Politics
Graham Norton takes over New Zealand football stadium for two hour long wine tasting
TV host Graham Norton was spotted taking over a football stadium in New Zealand to take part in a two-hour long wine tasting.
Broadcasting the tasting live on the screen at Eden Park Stadium, the wine-loving star was joined by healthcare moguls Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron for the special event.
Graham Norton was on the screen at the Eden Park stadium[/caption]
Showing off his expert wine skills, presenter Graham, 58, talked the two special guests through the tasting process on the 40-metre wide screen.
Despite the Auckland stadium, which is also New Zealand’s national sports stadium, seating 50,000 people, Inovo healthcare founders Tim and Rob had the entire place to themselves.
They were seen intently listening to the Irish telly host on the big screen, who called his Kiwi-based business partners from his home in West Cork.
From the comforts of his living room, Graham talked Tim and Rob through a tasting of seven Sauvignon Blanc samples from New Zealand.
Graham used his wine knowledge to create a new blend[/caption]
Graham is a TV presenter but also an avid wine fan[/caption]
The comedian had set up seven cups full of the wine, as well as a wine-making kit, which he would talk Tim and Rob through over two hours.
In the live-stream, the trio concocted their own Sauvignon Blanc 2021 vintage by mixing together the various grape blends.
Graham said of the experience : “It was a lot of fun blending the wine and seeing the guys live at Eden Park stadium – I kept on expecting someone with a lawn mower to appear in the background.”
The star also celebrated working with fellow wine-lovers Rob and Tim, as their wine collaboration is “now all over the world”.
He was joined by business partners Rob and Tim[/caption]
“I’m amazed, and proud of it too. I don’t just put my name to the wines, I’m involved and I love being part of the process,” he continued.
Norton and Inovo recently celebrated their 10 millionth bottle of wine together, and are expected to make a further five million this year.
Invivo cofounder Tim Lightbourne said of their success: “After zooming Graham on a laptop and our winery boardroom TV screen for over a year now, Rob and I decided to take Graham to the big screen.
“We thought there would be something pretty special about Graham being live on the country’s biggest screen (40 metres) and our largest stadium at 8am in the morning.”
It’s been a good year for Graham in other aspects too, as he found out his book, Holding, is to be turned into a four-part drama for ITV.
Graham celebrated his ten millionth bottle made this year[/caption]
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Graham, 58, said: “I am beyond excited to see the story and characters I created being brought to the screen.
“I love how the brilliant creative team have transformed my novel into something so rich and dramatic. West Cork is ready for its close-up!!”
A story of love, secrets and loss, Holding, is a darkly comic tale which shrewdly observes the lives of its characters, each with frailties, complexities and pasts they’d rather keep hidden.
The story is a murder mystery laced with dark comedy and centred around the minutiae of rural Irish life.
