Elite’ Event for 2015 hosted at ‘Cepage’ which brimmed full of ambience, vitality & erudite (native) French men that knew ‘Mini Chevrot’ from ‘Ossau Irity’. I’m talking cheese indulgence — that makes your tastebuds sing. Every cheese was partnered with carefully selected wine: Pinot Gris, Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy & Chardonnay to compliment this detectable (goats, sheep & cows) cheese that satisfied every Unilocaler who attended this ‘Masterclass’, without exception. No one could get enough, all Unilocaler’s crowded around the tiny cheese/​wine stations to enjoy everything on offer — including me. I was impressed unquestionably. Fantastic new ‘French Wine Bar’ that ignited a few months ago. Just what Vulcan Lane needs. Another enjoyable ‘Yelp Elite’ event that left me Unilocaling long after I left!

Yes it was hot and a little crowded but this event still gets a 5 star from me. It was my first Unilocal event and I was not disaapointed. The wine was amazing, the cheese was delicious (Chablis and the blue were my favourites over all) and the wine and cheese experts were friendly and knowledgable.
Like the other reviewers I too want to keep this place a secret. It is just too perfect and I hope I get to spend more time in the city so I can enjoy this place again and again.
On another note thanks to Alex for such a great evening, made even better by all the charming and friendly Unilocalers I got to meet tonight. Great way to spend a Tuesday night.