tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68478983653634323732024-03-14T04:47:38.689+13:00Birth of a WineAn intermittent diary of happenings as we live rewarding lives harvesting grapes and making wines at Murdoch James Estate in Martinborough, New Zealand.Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-75717226148107084692015-07-03T11:14:00.001+12:002015-07-03T11:14:49.272+12:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLp_1rAabzlHHhA5ryrzGJj2eLxdVuzBgYR3AEOk_7FSUgO3CGHBbX2CAVbp4OtyRcvITs7hOVecbZS47xLBxIKKAQDDL6NhOhd0Pg4sFFjyMv5F15c6Ab0vbN5FcMqNSp2ZTmy0ZWq4S/s1600/IMG_0018.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLp_1rAabzlHHhA5ryrzGJj2eLxdVuzBgYR3AEOk_7FSUgO3CGHBbX2CAVbp4OtyRcvITs7hOVecbZS47xLBxIKKAQDDL6NhOhd0Pg4sFFjyMv5F15c6Ab0vbN5FcMqNSp2ZTmy0ZWq4S/s320/IMG_0018.PNG" width="320" /></a>In an earlier blog, I promised if I been unfairly critical of the "<b>Premium</b>" Selection Pinot Noir, made from French and Kiwi wine, that I wrote about, I correct any misunderstandings.<br />
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Well I don't need to do that with this wine at all.<br />
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The original reviewer was correct in asking "In a world awash cheap, commoditised, characterless wines, do we really need one more?"<br />
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I tasted it, and can certainly say that premium is not a word I would use to describe it. My conclusion? I agree with the original reviewer; do we really need this wine? It brings nothing to the table other than a cheap price. I know there will be folk for whom price is everything, but in that regard, with all very cheap wines, I have to say <i>caveat emptor</i>.<br />
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I do think there is a bigger story here though. Somewhere in the debate on alcohol promotion, what's missing is a discussion on protecting consumers from pretty ordinary stuff presented as something more. I intend to contact NZ Consumer magazine about this to get their thoughts. Will report back<br />
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Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-83139694110791916662015-06-29T17:46:00.000+12:002015-06-29T17:47:30.297+12:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-AU">I always get asked, "What's news" at
Murdoch James?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU">Well, there is certainly some fantastic news to
share today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU">In an exciting development that reinforces
Martinborough’s prominent position as New Zealand’s premier Pinot Noir
producer, and our profile as a leader in the region, we recently announced that
we are removing 10 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc vines and replacing them with
Pinot Noir. In all, more than 25,000 vines will be replaced at a cost of over
$300,000.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlOc3F03moKmsMoBfR39y_oQAQFSWXVjyiY2i26e-8fM59har9QIgYjOROqTzDIUr5xISndr5vgUvCSsWkm3ZwnsP45hu34RlxHT-ogKw3xupqiiryQCnkL45n5ko22ouKlJnIWLJLARu/s1600/MJE_19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlOc3F03moKmsMoBfR39y_oQAQFSWXVjyiY2i26e-8fM59har9QIgYjOROqTzDIUr5xISndr5vgUvCSsWkm3ZwnsP45hu34RlxHT-ogKw3xupqiiryQCnkL45n5ko22ouKlJnIWLJLARu/s200/MJE_19.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Shaw cutting out the old SB vines</td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU">This is not a decision for the faint-hearted.
Not only is there a significant cost involved; we also had to accept it can
take up to 3-5 years for the new vines to return a full crop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU">Does not mean we don't like Sauvignon Blanc; it
just means we love Pinot Noir more. We will still be keeping around 20% of our Sauvignon Blanc vines, but the Pinot Noir plantings will nearly double.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXIfqiw76_JwO7sCtyoAEwCrUjM3ZA23QVEAK_jXP6fnWP5VQiCosC_An6kBElPa2qH-_PDFxBWCwq0ilwEs446znMV1QT1ccrWeoUT20UseyFfYXhefEpCpe7OaiTSVnNqQXJO6QoDgd/s1600/MJE_29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXIfqiw76_JwO7sCtyoAEwCrUjM3ZA23QVEAK_jXP6fnWP5VQiCosC_An6kBElPa2qH-_PDFxBWCwq0ilwEs446znMV1QT1ccrWeoUT20UseyFfYXhefEpCpe7OaiTSVnNqQXJO6QoDgd/s200/MJE_29.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger Fraser contemplating the change</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU">The decision was made as we have not able to
meet the export demand we have for Pinot. Every year we have to ration our
customer orders. Against that background, using prime Pinot Noir vineyard land
for Sauvignon Blanc did not make sense in either economic or strategic terms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU">Easy to say that in the office, but when I went
out into the vineyard today, it was a very emotional time. To see thousands of
vines that have served us well being removed was heart-breaking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTk39n7ubzBu0RuwGwbB57AUQhoD62kEgE-8GmoxnpwUvhZ4IlZee0zRAiR9huQtqkIti3W3VtZJgpGlypLXSdRcsMOriNOoNDNArzLrsn3zLQ0L7nJE0xgB5qF4BuBAwW9cMnv1nA4lC/s1600/IMG_3424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTk39n7ubzBu0RuwGwbB57AUQhoD62kEgE-8GmoxnpwUvhZ4IlZee0zRAiR9huQtqkIti3W3VtZJgpGlypLXSdRcsMOriNOoNDNArzLrsn3zLQ0L7nJE0xgB5qF4BuBAwW9cMnv1nA4lC/s200/IMG_3424.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What taking out 25,000 vines looks like</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-AU">I just had to remind myself, this is the start
of an exciting journey, where will capitalise on the strengths of our team and
our terroir. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU">Over the next three years we will tell the story of these vines,
as they are planted and mature. So, watch this space for lots of updates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-9602043877525065072015-06-29T17:34:00.001+12:002015-06-29T17:34:48.815+12:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is the little rascal</div>
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Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-88551774715699217312015-06-28T14:38:00.001+12:002015-06-28T15:58:03.245+12:00Bargain Pinot Noir?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Birth of a Wine Blogger has been in hibernation for a while, a bit like our dormant vines. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">R</span>ecently I was woken from my slumber by a colleague in the industry sending me a link to a Facebook post he had published. He was making the point that a certain Pinot Noir (see link) is on promotion in supermarkets for just $10 a bottle. He went on to say that it must be made from wine at the lower end of the spectrum, sourced from the countries featured on the label, to retail at that price. He asked, in a world of commoditised, characterless wines, is this something we really need? <br />
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Check out: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nesvbh2">http://tinyurl.com/nesvbh2</a></div>
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What concerns me about this, as a dedicated Pinot producer, is that Kiwi consumers will buy this wine thinking it is a bargain, try it, may not have a great experience, think all Pinot Noir is the same, and be turned off the variety forever. </div>
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Why did he conclude that the wine must come from the "lower end of the spectrum"? </div>
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Let's dissect the $10 and see where he is coming from. Of the ten dollars, the government collects $3.66 (the ALAC levy of about 3 cents, plus $2.13 excise duty and $1.50 GST); pretty good return for the government! </div>
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Then, assuming the retailer takes a 30% margin ($3) and the distributor a 20% margin ($2), that leaves $1.34 for the winemaking! Let's be conservative though and say the winery sells direct to the retailer, so no fee for the distributor. In that case the remaining sum is $3.34. Let's see where we end up if we consider that.</div>
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What's left to cover the wine component after allowing for bottling costs, freight and distribution, warehousing, marketing and other related expenses? Say these add up to $1.80 per bottle. That leaves $1.54 for the wine. Say my analysis is too tough. Add another $1 back to cover that. That leaves me to ponder the quality of wine you might buy at $2.54 per bottle? </div>
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Contrast that with the cost per litre of our 2015 Pinot Noir. That was over $13 per litre, before bottling, taxes, etc. So even if my costs are high, we can safely assume it is not top quality, hand-picked Martinborough Pinot Noir in the wine we are discussing. </div>
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Disclaimer: I have not yet tasted this wine. I will as soon as I can get a bottle though, then I'll report back. If I have wronged a good product I will admit that. However, my comments above are based on experience and general principles. I can say with confidence is that I have learned in my 30 years in the wine industry is that it would be an absolutely amazing achievement to deliver a 'Premium Pinot Noir' (which is what the label claims) for $10, let alone $2.54. </div>
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Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-40345261728178191042014-05-25T20:46:00.002+12:002014-05-25T20:46:51.490+12:00Boutique vineyards excluded from Air New Zealand in-flight and airport lounge wine selections<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air New Zealand (R)</td></tr>
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In a letter dated 20 May 2015, Air New Zealand announced sweeping changes to their wine selection process. Historically the airline has invited all New Zealand vineyards to submit wines for selection and this has given the airline's passengers wonderful exposure to the diverse and exciting range of wines produced in New Zealand. It is important to recognise the current wine selection process is complex to administer, but one would have thought the benefits to the airline outweighed that consideration, particularly as Air New Zealand is seen as our national carrier. The following quote from the above letter is indicative now of the airline's current thinking: </div>
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<i>".... from the </i><i>beginning of 2015, the airline will move to serving wines through longer term partnerships with a </i><i>limited number of New Zealand wineries. In line with this a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) was </i><i>recently issued to a small number of potential suppliers. This RFP covers the wine we would pour </i><i>during domestic Koru Hour flights, in our long haul Economy and Premium Economy cabins and in </i><i>our airport lounges."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BX17tKYeu210fKRcOk8t1pU-fyh3bFEQZC4SYAd7Fics8DVe7FKJdlUgZk6vRIouZMw26ootf6OrHU7AFh-oxjIRIP1G77p25Oz5QXn1vMhlYNPlXIEInkDRGFlhGQ4Y0z587EzHiRT-/s1600/Ballons+over+Martinborough+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BX17tKYeu210fKRcOk8t1pU-fyh3bFEQZC4SYAd7Fics8DVe7FKJdlUgZk6vRIouZMw26ootf6OrHU7AFh-oxjIRIP1G77p25Oz5QXn1vMhlYNPlXIEInkDRGFlhGQ4Y0z587EzHiRT-/s1600/Ballons+over+Martinborough+-+Copy.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a>While the notice did point out business class wines will be selected from a wider range of options, no longer is that class open to all wineries either. I think a reasonable interpretation of this is 'potential suppliers' are probably the larger commercial producers and many, if not most, of the smaller, boutique producers will be left out in the cold. That is such a shame, particularly as, just a few days prior, Air New Zealand released a press statement advising that they had just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New Zealand Winegrowers aimed at promoting inbound wine tourism to New Zealand. Very confusing signals, as these tourists will want diversity in their wine choices, not something purchased via an "RFP".<br />
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An important question now is why those rejected would want to participate in the annual Air New Zealand wine awards? It would not be surprising if many elect to boycott them.<br />
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It is also likely to have other consequences for the airline. For example, as a company working on the very thing the MoU was set up to address, in our case significant inbound tourism from China, we will certainly not be inclined to use Air New Zealand as our preferred carrier as we grow the business.<br />
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Am I disappointed by the lack of consultation and the clumsy way in which this change was announced? You bet!! But, it is important to conclude by saying no-one expects a guarantee to be listed for aircraft service by right, however all kiwi wineries would like to think if their wines are great examples of New Zealand wine, they have an opportunity to at least be considered for service by their national carrier. </div>
Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-91825661871787459782013-06-26T09:55:00.002+12:002013-06-28T09:57:46.701+12:00No need to take your wine on holiday now!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.victoriawines.com.fj/asset/images/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Victoria Wines" border="0" src="http://www.victoriawines.com.fj/asset/images/logo.png" /></a> In the past if you went on holiday to Fiji, you had to take your Murdoch James Estate wines with you. I remember a holiday in Rakiraki where I took 2 cases to see me through (don't ask how long 2 cases lasted me and my mate Mike!). And a lot of excess baggage and customs duty paid too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.victoriawines.com.fj/files/w120h0/508/liam-hindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.victoriawines.com.fj/files/w120h0/508/liam-hindle.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liam Hindle</td></tr>
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Well no more. Yesterday we agreed with Victoria Wines that they would import and distribute Murdoch James Estate wines in Fiji. They have 3 terrific retail shops with a very knowledgeable team. They also distribute to the wholesale trade as well, so we hope to see some Murdoch James wines on the wine lists of some of Fiji's great resorts.<a href="http://www.victoriawines.com.fj/">Click here for a link to their website.</a><br />
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Like Murdoch James Estate, Victoria Wines is also a family company that values great quality and enjoys sharing that with their
customers. The company name comes from the location of their very first shop 20 years ago on Victoria Parade, in Fiji’s capital city – Suva. They currently have two shops in the West, in Nadi and Denarau, and one
shop in Suva, with a second soon to open at the new Damodar complex
adjacent to the University of the South Pacific. With a dedicated team of twenty-five people they will ensure you receive all the assistance you
require to select the perfect bottle of wine with which to watch the sun set on their beautiful
island home. As Liam, one the founders of Victoria Wines says "We love it, we drink it, we sell it. Enjoy!"</div>
Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-43957785997905428352013-01-25T10:58:00.000+13:002013-01-25T11:03:03.780+13:00Sheep versus Machines - Who Wins?In past vintages we have always used machines or people to do our leaf plucking. The plucking is intended to remove leaf material from around the bunches so that sunlight can penetrate through to the berries. It also helps air circulate and so reduce the risk of fungal disease. A good leaf-pluck is a major contributor to growing quality grapes for our wine-making team to work with.<br />
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This year we did a trial block using sheep. Were they better than machines? Well have a look at the two images and see if you can pick the work the sheep did!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhita5qvEXZASwwMvRH9-pw8gyASPNk6x8kmwWQsSigUGVmbhsxKtn64VcojMRdm9-UqADRE_oSc1aSREZzelVOD06VuACboqO9bcc-mymXsOamS33sguU-_8hex0qQ2eISMptF4xfAh-iT/s1600/Sheep+Leaf+Plucking+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhita5qvEXZASwwMvRH9-pw8gyASPNk6x8kmwWQsSigUGVmbhsxKtn64VcojMRdm9-UqADRE_oSc1aSREZzelVOD06VuACboqO9bcc-mymXsOamS33sguU-_8hex0qQ2eISMptF4xfAh-iT/s1600/Sheep+Leaf+Plucking+(2).JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyZRy9sLzUgK7eIAMwrkq1x2v25ejjCA_QDbDn4oeha-YTM6tNheHy5r3rAMmLAbUoF6jXIlYbTRHBcerQ1T1NGFQ71qFjbT9s_kad222L_qglexCmh-CNFtPpm0T5Stwc9aBWZhtwAuK/s1600/Machine+Leaf+Pluck+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyZRy9sLzUgK7eIAMwrkq1x2v25ejjCA_QDbDn4oeha-YTM6tNheHy5r3rAMmLAbUoF6jXIlYbTRHBcerQ1T1NGFQ71qFjbT9s_kad222L_qglexCmh-CNFtPpm0T5Stwc9aBWZhtwAuK/s1600/Machine+Leaf+Pluck+%25285%2529.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><br />
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Yes, the one on the right - a terrific job, a much more complete and thorough pluck, with huge savings in time, manpower and expenses. On top of that, they fertilise as they go! And we can reduce use of tractors with very positive environmental benefits. We are so happy we are going to set up as much of the rest of our vineyard as we can to use sheep more widely for future vintages. The secret is a big mob, in a small space (around 3-5 ha), pluck that block, then move to the next one. One thing that surprised us was that the sheep showed a preference for certain vines over other - maybe they are secret grape connoisseurs.<br />
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We have always been concerned that the sheep would eat or damage the grapes, hence this year's small trial. We did not need to worry - they ate all the leaves, and did not touch the grapes. We are converts!<br />
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For those following the progress of my selected Pinot Gris vine through the 2013 vintage, it is the top left photograph - sadly it did not get the sheep treatment - that will now be next year.Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-46193736447900551072012-12-10T16:16:00.002+13:002012-12-10T16:16:50.284+13:00Pinot Gris at Murdoch James<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj084h6SwF6Aghw981SAd4Dgd472MTEpC4Hvq6a5u7NVpjhunlxo6ezRs2p4DoSOg8Z29a6LXBTfD8-vZ8aQvQX9xNkDpMKbUJM2jWC3M7CMk9M5YYxf7d2MunwP9UEmgCDf4NM7UHhnC1A/s1600/DSC04076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj084h6SwF6Aghw981SAd4Dgd472MTEpC4Hvq6a5u7NVpjhunlxo6ezRs2p4DoSOg8Z29a6LXBTfD8-vZ8aQvQX9xNkDpMKbUJM2jWC3M7CMk9M5YYxf7d2MunwP9UEmgCDf4NM7UHhnC1A/s320/DSC04076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same Pinot Gris Vine after just 20 days!</td></tr>
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Just to show how fast they grow, here is a picture of the same vine that was in my post of 20 November; just a touch over 2 weeks ago. Check out just how much more dense the canopy has become in just a that time. And for the sceptics who note the trunk curve is different, that's because I took this snap from the other side of the plant. Flowering looks fantastic too, so we have the promise an excellent vintage for 2013.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinot Gris Flowering December 2012</td></tr>
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Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-81062201038272698152012-11-26T15:12:00.000+13:002012-11-26T15:13:39.204+13:002013 Vintage Looking Good<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinot Gris, 26 Nov. 2012.</td></tr>
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I went out today to take the attached photos of Pinot Gris and could not help feeling we may be in for one of the really good vintages in 2013.<br />
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I know it is not a good thing to celebrate too early but the current vintage is looking great for us at Blue Rock. Our elevated and sloping vineyards meant no frost damage at all, compared to horror stories from Central Otago where Spring frosts did huge damage in some regions. There were also reports of frost damage in parts of the Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa.<br />
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We are looking at a harvest with the promise of both quality and quantity. There is a good bunch count per cane so what we need now is a good flowering through end November and the crop should be an excellent one. In fact, if the flowering is too good, we may be faced with having to fruit thin so we don't over-crop the vines.That is not a bad problem to have!<br />
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I did smile to myself when I took the photos as I was thinking I have been very lax in keeping my blog up to date. At one stage I had thought it would be interesting to take a single vine and post a picture of it each week through the season, but travel and other commitments got in the way. It was so lovely out there today that I am motivated to pick the idea up and follow it through from now on; let's see how I go!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinot Gris before flowering</td></tr>
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I felt it would be good for those interested to see just how quickly vines grow through the season and how much they change over time. For those not familiar with grapes, what you see here are very much <u>potential</u><b> </b>grapes; these wee guys still have to flower and be pollinated before they develop into full sized berries. So, what we need over the next few weeks are warm days and gentle breezes for that to happen successfully. Rain and/or strong winds are not what we want - that just washes or blows the pollen away. I'll post photos of the same bunch over time so you can follow the development of the grapes.</div>
Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-55758538193783049922012-09-11T12:21:00.000+12:002012-09-11T12:21:03.027+12:00Tough Vintage for 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am currently travelling in Queensland, Australia, working with our major client's key stores; Vintage Cellars and First Choice. These are both top wine chains in the Australian market, with knowlegeable staff. The stores stock a great range of wines too. If you live in Australia, check them out sometime. Make sure you buy a bottle of Murdoch James Estate wine while you are there though!<br />
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Yesterday I was in a store in Brisbane and one of the team said " I would love to work on a vineyard and make wine, it must be great fun?".<br />
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I was prompted to say "Yes it is" but had to qualify the comment to "Yes it is, most of the time". The qualifier was because this year we had a very small vintage, due to cold, windy weather at flowering time, with the result that we had a much smaller fruit set than normal with some varieties. While our white harvest was top quality and good quantity, for some red varieties we had such small harvests that we will not be able to produce a wine from this vintage. An example is our 2012 Syrah. Such a small crop means it is not able to be bottled as a stand-alone wine. Does not sound so bad until you realise the implications; if there is no 2012 Blue Rock Syrah available, customers who enjoyed the 2011 and older vintages may change to something else before we release the 2013. Then we have to work with our retailers to rebuild the brand, and that equals time and money.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZPDW5AWvb6lgaWa3_BNjbmKbOtG9gSSdzYkkdo_5_xjWFrmCxjijmdhLver5I2CMzGvP98tBZ81oBPODhxRuMfdLQe-5B4iGzEVaHQEs6PW0a0wOXeHsAsjR_svy0Q-W5aXilk_G2qH4/s1600/MBAPN+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZPDW5AWvb6lgaWa3_BNjbmKbOtG9gSSdzYkkdo_5_xjWFrmCxjijmdhLver5I2CMzGvP98tBZ81oBPODhxRuMfdLQe-5B4iGzEVaHQEs6PW0a0wOXeHsAsjR_svy0Q-W5aXilk_G2qH4/s200/MBAPN+10.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
In other cases, like the Pinot Noir, the fruit was terrific quality, but the crop was down 40% per hectare. So we will make excellent wines from the Pinot Noir this year, but not a lot of it. We will just have sufficient wine to supply demand, so again sounds OK, until you dig deeper....<br />
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The cost per litre of wine is much higher in a small vintage than it is in a normal one. Think about it this way: we spend many hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in the vineyard to grow our grapes. And we have to spend that regardless of harvest size. We need to prune, mow, tuck, hand pick, trellis, etc with a full crop in mind. Now, if we are targeting (say) 200 tonnes of pinot a year, and we only get 100 tonnes, we have still spent the money - it is a sunk cost regardless of what size crop we get. So in this scenario (2012) effectively our cost of production had doubled. If the normal cost of wine per bottle was $10, now it is $20. Can we increase our wine $10 per bottle to recover that? Sadly, the answer is "no way". In the current tight market, no retailer, importer or distributor is going to allow wineries to increase prices $10 a bottle, just because of a small vintage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIOtCmCotxY1sguGedhyQXx1l3YoExau0qcbQ0n4UvCHLCewK35H9yVfVB0fxD-SZeO15SCDUCWI95x7zRWzBhHV4xxJSP1aeI7uXHQ5vvTGjBnBCcYC5KPZt6f7nx5n7C1xNaSY25Haa/s1600/2012-08-17+11.22.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIOtCmCotxY1sguGedhyQXx1l3YoExau0qcbQ0n4UvCHLCewK35H9yVfVB0fxD-SZeO15SCDUCWI95x7zRWzBhHV4xxJSP1aeI7uXHQ5vvTGjBnBCcYC5KPZt6f7nx5n7C1xNaSY25Haa/s200/2012-08-17+11.22.59.jpg" width="200" /></a>So, what happens is that wineries have to absorb the extra costs and hope to recover it from other vintages; again easier said than done. This is more so with smaller boutique wineries where they have no way to shed expenses. The big industrial producers who harvest with machines, buy grapes in, and have other scale benefits are less at risk. So think about that when you pick a wine up in a wineshop; in tough times, the small producers need coonsumer understanding of their need to recover costs. Maybe spend a few bucks extra and don't buy the big brand label that is on 'special'? Ask a store team member to recommend something a just little more expensive and enjoy it in the knowledge the extra $5 or $6 dollars is going to help a small, passionate producer somewhere. It will probably be a better wine too!<br />
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Hence my qualified answer.<br />
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Yes, vineyards are a <b><u>great way to make a living</u></b>, but make no mistake; they are <u><b>not an easy way to make a living</b></u>. Rest assured, boutique winemakers don't do it just for the money!</div>
Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-20842341449512968232012-06-29T22:52:00.000+12:002012-06-30T02:27:51.052+12:00View from the 101st Floor!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I received a lot of e-mails about my last post, mainly around how high is 101 stories in a skyscraper? Well it is approx 1/2 a kilometer tall (500meters). And what does that feel like? Well the best way to visualise what that means is to look at the view from a window......<br />
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And to make the foodies among readers envious, have a good look at the following menu. The food was superb and we shared these magnificent dishes and fantastic Murdoch James wines with a full house. The service was superb also, making this a very successful evening. Recommend the restaurant and the experience to anyone visit Hong Kong and looking for a wonderful place to dine.<br />
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Some more facts on the building itself. It is actually 118 stories tall, a five star hotel <span style="background-color: white;">occupies floors 102 to 118. The world's highest swimming pool and bar (OZONE) can be found on the top 118th floor. </span><span style="background-color: white;">The express
elevators take you from ground level to floor 101 in less than 50 seconds - that's fast! Try not to think about the big hole under the lift floor though!</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="background-color: white;"></sup></div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-56868561877610045242012-06-28T17:33:00.001+12:002012-06-28T17:37:07.810+12:00Not all beer & skittles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">One of the great pleasures of making and selling wine is meeting your importers and agents all around the world.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This week I am in Hong Kong promoting our wines with our importers there (Nathan Fine Wines). Not the best time of the year to be here; hot, humid, crowds...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">But, it's not all bad. Tonight I am hosting a Winemaker</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">s Dinner featuring Murdoch James Estate wines at Sky Crystal Restaurant at the top of the ICC Tower in Kowloon. This is the highest restaurant in Hong Kong on the 101st floor of the tower (to confirm, that is the <b>101st</b> floor). A 7 course menu matching our wines with a great selection of Shanghai style dishes. I'm told it is a total sell-out, so that is great. The tall building in the centre of the image on the right is the ICC Tower. It will be privilege to present our wines there and to experience a very special location in which to do it. Only problem is, I'm a wee bit frightened of heights - b</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">ut, as they say, no such thing a free lunch (or in this case dinner)!</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-77299516932911006742012-06-01T10:40:00.001+12:002012-06-01T10:40:55.631+12:00Excise: And you thought I was exaggerating<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week I posted a blog on my favourite hate: Excise. You may have thought I was overstating the cost to the industry?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G9pZRZAoVnIicbdKfY3xodkYNkcLRYglaUmnDKa7c4wulzG8wvrkEIc35c5ESx9P954bMaUoRrtwWAqGGOn3XFBrVdhrcwtebWIsWfJvYVTTU0bE1NmnEB29h6tJq9RYG9SrMKJFmXKq/s1600/good+barrel+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G9pZRZAoVnIicbdKfY3xodkYNkcLRYglaUmnDKa7c4wulzG8wvrkEIc35c5ESx9P954bMaUoRrtwWAqGGOn3XFBrVdhrcwtebWIsWfJvYVTTU0bE1NmnEB29h6tJq9RYG9SrMKJFmXKq/s200/good+barrel+shot.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
Well consider this: Over $2.00/bottle of wine sold in New Zealand goes to the government. This equates to over $170 million a year paid by the New Zealand wine industry to the government (note that is just Excise tax, remember that the industry also pays GST and Income taxes too).<br />
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In Marlborough alone excise payments total around $127 million pa. Converted to income to the government per tonne of grapes, that is approximately $2,000/tonne of grapes.<br />
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Now compare that to the average of what Marlborough grape growers receive for a tonne of grapes which is only $1,400.<br />
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<b>How crazy is that!?</b><br />
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(Source: NZ Winegrower Magazine, June/July 2012)</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-56649830125269917752012-05-28T11:49:00.000+12:002012-05-28T11:49:58.859+12:00Project Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfNH2XPRdvge78DryZnMkhcvfMESqxPZzn55z0EAUr3aVeDhKr0OKoFgS_Qn5n8gR2qHNfyZoPfo7RA2DuCL30Gao3Soswrq6TGGXizq8jOSdgbaT98JneUKo38qNhj5rpHpui1E5fFjw/s1600/2012-05-28+11.11.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfNH2XPRdvge78DryZnMkhcvfMESqxPZzn55z0EAUr3aVeDhKr0OKoFgS_Qn5n8gR2qHNfyZoPfo7RA2DuCL30Gao3Soswrq6TGGXizq8jOSdgbaT98JneUKo38qNhj5rpHpui1E5fFjw/s200/2012-05-28+11.11.59.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Well, vintage 2012 is over. A smaller harvest than anticipated, but nice quality fruit to work with. We are pleased to have made some very good wines, and having the nice new winery to work in really made it all go very smoothly. It was a little stressful leading up to vintage, with the builders still working on site just a few days before picking commenced! But in the end it all worked out fine.<br />
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The new fermenters shown in the accompanying images worked perfectly and the new sorting table will have helped us take a big step up in quality. The new space has also helped give us the ability to try things we have only dreamed of in the past; for example barrel fermenting some of the varieties.<br />
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All in all you can look forward to some very interesting wines from our 2012 efforts.<br />
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But, even writing about these exciting developments, brings me back to one of my pet hates - Excise Duty. We have just been advised there will be a further increase in Excise Tax on 1st July.<br />
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With what we have just spent in capital improvements, new tanks and new barrels, on top of a small harvest, we really should be thinking about price increase to compensate, however in the current wine market that is just not possible. And the increase in Excise Duty will further erode margins.<br />
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Remember this is one of those hidden taxes all governments love. Like Excise Duty on fuel it just keeps money flowing into government revenue in a manner not visible to the general public. And it is linked to the consumer price index, so it increases nicely each year too, another plus for the tax collector. The Excise on wine is now over $2 per bottle and the winery must pay this each time they make a sale. Do the math; if you buy a $10 bottle of wine, over 20% is Excise, add that to the 15% G.S.T. and government is doing very nicely thank you!<br />
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So my question is such a tax needed on wine? The answer is no.<br />
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Why? Several reasons:<br />
1. It does not make sense to penalise a successful and growing export industry by increasing the cost of doing business in the NZ home market. Almost every successful business starts from a solid platform at home and then pushes out to exports. All that such a tax does is advantage cheap imported wines; be they bulk wines from Australia, or wines from countries with lower production costs or subsidies (like Argentina and Chile), thus impacting the viability of New Zealand wineries.<br />
2. It is a tax burden that unfairly selects just one industry and adds enormously to their operating costs, while other industry sectors avoid it. Plus, the cost of tracking and reporting the excise duty is another burden in an already over-regulated industry<br />
3. It is an indirect tax that could have been phased out and replaced at the introduction of GST, as many other indirect taxes were (e.g. sales taxes). As a consequence it now means consumers end up paying double taxes on all alcoholic beverages, regardless of type, which is clearly unfair<br />
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4. Apologists for excise taxes say they are only levied on supposed harmful products (e.g. fuel, tobacco, alcohol, etc) but in fact it is certainly not clear to me that all the excise collected by government is returned the community via initiatives related to the taxed product.<br />
5. On top of that, excise is also a crude tool that does not differentiate between the wide range of alcoholic beverages on the market. It is certainly not the drink of choice for the binge generation; look at alcopops and spirits if you want to address that concern. I accept a new approach is needed to manage alcohol abuse, but why penalise the vast majority of wine-lovers who enjoy and respect wine, by treating them like the problem society really needs to be focused on?<br />
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What has been done about the excise tax problem? Well the New Zealand Winegrowers organisation (a body that represents all NZ vineyards), has tried worked hard for change to the excise regime for many years, but to no avail. I know it must be hard negotiating with government officials who fail to see the big picture, but we must persevere.<br />
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That's because the consequence of excise continuing to increase each year, will result in more small vineyards in New Zealand failing. To me, continuing a tax that disadvantages Kiwi wineries in so many ways is foolish. It is not being overly pessimistic to point out that unless something changes small family-owned boutique NZ wineries with slim margins are not going to survive. That will not only be to their cost, but also will lead to diminished consumer choice and reduced employment opportunities.<br />
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<br /></div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-10646177601760292092012-05-17T19:15:00.000+12:002012-05-17T19:15:34.664+12:00MJE Video on You Tube<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z7IUnrMv3ag?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We have just reached the end of vintage and have celebrated that milestone by twisting winemaker Carl's arm to make this video - enjoy!</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-72204841160539145762012-02-27T12:58:00.000+13:002012-02-27T12:58:19.461+13:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Is it really two months since my last post?!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New winery under construction</td></tr>
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The new winery is now making great progress, the landscaping is almost all complete, and the grapes are ripening - slowly in response to our cold, rainy summer. While slow ripening is not always a good thing (as eventually winter arrives and the grapes close down), this year 'slow is good'. Mainly because the winery construction is behind schedule, again in response to poor weather impacting construction. If we had to harvest the 2012 vintage at the normal time we would be in trouble. The classic case of "all clouds have a silver lining"!<br />
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With the transformation of the business, subsequent to our growing sales in Asia, I have been thinking about the future of the New Zealand wine industry a lot. Not all wineries as as fortunate as we are with rapidly expanding distribution, but some of the crazy stuff people that do not have good sales channels are doing to sell wine does great harm to the industry. It sets new price expectations, undermines the viability of the industry, will hurt us all and take a long time to recover from.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New dwarfs old!</td></tr>
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If you think I am exaggerating. next time you buy a bottle of wine for $10 or less in the supermarket, or on one of the multitude of discount wine websites, have a think about how much money trickles down to the winery after 15% G.S.T., over $2 per bottle Excise Duty*, the retailers margin, the cost of the bottle and label and the cost of making the wine? I can tell you it is not a lot, or in many cases, nothing. The obvious question is why do wineries do this, if it is as stupid as I imply? This is a theme I am going to explore in future posts which will look at Excise Duty*, bank lending policies, over-supply (the consumers greatest friend), the impact of bulk wine exports and the consequences of the 'must sell' approach many wineries are taking. Often cash flow is the driver, but at the cost of future profitablity<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of new winery underway</td></tr>
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* Excise Duty is one of those hidden taxes all governments love. Like Excise Duty on Petrol it just keeps money flowing into government coffers in a manner not visible to the general public. And it is indexed to the consumer price index, so it increases nicely each year too, another plus for the tax collector. The Excise on wine is over $2 per bottle and the winery must pay this each time they make a sale. Do the maths; if you buy a $10 bottle of wine, over 20% is Excise, add that to the 15% G.S.T. and government is doing very nicely thank you!</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-17718504730347045822011-12-14T17:20:00.000+13:002011-12-14T17:21:52.133+13:00Industry Blues not for Murdoch James<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the past 2 years, the New Zealand wine industry took a hammering from low priced competition, high exchange rates, the global financial crisis, over-production, high gearing, and banks not making credit available (interestingly these were the same banks that 4 or 5 years ago were throwing money at vineyards, but that's banks for you). The situation led to commercial practices (like bulk wine sales) that had a negative industry wide impact. Now the industry has to try to reverse the consequences of this 'perfect storm'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excavations for new winery underway</td></tr>
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While not specifically structured to address the concerns raised above, a recent strategic review conducted for the wine industry by a firm of consultants, did touch on some of the points. Where they did, the review's observations on market potential and market development were not exactly earth-shattering.<br />
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It is difficult to find the detail in the midst of all the consulting jargon, but one observation was that China is a desirable market for New Zealand wineries wanting to grow their exports. Paying someone to tell us that China has big potential for NZ wine sales is not exactly a big return on the investment. The important point is that if wineries are just discovered Asia now, they have missed the boat; and late-comers will find it hard to make up lost ground.<br />
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That is why Murdoch James has not been sitting back and waiting. We have been travelling in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and China for the last 3 years, and the results justify all the effort. We will sell more wine in China in the month of February 2012 than our full year's output just 3 years ago. And through new ownership, Murdoch James has recapitalised to escape the financial problems holding back other wineries from participating in the huge growth of wine sales in China.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The foundation trenches for the concrete<br />
footings are huge</td></tr>
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The consequences are clear if you call by the vineyard. As mentioned in a previous posting, we have already spent a great deal on expanding the Cellar Door and on landscaping. Now we have commenced our winery expansion project. As the images show, it will increase the footprint of the winery significantly - about 3 times larger actually. This will enable us to process the much larger quantities we need for our new customers in Asia.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXf9rz2OCeNqbPfwtPaJb0k1XZ_ABcIBADH9KEdXddx0HqD7fmhKN6-8_3D0oTf43d8J67C8OR0j5Vy_N4mj1w4XlD-OX5BW0FG-tBb2LP1qwMF0sr_aOPFHgx0Th5cglg3mnmbUxRLy1Y/s1600/DSC03094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXf9rz2OCeNqbPfwtPaJb0k1XZ_ABcIBADH9KEdXddx0HqD7fmhKN6-8_3D0oTf43d8J67C8OR0j5Vy_N4mj1w4XlD-OX5BW0FG-tBb2LP1qwMF0sr_aOPFHgx0Th5cglg3mnmbUxRLy1Y/s200/DSC03094.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mountain of steel reinforcing should<br />
ensure no earthquake risks </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And it also equips us well for our existing buyers in Australia, USA and UK, because this expansion is not just about processing more quantity, it is also about investing in the equipment and technology to take a huge step up in quality.<br />
<br />
If you are ever nearby, come and check out what we are up to. We would be pleased to show you around!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-31915777096098772722011-11-25T13:35:00.001+13:002011-11-25T13:57:24.034+13:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDFHrZdMrA22oxjzF5q-dLdrdJhLU6Uk5dYYQ5QX6Ttm1VnleUaTOyTnAwbLNZT3nIFWbG7VHdyAfxnM0EZvlpSS6dHVudN7AlnmjXVYQ9Lx1W-1c5xs348d0ThTGkzScYJnYxBCAs_Mu/s1600/Toast+Martinborough+2011+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDFHrZdMrA22oxjzF5q-dLdrdJhLU6Uk5dYYQ5QX6Ttm1VnleUaTOyTnAwbLNZT3nIFWbG7VHdyAfxnM0EZvlpSS6dHVudN7AlnmjXVYQ9Lx1W-1c5xs348d0ThTGkzScYJnYxBCAs_Mu/s200/Toast+Martinborough+2011+%25289%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Last Sunday, 20th of November celebrated 20 years of Toast Martinborough.</span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">It was a beautiful day with over 11,500 people sharing good food, wine and music with the region's wineries.</span></h6>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCA5psvyOZdgElw95UcQ4ajfKKUuBh1PcE6OEdVk3w1CAggQ3Ljv88FAcsepiQif8u6C7GbVw5MiDOqH-rxD8UPpEPt9iZMuew8fSFMdpqqYvjjLB4yHnlSBA84V8nGPm_mHv9LcndkXc/s1600/Nicola+%2526+Flowers+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCA5psvyOZdgElw95UcQ4ajfKKUuBh1PcE6OEdVk3w1CAggQ3Ljv88FAcsepiQif8u6C7GbVw5MiDOqH-rxD8UPpEPt9iZMuew8fSFMdpqqYvjjLB4yHnlSBA84V8nGPm_mHv9LcndkXc/s200/Nicola+%2526+Flowers+%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">A wonderful day was had by all at our Toast Martinborough site this year. The crowd was huge and well behaved, the music great, and the food from Guten Apetit Catering was fantastic. </span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Sadly at other locations a small minority spoiled the day for some, through over-indulgence. That we had none of that on our site shows just how well organised it was. A lot of the credit for the organisation of a very professionally run site must go to Nicola, a valued member of the Murdoch James team. And what better way to show our appreciation than with flowers!!!</span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">We had several acts on stage, including the Thomas Oliver Band and Ladi6, and estimate over 50% of the total crowd joined us for at least part of the day. Like all festivals we had the crowd come in waves and at times the challenge was being able to serve them all in a timely manner. We were very quiet in the morning, when the crowd followed tradition, by starting at TK, then very busy mid-afternoon, then quiet again late afternoon as the festival goes moved on to other wineries to close out the day. At the busy times, Nicola's systems played their part.</span></h6>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrlRnkhwm2Tv14QXc55ho4Y5TY3lx_YFfKnXfHjIM7BRhADFgIEgoL-ttMTloEFtFc2oRTN2n-VddSQTp0p8-iX5qmgivZPROUIzscaB8Sd7nSwSgao_nZtrCY1HMkR9_hcTkjVhLbNM5/s1600/Toast+Martinborough+2011+%252819%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrlRnkhwm2Tv14QXc55ho4Y5TY3lx_YFfKnXfHjIM7BRhADFgIEgoL-ttMTloEFtFc2oRTN2n-VddSQTp0p8-iX5qmgivZPROUIzscaB8Sd7nSwSgao_nZtrCY1HMkR9_hcTkjVhLbNM5/s200/Toast+Martinborough+2011+%252819%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">It is hard to spell out in words what a terrific day Toast Martinborough is; the pictures tell a better story. Even better still, come next year, and see for yourself. But you have to be quick - tickets can sell out in less than half an hour after release!!</span></h6>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">And for those folk who gave us feedback on what we could do better next year, rest assured we have taken the comments aboard.</span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><br /></span></h6>
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</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-36406933347735490092011-11-14T11:43:00.008+13:002011-11-25T13:56:03.726+13:00They tell me it will look good when finished!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnnV-6PJFqfx2w6dDmWoLb9I_aDQ1JT_o16tMump4vvwZjtR7Y3x7ebp57aNk6oX_o8KgOF-Isfs66sTleVr-lLUtQt3yEwuEXtEeRwRoBJPWyAh8miyQjsixdmEI-SjwaRhEzrmLky-A/s1600/New+Tasting+Room+Deck+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnnV-6PJFqfx2w6dDmWoLb9I_aDQ1JT_o16tMump4vvwZjtR7Y3x7ebp57aNk6oX_o8KgOF-Isfs66sTleVr-lLUtQt3yEwuEXtEeRwRoBJPWyAh8miyQjsixdmEI-SjwaRhEzrmLky-A/s200/New+Tasting+Room+Deck+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Grand Entrance (to be) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many of you have asked for more information on what we are doing with building extensions and landscaping.<br />
<br />
There are quite a few things under way. The tasting room is being extended to cater for the increasing number of visitor who join us for tastings or the incredibly popular 'Grape to Glass'tour. As part of that building project we are also constructing a new grand entrance, so that the first impressions when folk drive up to the winery is both welcoming and attractive. There is also a big deck (almost finished) being built outside the tasting room so tasters can relax and taste in a pleasant location. We will equip the deck with comfortable tables and chairs so tasters can sit and order a platter to enjoys as they do their tasting. With a weather forecast of a long, hot summer to come, I am sure the deck will get plenty of use.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ-OFV7zwwG7RrTgHnJ_KVUgTWRt6Ud9o6MjmiAlpfaLd4QQg81AW1eVp-EkHaX8hIqU9T-eOIIrQ89iZO-z5AqwIYo7-RkFWabGKU9rWW0RPVHl9DndYpYRLrAhEcX6dCni4dXH7C7yr/s1600/Steps+up+Cliff+under+construction+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJ-OFV7zwwG7RrTgHnJ_KVUgTWRt6Ud9o6MjmiAlpfaLd4QQg81AW1eVp-EkHaX8hIqU9T-eOIIrQ89iZO-z5AqwIYo7-RkFWabGKU9rWW0RPVHl9DndYpYRLrAhEcX6dCni4dXH7C7yr/s200/Steps+up+Cliff+under+construction+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Steps Up Cliff</td></tr>
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Then there is a big project of landscaping down the cliff in front of the restaurant. We are building rock retaining walls, steps, planting new shrubs, building a bridge - the list goes on. The stairs down the cliff are going to look simply stunning: huge cut macrocarpa timbers, in-filled with exposed aggregate, and lit at night. The bridge across the creek will make the lower vineyard area an even more attractive location for weddings and events.<br />
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At present the site looks like a construction zone, and as wedding season is almost upon us I am as nervous as our brides that it all be finished on time. I am assured by our builders and landscapers that it will be, but no rain please weather gods!<br />
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</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0284B Dry River Rd, Dyerville 5781, New Zealand-41.275742324160113 175.41389465332031-41.299613824160112 175.37441265332032 -41.251870824160115 175.4533766533203tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-58729197111743961542011-11-12T14:10:00.001+13:002011-11-12T22:56:25.276+13:00Amazing happenings at Murdoch James Estate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are exciting times ahead at Murdoch James Estate. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpFaplWHwmfr-DpzXBSPxpVn7AGg7QhkZjyIDDVJaaY2mYVhv9b-YPogGWMq9mz0Y8dNJlx0sSpwnoLx2HOEu-DO2GJNHGHuqzMA4orI7gb26mYxTDeoomWjnTyd_E26GT80jnkezbOcv/s1600/New+Stairs+being+built+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpFaplWHwmfr-DpzXBSPxpVn7AGg7QhkZjyIDDVJaaY2mYVhv9b-YPogGWMq9mz0Y8dNJlx0sSpwnoLx2HOEu-DO2GJNHGHuqzMA4orI7gb26mYxTDeoomWjnTyd_E26GT80jnkezbOcv/s200/New+Stairs+being+built+%25282%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New stairway down cliff under construction</td></tr>
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We have recently purchased an adjoinging vineyard which now takes us up to 38 hectares of planted vines, and are building a new winery. Plus we are undertaking a major landscaping project to make the site look even more appealing to visitors. We have the goal of becoming New Zealand's best winery experience when people visit for our restaurant, tours or just for wine tasting. There is a big new deck going in, the cliff in front of the restaurant is being terraced and the entrance drive has been upgraded.<br />
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I can hear a few of you thinking "What on earth is Roger and the team at Murdoch James doing? There is a lot of unsold wine in the world, prices are low and most wineries are tightening their belts at present!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjPSerJzhRo269nBvv8a-F59iAZanZmg9D4X8c-fR7-rdU2oIYuI1kxQXTqyLJhTuoj-g5vjLUwyaZyBfNqyzm0P8zeGoI6LFtp9W4L7w8w2Y-wwFzNhDvPmYKc10H9z1ABE-SJvpZmWd/s1600/New+Rail+Fence+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjPSerJzhRo269nBvv8a-F59iAZanZmg9D4X8c-fR7-rdU2oIYuI1kxQXTqyLJhTuoj-g5vjLUwyaZyBfNqyzm0P8zeGoI6LFtp9W4L7w8w2Y-wwFzNhDvPmYKc10H9z1ABE-SJvpZmWd/s200/New+Rail+Fence+%25281%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New rock wall and fence at entrance</td></tr>
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There are two parts to the answer. Firstly, we are expanding because have worked hard on exports and are now shipping ever increasing quantities of wine overeas, including to China where we have excellent contacts through our new owners.<br />
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And secondly, because our tours and restaurant are now often fully booked as word-of-mouth spreads the news on just how good an experience it is to visit Murdoch James Estate and to join with us as we share our love of food, people and wine.<br />
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If you live nearby and have not visited in a while, it is time you did - come and see what we are up too. Think about trying one of our 'Grape to Glass' tours for some quality time with us.</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-7145845032106458572011-09-25T12:28:00.001+13:002011-10-21T13:22:06.808+13:00'Moby Dick'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;">At <a href="http://www.murdochjames.co.nz/">Murdoch James Estate</a>, we have one of the oldest if not<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>the</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>oldest, balloon presses in New
Zealand. I</span><span style="color: black;">t is a Wilmes, made in Germany, and dates from the late 1950's we believe.
This is not one of your modern computer controlled, hands-off, "press
'start' and come back later" wine presses. Our press needs an operator to
be in attendance at all times to care of its every need. One well-known local
blogger referred to it as 'Moby Dick'; a big presence, imposing, round and
long, and somewhat daunting. I must admit, it certainly looks a lot like the
great white whale. The name stuck and all our team now think of this wonderful
machine by that name. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv0eRhciF_ekES3prJdkFOcJL1j8xOpqkkAhUXtdipFyZj4SMyInSstNd54Q6dUIYEcFiGVw9UxHcPVGscjsQatdIeXJ2iOJErpGFscKlnb0OcSBvjwVoW4VXRw4F8KDR6gFPPsqF77Ss/s1600/DSC02653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv0eRhciF_ekES3prJdkFOcJL1j8xOpqkkAhUXtdipFyZj4SMyInSstNd54Q6dUIYEcFiGVw9UxHcPVGscjsQatdIeXJ2iOJErpGFscKlnb0OcSBvjwVoW4VXRw4F8KDR6gFPPsqF77Ss/s200/DSC02653.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;">But now 'Moby Dick' (thanks for the name to both Jared
and Herman) is in serious trouble. The gearing between the electric motor and
the press cylinder has broken and parts to fix it are not able to be found.
Yet we are not giving up! </span><span class="Apple-style-span">We have started a global search for the parts.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfITQS747BLVuhyphenhyphenIFZThKYQVa-k9t_r2tgajQSPpg1OuqeJiDy8QEQ02XIRoJPpHLJVvVkphU-zRYEorGP3yua6PO4iTXNUlBtTwH5rg5ShiXFjuNy36A_tfv6f98JKOVzKGsITc530zl/s1600/Team+at+Press.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfITQS747BLVuhyphenhyphenIFZThKYQVa-k9t_r2tgajQSPpg1OuqeJiDy8QEQ02XIRoJPpHLJVvVkphU-zRYEorGP3yua6PO4iTXNUlBtTwH5rg5ShiXFjuNy36A_tfv6f98JKOVzKGsITc530zl/s200/Team+at+Press.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="color: black;">But, like Thomas the Tank Engine, where Thomas's steam power was
under threat from upstart diesel locomotives, if we cannot revive Moby he may
have to be sold as scrap. </span><span class="Apple-style-span">And that would be a tragedy. Like Thomas, we want Moby to fight
back too, and prove his worth. He has a place beside our new press to provide back-up. We want to save him and continue to use his
talents where we can. Moby is gentle to the grapes when
pressing, and as we have to be there all the time to tend to his needs, we can
see exactly what he is up to and encourage the very best from him. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-jqaaf7uJT4tEfAYNUhbzLKvUCmFseLq8u5AUBKBmrBJNt6YlLizMJ6IWi9XzGWP8e-XQAGZYHXcNt9r92lWd2ZGI9EO94QBfs5bbxXqPSdz1V8FaTgq3L-CVjlyFxUjwcnd17InEjhQ/s1600/DSC02651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-jqaaf7uJT4tEfAYNUhbzLKvUCmFseLq8u5AUBKBmrBJNt6YlLizMJ6IWi9XzGWP8e-XQAGZYHXcNt9r92lWd2ZGI9EO94QBfs5bbxXqPSdz1V8FaTgq3L-CVjlyFxUjwcnd17InEjhQ/s200/DSC02651.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">As to how can you help? Well, we hear every day about the power of
social media to galvanise support for important causes. And, what more
important cause than saving Moby from the 'harpoons' of the scrap metal
merchants. If you know of anyone who might be able to help let us know. We will fly the
parts in from anywhere in the world if they are in good condition.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZlbyBY2U2DNUBGG7ZZjVG5Evw0zx_9uJ64MWoyLaQqZkmiRSNgFhI5hjgzNiTtaS5CRzI0Tw3TWJGH_rqktXP5OVx-bNjU_g5vbGkwRUIqlt6-TTEggnrd0l77mwwNwe2IijeHbTTjJw/s1600/DSC02650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZlbyBY2U2DNUBGG7ZZjVG5Evw0zx_9uJ64MWoyLaQqZkmiRSNgFhI5hjgzNiTtaS5CRzI0Tw3TWJGH_rqktXP5OVx-bNjU_g5vbGkwRUIqlt6-TTEggnrd0l77mwwNwe2IijeHbTTjJw/s200/DSC02650.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;">Maybe you know of a relation to Moby who is past restoration,
but could become a part donor and keep Moby alive for future generations? We
are going to post on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to make
sure we make every effort to save him, so pass the message on if you are
motivated to do so. If you can help, call us at Murdoch James Estate (+646 306
9165) or e-mail me at info@murdoch-james.co.nz. We would love to hear from you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com12799 Dry River Rd, Dyerville 5781, New Zealand-41.280902559820895 175.43243408203125-41.376454559820893 175.27450558203125 -41.1853505598209 175.59036258203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-21936090833579051062011-08-06T17:37:00.000+12:002011-10-21T14:56:11.713+13:00Not all just hard work!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAw9EJWRhFX7KlOUKzx6ErmOflR549FxOJFm5lupn0RI8gRJn99UjfsaahAcDDmVyaBovFngyIjsVTH0rUo9s8vzbqhLEWr5jQ7nWy-vQhmVYoJ3jtuE0MpXq1CmBZEdddPPCNUy2IqD8/s1600/DSC02604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAw9EJWRhFX7KlOUKzx6ErmOflR549FxOJFm5lupn0RI8gRJn99UjfsaahAcDDmVyaBovFngyIjsVTH0rUo9s8vzbqhLEWr5jQ7nWy-vQhmVYoJ3jtuE0MpXq1CmBZEdddPPCNUy2IqD8/s320/DSC02604.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A few months ago, Nicola asked me if I would help Lynn (who runs our cellar door facility at the vineyard), with a Women's Expo in Palmerston North. What a chore I thought. Until I got there. I was one of only a few men in a room of hundreds of women. I apologise if it sounds a bit stereotypical but I think a lot of guys would have swapped places with me!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuF2pSqmiwIz95yJsFl3egBZynyuLlsiui4Xh3YSLcF6nTqHgElDLGgq9PMizD_QiK0Pmr5TkYaK-o3Nye0wsCgQ82CIqPGk7c3PCOb_11iiKHlCr_CSU_Phql_Fl0Rj_-ALZND5AoMA6O/s1600/DSC02611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuF2pSqmiwIz95yJsFl3egBZynyuLlsiui4Xh3YSLcF6nTqHgElDLGgq9PMizD_QiK0Pmr5TkYaK-o3Nye0wsCgQ82CIqPGk7c3PCOb_11iiKHlCr_CSU_Phql_Fl0Rj_-ALZND5AoMA6O/s200/DSC02611.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
And it was a fascinating Expo too. The stands ranged from the expected (clothing, jewelry, food & wine) through to the less common (alternative healing, investing, dance exercise, miniatures and creative arts).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrko9gZSgiMDBBVbV5S9aI9FY-hKvjGTwaEJQ_U8z5K9iLxVEiUeX_g4AvzACi7lR-GGkMQV-YJr1nFH3T1iC0qt1VnhPGWpeXPPCTEoY4bPWXcfhRuKhha-qZL_tYRjBVhhJ0KdO-LCA/s1600/DSC02608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrko9gZSgiMDBBVbV5S9aI9FY-hKvjGTwaEJQ_U8z5K9iLxVEiUeX_g4AvzACi7lR-GGkMQV-YJr1nFH3T1iC0qt1VnhPGWpeXPPCTEoY4bPWXcfhRuKhha-qZL_tYRjBVhhJ0KdO-LCA/s200/DSC02608.JPG" width="200" /></a>Recent research has shown that women are now the dominant purchasers of wine in NZ for home consumption, and also increasingly making the decision on what wine to pick from wine lists in restaurants. In that context, one important learning for me from the Expo was confirmation of the strong desire to learn more about wine by women. We had great interest in the varieties we were showing, but the tasters were not only there to sample the wines.<br />
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They also wanted to learn; we were answering questions about the vineyard, our sustainable vineyard practices, wine-making, distribution and wine tourism.<br />
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It was great fun and we'll be back next year for sure.</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-50678794895617699162011-06-10T12:18:00.001+12:002011-06-10T12:24:49.142+12:00New Beginnings!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
What's new at Murdoch James Estate then?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiOpRf0refMLXuI1n9hRdXKw4ZRZ_NwpAKu7fAg2nekN2gp2TzRoglvY1sxhgPhtdQfg1rGUlYfpO_olkeSoneNQnwPS5DakN_2G8ND_lTcR-luNNChFk_R2ibPUbMkJDU8AH8_XhNaKx/s1600/Vineyard+Cow+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiOpRf0refMLXuI1n9hRdXKw4ZRZ_NwpAKu7fAg2nekN2gp2TzRoglvY1sxhgPhtdQfg1rGUlYfpO_olkeSoneNQnwPS5DakN_2G8ND_lTcR-luNNChFk_R2ibPUbMkJDU8AH8_XhNaKx/s200/Vineyard+Cow+1.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklE-KUWEZInwnuH4vUbpwq-PEJHSDga2Cf2yYdeHzZlH9DfH0pcNEppgkbWIYi4N78yxaOxHfBSZhq1FzvN-Un657Gwup-qMrn3o1vIXFoUM6FX3oZN7CYW14Ucu_UPF2MBOUBQHCRXvi/s1600/Sheep+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklE-KUWEZInwnuH4vUbpwq-PEJHSDga2Cf2yYdeHzZlH9DfH0pcNEppgkbWIYi4N78yxaOxHfBSZhq1FzvN-Un657Gwup-qMrn3o1vIXFoUM6FX3oZN7CYW14Ucu_UPF2MBOUBQHCRXvi/s200/Sheep+2.JPG" width="200" /></a>Well, those that follow my blog will know, we are fully committed to sustainable practices, and to us that means more than just monoculture and industrial scale wine making. For a long time now we have partnered the grapes with sheep to mow the grass, and have run Angus cattle on our unplanted land. This year we are excited to have begun yet another venture in parallel with the vines. We have recently started to build a herd of Belted Galloway's. This is a very rare breed of Scottish cattle, a perfect fit for Murdoch James Estate and our Scottish heritage!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynINPzCpx49qjw1RfJISfF-AFvhhC7xXnyvaE3rzcEnnoCv2XJSa8UYvE59bfaWYBul9cglCCieAcur6885NmJHSbNVC28_-Ey3KSzjjKiemrMLHbWJScGZHBSVRy8WvwXjNfrq7Bwv_w/s1600/Cow+and+Calves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynINPzCpx49qjw1RfJISfF-AFvhhC7xXnyvaE3rzcEnnoCv2XJSa8UYvE59bfaWYBul9cglCCieAcur6885NmJHSbNVC28_-Ey3KSzjjKiemrMLHbWJScGZHBSVRy8WvwXjNfrq7Bwv_w/s200/Cow+and+Calves.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiVY5zlPkEtizx9M4D25Es6UuitZy9fEGVSvuXHSJpFR-1kQ4KKYvkfYLBn71qXQHohFAF6i5GjYm_FKmr63bE-WMO0MWFPOmsK4BdmFpzusNAgjEjH37veG1seS6CPxVPBuw9L793zTd/s1600/The+new+arrivals%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiVY5zlPkEtizx9M4D25Es6UuitZy9fEGVSvuXHSJpFR-1kQ4KKYvkfYLBn71qXQHohFAF6i5GjYm_FKmr63bE-WMO0MWFPOmsK4BdmFpzusNAgjEjH37veG1seS6CPxVPBuw9L793zTd/s1600/The+new+arrivals%2521.jpg" /></a>These guys really stand out in any crowd. They have a distinctive white belt around a black body, a double coat to cope with all weather, and a really solid, low-slung build. We will be breeding and raising pedigree cattle that can contribute to the viability of this lovely breed. I would describe them as gentle giants - they have a great temperament, are happy on all sorts of pasture and can handle our cold winters.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZTQNdA4viX5_mx77FTbF2fqNlxUeY-du7ivkb-ne7vA6t-xLca9FQxro1zgQ3mHJ1t6vjmxgNuwObuiKLst2ZFOjxb2DS4yralQeJW5Aob6XYjVoK-Vx-w7qfYfeKHDPvhszOwQIDfmj/s1600/Belted+Galloway+Bull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZTQNdA4viX5_mx77FTbF2fqNlxUeY-du7ivkb-ne7vA6t-xLca9FQxro1zgQ3mHJ1t6vjmxgNuwObuiKLst2ZFOjxb2DS4yralQeJW5Aob6XYjVoK-Vx-w7qfYfeKHDPvhszOwQIDfmj/s200/Belted+Galloway+Bull.jpg" width="200" /></a>Best of all, they look just great. We have started with a bull (Fidel is his name) and three lovely cows in calf (Fidel is the dad). Shortly, they will be joined by 15 more that we will be bringing to the vineyard from another breeder in the South Island. This herd will then form the nucleus of our new initiative. They are not cheap; cows can be well over $1000, and a good bull 2 or 3 times that, but money is not everything, and we are all very excited about this new venture. Photos of the new calves to be posted in Spring, so click and follow our blog, to be kept up-to-date on how they fare! </div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-85727830624145294302011-05-06T11:03:00.001+12:002011-05-06T11:05:24.880+12:00Lab Work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I sometimes think a lot of folk get the impression that wine is all about growing the grapes in the vineyard and then converting them to wine in the winery. That is true to a large extent, as is the reality that the making of a great wine comes down to the creative talents of the winemaker. There are no formulas to follow slavishly, unless you are one of the big producers who are looking for the same basic wine year after year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKwnU5hIQ7fy4dO-du7rWvvaKONkVZg04lFCakByGdIcN-s6Mxlx-M-EB1LpsSeDe4QI4RKQ1WhtXEiiE-Yex5avUoQrZFhxhYu89CRJmboER5v71Tq28CK6f90KYthoQ4_VqDX9k15Ny/s1600/Maria+in+Lab+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKwnU5hIQ7fy4dO-du7rWvvaKONkVZg04lFCakByGdIcN-s6Mxlx-M-EB1LpsSeDe4QI4RKQ1WhtXEiiE-Yex5avUoQrZFhxhYu89CRJmboER5v71Tq28CK6f90KYthoQ4_VqDX9k15Ny/s200/Maria+in+Lab+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>But there are a lot of technical things small wineries can do to help ensure we make a good wine and avoid risks. At Murdoch James Estate we have a small laboratory where we test sample from the vineyard before harvest to check sugar levels, and during ferments to track the conversion of those sugars to alcohol. We also test for things like acidity. This technical detail is then paired with winemaker Carl's judgement and palate to deliver the final wine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVwbQnO2EUtWFMNMmBZmAgMxSKNYKGNQ5OYolQzj2WUGiDPjv9ogWOOpAs1pkxLu3oWA4p1uKwfaDBjrtzvlWSdSWjpEkuLkChIuvYcsThYxZTiV1otXYOS-ujnnrdh4H9-JM8dguinZj/s1600/Maria+in+Lab+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVwbQnO2EUtWFMNMmBZmAgMxSKNYKGNQ5OYolQzj2WUGiDPjv9ogWOOpAs1pkxLu3oWA4p1uKwfaDBjrtzvlWSdSWjpEkuLkChIuvYcsThYxZTiV1otXYOS-ujnnrdh4H9-JM8dguinZj/s200/Maria+in+Lab+%25282%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
For the vintage Maria, our Administration Assistant, worked with Carl in the winery over vintage to help with processing, plunging and pressing. But she also did most of the lab work; a very important task she completed with skill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvjqKhIMtoqEkhFabff28vI_2T6aMxUao59TYa9G7D8d-v_HgUfvXO4ebQTceGW6Oyk1h24SkJeK8iMkluOMob3jHz_Vf0NaYhZaK56Bm2-2vf9lw4GYx8dRSSbJzPaWt_IsDhyphenhyphene55ApT/s1600/DSC00011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvjqKhIMtoqEkhFabff28vI_2T6aMxUao59TYa9G7D8d-v_HgUfvXO4ebQTceGW6Oyk1h24SkJeK8iMkluOMob3jHz_Vf0NaYhZaK56Bm2-2vf9lw4GYx8dRSSbJzPaWt_IsDhyphenhyphene55ApT/s200/DSC00011.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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This year's grapes are now in, and nearly all the ferments are complete. It has been a lovely harvest and the Pinot Noir should be excellent this year. Fine weather made harvest a breeze, and the teamwork was terrific. Now the vineyard looks a treat as the autumn colours are coming out. In fact, when I was driving into work this morning, the poplars at the gate were stunning and I had to take a photo - not a bad place to work is it!!??<br />
</div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6847898365363432373.post-80782198194440997542011-04-14T11:24:00.001+12:002011-04-14T11:26:39.701+12:00Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and all the other Pinots!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Followers will have read in some my old blogs that Pinot Noir is a grape that can mutate quickly to Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Meunier. In each variety there are also lots of different clones. All occur quite naturally - no genetic engineering here! </span><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6ONS_DR_qeoFouxo1UkHcd9Rc9GieQauMOimDB5eW_Tj7V1ioxhyphenhyphentrD3QXWrc2FeUWVcFscor4OjUNBEUmnOrOT7ESlzzLDr7-IGJTT_hsOv3pGuzbL28Ye0QCvVzQCTpCM_RJoOiCUc/s1600/P4100177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6ONS_DR_qeoFouxo1UkHcd9Rc9GieQauMOimDB5eW_Tj7V1ioxhyphenhyphentrD3QXWrc2FeUWVcFscor4OjUNBEUmnOrOT7ESlzzLDr7-IGJTT_hsOv3pGuzbL28Ye0QCvVzQCTpCM_RJoOiCUc/s200/P4100177.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I found a good explanation of this recently on the 'pinotnoir.com' website. They explained that "Pinot Noir is a genetically unstable varietal. New clones, and to a lesser extent, new varietals are not uncommon occurrences in a Pinot Noir vineyard. Strolling through a vineyard of Pinot Noir, one may find one or more plants with single shoots that have characteristics unlike the rest of the wine. If you try to propagate these shoots into new vines, and all the buds on the new plant display the same attributes on the original shoot, then a new clone, or in extreme cases, a new varietal is born. </span>Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are some of the more successful mutations of Pinot Noir and produce distinct and unique wines on their own. Each differs from its parent, Pinot Noir, in the color of their fruit, and in the case of Pinot Meunier, a noticeable number of white "hairs" on the tip of the shoots".</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_SaC_zOu93BDszkLtom93WWJglIGhwtkwG-GsgKD2tnwqbO70w_cRXO6gK_J3qdi8PM9e4uAkBuFtYdHAhFB_tgPsarkaV-kH2OtppWga3XZG0fL6OEK08Fv8FKK1PwnHX96VTB0lmyb/s1600/P4100178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_SaC_zOu93BDszkLtom93WWJglIGhwtkwG-GsgKD2tnwqbO70w_cRXO6gK_J3qdi8PM9e4uAkBuFtYdHAhFB_tgPsarkaV-kH2OtppWga3XZG0fL6OEK08Fv8FKK1PwnHX96VTB0lmyb/s200/P4100178.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If you think that this all sounds a bit odd, check out the two accompanying photographs. We are in the middle of the 2011 harvest (which I think could be one our best ever, but more about that in future blogs). When we were picking the Blue Rock Pinot Noir this year though, we found a bunch of grapes that was half Pinot Noir and half Pinot Blanc - yes same bunch. That is the top photo. </span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">BUT then when we looked more closely we also found a berry that was half Pinot Noir colour and half Pinot Blanc colour - yes, a single berry! All pretty amazing eh! Look at the second of the two photos and you'll see the berry I refer to almost dead centre of the image. I assure you no Photo Shop trickery here.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A few nice autumn shots below too, and a real bunch of Pinot Noir!</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZzOK61EYc2J57d4-EmNQobIAPpB4a7t4RrLNIlT_lnPrAyoI9zJxFCNLlq8djD7BLN6PFWrwNwzultTNB0exiY_Z9cLUcz3dkeHa0g-6rEoM0tvXA7d2CB34kb1HuOywh1lW0WR1QAiZ/s1600/Close+up+autumn+vines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZzOK61EYc2J57d4-EmNQobIAPpB4a7t4RrLNIlT_lnPrAyoI9zJxFCNLlq8djD7BLN6PFWrwNwzultTNB0exiY_Z9cLUcz3dkeHa0g-6rEoM0tvXA7d2CB34kb1HuOywh1lW0WR1QAiZ/s200/Close+up+autumn+vines.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbZoeMlFKPlor1sx_cCOeubyWBgGJ7COVbTGJM5UNYAIyT0DrCorTVt9bnqGXg-hklNM-KQgOc7GIsv0vDe7FKr9PCDfCJpHH49VzEO61K74e6x4FBkQcnHz7DUY-Hi9cCBBJ7SzvNtx0/s1600/Good+autumn+row.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbZoeMlFKPlor1sx_cCOeubyWBgGJ7COVbTGJM5UNYAIyT0DrCorTVt9bnqGXg-hklNM-KQgOc7GIsv0vDe7FKr9PCDfCJpHH49VzEO61K74e6x4FBkQcnHz7DUY-Hi9cCBBJ7SzvNtx0/s200/Good+autumn+row.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFMNmFNEBlNZYqIaEdRLe2-STWp0i9BWOWHj4lAd_LZn5YxUq_Nc4CpWTxTySKFi5jS3NzpM301N-ehW-2tB4xdRnB7f2dq94TcUZfqLIWjxQ26FGlCRFOJyDS9bNi-Avsed7StzJaHF_/s1600/Bunch+in+Hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFMNmFNEBlNZYqIaEdRLe2-STWp0i9BWOWHj4lAd_LZn5YxUq_Nc4CpWTxTySKFi5jS3NzpM301N-ehW-2tB4xdRnB7f2dq94TcUZfqLIWjxQ26FGlCRFOJyDS9bNi-Avsed7StzJaHF_/s200/Bunch+in+Hand.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><div><br />
</div></div></div>Roger - Murdoch James Estatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00254795996467065937noreply@blogger.com0