Week Fifteen: I have the ideas but is that enough?

Well here we are at the start of week two of business planning and already the lessons are flooding in...

1.  It is important to know your strengths (and weaknesses) - the first thing I need to do is test the viability of the ideas I've had for Snowden Enterprises Ltd (not the real name of the company(ies).  To do that the initial bit involves sitting in front of the computer and writing a business plan.  Articulating the vision of what you're trying to achieve, validating whether the opportunity really does exist, working out the costs involved and then reworking your vision to make the profit stack up.  All of this requires you to really know what your strengths and weaknesses are and to work with them.  I know I am disciplined - I set a goal of having the first of the businesses documented in an initial business plan by the end of this week and it shall be done because that goal was set and I will meet it.  I know I like research so sitting in front of the computer finding stuff out appeals to me.  I know I can question my own thinking which has already changed aspects of the plan (location of the business, physical set up of the business - all changing when you actually force yourself to think about customer and price/profit etc).  On the converse though, I'm not very good in my own head.  As some of you will well remember from your long periods of working with me, I tend to think out loud (not something you do from your own study when you know your next door neighbour will hear you) so that makes working on my own in these initial stages quite challenging.  I also can have the tendency to over analyse and doubt what I'm doing.  Twice today already, as I've started to really look at the numbers, I've started considering a "proper job" again - its so much easier!!  Especially when you're looking at businesses which you have no experience in.  Which takes me to my last personality trait which could be a hindrance - I'm a control freak so instead of recognising my skill set as the business of business and relying on others to get into the "product", I like to learn it, understand it, do it and control it all for myself….could be an interesting few months and years ahead there then!!

2.  Don't get distracted!!  I came back to Glasgow last week with a clear idea that all of this business planning would start on Tuesday.  It didn't.  Tuesday became about stemming my outgoing finances (no not by stopping going out - well that will come now) by focusing on getting the house on the holiday rental market.  Wednesday was spent at the Glasgow Science Centre with Glenda and her son Blair (a brilliant day out but not a business plan in sight).  Thursday again became about the house and so Friday was the day when all this was due to start.  So here is how Friday went…a late return from saying bye to the crew from NZ who had been visiting (not that I would have had it any other way), a realisation that I needed some things at the shop, an impromptu visit from the plumber about a problem in the house swiftly followed by the arrival of my dear mother for a coffee.  What time did we actually start doing anything….well that would have been 12:45pm and I had to leave the house at 5:30!!….I totally empathise with my friends who for years have been telling me how a day can just disappear when you are on maternity leave.

3.  By falling fowl of point 2 and picking up on point 1, I found myself almost giving up before I started (well from a comedy perspective anyway).  At the Glasgow Science Centre you can take an online survey which tells you what your work traits are and the sort of environment its best for you to work in etc.  Bearing in mind the context of trying to set up a business, the survey told me that I was fairly conventional and best suited to office life (though with an artistic tendency best suited to an unstructured environment!!).  As well as being artistic and conventional, I display a bent towards being social and scored least well on being enterprising, investigative or realistic.  So there we have it, by my own fair answers I am doomed!!!!!

4.  Who do you know who?  I never understood that statement when my old boss used to use it years ago in the Bank but I get it now.  I have never appreciated how well connected I am until I started to turn my attention to something new.  In sharing my ideas with my family and friends it has astounded me the knowledge they have on the subject (well they could all be customers after all), or that they know of someone who can help on at least one or more aspects of what I'm trying to do.  It has been pretty amazing and as soon as these plans are more structured I will be out there making the most of the connections you have shared with me so far.  Most of all I would summarise "who do I know who…" by saying I know a great number of friends and family who are being very supportive even in these early stages and I thank you all for that.

So having wobbled a bit this afternoon and clicked on a couple of corporate opportunities, I now find myself sitting here a lot clearer on what one of my businesses needs to look like.  The rest of this week is about getting crystal clear, getting it on paper, sharing it and getting meetings set up for next week to try to take this forward.  I have clarity on the parameters with which this can happen (which I guess will help with one of my other weaknesses - having a position of strength when facing into dreaded negotiations).

I promise as soon as I can I will share what it is I'm up to.

In the meantime, this week whilst in Glasgow I…

…HUNG OUT WITH…lots of my friends who I haven't seen this year (and to those I haven't seen yet I can't wait).  Its made for a busy old week with everything from the Glasgow Science Centre to the Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh 1872 game with the Potter Clan (who I am very grateful to for their hospitality) but it is so great to see everyone and catch up on all that is going on.  

…WINED ON…many beautiful wines with Gary, Hans and Marion on Friday night - way too many to remember (from the champagne to the Grenache, the Ribera and the Chateauneuf-de-Pape).  Thank you to Marion for hosting us all in her beautiful home.  

…DINED ON…a multitude of lovely meals out courtesy of Marion, the Cleggs, the Kergons, the Potters, and Cafe Gandolfi with Glenda.  By far and away the restaurant meal of the week however has to go to The Fish People Cafe at Shields Road underground.  I have been meaning to dine here for years now and this was my first visit.  The cafe is decorated beautifully with a real statement bar, the staff were great, the menu and the wines beautiful.  All at a reasonable price and given its fish; not feeling overly full at the end!!

Until next time, have a great week.

Week Fourteen - Home Is Where The Heart Is...

...it may be a diseased heart (the East End of Glasgow has the shortest life expectancy of anywhere in the UK we' ve been told this week)...

...it may be a cruel heart (apparently Glasgow is also the murder capital of Europe with 71 murders last year)...

...but Glasgow has a HUGE heart and that's why; after thirteen weeks away; I can confirm that I'm proud to call it home.

Those of you who know me know that I've spent many years travelling for extended periods to Aus and NZ.  I always used to dread that sense of coming back, the point at which you hear the broad Glaswegian accents as you start your flight from Dubai to Glasgow, the feeling that anything exciting and exotic was leaving your life every mile you travelled back.

That is not how it is now.  I've always loved my country and my city but it almost gets more deeply ingrained every time you come home.  The older you get the more you appreciate different things in life...coming home to your family and gorgeous nephews...

...seeing all your friends and family again and reconnecting with the people who are part of your life on a day to day basis and who truly are your family, my own bed, my dressing gown, my Nespresso machine, my mums much loved marmalade (£3.50 a jar if anyone wants some let me know....only joking mum?!?!).  Not only that but the city feels like it's buzzing at the moment in what is a big year for Scotland.  The weather is unusually stunning, everyone is relaxed for Easter, there appears to be a sense of optimism in the business community with an amazing number of retail outlets up and running again since I've left.  The people are as vibrant as ever.  I love this city.

I have had a ball whilst I've been away, I have learned masses about wine and so much more, I've re calibrated my life to be about more than a corporate job, I'm very grateful to those who have been so hospitable to me and who made my trip so amazing...but I'm loving being home.  I haven't sat still since I got back....the boxes are yet to be unpacked, the mail is yet to be trawled through, the small jobs around the house are yet to be fixed...because I've prioritised catching up with all of those who are important to me and to getting out and seeing my city and country with a slightly different perspective and with a desire to be as mesmerised by it as I have been by New Zealand.

I am also very excited by what lies ahead and hope that you're all still up for coming on the journey with me.  So what does lie ahead?  There have been three approaches for corporate contractor positions in the last week and I've said no to them all because for the last fifteen years I've wanted to own my own business and if it's not now then it's never.  So tomorrow I am back to work...a discipline I need to make sure I make as I start the transition to a successful business owner.  The next few weeks are all about testing the viability of three different business ideas with a view to getting them all up and running in the next year or so.  One is an absolute priority to bring some income in, one is a labour of love and one may not even get off the ground.  I'm not sharing them widely at the moment until I've done my homework and put some business plans on paper.  So you'll have to watch this space to find out more.  The next ten days is about getting the business plan for the first documented and also getting my house set up to start letting out for holiday lets....if anyone knows of anyone looking for accomodation for the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup, Independence Referendum or any other reason then please let me know as it will soon be available to rent!!  

So here's to adventures that take us far afield and ultimately refresh our energy and love of the places we call home (even if they are allegedly scary and unhealthy!!)

Whilst in London and Glasgow I...

...HUNG OUT AT...Finlaystone with Ev on Friday and today at the Falkirk to Linlithgow leg of the brand new John Muir Path, a new west to east coast long distance walk, with Mrs Potter.  What a stunning day, stunning scenery and good bit of exercise (10 mile walk)...

Finlaystone 

...WINED ON...Denbies wines.  Whilst in London I couldn't miss the opportunity to go and visit one of England's vineyards and wineries.  So it was Denbies at Box Hill (Dorking), Surrey, right next to the main road to London (quite a contrast to the rural settings of Marlborough.  It was great to see the vines at the start of the season round about when the bud burst starts and leaves and shoots start to appear (I'd been too late to see that in NZ so it completed the circle).  

The way the wine tastings were run left quite a bit to be desired (this was more like a big garden centre with a small corner dedicated to wines).  The wine samples were served in the tiny little plastic shot glasses and the person running it was splitting their time between pouring and processing the sales from the gift shop. Somewhat wrongly focused business for a vineyard and winery??  The wines were reasonable but I wouldn't recommend many.  Instead here are the recommendations from last weeks course that I promised you....

1.  Vigneti del Vulture Aglianico del Vulture 'Pipolo' 2020, Liberty Wines, £10.99

2. Abadia De San Campio Albariño, Cave de Pyrenne, £13.99

3. Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat 2012, Fields Morris & Verdin, £13.49

4. Tabali Reserva Carmenere, Boutinot, £9.99

5. Colome Torrontes, Liberty Wines, £10.99

If you'd like to know more about these let me know.

...DINED ON...a beautiful extended family affair of a three course lunch at my house on Easter Sunday.  Thanks to all for your contributions....it may have been bedlam but the food was beautiful and the kids had a ball.  PS I've held back on the photos to protect those sitting outside in the sun with a huge blanket over them (you know who you are). Also as always the Italian tapas and hospitality at Wee Cucina, Giffnock was stunning.  

So I hope you've all had a great weekend off and look forward to shifting the focus of this blog to be about the trials and tribulations of getting a business or two up and running...I hope you're interested to keep following me.  Let me know.

Have a great week

G

Week Thirteen...unlike the glass, my brain is full...

...this week was all about my Advanced level Wine And Spirits qualification at the Wine Society Education Trust school in London.

And when I say all about I mean ALL about.  9-5 in the classroom, straight home and studying from 6-11ish every night then from 5-8 the next morning before class started.  I signed up to do it this way knowing that it was going to be super intense and with a realistic expectation that it may be too much and I may fail the exam.  Before the course started I was ok with this.  Learn at the school (I wouldn't want to do it at a distance), make good contacts and accept the fact that I might need to then do a degree of self study ahead of resitting a failed exam.  

Then I got there and my natural instincts kicked in...fail?  Not if I've got anything to do with it and certainly not without knowing I had done all I possibly could to get through it.  That's not to say I'm overly dogmatic...I had come into this wanting a pass with distinction (80%) and very quickly realised success would be redefined as a pass (55%)!!

So the head got buried in the books for the full week.  And one of the biggest lessons....the brain truly is a muscle.  It needs exercised and thrives on it but if you overdo it then it gets to saturation point, is over stretched and stops working!  By Thursday night I had stopped taking information in.  By Friday mornings classes it was a case of every bit of information that went in, another one or two left.  I may have been understanding how to make fortified wine but I'd forgotten where France is!  Even functioning to get the train or my coffee made me feel somewhat spangled.    What's been even more fascinating is how that muscle called my brain has recovered.  There was no brain strenuous work this weekend just friends, good times, magazines and films.  Saturday I was apparently still suffering from brain overuse...conversations stopped as the words wouldn't come and the point of the conversation left me...Sunday was just tired.  But here we are on Monday with a full recovery leaving me fitter than I was when I started....my brain is now full of everything I learned last week, I can recall lots of stuff I couldn't last week.  Not only that but it is sparking full of how I take my new business ideas forward and raring to go (more on that after Easter).  So my summary of last week....it was like a brain boot camp but so worth it.

So what did I learn?  Tonnes and I won't go into it all now....if you like wine and want to know more about wines from certain places or the style of a wine / grape from different parts of the world, or how it goes with food or to go and explore some wine regions of the world then again watch this space.  In the meantime I will say this...it is a simple but complex industry...from the choice of vineyard sites, to how you grow and manage the grapes, how you decide when to pick them, to press the grapes or not press the grapes, carbonic maceration (get me) or not, fermenting it, additions, extractions, age in oak or not, how long to age in oak, lees stirring, age in the bottle, making sure it tastes the same every year even though the grapes won't, distribution, tax, marketing....so on and so forth.  Not only that but it can make it to our shelves for anything from £5 (£2.50 of which is tax and distribution costs).  There are amazing bargains out there but I have a newfound appreciation for what I am paying for when I spend a reasonable amount of money on a bottle of wine and will enjoy it so much more from this point on and intend to help you do the same.

So the course is done, the exam was completed (the quickest three hours of my life) and the results are between eight and ten weeks away...I'm quietly confident I'll have done well enough to pass but we'll wait and see.  That doesn't mean the learning is over...it's more like it has just begun.  I need to consolidate everything I've learned and use that as the basis for building wine tasting workshops for you all to enjoy.  It's also not put me off doing more, in fact the prospectus for the Diploma is in my bag!

I also met and spent the week with some wonderful new friends who shared the pain with me.  Isabella, Arthur, Sachin, Vas and Keri thank you so much for your company and support in getting through.  I look forward to staying in touch with you all and celebrate our success when the results come in.

Whilst in London with my head in the books I...

...HUNG OUT...with my text books in the school, on the train, in the dining room, in my bed!!  Not only that but there was a pretty embarrassing train journey home when I got talking to the girl next to me who seemed somewhat focused on my mouth as I spoke.  I put it down to the accent and needing to focus on what I was saying...turns out (as I discovered when I got home) it was due to the black lips, teeth and tongue; the result of a day of studying Spain, Portugal and Italy and all their big red wines.  With hindsight I probably smelled of wine too...not a good look and pretty hard to explain!

...WINED ON...eighty different reds, whites, roses, sparkling, fortified wines and spirits (12yo Chivas Regal at 9:10am on Thursday was almost a step too far).  There were a couple of real good value standouts I'll share with you but my notes are now boxed up awaiting the courier to arrive and take them north so you'll need to wait until next week.

...DINED ON...a lovely homemade Chicken Tikka followed by Lemon Syllabub made by Lindsey's fair hand and shared with her lovely neighbours Yvonne and Gareth.

Next week....Finally returning to Glasgow!!!

Have an amazing week and will finally see you soon.

Week Twelve - Another Chapter begins (& another one & another one)

ONE CHAPTER ENDS...Well here I am back in the UK; something I didn't think was necessarily going to happen as I left Dubai on Friday.  I have never experienced half an hour of turbulence like it in my life...there was screaming and crying and vomiting (funnily enough no-one else around me seemed to feel it!! Joking).  I genuinely thought the end was upon me which would have been a real travesty given all the wee ideas I've come home with that I want to try out on the British public (well the Glasgow one to start with anyway).

The whole week was spent reintegrating from the South Island of NZ to London with an acclimatisation stop in Melbourne.  What am I on about...well after two and a half months of rural living, no traffic lights (in fact barely any traffic) and the peace and quiet of the beautiful countryside, beaches etc it was quite startling getting back into city life...people scowling and banging into you if you were in their way (forget it if you expected a smile and "good morning"), the hustle, bustle and my very jittery driving as it felt like cars were coming at you from everywhere.  Oh yes and going out at night involves putting on high heels...something I did in Melbourne for the first time in 2014...no wonder my back has been perfectly fit and healthy since I started this trip.

I had a great time as always in Melbourne catching up with some of my dearest friends and also some new.  Without fail they all make time to catch up (even if it's only brief) when I'm there and for that I am very grateful.  It also made me realise one of the things I can be grateful to my old employer for; with only a couple of exceptions, the great friendships I have in Melbourne are with people I have met through NAB; either through working with them on the good old SAP project all those years ago, or the UK crew who've migrated. A good reminder that work isn't just work...it's a conduit to so much more.

ANOTHER CHAPTER BEGINS - In a bid to stay awake on Friday having arrived back at 7am, I took myself into the City to meet Lindsey for lunch....a combination of jet lag, buses, bikes, taxis and cars led to a couple of freaky moments...next time I'll confine myself to the suburbs.

So I'm now officially reintegrated, even taking on London's rush hour commute this morning...I'm so brave.

And why was I in the rush hour commute? Well today was the start of my Level 3 Wine Society Education Trust course.  In true "me" fashion, instead of doing it over an eight week day release basis, I'm doing it in 4.5 days with a full on exam on Friday afternoon (50 question multiple choice, 5 short answer questions and 2 blind tasting notes).  It may not sound like much and it's not that complicated (especially when you've submersed yourself in it for the last few months).  What it is though is volumous, extremely detailed and theoretical.  The five short answer questions are the hard part as you're required to apply the theory and the questions could be on any aspect of viticulture, winemaking, wine style, pricing etc for any part of the world.

I've put the work in (the text has been read from cover to cover and two notebooks have been filled) but retention at this point is minimal so I am relying on the next few days to bring it all to life. 

Those of you who know me well know I push myself to succeed.  I want to do really well at this not least for the opportunities it affords you if you pass with distinction. That said I'm being realistic and recognise I'm doing it the hard way.  A pass will be good enough and for the first time ever failure is a real possibility...something I may have to adjust to if the future is about trying out a few business ideas.

So for the next few days it's head down and focused.  Look forward to telling you how I did in next weeks blog. Wish me luck!!

Whilst in Melbourne I...

...HUNG OUT AT Montalto winery and olive grove for what turned out to be my last Southern Hemisphere winery trip.  I was there on the way out but the wines and the scenery are just stunning...

...WINED ON...as many of my collection I could before I had to leave.  This included a stunning Framingham F Series Pinot Noir...

...DINED ON...a beautiful burger and chips at the pop up Stokehouse restaurant in St Kilda with the Australian franchise of the First Thursday Club (for those of you who don't know, c. 15 years ago I set up the First Thursday Club (FTC) with some of the girls I worked with and got on really well with. The premise is you know you meet up every first Thursday of the month for chat, food, wine etc.  It is still going strong and has seen all of us through major life events over the years.  When one of our members Hilary moved to Melbourne she established the Melbourne franchise.  I have big plans for this network but more to follow on that in later blogs).  

The story of the Stokehouse is amazing. The Stokehouse is a beachfront institution amongst the diners of Melbourne.  When I arrived at the start of my trip it had burned down the previous weekend. Immediately they decided this was not going to set them back and within three weeks or so they had a fully functioning pop up restaurant up and running again.  Other than the slight bounce in your step as you walk you'd never realise it's a massive tent. An amazing effort by all involved and I would argue a much nicer venue!!

So that's me for now.  Off to bury my head back in the books. I'll let you know how I go next week.

Have a good one.

Week Eleven...I'm a deviant

Bet that got you all interested!!!

Why am I a deviant? Because I'm writing this a night early and not following my usual style.

Why?  Because I've just realised (as if being slapped in the face) that this is my last night in NZ (for a while)

And what's important about that? A number of things:

1.  For those of you who have never been here, the South Island of NZ is very rural....stunning vistas from your house, beautiful weather, amazing wildlife, people who would do anything for you cos guess what? Community exists here in a big way...where Whanau (extended family) is a concept that goes beyond the Maori culture.  I am so grateful to all those who have put me up and put up with me.  I've met amazing people who, just because you're friends of friends, welcome you into their homes and their social life.

2. And most importantly...Kiwis have perspective on life. They don't dictate success by the size of their corporate job, the money they make, the house they own, the hours they work.  This is a society where capitalism rules.  Not in the obscene way where it's all about the money but where relationships, local support for local businesses and a portfolio career matter. 

So the point of all of this.  Well it's twofold...

1.  I come back to the UK on Friday.  Already people ask what I'm going to do when I'm back in the "real world" after my 3 month jaunt to the antipodes and "playing on a vineyard"?  Well the answer is that the biggest lesson I've had here is that the kiwi way of life should rule.  I'm coming back to try setting up a few different businesses and I look forward to having all of your support to make that happen.  I realise that it would be very easy to go and settle back into a corporate life making a healthy salary but life and business is more than that to me...that said,starting out on your own takes guts and courage and support beyond belief (especially when there isn't a partner backing you up with a permanent income stream) so all I ask is for your support and no "ah but..."

2.  Scottish Independence.  I've spent a lot of time til the very early hours of the morning debating this with the scots out here.  Firstly they don't get the vote and nor should they because they've opted to live their lives elsewhere so rhetoric has no place in what is a very sobering, thought provoking and almost scary place in history.  That said, being here and having those debates has forced me to really think about my justification for my position which we should all have to do.  I've already encouraged you all to read Alan Clements "Rogue Nation" which gives a whole different perspective on the issue.  But in the meantime, here's a slightly different perspective from the land of the long white cloud....forget the politics, forget the issues of how we would separate..focus on the long game.  What does an independent Scotland look like (cos by the way it's not necessarily the SNP who govern it)?  In my head here is why you would vote for independence summed up in one line "necessity is the mother of all invention".   If I was to vote for independence (and I'm truly undecided) then I would do so based on the fact that we could be as big a nation as NZ by being as small a nation as NZ.  In other words forget the debates about if and why...Scotland can be magnificent in all aspects when it wants to be...just like NZ.  We are the underdogs, we are those who perform best when our backs are against the wall.. We have invented and exported significant pioneering breakthroughs of the 19th & 20th century and there is no reason we can't do the same in the 21st.  So believe in ourselves, be entrepreneurial, don't put "ah but" social pressures on ourselves and dare to have your back against the wall...cos that is when we are at our greatest.

No wined on, dined on etc tonight (even though they were the best yet). Just a big old plea for your support with my new ventures of which you'll hear more....

Have a good one

G

Week Ten - To be welcomed back, first one must leave

Who can believe it.  As I write I am sitting in the beautiful Rockferry winery cafe awaiting the arrival of my very indulgent lemon tart with late harvest reisling.  

Why so indulgent? Well unbelievably today is my last day in Blenheim, the place I came to to learn as much as I could about the wine industry in a few weeks.  So how well have I done?

- I've learned on the vineyard about the year of the grape and how to berry count, bunch count, yield estimate, irrigate, fix irrigation, grape varietal feel and taste, harvesting (machine and handpick and when to use which)

- on the winery I've learned how to clean tanks and barrels, snow wine, sparse wine, transfer wine, press grapes, run labs to test Brix, ph and acids

- pulling both of these together I'm claiming the inaugural Tohu Pinot Noir as mine...I've counted the bunches and berries, sampled them and run the labs for them, been on the harvester as they're picked, and the winery as they've been processed and tanked

- in the office I've applied my experience to build procedures for all of the above winery processes, propose a new stock control and management system, build the induction programme for the vintage staff

- for the future I have secured samples of the best boutique wines to bring home, test on customers and potentially import to the UK.

- I've experienced an office where you wear shorts and big boots, get picked up in a ute and spend the day looking at mountains and vines and deer and hawks and plants.

So all in all a pretty productive seven weeks topped off last Tuesday when I was blown away with the team turning up for a drink and some food as a thank you and farewell.  Very much appreciated and I look forward to keeping in touch with all of the team.

Watch this space for future developments of my wee business.

On a social note, I've been on holiday since last Wednesday and had a great few days hanging out with my cousin Claire.  We fitted in:

- 25km walk of the Queen Charlotte Track

- booking a big trip to South America for November (still hyperventilating)

- 14km walk and scramble of the last bit of the Abel Tasman Track we couldn't previously do

- a mad "drink too much, dodgy dance too much" night in Nelson with the Yummy Mummies who are Kirsty and Anna (3:30am is never a good time to be getting home let alone dancing on a stage, planking and teaching the youth of today the moves to Blame it on the Boogie). ***some (or should I say most) photos have been held back to protect the guilty!!

And so to tonight...my farewell dinner at the house with Claire, Gareth and Sarah.  They're cooking a course each, I'm on the wine...will report next week on whether it was successful though I can already predict that it could be a wee bit messy....my liver and waistline are ready to retreat to the northern hemisphere and some form of dietary and alcohol normality even if I'm not.

So as I bid farewell to the north of the South Island it's a huge thank you to everyone for all they have done to make my stay amazing.  To the Whanau (extended family) of Claire, Gareth, Kirsty and Jamie; to the new friends Sarah, Luke, Chris and The Tohu Team (Mondo, Mike, Murray, Alex, Bruce, Craig, Anna, Adam, Liz and Stefan).  Until next time...

Whilst out and about in Blenheim / Nelson this week I...

...HUNG OUT at Queen Charlotte Track, Abel Tasman and too many wineries and watering holes...

...WINED ON...if I were to summarise all the wineries visited and wines drunk in the last few weeks it would scare me.  The stand out wine for me this week was not a standout in the critiquing sense.  It was The Climbing Shiraz from Aus...why?  New Zealand makes amazing Pinot noir however to taste a big, bold, heavy red for the first time in weeks was yyyuuummmm.....thanks Craig...

...DINED ON....many things but two stood out....Claire and my homemade pizza competition (hers tomato, onion, mushroom, salami, cheese whilst mine was half smoked salmon, rocket, crime Fraiche and lemon and the other half chargrilled capsicum, eggplant, red onion, pumpkin with feta and pesto base). 

Then there was the hangover cure of open steak sandwich (with ginger beer...that's how bad it was) at Rockferry yesterday (hence I'm now back for dessert).  Despite my delicate state of being it was amazing

So tomorrow it's the bus trip to Christchurch and the start of another wee adventure.

Til next week...take care and have a good one.

G

Week Nine - Vintage 2014 starts with a fizz

Well this week it finally happened...after playing the waiting game and spending a lot of time trying to guess the potential impact of the tail end of a cyclone which came through this week, we started picking grapes and making wine!!

I found this both exciting (like the go live of any big project you've been involved in), educational (as I got to see and be part of some of the wine making process I hadn't seen before) and sad (as I watched the vines I've come to know and differentiate between be stripped of their fruit and left bare and the grapes which I've counted, popped, weighed, counted again, sampled and tested in the lab, crushed to a pulp).

I also consider myself really lucky as the two picks which were done this week let me see both hand picking and machine harvesting.  Not only that but they were the only two picks for the next ten days or so.

Monday started Vintage 2014 with the pick of the Chardonnay grapes for this years sparkling wine from one of our contract growers.  This was a handpick which involved very little effort from us but roughly four hours back breaking work for the contractor team brought in to do it for us.  Over that four hours they worked just like a machine to cut c.12 tonnes of grapes from 24 rows of vines.  I've never seen anything like it.  The speed at which they operate is unbelievable...not least as they are paid per tonne picked.  As an aside, it's an interesting thing the contractor business.  Employees are paid minimum wages, come from Thailand and Vanuatu predominantly, and will live in pretty substandard conditions (now illegal but it still goes on) to do what they consider to be well paid jobs which allow them to provide for their families.  It's a real fine line between being great for them and a slight bit of exploitation).

Anyway back to vintage.  Murray and I provided an escort of the first truck load of grapes to the winery where we toasted the start of vintage, appropriately enough, by popping open a bottle of fizz or two...a winery tradition to wish for a successful vintage.  The grapes were then pressed and the juice sent off to the tanks to ferment for a few days.

Then it was all about the preparation over the next few days whilst the chief winemaker and the viticulturist decided the best time to pick the Pinot noir for the rose...there were so many factors...the Nelson grapes were ready to harvest ahead of the Marlborough ones but the cyclone was pending and could cause huge problems....in the end we picked both and I had the pleasure of being part of the Marlborough harvest.  Not only that but got to ride on top of the harvester. 

 These machines are amazing.  They operate by straddling a row of vines and literally beating the vines and the bunches to get the grapes to release.  Basically they separate the grapes from their stems which are left intact in the vine. 

 The grapes are then passed through the machine along with leaves and any other debris and the rollers are set wide enough to let the berries fall through whilst the debris continues on its merry way to be disposed of off the side of the harvester.  

The capability of the harvester is huge so it wasn't surprising to hear it costs a cool $400/500k.  We harvested 16 tonnes of grapes on Friday and the poor winery had the joy of processing this plus the grapes from Nelson over the weekend.

So a successful week all round.  The fruit juice is now fermenting into wine, vintage has started at a reasonable pace and the cyclone never quite hit those proportions (picture a standard Glasgow winters rainy day with a bit of wind).  My time on the vineyard and winery is coming to a fitting end with me having seen the grapes through their ripening to the point of fermentation in the tanks and barrels I've learned how to clean.  Only a couple more days to go.

And just as I leave at the first sign of truly hard work (they harvest and make wines 24/7 here for the next two months with grapes being picked through the night and then being processed day and night) so all the vintage staff for all the wineries are starting to arrive in Blenheim.  The population has started to increase at least fourfold, the roads are busier, there are big bits of machinery and trucks and harvesters and tractors on the move all over town and beyond.  There is a real international buzz starting to develop and excitement for Vintage 2014 is well and truly at fever pitch.

Here's hoping it's a good one...if the grapes are anything to go by it will be.

This week I...

...HUNG OUT at...home.  It was lovely to have a weekend with no particular plans (well beyond Claire and I organising a trip to South America later this year).  With the storms kicking in we bunkered down with movies, cheeses, wines etc...

...WINED ON...Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc at Raupo Cafe on Friday night.  How could I ever have forgotten just how consistently stunning the wines from Astrolabe are?  If only they had a cellar door.  Watch out for them in the UK.  Pricey but worth every cent.  And no matter which you pick you'll not be disappointed...

...DINED ON...Gareth's homemade chilli rum marinated ribs.  Oh my how divine they were...especially when eating with your fingers.  Claire and I also had a stunning lunch at Wairau River winery where I had a lamb and mint burger that for the first time in my life actually tasted like lamb and mint!

Until next time....go try some great wines.