Misha's Vineyard

From the 13th to the 16th of January Misha’s Vineyard hosted presenter Yvonne Lorkin, Director Carolyn Sylvester, cameraman “Scotty” and sound recordist Donna as they filmed an episode for the upcoming Food Channel series “Thirsty Work”. It was an amazing experience working with such a professional and fun team as Misha, Andy, Rich, Olly and Jill all turned into actors for their roles in telling the Misha’s Vineyard story.

After weeks of fine sunny days the weather was looking a little foreboding just as the team arrived, but a dusting of fresh snow (yes it is summer!) on the mountains across the lake provided an amazing backdrop for the filming.

The stunning scenic footage they shot will provide the setting into which the interviews and stories will be woven.

Misha and Andy rode to the vineyard on the Harley Davidson with Scotty and his camera in the back of one of the vehicles so he could film along the way. The lake and vineyard were bathed in sun as they rode past the second camera on several passes to get different angles.

Yvonne did the introduction interviews with Misha and Andy in the vines, asking how they had become interested in the wine industry and developing Misha’s Vineyard Wines.

Then Vineyard Manager Rich Williams – filmed working with the tractor – talked about the land and soils that give the wines their special characteristics.

During the interviews Yvonne delved into the Chinese history of the vineyard, looking at the areas that had been preserved to show the gold panning and sluicing that took place in the gullies, and discussed the occurrence of the number 8 – considered very lucky in Chinese culture.

The wines of course also took centre stage with winemaker Olly Masters talking about the wines in a tasting at Ah Foo’s House, our recreated goldminers stone hut in the top block of the vineyard. The team also went through another tasting segment on the last day when we completed a shoot on the lawn at Misha and Andy’s house where Yvonne interviewed Olly on each of the range of Misha’s Vineyard wines. The wines were also filmed being poured into a glass with an array of “sensory” items around the glass to show the flavours and aromas each wine varietal shows.

The Misha’s Vineyard team, assisted by Yvonne, had the challenge of preparing a local dinner on camera for the Sunday night meal. Rich cooked his favourite Whitebait Fritters – which given he caught them himself seemed to be the perfect starter. Andy, along with Yvonne and Jill did a Hare Wellington main course served with locally vegetables from Goodies on the Gorge. All washed down with some fantastic Misha’s Vineyard Wines.

Our Visual Historian – genius photographer Tim Hawkins – was there to capture the process of filming and interviews in a portfolio of photos.

The whole experience of filming the episode was quite amazing – and the production team are such wonderful people we all felt we have made a lot of new friends. Now we wait until the editing is complete and the episode goes to air – expected around mid-year.

Tags: Andy Wilkinson, central otago pinot, Food and Wine, Misha Wilkinson, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard, Olly Masters, Rich Williams, Thirsty Work, Yvonne Lorkin

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Narrow Goalposts

There was a lot of expectation that the 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) would provide a huge boost to New Zealand’s economy and it seemed like the perfect platform to showcase New Zealand’s wonderful food and wine offerings, but the anticipated crowds and their spending didn’t quite meet expectations.

There was certainly going to be an impact in terms of visitor numbers in the South Island after the Christchurch earthquake forced changes to match locations, but even in the North Island, there were only pockets of optimism and enthusiasm around the Cup. Was rugby and wine a perfect match anyway?

Misha provides some insight as to who scored during the RWC.

To read the full article download the PDF version below.

Narrow Goalposts- Download PDF

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Tags: Misha Wilkinson, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard, new zealand wine, NZ Wine, Rugby World Cup, RWC, WBM, wine Business Magazine

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Vineyard Manager Rich Williams gives an update of early summer activities on the vineyard

So far the start of the 2012 season at Misha’s Vineyard has been really mixed. In my last update, rain was falling and we received over 40mm in one day – which is not typical of Bendigo. The dry and even start to the season quickly changed to being varied and wet which more than topped up our soil moisture reserves. Since that rain, the winds have picked up and kept the vineyard crew on their toes ensuring all of the emerging vine shoots are safely tucked up in the trellis where they would be safe…we thought! They survived a powerful south-west wind gusting almost 90km on the 25th of November But then in the early hours of the 28th of November, a big norwestly hit with the intensity of a high-pressure water blaster and it knocked out a few large shoots and damaged some of the leaf structure. We will compensate for this later in the season by manipulating the cropping level to some degree although the vines have a way of repairing themselves by pushing secondary growth to replace lost spur position. This will mean extra work tucking and thinning later. We have also stepped up our irrigation yet again as the ground dries out to evaporation with the winds.

Shoot thinning has progressed very well, starting with the younger vines of the House Block, moving up the vineyard from early areas of advancement. We moved back down from the Top Block to complete the Sauvignon Blanc on the 24th of November. This year we had a team of 15 people who handled the pressure well and since then we have dropped the staff number back to eight (our lucky number!). The crew is predominantly French and I’m hoping they are not here to sabotage our wine! Just as a test, they were given the task of bud rubbing all the suckers from the base of the vines which is really back-breaking work. But these battle-hardened veterans completed the job and I’m now very confident of their best intentions! So with the vineyard now all tidied up, we’re about to carry out our second herbicide spray.

Our organic trial blocks have given us mixed results and we have learnt a lot since heading towards this spray-free regime. We believe that it’s mainly the age of our vines that are not handing the environmental stress of both the weather conditions and the fragile soils they are on. Perhaps the large area we chose was a little bold for our first trial but we soon narrowed it down to a more manageable area as soon as it was evident that some vines were not performing as well as others. There are marked differences row to row when comparing our two methods of farming. (And the jury is still out on whether organic grapes make better wine anyway!) We have found one of the organic trial blocks has given us some very good control on one of our more vigorous areas – Olly’s prized Abel Pinot Noir vines – and this has lead to less lateral growth and less wind damage as the vines had less turgidity to them hence they could handle the wind a little better. The variation in our soils has been the largest challenge; they just do not have the fertility and structure to support the vines during times of stress. The biggest learning – do not do partial trial blocks of organic vines as it leads to greater variability in the block and is hard to manage! Used as a tool to devigorate those vines in a block where the spring growth has resulted in very fast growth, could be very successful but it is very difficult to give some vines more water and Nitrogen than others and it means that either some will get too much and others not enough. As soon as we saw that some vines were suffering we went through the rows and sprayed the under-vine area with herbicide, removed suckers and dropped bunches on the short shoots to focus the vine’s energy in the right areas but unfortunately they still suffered a little in the process. There will be improvement as flowering finishes and the vines go into a period of accelerated shoot growth but they will not benefit from the same healthy start that the herbicide-treated vines had. Lesson learnt!

We are over half-way through flowering now and things have gone slightly differently this year to last year. Pinot Gris seems to be flowering much earlier than normal but in general the vineyard has flowered consistently from the bottom of the vineyard up to the top. I have found that vines that were cropped slightly heavier are behind the vines that were not. Overall temperatures during flowering have been on the warm-hot side suggesting big bunches which we remember well from last year. The younger blocks have already had bunches on short shoots removed and we’ve also done that on some of the blocks that do reach full canopy height. This should give these vines more strength and energy to promote stronger shoot growth.

We have been on the ball with our sulphur spray regime given the weather conditions – it pays to have your own canopy sprayer so you can spray when you need to. I am happy the vines are receiving the appropriate coverage given the growth, although I will always remain on the edge of my seat after last January’s overcast conditions which required real vigilance to protect against disease. We have begun some lateral thinning and minor leaf plucking on some more advanced blocks to refine the openness of the canopy which will aid in light and spray penetration. So far it is going well but will continue to tuck up growing shoots as required. Generally across the board we have 2 – 3 wires up and just starting to get the wire to the fourth clip height. We may start trimming just before Christmas but I would say the majority will be done after Christmas/New Year. Also this week we will have everything mown and tidy and will be very much up-to-date. I’m looking forward to a stinking hot summer this year! Generally given the weather conditions, the vineyard is looking very good. Fingers crossed for the rest of the season.

All the best for the festive season on behalf of the vineyard staff at Misha’s Vineyard.

Tags: central otago, Central Otago Pinot Noir, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard, Rich Williams

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Waipara – Shaken not Stirred

It’s just over a year since the first earthquake hit Christchurch but that September shake was just an aperitif as another was served on the city nearly six months later causing major devastation. In this feature, Misha looks at Waipara – one of New Zealand’s up-and-coming wine regions located just 50 minutes drive north of Christchurch’s main quake zone- to see how they are faring. Although shaken, it seems wineries in the region have not been stirred from their resolve to put Waipara on the tourist map. They now share a stronger commitment than ever in working together as a community to become “the most exciting wine and food region in New Zealand” – their newly adopted mantra.

To read the full article download the PDF version below.

Waipara – Shaken not Stirred – Download PDF

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Tags: Angela Clifford, Misha Wilkinson, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard, new zealand wine, NZ Wine, Paul Donaldson, Waipara, Waipara Valley, WBM, wine Business Magazine

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Trading Places – Part 2

In the second part of this two-part series, Misha’s continues her report from the New Zealand Wine Exporter’s Forum and looks at which markets offer the best opportunity for New Zealand wine exports. With New Zealand’s 2011 harvest increasing yet again, it’s vitally important that exports continue to grow to preserve the premium price positioning New Zealand has achieved.

It seems after government funded research across Europe, New Zealand Winegrowers has identified three countries as ones that hold the best prospects for premium New Zealand wine although like with all markets there are upsides and downsides for each of them. In addition to Europe, it’s hard to ignore the bigger opportunity that’s much closer – China! Although a market fraught with issues, the giant is awakening and there’s no denying it’s an enormous opportunity awaiting those companies prepared to find the right partners, work hard and tackle the market one city at a time.

To read the full article download the PDF version below.

Trading Places – Part 2- Download PDF

To subscribe to WBM – click here

Tags: Misha Wilkinson, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard, NZ Wine, WBM, wine Business Magazine

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Misha shares the experience of being invited to one of the most glitzy black tie dinners of the year!

How often do you get invited to a black tie dinner in Hong Kong at the landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel with a wine selection that includes vintage Bollinger champagne plus selected vintages of Penfolds Grange, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Robert Mondavi Reserve, Frescobaldi, and Taylor’s Port? In fact on this special evening there were 10 wines selected to match a menu that was spectacular – both in taste and presentation! It was undoubtedly the most sublime evening of food and wine I’ve ever experienced in Asia!

The occasion was the 20th Anniversary of Jebsen Fine Wines – our distributor in both Hong Kong and China. Jebsen & Co is a private trade firm that was established in 1895 by a couple of Danish seafaring cousins who established trading routes between China and Europe. Over the years Jebsen has evolved into a diversified business coverings chemical, engineering, oil & gas, as well as metals & mining sectors and also become a sophisticated marketing, distribution and logistics company stewarding a portfolio of luxury yacht, camera and watch brands (including Raymond Weill) and even Porsche cars – a brand they have represented in Hong Kong for nearly 60 years and in China for the last 10 years! One of the newer divisions is the Fine Wine group but even that has twenty years of solid trading and has built an enviable reputation as one of the largest independent importer and distributors of premium wines and spirits in Greater China!

All 200 guests at this special dinner were individually welcomed by Chairman Hans Michael Jebsen, grandson of the founding partner who joined the company thirty years ago, and after a glass or two of Bolly we took our seats at the spectacularly dressed tables. There were many sublime food and wine matches but one of the most inspiring courses was served in a book! The waiting staff carried out piles of what appeared to be bound books which were presented to everyone. When the books were opened, they revealed a beautifully plated main course on a porcelain lined interior. Everyone reached for a camera or a mobile phone to capture the unique presentation of the course – in fact throughout the night it would have been hard to find someone who wasn’t taking photos of various courses! Even the San Pellegrino water (also a brand in the Jebsen portfolio) had special Bulgari packaging! The dessert course was also a very clever presentation as it looked exactly like a mango but was so much more than just a mango and the selection of cheeses on a two level glass platter also produced gasps of amazement. It was food presentation at its very finest but then we were at the glamorous Mandarin Oriental – a hotel which continues to be the vanguard of luxury with an enduring reputation for their legendary service.

Just over 40 principals from Jebsens’s wine brands attended the dinner, as well as the Jebsen Fine Wine team and over a hundred guests from Hong Kong’s top hotels and restaurants. Congratulations Jebsen Fine Wines – a fine achievement and a fine way to celebrate!

Misha

Tags: Andy Wilkinson, Central Otago Pinot Noir, Jebsen Fine Wines, Misha Wilkinson, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard

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Misha reports on the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Fair

It is the second year that Misha’s Vineyard has been part of the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Fair with our wonderful distributor Jebsen Fine Wine. This was the fourth time this show has been held and in that time it has become Asia’s biggest wine show and held in a city which is now the focal point of wine business in the Asia Pacific region and a the largest wine auction centre in the world! More than 19,000 buyers from around the world attended the Fair and although that attendance was up 40% over the previous year, it actually felt like there were slightly fewer people than last year but that could also have been because that attendance was spread across a staggering 930 exhibitors from 37 countries! In addition to the trade buyers, nearly 20,000 public visitors took the fair’s final day up nearly 40% over last year’s attendance at the public day.

Taking pride of place just inside the main entrance to the Fair was the Jebsen Fine Wine stand – a location that was unbeatable! And with Jebsen’s portfolio of wine clients, it was a stand that attracted much attention and many photographs! There were 10 of Jebsen’s brands represented on this year’s stand including Champagne Bollinger, Taylor’s Port, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Robert Mondavi, Luce (by Frescobaldi), Chateau d’Esclans and Grey Goose Vodka! With a line-up of amazing brands like that, it was indeed an honour to be part of the Jebsen family.

There was also a special reason to celebrate at this year’s Fair as it was also the 20th anniversary of Jebsen Fine Wines and on the opening day of the Fair, Mr Hans Michael Jebsen, chairman of Jebsen & Co, was at the stand to toast the anniversary with staff and the winery principals. In fact a small glass of Bollinger was how the following two days started as well! It was a little treat that helped in facing the 9 hours of standing on the booth each day!

It was an exhausting event but wonderful to have been there and very important in our strategy to build a strong brand in the region! Thanks to all of our trade friends and media who came to say hello whilst we were there. See you next year?

Tags: Andy Wilkinson, central otago pinot, Central Otago Pinot Noir, Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Fair, Jebsen Fine Wines, Misha Wilkinson, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard

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Misha’s update on the recent launch of Misha’s Vineyard Wines in China

Shanghai is the largest city (by population) in China and in fact it’s the largest in the world – and it just became one of my top 3 favourite cities! Misha’s Vineyard wines are now distributed in China through Jebsen Fine Wines – our distribution partner in both Hong Kong and China. Jebsen have the most fabulous teams and they are a company with amazing links into the greater China market having initially started in 1895 as a shipping agency that quickly developed into a trading company. Now the Jebsen Group are a leading marketing and distribution organization for luxury brands and across China representing such brands as Porsche, Bosch, Raymond Weil and Pentax. The wine division also represents leading brands including Frescobaldi, Robert Mondavi, and Laurent-Perrier champagne along with many others, so it’s a great privilege that they are our partner in this important and fast-growing market.

After a day of training the Jebsen Fine Wine team in our wines and visiting some of the most luxurious boutique hotels in Shanghai to introduce them to Misha’s Vineyard wines in order to get them listed in all the right places, we held our first wine dinner on the 1st November in a private dining room at the luxurious JW Marriott Hotel at Tomorrow Square. We had 25 guests, comprised of both customers and trade guests invited to attend the sumptuous dinner. We even had some friends from the US who happened to be visiting Shanghai at the time join us for the dinner. (It was great to see you Colleen!). It was a really fun night and we enjoyed the most spectacular views over Shanghai.

In Shanghai, we already have wines listed at M on the Bund, the House of Roosevelt, a few more amazing places with many more hotels about to list our wines. Andy and I look forward to spending more time in this fabulous city and are planning to do education on New Zealand wine with our winemaker Olly as this is a market with plenty of money to spend but just a little more convincing that New Zealand wine is a good alternative to French wine which still dominates the market of course!

Here’s the menu from our special Shanghai dinner.

Raspberry Sangria Sorbet, Lemongrass Jelly and Amaebi with Lime

Green Tea Smoked Bay Oyster and Chanterelles Mushrooms
Misha’s Vineyard Lyric Riesling 2010

Bamboo Clam “a la Plancha “with Citrus Fruits on Spiced Leek Compote
Misha’s Vineyard The Starlet Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Confit Black Cod in Sichuan Pepper, Tomatoes and Fennel with Provencal Olives
Misha’s Vineyard Dress Circle Pinot Gris 2010
Misha’s Vineyard The Gallery Gewurztraminer 2010

Grilled Wagyu Beef Strip loin and Potato in different Textures
Misha’s Vineyard The High Note Pinot Noir 2008
Misha’s Vineyard Verismo Pinot Noir 2008 (Reserve)

Bitter Chocolate Soufflé and Ice Cream with Truffle

Thanks to the wonderful Jebsen team including Sarah, Christine, Stephen, Thomas, Ken, Ryan, Vivian, and Ken for making our first visit so successful. See you all soon!

Tags: Andy Wilkinson, central otago pinot, Central Otago Pinot Noir, Jebsen Fine Wines, JW Marriott, Misha Wilkinson, Misha's Vineyard Wines, mishas vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, The High Note, Wine Distributor

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The Season has started! An update post Bud-burst from Vineyard Manager – Rich Williams

Bud burst is finally here on the vineyard. We had our first buds appear on the 23rd of September which is pretty much on schedule. Starting in the usual spots in the House Block Pinot Noir, Lake Front PN Abel/ 6, and the Ski Slope PN 6. From here has progressed evenly up the vineyard over about a week. Sauvignon Blanc was the last to push but this is very normal for this variety. Growth so far looks relatively even on both spurs, cordon extensions, and canes.

It was a cracker start to the Spring with warm temperatures and less wind than usual. The soil was very dry for this time of year so the irrigation was on early on some of our blocks with light soils ensuring the vines had plenty of moisture to the rootzone. Our Aquaflex soil moisture sensors help us understand our different soil types and improve our water use on the vineyard so as to not over irrigate and cool down the soil which is a fine balancing act. As I speak, rain is pouring down and temperatures have cooled down considerably giving a typical yellow look to the leaves as growth slows.

Work disbudding canes and extensions during pruning has paid off with improved growth overall in these sections. Comparisons of the different techniques are clear to see in the images below. This will inevitably give a better and more even start without the pressure of immediate shoot thinning to take the pressure. We have started removing lower buds on the underside of extension canes to ensure they catch up early but the advantages of early bud removal during winter dormancy has its merits. Inflorence position has a close basil proximity indicating smaller sized bunches for the season ahead which is what we want for concentrated wine flavours.
This last month we were audited by Sustainable Wine NZ and passed with flying colours. The auditor was very impressed with the amount of detail we had gone into and we did more than enough to fulfil our obligations towards the scheme.

Work has progressed very well with the internal roading and drainage around the vineyard. We have tried to improve water runoff from the steep vineyard faces and direct it into guttering away from the roads. This will improve erosion if we get large amounts of rain like we are now experiencing. I intend to apply a liberal layer of gravel to these areas in the coming days to permit a safer and more enjoyable drive around the perimeter of the vineyard and stop the dust blowing onto our precious fruit once it is harvested. Irrigation has been installed around Ah Foo’s hut which was trenched in under the road from a redundant water line. This enabled the first native planting of Kanuka, Kowhai, and native tussock around the old hut. Once established it should increase shelter in the area and the Kowhai will eventually encourage native birds to feed – though hopefully not grape eating ones!

We have also taken our first step towards organic viticulture. This year will be a learning year to see what works best as far as weed management techniques are concerned. While our canopy spraying regime is straight forward, it is our weeds that need to be tamed in order to take that leap and be chemical free. So far we have used the weedeater to maintain the undervine area on our blocks which will go into our top tier Verismo Pinot Noir. While this was a slow process by hand, it will allow us to undergo some further investigation into the best under vine mower to use so that we can eventually move the rest of the vineyard into that program over time. There may be many rocks to pick up and the irrigation line may need to be raised however it will be in the best interests of the soil and our sustainable environmental involvement.

So we are all on track for the coming season. Our wires have been dropped ready to cater for growing shoots. All damaged posts have been repaired with some minor maintenance to the wind shelter rows. Irrigation lines have been flushed to remove excess build-up of silt and grime within the pipes to stop the dripper emitters from being blocked up to permit more even distribution of water to the vines. Herbicide spraying has been carried out on all sections other than our organic trial blocks. Our first application of sulphur to prevent powdery mildew has been done and will look to do our second this week if the weather will allow.

Sadly we say good bye to Sue who has been with us for 2 years now and will be heading across the Tasman to Perth for a bit of a change in lifestyle. Next month we will be appointing a new caretaker to the team who will help out with some of the rabbit control, maintenance, and tractor work.
Other than that, we’re ready for whatever the season will bring.

Rich.

Tags: central otago, central otago pinot, Central Otago Pinot Noir, Misha, mishas vineyard, Rich Williams

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Vineyard Manager Rich Williams give an update on the pre-budburst activities on the vineyard

Pruning on the vineyard is all but finished. We just have a few touch ups and blocks we are getting just right. It’s been an outstanding winter this year. While we have had plenty of snow low down on the vineyard, it hasn’t stayed around for long. We’ve had plenty of cracker frosts early on in the morning, but as the sun pops up above the mountains, it thaws to be a lovely day. The best thing about this winter is that we have not had the weeks and weeks of fog that we normally get.

This year we are two people down for pruning. Ryan has moved on and Ernst has been away since before harvest so we have been forced to cope with our small team of 3 and do our best under the circumstance. Thankfully our new Felcotronic electronic pruners have performed outstandingly and allowed us to speed up our work while protecting our now ageing joints from the burden of repetative strains which is common with pruning.

This year we have used a tractor mounted pre-pruning machine to trim off all last seasons growth to a shorter length so that the crew can follow up behind and tidy the spurs to 2 buds. It has been a lot easier to not have to pull these old shoots out by hand. The Sauvignon Blanc which is cane pruned has come up very well. At first I felt there may be a drastic yield reduction in order to get some strength into some of these vines on light soil. This year I have reduced the bud number considerably to force the vines into producing better apical region shoot growth to allow for stronger canes to be laid next year. Also using the disbudding technique to space out the buds on weaker canes accordingly and has come up better than expected and there will still be a sizable crop.

The young House Block has progressed well with the Pinot Noir completed early on and the Riesling just. This was a little more time consuming with additional laydowns and disbudding, and all fruiting wires being strained up to accommodate the vines now permanent form. I am very pleased with the amount of wire fill through here and the strength of the vines going forward. The under vine area has filled out with suitable low growing weed growth that is holding the ground together well preventing soil erosion.

Fertilizer this year is being applied via a tractor mounted spinner rather than a fast but expensive helicopter application this year. Using the tractor takes a lot longer and calibration is tricky, but I am satisfied it is going on well and even. This year we continue to improve on our base elements as well as some vital trace elements.

Both Dress Circle and High Wire blocks are looking great with full wire fill. These blocks struggled as their exposure to the wind can leave them a bit ragged but are now at their full potential. They are finally gaining good strength to cope with the elements. Spur spacing and bud number through here is spot on. The Top Block, being slightly older is at a consistent level and gaining in strength every year. In the Fruit Bowl block I have experimented with some Scott Henry style of pruning in the vigorous middle section of the block whereby 2 additional arms have been laid in order to further increase variability.

We have had 500 sheep in around the vineyard for the last month tidying things up. They have done a great job providing valuable manure for the vines. The next month on the vineyard will be all about maintenance. There are plenty of posts and end assemblies to fix. We also have some work to do on our internal vineyard roads where plenty of January rain has washed things out. Fixing some of the drainage will be on the priority list followed by a nice coating of gravel. Also some planting of Kanauka around Ah Foo’s house.

So lots to do – never a dull moment on the vineyard!

Take care – Rich

Tags: Ah Foo, central otago, central otago pinot, Central Otago Pinot Noir, mishas vineyard, Rich Williams

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