Misha's Vineyard » central otago

Julie Wong – Flavours Magazine, Malaysia, December 2011-12-20

administrator — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:55:30 +0000

Misha’s Theatre of Taste
In a far away place, a New Zealand vineyard is making cool climate wines that sing.

Central Otago in New Zealand’s south is a land of timeless beauty and gold. The gold rush is history, but a new gold is taking root in the arid, beautiful landscape or extraordinary contrast – craggy, barren mountains and gorges juxtapose against glassy lakes and rolling green farmlands and vineyards.

Download PDF. Misha’s Theatre of Taste Flavours Magazine

Premium US Restaurant Group Selects Pinot Noir from Central Otago

administrator — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:15:12 +0000

CROMWELL, Central Otago, New Zealand, 16 December, 2011. Fox Restaurant Concepts, a boutique restaurant group with 31 outlets across the United States, has released a premium Central Otago Pinot Noir as part of their specially-commissioned wine program and chosen Misha’s Vineyard as their first New Zealand partner.

The restaurant group’s unique wine program, driven by Regan Jasper, Fox Restaurant Concepts Sommelier, has worked closely with selected winemakers from leading wineries over the past eight years to craft a Pinot Noir specifically and exclusively for Fox Restaurant Concepts. The launch of Misha’s Vineyard Fox Block Eight represents the first time there has been a partnership with a winery from outside the United States.

“I choose Pinot Noir as our custom wine because it’s my personal favourite and it’s the most universal wine. The Pinot’s I blend have bright fruit and are high in acidity, so they are easy to drink alone, and they also pair well with food” said Jasper. Jasper flew to Central Otago in March 2011 to work alongside Misha’s Vineyard winemaker Olly Masters on a blend of Pinot Noir that was destined to be Fox Block Eight.

“Working with Regan to have a New Zealand Pinot Noir featured as part of his Fox Block program has been a very rewarding project but it’s particularly exciting for us as it’s also our first foray in the US market which is predicted to be the market with the biggest potential for premium New Zealand Pinot Noir” said Misha Wilkinson, co-owner of Misha’s Vineyard along with her husband Andy.

The fact that the Misha’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is the eighth in the series of Fox Block wines is very auspicious given the connection the vineyard has with Chinese gold-mining and the number eight which is a particularly lucky number in Chinese culture. “Our spectacular lakefront location marks the site where many Cantonese discovered gold in the 1880s and we have an uncanny recurrence of the number 8 on the vineyard” explains Wilkinson. Misha’s Vineyard is located on State Highway 8, on land that was originally known as Sheep Run 238 and the direction of the vineyard rows are at 288 degrees on the compass.

“We also have 8 clones of Pinot Noir on the vineyard, our first commercial vintage was in 2008 and we have 8 wines in our range. And as luck would have it, the Pinot Noir for this Fox Block wine just happened to be blended on the 8th March so of course it was destined to be Fox Block Eight” added Wilkinson.

The Fox Block wine program began modestly, producing just 140 cases in its launch year, but has grown to 2,200 cases for Fox Block Eight. Each year Jasper chooses a different winery to work with selecting them according to a set of criteria which requires the vineyard to own all of its own vineyard land and to be producing Pinot Noir at a very premium level. Jasper admits that it is getting more challenging to find the right wineries to enter into this sort of partnership. Prior to working with Misha’s Vineyard, Jasper worked with wineries from Oregon and California including Patricia Green, ZD Winery, Davis Bynum and Calera.

Misha’s Vineyard Fox Block Eight has just been launched and is now available at four outlets and by the beginning of next year it will be rolled out across all Fox Restaurant Concept establishments in the United States.

“It’s been a great partnership with the Fox Restaurant Concept team so far and we hope this auspicious wine brings us continuing success in the US market” says Wilkinson.

- ends -

For further information please contact:

Misha’s Vineyard Wines Limited
Misha Wilkinson – Director/Owner Tel: +64 210 2200812 Email to misha@mishasvineyard.com

* Editors Note: A range of high resolution photos of Misha’s Vineyard is available on request.

About Misha’s Vineyard Wines Limited www.mishasvineyard.com
Misha’s Vineyard is located on one of the most spectacular sites in New Zealand at the edge of Lake Dunstan in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago. The sun drenched north-west facing terraces of the 57 hectare (140 acres) estate provide the optimal conditions for producing world-class Pinot Noir and a range of aromatic white varieties. The ‘no compromise’ philosophy behind Misha’s Vineyard wines required an exacting sustainable viticulture regime, hand-picking of the estate-grown fruit and considerate as well as minimalist winemaking methodologies. Under internationally renowned winemaker Olly Masters, the highly anticipated range of Misha’s Vineyard wines won critical acclaim from their launch in 2008 and in 2010 they were named one of New Zealand’s Top 20 Producers by (UK) Decanter magazine.

About Fox Restaurant Concepts www.foxrc.com
Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC) is the privately held parent company of a collection of unique concepts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas and Kansas. Founder Sam Fox began with a single restaurant, Wildflower in 1998, and today heads a dynamic, growing restaurant group now encompassing 12 concepts across 31 restaurants with more than 1,900 employees. The concepts range from upscale casual and fast casual, to mixed food service and retail operations. Led by creative visionary CEO, Sam Fox, FRC will continue to create, develop and build successful and innovative new and existing concepts in high-traffic centers in key markets. FRC is committed to supporting its communities and donates hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to various non-profit entities through donations, fundraisers, community partnerships, and special events.

Download PDF Press Release

Early Season Vineyard Notes

administrator — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:48:23 +0000

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

Rich at the "Scott-Henry method" pruned vines

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 in the Central Otago sun on Ski Slope

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 French team at work

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!

Flowering on the "Abel" Pinot Noir vines

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.

Bud-burst on Misha’s Vineyard

administrator — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:00:48 +0000

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

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!

Our Abel rows - hand mowed under-vine

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.

Vineyard Update – Pre Budburst

administrator — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:16:33 +0000

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

A season of stunning reflections in Lake Dunstan

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.

A morning moon over the House Block

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

Misha’s Vineyard supports “Project Gold” in Central Otago

administrator — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:19:58 +0000

The kōwhai is one of Otago’s best known and loved indigenous trees and is ingrained in our history and Maori culture. Kōwhai trees once flourished throughout Otago with golden flowers lighting up the hills in spring, attracting visitors and birds. Over time the agricultural development reduced the number of kōwhai to just a few stands in some of the less developed gullies and hillsides.

Rich planting a kōwhai

Project Gold is a Department of Conservation (DOC) initiated project dedicated to the protection and enhancement of kōwhai trees in Otago. In September Vineyard Manager Rich Williams and owner Andy Wilkinson attended a session by Department of Conservation on the process of establishing new stands of kōwhai in Central Otago and decided to purchase seedlings for spring planting.

Two areas have been initially identified – Ah Foos House – our replica gold miners hut on the rocky outcrop in the Top Block, and the entrance road into the vineyard. Ah Foos seemed the ideal starting point. A new irrigation line was installed and trenched into the hard rocky ground to ensure the kōwhai along with some other native bush species also planted in the surrounds would be able to get a good start. Rich and vineyard hand Sue Reid planted a perimeter of plants around the outer boundary and some more plants in alongside the walls of Ah Foos house. We hope the gradual development of these small stands of native plants will enhance the natural look of the vineyard and encourage native birds – tui, bellbirds and kaka to the hills.

As DOC has stated in its literature, this is a community program to encourage people and businesses to plant small stands in their gardens or on their properties. Just a few trees planted in every part of Central Otago in support of the larger programs along the Central Otago Rail Trial and in public areas will bring a new interest in this spectacular New Zealand native.

Canvas Magazine, New Zealand Herald. 1st Oct 2011

administrator — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:10:52 +0000

Leaving nothing to Chance – by John Hawkesby

A prediction. A relative new kid on the Central Otago block, Misha’s Vineyard, will be the next big thing. Why? Because the wines are consistently so very good, the owners Misha and Andy Wilkinson are possessed with a desire to leave nothing to chance, their vineyard site is lovingly tended and they have Olly Masters, formerly of Martinborough’s Ati Rangi, one of the smartest winemakers in the country.

Download PDF. Canvas Magazine NZ Herald, 1st Oct 2011

NZ Herald on-line link

Wine Ways, Wine & Dine Magazine, Singapore, September 2011

administrator — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:57:43 +0000

Wine Ways

“Setting out from Asia, our home for many years, we wanted to find the best place in the world to grow cool climate grapes and most particularly Pinot Noir – the “holy grail” of grapes and also the most difficult to grow”, says Misha Wilkinson of her impetus for starting he own winery in New Zealand seven years ago.

After 18 months and much walking over potential vineyard land, Wilkinson and her husband, Andy, found themselves standing on the dramatic lakefront terraces of Bendigo Station, a high country sheep station in the Central Otago region of New Zealand where some of the world’s finest Merino wool is grown. The couple knew instantly that this was the site for Misha’s Vineyards.

Download PDF. Wine Ways, Wine & Dine Magazine

Misha’s July Feature in Wine Business Magazine (WBM)

administrator — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:02:46 +0000

A Small Advantage

If small is beautiful, then when you have 631 of New Zealand’s 697 wineries categorized as small, then you’d have to logically conclude that New Zealand wine is essentially…beautiful. Of course that’s no surprise at all for Kiwis but what may be surprising is how small can also be viable – especially in these tougher times!

In the July issue of Wine Business Magazine, Misha looks at four boutique New Zealand vineyards and looks at what makes them different – and successful. If you’re a boutique producer and charging premium prices for your wine, it’s a given that you need to be producing outstanding wine. But in an increasingly competitive marketplace, you also need to have that sector factors, stories and advantages that set you apart as a producer and make your products unique and special.

To read the full article download the PDF version below.

A Small Advantage- Download PDF

To subscribe to WBM – click here

Hospitality Magazine July 2011 – Tasting Log by Cameron Douglas MS

administrator — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:06:27 +0000

Central Otago – by Cameron Douglas MS

Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas reports on his recent visit to Central Otago in the Thirst section of the July 2011 edition of Hospitality Magazine.

“The majestic landscape that surrounds you when you step off a plane at Queenstown airport is a showstopper. My wife and I were excited to come back to this region for another wine adventure – the purpose of the visit was to experience first-hand the vineyards and stories of Locharburn and Misha’s Vineyard”.

Download PDF of the article Central Otago, by Cameron Douglas