Driving to the bottom of the cliff...

Its 25kms from my home to the winery. Today an ambulance followed me the whole way. After a while it became quite unnerving. What were they waiting for. Did they know something I didnt....

Burgundy 09...

The view on the vintage from Burgundy, courtesy of Decanter magazine.

Riesling image of the day...

Looking, I think, at Schloss Ehrenfels and down across the Rhein to Bingen. The lower vineyard is Berg Schlossberg, the upper Berg Kaisersteinfels. The Riesling harvest is due to get under way in the next week. By all accounts its going to be an exceptional year in the Rheingau and, in fact, most of Europe.

Something for the weekend...

A little something as we head into the weekend. Suggested by Adrian Sank, our agent in Hong Kong. Pairs well with the Sandihurst Waipara Pinot Gris 2008.

NZ PM John Key on Letterman...

For some reason this was quite a big deal here in NZ. The humour is classically American...hmmm...

Return to Winter...

Quick radar image of the New Zealands South Island at midday today. The green and yellow area is obscuring Christchurch and hasn't moved much all day. Its also cold at around 9C. Worse still the next few days seen to be forecast the same.

September in Waipara...

Bud burst this year began around the tail end of the first week in September for most varietals. This seemed to be about the same time as last year. So far the start to the season has been dry with the occasional big day of north-west wind and not much rainfall. Quite normal and quite good. No real frost issues as yet but it isn't even October yet so anything could happen. Suffice to say that the wind machines and helicopters are fuelled and ready to go if needed.

Real growth in the last week or so.

Wine matching in Macau with Delightful Cellars...

Hennie with a few words at a recent wine dinner in Macau thanking the host Solex Lam of Delightful Cellars. In an interesting reversal of the usual wine-food matching dinner format, and in the interests of better understanding the Chinese palate, all four of Sandihurst wines were poured together and guests were encouraged to experiment and comment on what worked well or otherwise.

When is a vine not a vine...

Just like watching cloud formations, vines can often take on other guises. Here, an gnarly old Pinot Gris head looks a little like.....a small yappy dog with its tongue out???....a Chinese dragon???......

A new season begins...

Pinot Gris, above and below, in our West Melton vineyard

They're drinking our wine here...

Here at the Boulevard Club, a members club on the shores of Lake Ontario, just minutes from downtown Toronto.

Till death do us part...

Things are not altogether rosy in the world of NZ viticulture at the moment. Recently we had the well publicised contract cancellations by Pernod Ricard in the Gisborne region and now it seems growers in Marlborough are about to feel the pinch. Check out these two articles from the Marlborough Express here and here about the putting to 'sleep' of some vineyards, reduced grape prices, yield restrictions and, in some cases, vine pulling.

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It seems possible that the events of 2008, the record but overcropped harvest have been a turning point in NZ viticulture, highlighting the often one-sided relationships of grower-winery contracts. Growers held the power for a long time but recent record vineyard plantings have now seen a potential oversupply and wineries have had more fruit to choose from. The pendulum has swung the other way. Its a wake-up call for both sides to forge closer ties and a joint vision which can only benefit both parties in the long term.

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Wineries and growers with long term contracts, where there is shared risk as well as a shared vision of the required quality, together with a real interest in the financial outcome of the final product seem well placed to succeed. The times are a changing...

Sandihurst in Hong Kong and Macau...

Coming to a cinema near you...

Move over Bottle Shock, Sideways, A Good Year, A Walk in the Clouds and any other wine related film of recent times, New Zealand film The Vintners Luck is about to be released in a month or so.

According to the NZ Film Commission, The Vintners Luck, based on the novel by Elizabeth Knox, 'is an irresistible story of love, wine and angels set in early 19th century France. It tells the tale of an ambitious young peasant winemaker and his lifelong relationship with an angel as together they grapple with the sensual, the sacred and the profane in search of the perfect vintage.'

Getting Tough....

I moved up a level of toughness the other day when my cousin Luke posted me a pair of Xtratuf boots from Alaska. A real surprise and coincidentally they arrived on September 1st which was Random Act of Kindness Day in NZ. They may look like ordinary gumboots but in fact they are quite an uber-boot as a quick look at the Xtratuf website will attest. Super comfortable and apparently the footwear of choice in Alaska (there is even a 'sneaker' version). Im imagining it gets a little cold in Alaska which is probably why the sole is so thick and insulated. Ive road tested them already in both the winery and the vineyard and they've passed with flying colours and as a side-bonus they make me taller as well. Thanks a million Luke.

Degustation at Rotherhams...

Sandihurst, together with Black Estate, have teamed up with Rotherhams, one of Christchurchs top fine-dining restaurants, for two Degustation dinners this month (Sept 22 and 23). Heres the menu. Get in touch with Rotherhams directly or phone 03-3415142 to book a table.

Fresh baked bread roll served with spicy butter.
Sandihurst Gewürztraminer (Canterbury/Central Otago) 2008.
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Tajo's Farm's ostrich carpaccio rocket oil, aged balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese,toasted pine nuts, wild berry sorbet.
Sandihurst Riesling (Waipara) 2004.
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Mild creamy garlic soup, éclair filled with brie cheese mousse, wild watercress oil.
Sandihurst Pinot Gris (Canterbury) 2008.
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Baked fillet of Akaroa salmon, salmon caviar, fresh fettuccine pasta, cream,chardonnay and fennel sauce, wilted spinach.
Black Estate Chardonnay (Waipara) 2007.
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Wild rabbit terrine, dried fruit compote, red currant jelly,toasted brioche, micro greens.
Black Estate Pinot Noir (Waipara) 2006.
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Beef fillet topped with spicy plum marmalade, parsnip mash,steamed Swiss chard, pinot noir and dark berry glaze.
Sandihurst Pinot Noir (Canterbury) 2006.
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Caramelised lemon tart, berry compote, vanilla bean ice cream,citrus and riesling sabayon.
Black Estate Riesling (Waipara) 2008.
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Looks delicious, See you there.

Its here...

A nervous time of the year to be a grape grower as the first flushes of new growth get exposed to the elements. Stay away Jack Frost.

Our IWC Gold, worth noting again...

The International Wine Challenge awards dinner has just been held in London, where trophy winners were announced. Medal winners were announced in May and, as I may have already reported, the Sandihurst Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007 was awarded a GOLD medal, one of only a handful of NZ Pinot Noirs to do so.

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The judges comment was - Bramble fruits and berry perfume. Attractive and complex palate with fresh fruit and minerality. Good balance and lingering sweet fruit on the finish with a great potential to develop with age.

Singapore...

On his two week tour of Asia Hennie is now at the last stop before winging his way back to reality. He's in Singapore conducting tastings and visiting our agent Louis Chin of Marama Valley Wines.

Final day at the Expo in Hong Kong...

A great success, enjoyable and rewarding. A big thank you to Omtis and all involved. Heres a shot from the final day of the Expo. From left to right, Mr Raymond Nip, Hilda Lam, Hennie Bosman, Connie Li and Mr Adrian Sank. Well done everyone.

A toast to the Omtis Team...

Thank you for all your efforts and hard work

Mr & Mrs Lam (Delightful Cellars Macau), Hennie, Phillip K S Chu, Agnes Lam, Connie Li, Mandy Mok, Hilda Lam, Mr Raymond Nip, Maybo Wang (all Omtis)

Mr Raymond Nip, Mr Lam (Delightful Cellars Macau), Hennie, Mr Adrian Sank

Double Happy...

The Omtis-Sandihurst team (l-r)- Omtis Wines & Spirits Sales and Marketing Manager Mr Raymond Nip, our very own Hennie Bosman, Omtis Company Manager Mr Adrian Sank

NZ's Cellar Door...Open for tasting....

Day Two of the Expo and Hennie prepares to deliver his seminar/tasting - a four wine tour through the aromatic South Island of New Zealand. Participants tasted the Sandihurst Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Sandihurst Canterbury Riesling 2006, Sandihurst Waipara Pinot Gris 2008 and Sandihurst Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007.

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Hennie with James Orr, HK R&B's senior sales manager

With Sharon-May McCrostie, NZ Trade Commissioner HK & Macau

Let the seminar begin

Gris-ly discoveries...

The line up from last nights Pinot Gris tasting held by Canterbury Winegrowers and hosted by yours truly. Despite its current in vogue status NZ actually only has a small amount of Pinot Gris planted, about 1500 hectares nationally. And wineries are making a range of styles with varying degrees of residual sweetness that can only be confusing to consumers. What should NZ do? Surely we have an opportunity to develop some kind of niche export market as we have done with SauvB and Pinot Noir. This issue has not yet been addressed.

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Eight wines in two flights. The first four - two Kiwi wines in Yealands 08 (Marlbourough), Villa Maria 08 (Hawkes Bay/Marlborough), with Land of Fire 07 (Argentina) and Corte Giara 08 (Italy), essentially to show that the big players can all easily make a low priced fruit forward pleasant wine. No need for us to go down that route. And should we really be encouraging this style (Villas wine had a Top100 Gold). For most small producers the answer has to be a firm no.
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Second flight - Greystone 08 (Waipara) - entry level to the top tier, dry but with great palate weight, Seresin 08 (Marlborough) - complex nose and palate, absolute standout wine, brilliant, Quartz Reef 07 (Otago) - tight and linear, almost like a top class chardonnay (in a good way!) and Rolly Gassman Reserve 04 (Alsace) - the chalk from the rest of the cheese, weighty, oily, moderately sweet, some secondary characteristics and fantastic length. All quality wines but all different in style too. At this level you start to see the use of natural yeasts, lees stirring, old oak fermentation and ageing, bottle maturation. These wines had TEXTURE, balance and a whole lot more going on than just fruit. Come on NZ growers and winemakers, this varietal is going to be big for us in an export sense, lets get it right.

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Nb - 7 of the 8 wines were under screwcap and 3 of them had slight reduction issues. Cause for concern?

Reminder...