the not serious Gilmour Girls
For this Not Serious Wine Chats, I sat down with two generations and three Gilmour Girls — a family synonymous with service and who have helped pour more than their share of fine wine.
Emerald Gilmour, the Madre of this magnificent trio, shares stories from her #hospolife when she straddled her roles as Air New Zealand flight attendant one minute and Clichy and Club Mirage owner the next. Emerald, precious gem by name, should be declared a precious gem and OG of our restaurant scene as she opened Clichy in 1972 — a moment in dining history when not a lot was on offer, but when some of our stalwart chefs and waiters were cutting tracks upon which the rest of us would follow.
It’s fair to say Emerald has a thing for keeping things shipshape — a skill, and quality she’s instilled in her two daughters, Sophie and Mimi Gilmour.
Sophie, who has a consultancy agency called Delicious Business, and is involved with Fatima’s, was part of the team responsible for bringing the “hot chook and a salad” standard to Ponsonby Road, with the eatery business Bird On a Wire.
And, if you’ve ever parked up for a bunnace and a short bottle of Veuve Cliquot at Burger Burger, or tipped back a tequila over a taco at Mexico or more recently indulged in a plate of pasta at Mama’s then you’ve experienced Mimi’s work.
On this chat, there are debates, there are giggles, and there is quite a bit of wine. When I asked the Gilmours to rock up with their favourite vino, they turned with a bottle each, one of which included the fine wine made by their Uncle Pete. You’ve probably heard of it – Te Mata.
This family has long engaged in adding the brightest of threads to the tapestry of Auckland’s hospitality scene and I was grateful we could coordinate diaries for this delectable date where we dined out on wine stories and lives shared in the pursuit of service.
So, grab a sibling who likes a sip, sit down somewhere comfy and cozy and fill the flute with a fizz. This is the not serious Gilmour Girls chat.
CHAT FACTS
what we were drinking:
Emerald brought the bubbles — Champagne Louis Roederer NV 🇫🇷
Mimi brought the Soave — 2024 Pieropan La Rocca Soave Classico Veneto, Italy 🇮🇹
Sophie brought the Uncle’s stash — 2019 Te Mata Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 🇳🇿
I brought the antipodes sparkling water, 1Litre — vintage? Average, 300 years old, give or take ♥️
You can probably find all of these dreamy drops at By The Bottle, and if you can’t, then Pete, John and Ash will be able to recommend something bloody close. Get in.
