Busy time of year this. Not only is the 2010 harvest in full swing, it is also the time to start assembling the 2009 Pinot Noirs. Bottling date is scheduled for around 4 weeks time so I need to start sniffing, swirling and spitting my way through all of the barrels to get and idea about the final blend of each wine. Also ...

We get asked so many times about the crystals that are found in wine that Celia has compiled a little one-page information piece which we use in various formats to tell people about this wonderful discovery which, if you're lucky, you'll find in the bottom of your glass or on the bottom of the cork.  So for those that are interested, here ...

Riveting action direct from the Sandihurst Winery cellar. Its the fermentation lock of Mike Browns Riesling doing its thing. This wine is part of the 2010 NZ Riesling Challenge. 12 Winemakers from around the country were invited to take part. They each received 4 tonnes of Riesling grapes from The Mound vineyard in Waipara and were instructed to make a ...

Pre fermentation Central Otago Pinot Noir, macerating/soaking, in order to extract the best colour from the skins. The fruit was harvested last Sunday and brought up from the vineyard to the winery in a refrigerated truck the same day. Each clone of Pinot Noir was kept separate and destemmed into 1.5 tonne open top fermenters. The coldness of the fruit together with a little SO2 combines to hold off the ...

In terms of grapes picked we are definitely on the home stretch now. Most grapes have now been picked and processed. Pinot Noirs from Waipara and Central Otago are in, Riesling and Pinot Gris from Waipara are also in and in varying stages of fermentation. There is just a little Riesling left on the vine and, from my own patch, a little Syrah. Another week ...

Heres what you will be drinking around Christmas time this year. Looking nothing like the finished product it will soon become, here is our 2010 Waipara Riesling. On the 'dog years' scale of winemaking its just a teenager, full of youthful exuberance and in need of a little guidance, direction and discipline before maturing wonderfully into the type of adult we always hoped it would.

One of the issues with Riesling is knowing where you want the final balance of the wine to end up. Here we see the fermentation, having started life as juice of around 21 Brix is now down to just over 3. This equates to a residual sugar level of about 40g/L. Not bad considering that it started off with just over 200g/L (nearly twice the amount of Coke! - YES, ...

CONGRATULATIONS  to Sézn's owner Debbie, head chef Matt Schmutsch, his right hand man Ben Doherty and the whole team at Sézn Restaurant & Bar. They have just received 4 stars and a rave review in the latest issue of Cuisine Magazine - on sale now. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of dining at Sézn then call Debbie to make a reservation on 03 ...

A beautiful looking bunch of Riesling grapes from the Georgres Road vineyard in Waipara. Is it ready to harvest ?

The weather has been amazing up until now, we couldnt have asked for better. But of course it cant last. This week is forecast to be a little unsettled with 2 or 3 days damp or wet weather. We still have some fruit out there on the vine and the task now will be to manage its arrival into the winery in the best possible shape. Too ...