Have you heard
Ata Rangi – March 2017
Ata Rangi, meaning “dawn sky” or “new beginning” is a small New Zealand winery with a big reputation for serious Pinot Noir. Located at the southern end of the North Island, it is owned and managed by a family trio – Clive Paton, his wife Phyll and his sister Alison.
Clive planted his first vines on a small, stony sheep paddock at the edge of the Martinborough village in 1980 as one of a handful of people who pioneered winegrowing in the area. Ata Rangi Pinot Noir is undoubtedly the flagship wine, and in 2010 was honoured with the inaugural Tipuranga Teitei o Aotearoa or “Grand Cru of New Zealand”.
With a skilled team in place, including dynamic winemaker Helen Masters, Clive now has more time to focus on his commitment to conservation and to the Ata Rangi alliance with Project Crimson. More event details early next month.
A successful dinner @ Muse, BBQ
Muse
We have had some excellent feedback from members about this venue and the quality of the food.
However, while good, there were a few issues with one of the larger tables of 13 with not enough food and how the meat was distributed. It appears that the plating re the number of people per table was an issue for some tables.
This concept was a new dining concept for the club, and perhaps next time we need to explain in the lead-up newsletter how the meal will be served and how the dinner will work. There are always things to learn.
BBQ
The Club BBQ was another good day with close to 40 members and friends attending. The weather was OK but with a coolish breeze (Pat says I use the word breeze far too frequently when describing the Wellington climate).
As ever there was plenty of covered space at Derek’s and weather conditions seldom detract from the enjoyment of the event. The food was up to the normal high standard and particularly pleasing was the quality and variety of desserts provided. A great turn out.
2017, Upcoming events
2017
As always we commenced our festivities for this new year with the BBQ at Derek Thompson’s house. On the agenda for the year we have Ata Rangi, and after the success of the last quiz evening, we have decided to try it again.
Upcoming events
Your committee is working on options for the latter part of the year, but these will include the AGM in May, the mid-year dinner in July and the second dinner in December. As a definite, we have Seifried’s from Nelson booked in for August and other projects. We have found that a downside of arranging tastings too far in advance is that situations can change. These have resulted in late withdrawals necessitating urgent substitutes. We are trying not to work too far in advance. As always, we are happy for input from members on future events and tastings.
Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor
New Zealand wine industry plans for Vintage 2017 after Kaikoura Earthquake
Media Release, New Zealand Winegrowers
The New Zealand wine industry is busy planning for the upcoming vintage after taking into account the impact of the recent Kaikoura earthquake. “We have completed our survey of the impact of the earthquake on our members, ” said Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers. “It is clear there was some wine loss as a result of the earthquake, but it amounts to only a little over 2% of Marlborough’s total production. While this is frustrating, this is not a major concern as vintage 2016 was a near record one. This means there is plenty of wine available to continue our market growth.”
As expected the major impact on wineries has been to storage tanks. “Many wineries, both small and large have escaped with no damage at all, but in others, damage to tanks has occurred. Our initial estimate is that 80% of tank capacity in Marlborough is undamaged, but around 20% has been impaired to some extent. These numbers may change as the process of damage assessment continues. ”The priority for wineries with damaged tanks is to repair or replace the tanks they need to have in working condition for vintage 2017.”
“The process of tank repair is already underway but it is going to be a big task which will continue for many months. We have been liaising with affected wineries, engineers, tank manufacturers, the government and the Marlborough District Council to ensure there are no unnecessary impediments to that process proceeding as quickly and safely as possible.”
“Marlborough produces well over 200 million litres of wine each year with over 80% of this destined for export markets. Despite the obvious damage to transport links, we are not aware of any particular issues affecting the movement of wine out of the region at the moment.
We are working with various transport operators, ports and the government to identify and address any issues should they occur.”
“Have you Heard” or perhaps “Do you know?”
Cangrande – Michele Marai – November 2016
The tastings of 2016 continued with Cangrande’s offering of Italian Festive Wines. Michele presented with enthusiasm and was very knowledgeable and informative. We had a very good turnout with 35 members and one guest. The Italian themed supper was great with everyone mixing well. Thanks to the organisers.
The evenings offering included wines and beer along with some options for olive oil and balsamic vinegar which were available for the supper. The tasting included a Verdicchio aperitif style for the quaffer, three sparkling wines, an Altaluna Belgian Ale, a Primitivo and a dessert style from Pantelleria, the Donnafugata – Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a couple of coffee bean options were also available for purchase.
Check out Cangrande – Italy’s finest for more details.
Looking back on 2016
As ever, I find this a time to reflect on what the year has offered. We had a great day for the BBQ in January. Always a pleasant afternoon for those attending. February saw a tasting with Roberta Montero presenting for the Artisan Winegrowers of Central Otago. An interesting and somewhat different approach to winemaking from this group. March was a very successful tasting of Argentinian wines presented by Josefina Telleria from South2South. In April we had Edward Donaldson presenting for Pegasus Bay. The AGM in May passed quickly and members enjoyed some wines from the Club’s cellar before we moved on to June where Foxes Island and held centre stage. This was a very professional presentation.
Things really got rolling in July with the mid-year dinner at Logan Brown. Some issues around service but otherwise an excellent evening. August was time for Keith Tibble to present an Australian evening, mainly Elderton from the Barossa Valley but included offerings from McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. September was with Gavin Yortt and Squawking Magpie from Hawkes Bay. October was a highlight with Jane Hunter presenting from Marlborough. It was great to get an icon of the NZ wine industry for this event. November completed a somewhat international year with Cangrande doing Italian wines for our festive tasting. Dinner at Muse this month completes our year.
Your committee have been very pleased with the programme and hope everyone found something to enjoy. Have a great Christmas and then we will look to developing 2017 events to match those of the past year.
Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor