One wouldn’t think that a Marlborough wine would go well with a Taiwanese drumming show, but the two are surprisingly well paired. ‘Sound of the Ocean’ at Auckland Arts Festival is a well-sculpted show…
‘Elegant’ is the first word to come to mind after walking into the Stoneleigh pop-up bar situated in the newly renovated Aotea Square.
This seems proper considering this is the first word Stoneleigh use to describe their wine.
Don’t be fooled by the shipping-container exterior of the bar.
With back-lit wooden paneling and sunstone retaining walls, this is a lovely spot to sip wine and enjoy the last of the sun before (and after) enjoying a show at the Auckland Arts Festival.
One wouldn’t think that a Marlborough wine would go well with a Taiwanese drumming show, but the two are surprisingly well paired. ‘Sound of the Ocean’, from Taiwan’s U Theatre, is a well-sculpted show using zen Buddhism rituals of drumming, martial arts and tai-chi.
These smart performers demonstrate the cycle of water from the first small drops heard at the beginning of a shower to the thunderous roar of waves crashing. Each note and movement seemed carefully chosen and deliberate.
This is what brings the two very different experiences together, just as a good wine pairing should do. Both are elegant, clean and well-delivered with clearly defined notes and sharp imagery.
The symmetry of the two was neatly tied-off at the end of the evening when the U Theatre performers were seen enjoying a well-deserved nightcap at the Stoneleigh pop-up bar.
With so much in common, it is no surprise that Stoneleigh has become the drop of choice for the 2011 Auckland Arts Festival.
Story and Stoneleigh garden bar photography by Melissa-Jade Gregan, 18 March 2011
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