Known Unknown Wine

12/10/2026

Coming to visit us in Ngāmotu New Plymouth over the summer, check out all of the top spots as recommended by w**emaker Jules in the Spinoff...

New Plymouth’s tastiest dosa, cardamom morning buns, (certified) Neapolitan pizza and much, much more.

07/10/2026

Managed to sneak in an early lunch at Yola, the fab new spot by Elie and Keelan of Lebanese Grocer fame…

Not only do they have two fantastic Known Unknown w**es by the glass but they also use Bloody Vermouth in both their house negroni and house spritz (which also features ABC Classic Orange Bitters). Sadly I was driving so went for the equally delicious house lemonade.

Food (especially the dips) were fantastic! Can’t wait to visit again next time I’m in Auckland, we highly recommend you stop in next time you’re in the neighbourhood!

05/10/2026

Love vermouth? Join Known Unknown and Amuse Snack Bar at Vermouth: The Ultimate Aperitif on Wednesday 11 November.

Hosted by Known Unknown W**emaker Jules van Costello this will be a super fun tasting (matched to delicious, generous snacks from the Amuse kitchen) where you'll learn how to make (and drink) vermouth from Known Unknown (and friends) four different ways.

Tickets are $60 (plus booking fees) and are strictly limited. Book now on Humanitix:
https://events.humanitix.com/vermouth-the-ultimate-aperitif

01/10/2026

This is utterly delicious Kalimotxo from Amuse Snack Bar in Wellington served with their signature Pintxos which was one of the smash-hits of this years Wellington on a Plate!

Essentially the Amuse Kalimotxo is a riff on the classic Basque combo of red w**e and coke which features Bloody Vermouth, our bittersweet new-world red vermouth.

And now you can make it at home!

Simply sign up to our email newsletter at knownunknown.co.nz we'll send you a copy of our brand new eBook Vermouth Cocktails which features the Amuse Kalimotxo and eleven other cocktails using our vermouths (but to be honest, you can use other vermouth too) and a few recipies for vermouth friendly snacks including the Amuse Pintxos!

Already subscribe to our newsletter? Don't fear! We sent you a copy of the eBook this morning to say thank you for your support!

Thank you to Dori for letting us publish these delicious recipes and to Paige for the stunning photo!

21/09/2026

It's aperitivo time!

Spring is here and that means the summer of aperitivo is not far away and we have a lineup of three fantastic, w**e-based vermouths and amaro (and more to come)...

Whether you're sipping them neat on ice, in a spritz or served in a highball* with soda or tonic our vermouth and amaro are the perfect, refresher for afternoon drinks, a preprandial tipple or drinks with canapés at an event!

Here's our current lineup:

Kōwhai - A herbal, bittersweet amber and quintessentially Aotearoan Vermouth. Made with Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay and fortified with grape and botanical spirits it is flavoured with wormwood, lemon, kawakawa, chamomile, cinchona bark, elderflower, borrage, dill and fennel before being sweetened with honey and vintage sweet w**es. Our favourite way to serve Kōwhai is in a tall glass with some preserved lemon, ice, tonic and a green olive for garnish.

Bloody Vermouth - This is our flagship... a modern, new-world red / rosso / sweet vermouth made with tons of blood orange, wormwood, saffron and cardamom (plus a few other things); all barrel-aged for seamless integration between the flavours. It's a little dryer than your classic imported rosso and has been formulated to be the perfect Negroni vermouth!

Amaro #1 - We only made 100 bottles of our very first Vin Amaro which is flavoured with figs and oranges from our back yard combined with Iranian saffron for its deep umber colour and exotic fragrance. This is bracingly bitter (it is an amaro) with layers of aromatics and is great over ice or in a spritz with Prosecco and a splash of soda!

All of these are made on a base of organic w**e and we use home-grown, organic and foraged botanicals wherever possible. You can find them in a range of w**e shops, bars and restaurants around New Zealand or buy them in a pack at Cult W**e.

* If you're not a big drinker (but want a little tipple) we suggest a 50ml pour topped up with tonic or soda in a highball. This works out at 0.6 standard drinks, about the same amount of alcohol as a light b**r.

14/09/2026

Our first review is in! Thank you to NZ's only Master Sommelier, Cameron Douglas (Camdouglasms.com) for his recent review of the new Aotearoa Bitters Company Negroni! You can check out the full review at his website but we wanted to draw your attention to the last couple of lines...

"A classic expression begging for some ice and a slice of orange. Serve chilled, serve often."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves, thanks again!

You can buy ABC Negroni at some great bottle stores around NZ and in a six pack using the link in our comments!

01/09/2026

Our Vermut y Taco event at Tacoteca is tomorrow and this is one of the drinks that you will not only get to imbibe but will learn how to make… (Bloody) Vermouth and Orange Foam made famous at Brooklyn’s Bar Americano! We’ll also be making drinks with Kōwhai Yellow Vermouth and Amaro #1! Book now on Humanitix, there is limited space available tickets are $40 which includes two tacos! Just click the link in our bio!

28/08/2026

Ready set go… w**emaker Jules is pouring today at the New Plymouth Urban W**e Walk!

27/08/2026

Looking to stock up on Known Unknown for spring?

If you’re in New Plymouth head to Three Sisters Brewery and grab a bottle to take home from thier fridge or head on over to cultw**e.co.nz and order a mixed three or six pack! You’ll get 6% off retail AND free shipping on orders of $100 or more!

20/08/2026

Listen up vermouth lovers! In just two weeks Known Unknown and Tacoteca are teaming up to host VERMUT Y TACOS!

Thats right! Vermouth and tacos! Join us from 6pm on Thursday 3 September for a Vemouth and Aperitivo masterclass where Known Unknown w**emaker Jules van Costello will teach you how to serve vermouth three different ways which will be paired by tacos from the Tacoteca kitchen!

This will also be your first opportunity to try products from Jules' new brand the Aotearoa Bitters Company!

Tickets are just $40 and include four drinks and two tacos! Book now on Humanitix using the link below...
=> events.humanitix.com/tacos/tickets