Amazing happenings at Murdoch James Estate

There are exciting times ahead at Murdoch James Estate.

New stairway down cliff under construction

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.

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!"

New rock wall and fence at entrance

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.

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.

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.

'Moby Dick'

At Murdoch James Estate, we have one of the oldest if not the oldest, balloon presses in New Zealand. It 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. 

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! We have started a global search for the parts.

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. 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. 

 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.

 

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!

Birth of a Wine

7th April 2009

I used to dream of owning my own vineyard while I sat in my Melbourne office surrounded by paperwork. I loved my job but always yearned for the chance to be involved in the magic process called winemaking. This yearning first started when I was at Auckland University and met Bruce Collard of Collard Wines, one of the first New Zealand wineries to focus on classic varietal wines. On occasions I would visit the winery with Bruce and developed a love for good wine; first as a consumer, but then I got thinking about actually making the this magic thing called wine!
Luckily I did not think about the hard work and costs to come! So, over the years while I was living in Australia I thought more and more about it until, with the encouragement of my wife Jill, we purchased our first vineyard in 1986. This was just a small 2 hectare block in the heart of Martinborough which has come to be regarded as the home of premium New Zealand Pinot Noir. From that humble beginning, we now have over 25 hectares of our own and several fantastic growers who supply us with great fruit. Our winery is located at our Blue Rock vineyard, which we purchased in September 1998. The winery is located in a stunning setting on the banks of the Dry River where we also have a café and our cellar door.
We are just about to start our 10th vintage and I started thinking about all the highs and lows of the last 10 years and felt it was a pity that we had not shared that with those who love our wines.
Hence this page on our website! We are going to start a diary of events at Murdoch James (www.murdochjames.co.nz) starting with the first pick of grapes for the 2009 Vintage. Log on from time to time and follow with us the joy (and sometimes the frustration) of owning a vineyard. We will post candid comments about events and our experiences as we wrestle with the challenges of making ever better wines year after year, in partnership with Mother Nature.
We are a small family owned that prides itself in making boutique wines that will appeal to wine lovers who have discerning tastes and a passion for the highest quality. In other words, these are not every-day high volume wine labels that would typically cater to the mass market.
Share Vintage 2009 and the rest of the year with us, and feel free to make contact and send encouragement or ask questions! We love to be in contact with folk who enjoy fine wine.
In vino veritas! Roger Fraser, co-owner, Murdoch James Estate