Tag: Ash Ridge

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Swift Wines, NZ House and Garden

Wine News – From NZ House and Garden, Imbibe Section:

Swift WINES

A colourful new stop: Hawke’s Bay has a new cellar door, with Swift Wines opening a bright, playful space on Mere Rd, Fernhill. Visitors can build a platter from the fridge selection and taste six wines. Pipi, a limited sparkling albarino, is also pouring, with only 1500 bottles produced. The venue, run by winemaker Lauren Swift and Henry Williams, is open six days a week through Summer. Visit Fun Hawke’s Bay Wines for Everyday Celebrations | Swift Wines ‘Thoughtful, dangerously drinkable and thought-provoking. No boring wines (or boring wine labels) here!’

Background

Meet Lauren & Henry - Husband & wife / business partners / drinking buddies / founders of Swift Wines in hawke’s bay
Meet Lauren & Henry – 
Husband & wife / business partners / drinking buddies / founders of Swift Wines in Hawke’s Bay.

Crowned the inaugural ‘NZ’s Young Winemaker of the Year’ at just 25, Lauren Swift has spent the majority of her life obsessing over grapes in their various forms. Growing up on an orchard in Marlborough, her first job was learning the fundamentals of grape growing (and picking — there was lots of picking) on a neighbouring vineyard.

A post-school European gap year was the push she needed to get her winemaking career off the ground, returning home to Marlborough for a role at Clos Henri Vineyard (owned by the illustrious Bourgeois family from Sancerre). A Bachelor of Wine Science at Hawke’s Bay’s EIT later, Lauren joined the Ash Ridge team and found herself heading up their brand new winery.

Throw in some more travel, including vintages in California & the Rhone Valley, and the time was finally right to go out on her own.

Lauren persuaded husband Henry to join the team, and together they officially popped the cork on Swift Wines in 2016.

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Committee celebrate the end of 2018

Another successful Cellar Club year started with a BBQ, several tastings, the AGM, another tasting, then mid-year dinner, followed by several more tastings, then finally a very successful end-of-year dinner. 

In upholding tradition, and as a way of celebrating the committees’ work throughout the year, the club’s President hosts an end of year celebration for committee, partners and guests. Each year we celebrate by sampling each other’s favourite wines along with a grand selection of food. This year we were fortunate to sample many labels who have presented to the club and some who have not.  The wines came from the labels La Cilla, Hunters, Clearview, Ruby Bay, Alpha Domus, Awatere River, Rapaura Springs, Lindauer, Okahu Estate, Tyrells, Old Coach Road, Olssens, Ransom, Dry River, Rod MacDonald, Rockburn, and Ash Ridge. A large and diverse range that could have gone down well at any tasting.

Thanks to our gracious hosts, club President Murray and Dina, who organised (with the gods) great weather for the event, along with the committee, wishes members and guests a joyous and safe Christmas. We look forward to seeing you all during 2019 starting with the BBQ in January. Details to come.

Koa Kirihimete
Merry Christmas

From the committee

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Lots of news from Ash Ridge

With another great vintage in the winery, we can all take a small breath and focus on having a little bit of downtime, and enjoying some older vintages! As always, there are lots of new things happening at the winery, and more to come, here are the current highlights.

Online Ordering is now live

New York Brownie with Raspberry Compote

As promised you can now go to our website http://www.ashridgewines.co.nz, and order online. Get your wine club discount of 25% by simply using ASHRIDGECLUB181 in the coupon code. We have updated the site with all of our current release wines. Hopefully, this will make life more convenient for you. We aim to have orders dispatched within 24 hours. If you prefer to order via email, simply send me the details to cellar@ashridgewines.co.nz.

As the home of Ash Ridge our cellar door has been a major focus, and we are constantly upgrading everything we do. The latest change is the new menu we have just launched. We are moving to a more Bistro style menu with entree, main and dessert options. So if you feel like a treat please book in for a lunch! Please remember that as a Wine Club member you get 25% off food as well as wine.

Functions and Weddings

Our new facility really opens up a myriad of options for us and you. The new building capacity is 100 people, so we can host functions for much larger groups in beautiful and comfortable surroundings. Our dining area allows for group sizes of 40-45 people seated, and we are also looking at hosting weddings. We are licensed until 10 pm, so we are able to accommodate evening functions as well.

If you have any interest in any of these options, please contact me at cellar@ashridgewines.co.nz.

Wine Boxes all now sent

We have completed the May deliveries. Thank you for your patience, we have tried to ensure that all packages have been delivered in a timely manner through Toll, but if for any reason your box has not arrived please contact me at cellar@ashridgewines.co.nz, and we will hunt down the delivery.

I really want to thank you, everyone, for all your support. As a small winery, we can only do what we do with your ongoing support. In a world were access to retail channels is becoming harder and harder, having the direct support of wine lovers is what keeps us going, and we appreciate your current and ongoing support.

Chris and the Team at Ash Ridge.

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