Stuff
Expat tales: Life on a winery in the South of France
Living 500m from the Twin Towers when they were attacked on September 11, 2001 made the Rachel Treloar and her husband Jonathan Hesford rethink how they wanted to spend their lives. The couple now run a winery in the South of France.
15 July 2018
NZ Herald
Good for the soul: The best food spots to celebrate the winter solstice
SAY CHEESE There's that marvellous Swiss contribution to winter mood-lifting, the traditional cheese fondue. Such fun, gathering round a kirsch-spiked fondue pot, taking turns to dip your stick (whoever drops their bread in has to do the dishes). Even more fun as the cheese bubbles down and you fight over the crust on the bottom. I was resigned to having to tell you that a cheese fondue is missing from Auckland's dining scene when Maison Vauron stepped in to inform me that their seasonal winter fondue will be on the menu in their cafe L'Atelier du Fromage by the end of this month. DIY is also loads of fun...
16 June 2018
NZ Herald
The best French food spots in Auckland
THE SLICE OF LIFE You could spend the best part of a day pretending to be in France at the upstairs-downstairs treasure trove that is Maison Vauron and L'Atelier du Fromage. The fromagerie and boulangerie also offers a short menu of brunch and lunch that provide welcome respite from the outside world of smashed avocado and egg white omelettes on paleo toast. There's a large selection of imported goodies, from caviar to confit duck, and it's hard to leave without picking up a bottle or two from Maison Vauron, where the charming staff will patiently help people...
9 June 2018
NOTED / Paperboy
Five Auckland cafes that will make you rethink brunch
Where to go for a non-egg brunch - Sick of the same old eggs bene? So are we. Here are five Auckland cafes that do great brunch dishes without eggs as the main attraction.
A traditional French boulangerie and fromagerie with a short, oft-changing menu of classics that includes French onion soup, saucisson, terrine or a simple vegetable dish on any given day. Be sure to pick up a bottle of wine and corner of cheese on your way out.
9 March 2018
DISH
Need to know – Calvados
Get acquainted with the lesser-known cousin of cognac and discover the crisp versatility of calvados.
While brandy may be a spirit you're familiar with, chances are, you're less accustomed to calvados.
During a recent visit to Maison Vauron, the Dish team got up close and personal with the lesser-known, apple brandy that hails from the land of baked camembert and cider – calvados.
Ask the pros and they'll tell you that calvados is favoured by the Russians, well and truly on the rise in China, yet still fairly niche in Kiwi spirit circles. While we're no stranger to an aged whiskey or grunty cognac, the versatility of calvados may surprise you...
9 March 2018
DISH
Perfect pair: When wine meets cheese
As the age-old adage goes, a great wine is only as strong as the cheese alongside it. There are some very simple rules to follow but above all, it's best to beware of generalisations like pairing sauvignon and goat cheese or sweet wines with blues. Ludicrous and erroneous assumptions that all goat cheese, blue cheeses or in the latter case – all cheeses – taste the same, which they obviously do not...
12 February 2018
Noted / Metro
Auckland's best cafes 2018
L’Atelier Du Fromage - We love this place for the slightly daggy décor alone, its dark wood and shelves stuffed with imported deli items providing a characterful counterpoint to the white tiles and bare walls now so ubiquitous in Auckland’s cafes. But it’s lunch we keep coming back for: the array of quality French cheeses, charcuterie, quiches, croques and sandwiches, cakes, pastries and tarts tartin takes cabinet food to a whole new level of mouth-watering (there’s also a menu). It all tastes like the antithesis of mass-produced, and the service is friendly and efficient. Adjourn upstairs to the wine room for long enough, and squint your Francophile eyes, and you might even forget you’re in a side street off Khyber Pass Rd and not a rustic French village.
Must try—Anything from the cabinet. Good for—A jaunt to France sans jetlag.
17 January 2017
Le Petit Journal Auckland
Un Noël typiquement français à Auckland c’est possible !
A typically French Christmas in Auckland is possible!
19 December 2017
DISH
Win a Maison Vauron Christmas Hamper
Celebrate the silly season with "joie de vivre" this year, thanks to Maison Vauron French Wine Merchants.
Veer off Auckland's Khyber Pass and you'll discover the wine-lovers' best kept secret.
Maison Vauron has been enchanting Kiwis with their inspired French fare since 1991. Boasting the most extensive range of French wine, cheese and gourmet goods in the country, this delightfully authentic tasting room, merchant and wine venue provides a verified slice of France in our own backyard.
The team at Maison Vauron live and breathe wine, that much is obvious...
14 December 2017
Mindfood
Drop of the Week: ‘R’ by Roubine
Celebrate the silly season with "joie de vivre" this year, thanks to Maison Vauron French Wine Merchants.
Indulge this summer with a bottle of this refreshing rosé.
The perfect summer drop, ‘R’ by Chateau Roubine is our pop and pour rosé for the balmy weather season. Oh so drinkable it is hard to say no to another glass. Located right in the middle of Provence, between Lorgues and Draguignan, Chateau Roubine is one of the oldest wine estates in France, continuing to produce the highest quality wine.
Combining modern winemaking techniques to regional traditions, this typically Provencal rosé is both light and fruity....
14 December 2017
DISH
Stories of cheese: A case of the blues
You cannot seriously be considering wheeling out the stilton again come party season, surely not when we’re this spoiled for choice? Why not switch things up and impress your guests with a different blue cheese this year?...
22 November 2017
Otago Daily Times
Let's be Franc
If there were an Academy Award ceremony for grape varieties, the usual suspects of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc and the like would be vying for the gong for Best Grape in a Leading Role.
It's only when we get to the Best Grape in a Supporting Role category that we might see cabernet franc make an appearance. Habitually understudy to the more, showy cabernet sauvignon and merlot, "franc's'' performance is generally understated, yet crucial to the whole...
22 November 2017
Newmarket
Market Rosé day at Maison Vauron
Head along and sample the very best of French rosé! If you haven’t been to Maison Vauron before, it’s definitely a must-visit in Auckland. Upstairs you’ll find an impressive selection of french wines from a variety of French regions, with everything from sparkling to whites, reds and rosé.
Downstairs is L’Atelier du Fromage, a paradise for the French food addicts and those who love to discover new tastes. From crispy baguette to amazing cheeses; morning coffee to private dinner, L’Atelier du Fromage transports you and your tastebuds to France. L’Atelier du Fromage have also recently been named in Metro magazine’s Top 50 Auckland Cafes...
6 November 2017
Metro Magazine
Top 50 Cafe 2017 - L'Atelier du Fromage
We love this place for the slightly daggy décor alone, its wood and shelves stuffed with imported deli items providing a characterful counterpoint to the white tiles and bare walls now so ubiquitous in Auckland's cafes. But it's lunch we keep coming back for: the array of quality French cheeses, charcuterie, quiches, croques and sandwiches, cakes, pastries and tarts tatin takes cabinet food to a whole new level of mouth-watering (there's also a menu). It all tastes like the antithesis of mass-produced, and the service is friendly and efficient.
Adjourn upstairs to the wine room for long enough, and squint your Francophile eyes, and you might even forget you're in a side street off Khyber Pass Rd and not a rustic French village.
2 November 2017
DISH
Stories of cheese: To brie or not to brie?
That is the question... or maybe the question should be what is a brie since there are so many out there? And the other question is what exactly is the difference between brie and camembert?
2 November 2017
DISH
Thinking of ewe
When it comes to cheese categories, I was absolutely over the moon to be given 'hard ewes' cheese' at this year's International Cheese Competition in Cheshire...
28 September 2017
DISH
Better with age
You see them everywhere in France and especially in the Loire and Poitou. Rows upon rows or piled high in straw-lined boxes, tiny rounds, logs, hearts and pyramids covered in wrinkly rinds with splodges of delicate blue grey mould...
14 September 2017
DISH
All the cows' bells
Among a myriad of colourful wild flowers and herbs, beautiful silence and glorious, unploughed summer pastures, is where some of the finest raw-milk cheeses in the world are created...
31 August 2017
OTAGO DAILY TIMES
Only the Rhonely
Never easy to find, though often very good value - specialist importers such as The Wine Importer and Maison Vauron in Auckland may be your best source - these wines will take you on a journey to somewhere enticingly different...
30 August 2017
Le Petit Journal Auckland
HEBDO FRENCH TOUCH - Cheese, vous êtes filmés
"SAVOIR BIEN VIVRE" Parce que oui, c’est la définition de la French Touch selon Gilles. On peut dire que c’est par la nourriture que cette expression s’illustre le mieux. Et c’est aussi comme cela que l’Atelier du fromage peut se démarquer de ses concurrents : "les saveurs et les subtilités que vous viendrez goûter, vous rappellerons le Pays et toutes les émotions qu’elles procurent "...
15 July 2017
Farro Fresh
Maison Vauron | Jc’s Top Picks
How do you pick French wine? We asked Jean-Christophe (JC) Poizat, co-founder of Maison Vauron wine merchants for his tips on picking the perfect drop. How do you tell the difference from one bottle to the next? Telling the story of the wine is what sets it apart. A bottle of wine is the same as a million...
15 July 2017
Jetstar Magazine
Gallic Inspiration
The great grandson of a French wine merchant, Jean-Christophe Poizat was born with wine in the blood...
July 2017
Nz Herald
What I'd do (by Thomas Diez)
I then often go to Maison Vauron to buy a few bottles of wine, saucisson and a bit of cheese, ready for a long mid-afternoon lunch...
July 2017
Dish
10 of the best places to celebrate Bastille Day
Prepare your favourite cheese board and get the champagne on ice, here are our favourite French restaurants and eateries bound to transport you from the dreary Kiwi winter to your favourite French locale...
12 July 2017
We Love Remuera
Celebrating all things French!
Nick talks to Jean-Christophe about all the amazing French wine and cheese he imports! Au revoir!
10 July 2017
Dish
Stories of cheese: Molten magic
The mere mention of raclette invokes memories of skiing holidays and cheese hunts in the French Alps...
7 July 2017
Viva
Drink Tastings Close to Home
You don't need to go to Waiheke Island or Hawke's Bay for a drink tasting...
4 July 2017
Dish
Stories of cheese: fromage 101, part two
Unlike wine or a good book, you can judge a cheese by its cover. With a little practice, the odd sniff and a quick glance, you can determine the character, ripeness and even texture of a cheese...
25 May 2017
Dish
Stories of cheese: fromage 101, part one
Brush up on your cheese IQ with Juliet Harbutt. Fortunately, mother nature has made judging a cheese by its cover significantly easier than trying to work out what’s inside a bottle of wine...
23 May 2017
Denizen
The caviar experience
Enjoyed in a multitude of ways, the black gold is available for your at-home enjoyment from local specialists...
9 May 2017
Denizen
Say cheese! We’ve rounded up the best fromageries in Auckland
Part of French wine and food merchants, Maison Vauron, the très authentique French delicatessen located below – formerly known as C’est Fromage — boasts a sensational line-up of the enshrined dairy product...
8 May 2017
Hospitality Business
La Fromagerie dans Newmarket
Gilles Mereau passionate about Fromage...
April 2017
Noted / Paperboy
Auckland’s best local delicatessens
Our roundup of the best, most delicious food stores from all over town. Get shopping.
Big, glorious wheels of cheese sit in a special ageing room next to the cafe in Maison Vauron. You can stare longingly through the glass at them and then buy some to take home...
14 February 2017
Two Cowboys
Joie De Vivre at L'Atelier du Fromage
Some places make it a little easier. One of those is L'Atelier du Fromage in Auckland, New Zealand. It puts you on the fast track to living. From the moment you step through the door, you are transferred to another world of French cuisine.
If you are from the south of France, it will feel like home. If you've never been to France, it will give you a reason to go. Until you do, Scott and his team will take care of your French culinary needs. All of them. Wine, cheese, croissants, charcuterie, eclairs, macarons and more...
19 December 2016
Otago Daily Times
Getting Kiwis on board
Sharing his passion for the cheeses of his homeland comes easily to Gilles Mereau. He tells Rebecca Fox why it is so hard to pick a favourite.
When Gilles Mereau grew up in the Loire Valley in France, having a snack of goat's cheese after school came naturally.
''I understand goat's cheese. I've been eating cheese since I was very little as a fresh curd with herbs or with sugar at 4 o'clock in afternoon coming back from school.''
The expatriate Frenchman, who has lived in New Zealand for the past 30 years, has not lost his enthusiasm for that cheese...
30 November 2016
Viva
Where to Find the Best Cheese on the Menu in Auckland
Oozing with flavour and dripping with tasty goodness, you can’t beat a delicious feast of fromage. Here are some of our favourite cheese dishes on the menu in Auckland...
4 October 2016