Through The Door.....Part One

Man O' War's new Cellar Door has only been open for four days and the response to both the concept and the wines has been overwhelming.

With only a week to push the button and make it happen following a nervous wait for our liquor license to arrive on time, the little cabin at Man O' War Bay was duly christened by the staff on Christmas eve ready for opening on Boxing Day. With a "mucking in" type environment the team worked late into the day putting the final touches on her before enjoying a well deserved coldie on her deck......(I am going to post some photo's as soon as I can....Duncan.....please don't be alarmed to see both of your decks from the winery in these photo's...How's Perth anyway?)

We have had a great time showing the public our wines in our own backyard and look forward to introducing more people to the range of wines in the months ahead.

I though I would share a few highlights (and lowlights) of the first days few days...

• 7 minutes to sell our first bottle....I cheated really; two boaties were lost at Stony Batter earlier in the day and needed a ride back to their boat, I told them only if they visited our Cellar Door and bought wine....we had a deal.



• Ironically one of these boaties just happened to be an old boyfriend of Rebecca's who was working the first day with me....go figure!



• Brooklyn (7) and Gracie (4 1/2) taking 45 minutes to show Rebecca (50 something) how to put the twin pack boxes together.



• Rebecca taking most of the day to show Matt how to operate the till and all of the day how to operate the eftpos.



• The lady who offered to drop flyers onto boats in the bay by rowing around and delivering them personally for her own exercise, then rowing back with her husband and buying four bottles for personal consumption (don't worry she got a special deal!) and informing us she'll do it again the next day....goddess!



• How about the kid that turned down a lollipop saying he didn't eat lollies...excuse me, I don't get that one, your an 8 year old kid aren't you? What would you prefer, a couple of brussel sprouts?. Lucky Gracie didn't hear that, she would have been permanently scared.



• Now boaties....we love you, you have been great support and we have enjoyed your stories, but standing in front of the bar, tasting 7 wines, and on the 8th saying "That was great but I've left my wallet on board" isn't going cut it for long. From now on the staff have been trained to ask to see all wallets before starting the tastings. Cheeky buggers! We now have a Jet Ski on hand to whip you back out to get it.



• Dude in the red singlet.....the cabin is small, it's summer, summer means it gets hot occasionally, just like Tuesday was, if you've been fishing all morning and wiping yourself on the ass of your cut off Levi's...at least wash your freakin hands! Poo man.



• The people who have walked to Stony Batter and back give a very real example of body sweat Sauvignon Blanc aromas! Remember...the cabin is small, it's summer, sometimes it gets a little warm in there.



• The punters that have come in at 12.30pm, bypassed everything else and gone straight for the "Dreadnought Syrah" in 25 degrees heat deserve special mention. Brave...very brave people.



• Lady in the white top...I know you had 4 tastes of our savvy by sending your friends in to get it for you. Naughty girl..hear me, naughty girl.



• Fat kid who was sent by his dad to see if we had some wire because he had locked his keys in his car......don't bring the coat hanger back like that! You can't hang anything off a straight piece if wire fella.



• Lastly...the look on the guy's face who thought he was buying a $55 T-Shirt for $35....priceless.

Thanks for your support everyone! For those who haven't been down yet we look forward to hosting you very soon.
Until then.

The team at HQ.

P.S Remember, Opening hours...every day 12-6pm until January 4th, then Friday to Sunday until Easter. OPEN TILL 8PM NEW YEARS EVE!

P.P.S Bronwyn, please stop worrying, I have it all under control....and if getting me to keep phoning you back is your way of saving your mobile bill so B doesn't get grumpy I've got news for you!

Man O' War Cellar Door opens 26th December 2009

An absolute must this summer is to pay a visit to Man O' War Bay, there you will find nestled amongst the native trees and literally a stone’s throw from the shore Man O’ War Vineyards new Cellar Door, a rustic cabin paying homage to keeping Kiwiana alive on Waiheke Island. “It’s a magical location, we just want people to come and enjoy the beauty of Man O’ War Bay and experience our award winning wines and produce”, says Man O’ War’s Bronwyn Skuse.

All of Man O’ War’s wines will be available for tasting, as well as produce from the surrounding farm, including olive oil and honey. You could also be one of the first to purchase our very limited release vintage T-Shirts, only available at the Cellar Door and for the very first time available to the public.

Because of the sheltered beauty of Man O’ War Bay, it is traditionally a popular boating destination. Now, 241 years after Captain James Cook first anchored, the new generation of sea faring men and women can try and buy Man O’ War Wines at Man O’ War Bay.

Whether by oars or wheels, Man O’ War Bay is a perfect picnic destination offering a public BBQ for use also! You can stop by, try our amazing line up of wines or settle in and enjoy this gorgeous Bay!

Between December 26 and January 4, the cellar door will be open every day between 12 and 6pm, and then between Friday and Sunday until Easter.

Man O’ War Vineyards is located on a stunning coastal site at the eastern end of Waiheke Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, the vineyards are made up of a patchwork of 90 individual parcels selected specifically for their unique terroir. Now, everyone can enjoy Man O’ War’s wines in this very special part of the world.

Ironclad named best new world red by Decanter’s Steven Spurrier

Man O’ War’s flagship wine, Ironclad 2008, has been named best new-world red by Steven Spurrier in the latest issue of Decanter magazine (January 2010).

It comes just weeks after three Man O’ War wines from the same vintage took 90-plus ratings in Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate.

“The 2008 vintage is being hailed as one of Waiheke’s best” says Duncan McTavish, Man O’ War’s winemaker. “It’s really gratifying that our flagship blend, Ironclad has been recognized by one of the world’s great wine authorities”.

Spurrier noted the Ironclad was an “arresting Bordeaux blend… Smoky from oak ageing with magnificent berry fruits and leathery undertones.”

It’s all the result of Man O’ War’s fastidious approach to winegrowing. Located on a stunning coastal site at the eastern end of Waiheke Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, the vineyards are made up of 90 individual parcels selected specifically for their unique terroir.

It’s this approach that allows each and every vine to produce the best possible fruit – and the results show through in the recognition Man O’ War is achieving for its wine.

Framework & the Art of Blending

There are many romantic notions about wine making and while many hold true others only hint at the hard work and effort that goes into crafting a memorable wine. Winemaking is a relatively ancient craft and one that historically follows the changing of the seasons and it is in these spring months where the task of tasting many of the wines begins as we carefully evaluate our work and start to assemble our blends.

One important element in many wines is the use of new oak in a blend. Balance is key in creating a harmonious wine and the judicious use of oak is a useful tool in attaining that balance. Now is the time that winemakers are evaluating their new oak purchases in preparation for ordering oak for the next season, the expense aside, it is often a daunting task to decide what oak best suits your wine.

To help us make the decision we often place the same wine into different types of oak so we can best evaluate what is working well for us. We decide which cooper has a style that suits our wines, the choice of forest, the length of time the oak has been seasoned for prior to construction, how the barrel has been toasted and on it goes, the variables are enormous, we question whether a barrel suits Merlot or is it better used in Syrah, do we want more spice or more char, sweetness or density?

At Man O' War we use predominantly French oak, we select which forests work well for us and the tightness of the grain of the wood, we work with the cooper as to which level of toast we prefer and we apply different barrels to different varieties that help us best achieve balance in our wine - the key to new oak is to look on it as the frame that supports the work of art, it is not the artwork itself!

In addition to tasting barrels now is often a good time to give ourselves a preview of how the overall blends are shaping up. For us we are looking at Chardonnay, Syrah and the most complex of all blends, our Bordeaux style wine.

Now it may sound like the best job in the world wandering around the cellar, glass in hand tasting exquisite wines, the lighting is often moody, music is filtering through from the background and the excitement of tasting the new seasons wine is palpable.

In truth tasting wines to construct a blend often involves military like discipline and organisation, in a brightly lit quiet room, one lacking in distractions and interruptions.

Firstly all the wines have been kept in their separate parcels since harvest began, for the Bordeaux blend we have 40 parcels. Each barrel within the parcel is sampled so we have an accurate representation of each; we have 300 barrels to sample. Each wine is then labelled and sorted by variety, we have 5; Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. We then mask each bottle so we have no preconceived notions about a particular batch to cloud our judgement and we begin to taste. Each wine is tasted blind and accurate notes are written about each. The wines are then unmasked, some surprise us and others we nod knowingly pleased with their performance.

Then the skill of blending all the variables into a harmonious wine begins, measuring cylinders and pipettes appear and we slosh measured amounts of each wine back and forth until beakers of wine are scattered across the table, options are produced and passed into judgement. It’s suddenly 5 o'clock and we realise we have been tasting since 9 o'clock that morning, weary we begin to tidy up, arrange our precious notes and scrawls of percentages that make up the blend and head home, mentally drained and knowing that we have come very close to the blend but it will take many more sessions until we are completely satisfied.

Man O' War in Air NZ Lounges!

We are excited to announce that now you will be able to drink a selection of Man O' War wines at the Auckland Domestic and International Koru Club/Air New Zealand lounges. They will be serving the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, the award winning 2008 Chardonnay and Waiheke Island's flagship Bordeaux Blend. Put your feet up, relax and experience some regional wine.

Kiwi blossom to 4 seasons in UK & Europe

After a successful trip around NZ with Eurowine team, I boarded a big Air NZ plane to London England for 6 week tour of duty around UK, Mainland Europe & Asia.

1^st Stop London, where we met and confirmed our entire ranging with Shore Solutions who service luxury yatchs here. Next day we had the Stokes Fine Wine Trade day, with huge response from the trade and media there. Had lovely tasting with Steven Spurrier from Decanter (watch this space….!!!!) and Rosemary George MW who is coming to visit on her trip to NZ at the end of the month for Marlborough Wine Weekend. Ironclad 08 & MOW Pinot Gris 08 favourites on the day. Also dropped off some Valhalla 08 flown in by yours truly for Roka restaurant, as UK out of stock until end November. Roka such a great restaurant, MOW Syrah 08 available by the glass there in November.

Quick visit to Apsley Estate, The Old Garage, and home of Stokes Fine Wines to discuss our exciting program for 2010!!! Watch out UK… here we come.

Next stop chilly Stockholm to see Simon & Calle from Concealed Wines. We had a fantastic day in the trade visiting some of the best spots to eat & drink, especially Restaurant Hälsingborg, Olle looked after us, brilliant concept, choice of Forrest, Ocean and/or Farm set menu, with MOW Chardonnay matched with Farm entrée. Will definitely be back next time!

Then snowy Munich, where Florian & Thomas from Wine In Motion, looked after me very well, introducing me to the delights of a Bavarian breakfast. We finalised our distribution with them. First order on its way to Munich as we speak. Great opportunity here, and an amazing portfolio to be apart of!

Finally some sun, in Madrid, where we caught up with Cesar from Winetipodes, and discovered the culinary delights of Spain while looking for opportunities for MOW here. Wine is in Spain, but await our customs friends to clear it through, going into some of the great restaurants here and we already have some friends at the American Women’s Club eagerly awaiting delivery. Was lovely to see the sun!

Headed around the coast to Cannes, France for the Tax Free & Duty Free Show, where we snuck onto the Bardinet stand, courtesy of Jeremy Belcher our dear friend from Bordeaux. We showed MOW wines and were 1 of 3 NZ brands there. Most people very intrigued about us and New Zealand. Had a wonderful time with Gun & Sophie from Finland, who are helping us to get our wines in ferry’s, on planes and into stores there.

From Cannes, I flew across country to Nantes to meet with Jerome & Catherine at Les Celliers d’Asie, who is an amazing distributor in Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos with head office in France. We tasted the MOW Range, Ironclad, Dreadnought & MOW Chardonnay hits of the tasting. Will be launching with them early next year. Exciting stuff!

Returned to London, exhausted but buzzing with excitement of seeing MOW in some wonderful places in Europe and planning for an exciting next year. Last week in London, we caught up with Pierre from Wine Society, met the delightful Mel from The Providores, Dreadnought available now on the wine list, Noel Young at Noel Young Wines, Charlotte & Sarah from NZ Winegrowers, in store tasting at Harvey Nicholls with Jeremy & the team. MOW Ironclad & MOW Syrah on shelf and flying out now. Finally this morning, breakfast with the charming Alessandro from Zuma & Roka. Valhalla back on the list in December, MOW Syrah going on next week.

Next stop Singapore Wine Show, looking forward to seeing Kate & the team there.

Salute, Prost, Salud, Skål, Santé, Cheers!

Sara

September round up…

What a busy time we have had during September at Man O’ War!

We have been travelling the globe and New Zealand, spreading the good Man O’ War word, making so many new friends along the way and catching up with old ones.

This is what we have been up to in September:

Duncan & Berridge launched in the UK with our amazing distributors Stokes Fine Wines, with an open tasting & master class held at Smiths of Smithfield, the response we have had was amazing from media and customers. Duncan completed a week tour of London tasting, meeting and training new customers for Man O’ War.

Matt & Sara travelled New Zealand on the Eurowine road show, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Over 400 trade attended and the same with consumers. We launched Man O’ War Rose 09, the raspberry k-bar was a hit around the country. The best drink for summer.

Bron, Tina, Jen & Glenn have been very busy organising our summer activities at Man O’ War Bay… more to come on this very soon.

We have joined in a partnership with Stolen Girlfriends Club to be their official wine partner, and presented our wines at both New Zealand Fashion week and London Fashion week with them. A huge turnout in Auckland, over 500 people sipped their way through Man O’ War wines.

Duncan had a quick trip to Oz to attend the DWS trade day in Sydney. Again a wonderful response to our wines and so great to catch up with many loyal customers.

Back on the continent, Man O’ War wines was poured at an exclusive function at the Monaco Yatch Show, to many influential captains & stewards of luxury super yatchs. Look out on board next summer!

We have also been planning & organising our next world trips, Bron back to the US and Sara to UK, Mainland Europe and then off to the Singapore & Hong Kong Wine shows. Follow us on our next journey.

Thanks for all your support & interest to date.

MOW HQ

CHAMPAGNE TO BORDEAUX, RIDING THE WHITE HORSE – PART THREE

Day Two was a trip to the Left Bank with breakfast consisting of a glass 2006 Yquem at Chateaux d Yquem a highly recommended way to start the day! Up to Lynch Bages where we caught the tail end of a tour (not to worry lunch was leisurely and bloody tasty so why rush!).

Our tasting adventure climaxed (the wines were that good!) at Chateaux Gruaud-Larose. David Launay was our informative and knowledgeable guide and took us through the Chateaux where we met the Maitre de Chai, Philippe Carmagnac who was dead keen for us to get into some wines. The 2007 Gruaud-Larose (again full of hedonistic pleasure) was followed by the 1998 and 2003 Gruand-Larose all exceptional wines. After a very enlightening discussion on winemaking techniques Phillipe bundled us off with a couple of bottles of the 98 and a promise to come and visit. The 2011 Rugby World Cup will be densely populated with Chateaux owners leaving the harvest in the capable hands of the many open and friendly winemakers we met on our travels.

DISMOUNT

A early morning rise to catch (just) the red eye to Munich was followed by an enlivening 250 km zoom through the roads of Munich to meet Florian at Wine in Motion a distributor of New Zealand wines into Europe. A traditional meal of White Sausage, Pretzel and Beer (I had two - bloody good Hefe Weizen) preceded a rather sedate meeting and then a tasting of Man O' War that has resulted in some fantastic opportunities for us.

A night of fine food and wine (and a deep sleep) at the KonigHof hotel in Munich with a mate of Big B's, Werni who was an amazing host, a bottle of 2004 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling from J J Prumm and then to finish an outstanding bottle of 1986 Cheval Blanc, truly an amazing vinous experience and one I won’t forget, great to finish with the famous white horse!

Currently ensconced in B's pad in London winding down and warming up for stage two - the Battle for Britain!

Cheers

Dunc

CHAMPAGNE TO BORDEAUX, RIDING THE WHITE HORSE – PART TWO

A too short a stay in Champagne led me to Berlin to meet up with Berridge and present our wines to the Dussman group in the KulturKaufHaus in the heart of Berlin. They loved the wines, nicknamed us the 'Face' (Big B) and the 'Nose' (your narrator) of Man O' War.

Next stop Bordeaux where we hooked up with Justin from Stokes and the very affable Jeremy Belcher from the Bardinet group who was our fixer in Bordeaux hooking us up with some fantastic appointments.

Our first appointment of the day was a tasting at Cheval Blanc with the extremely hospitable Pierre Lurton. A tour and a bit of a chat about winemaking was followed by a tasting of the 2004 Petit Cheval, the 2004 Cheval Blanc and a surprise invitation to lunch- how could we decline! But first our appointment with Figeac and a taste of the 99 and a opportunistic taste of their latest addition to the Figeac wines, the 2007 Petit Figeac a recent acquisition of 2 acres producing 1200 bottles, call me a hedonist (and I won’t be offended) but I love young Bordeaux however I was soon to gain an appreciation of aged Bordeaux that left me speechless...

Lunch at Cheval Blanc, Marjosse Bordeaux Blanc 07, exotic and rich served with truffled scrambled eggs and bacon (served in exquisite style) then off to the lunch table for a bottle of 2001 Petit Cheval matched with a tasty Lobster dish. The AMAZING 1998 Cheval Blanc was poured with a cut of Veal and truffled potato mash closely followed by the 1989 Cheval Blanc to complement the truffle character of the wine and truffle. OK, to finish 1986 Yquem – why not!

We then travelled somewhat sluggishly to Angelus where we were met with the owner, the gentlemanly Hubert de Bouard de LaForest. A fantastic tour of the property followed by a bottle of 2006 Angelus which very much found favour with our hedonist streak! Then off to Big B's favourite Chateaux, Chateaux Troplong Mondot. A tour with lovely Stephanie who had Mr Belcher in rapture was followed with a tasting of the 2006 Mondot and 2006 Troplong Mondot, predominantly Merlot they were impressive wines rich with a firm grip.

Cheers

Dunc

CHAMPAGNE TO BORDEAUX, RIDING THE WHITE HORSE – PART ONE

A great week in the life of your humble winemaker...

To coincide with the launch of Man O' War with Stokes Fine Wines in the UK we thought we might take a wee detour through France to visit some famous chateaux's in the Bordeaux region, but first I needed to freshen up...

Arriving in Champagne via Hong Kong I was picked up at the Champagne-Ardennes train station by an old friend, Francois Hure from Hure Freres, a fantastic producer of Champagne based in the 1er Cru village of Ludes. Francois and I had done a few 'tours of duty' together at Peg Bay and I was keen to catch up and taste some of his wines.

First stop was to Francois' home in Mailly to catch up with Marie-Eve his wife, who is also a mate of mine I met during harvest in NZ back in the day (Francois and Marie-Eve met in the hot tub at Peg Bay but that’s another story...) and their new addition Anshelme their rock n' roll baby boy!

Hure Freres NV Brut and 2003 Reserve was a welcome refresher, the NV showing that great balance of freshness, crispness and a touch of sweetness that makes Champagne so desirable. The 03 was rich and full and a great reflection of a landmark vintage in Europe. A dinner of Kiwi lamb on the BBQ with a magnum of Hure Freres Rose and the beginning of a 2 day flight of Northern Rhone Syrah's pretty much left me satisfied!

Next day was a visit to the cellar and a tasting of some base wines...

Man O' War has begun a special trial in 2009 where we felt we had an opportunity to have a crack at crafting a small volume of Methode Traditionnelle and I was keen for Francois to try my base wine and see what he thought. Thankfully he wasn’t too scathing, in fact he was very positive with excellent balance, great acidity and good definition in the wine, he found aromas of white flower and honey - my back label is already written!

Home for lunch and a bottle of the newest addition to the Hure Freres stable, the excellent NV Extra Brut, great on a 30 degree day in paradise!

Cheers
Dunc

Caned it!

Saturday saw the end of pruning for the Man O' War team 2009. Almost 10 weeks to the day of battling the elements it's all over for another year.

The entire crew have done an amazing job, smashing expectation of time and quality. The Ethiopian boys did it tough through a cold June and early July dealing with temperatures they're not accustomed to but managed to stay thawed enough to get the job done.

Big wraps to Johan and our our permanent team of trained professionals who adopted those new to us and expertly guided them through each task making for a seamless operation.

The Man O' War kitchen (affectionately known as "The Anchoridge"), lead with orchestrated precision by Deb and Gian, has been at full throttle keeping the boys fueled up on all manner of oral treats from pumpkin soup to traditional Ethiopian cuisine to. Over 5000 meals over the last two months have been served and the boys are going to have to go six weeks cold turkey from Gian's "world famous on Waiheke" chili pickle.....natures performance enhancer!!

Rob, Jo, Miranda, Arun, Sam and Lance.....can't wait for next year!!

Speaking of next year, as you can see bud burst is also now well underway signalling the start of spring and the 2010 vintage.

Big thanks to Nega, Sembhy and the rest of the crew for your help...look forward to seeing you back soon.

All for now from Man O' War HQ.

Come and Visit us at the Eurowine Road Show - 21st - 24th Sept

Eurowine cause havoc at Man O' War

A little while ago, the crew from Eurowine (NZ Distributor) boarded planes, ferries, taxis and Man O’ war trucks and were whisked away to Man O’ War Farm for their annual conference. They were well feed, watered and informed. Duncan, Matt & Sonic hosted the team and tasted through the new 08 vintages and also had a sneak peak of the 2009’s, especially loved was the Man O’ War Rose 2009 and Sauvignon blanc, Pinot gris and Bordeaux blends… exciting stuff!

Jose Hernandez won the inaugural “MOP AWARD”, for his passion and dedication to Man O’ War over the past year. Who will get the fancy pen next year?

Highlights package from the 3 days:

2 Man O’ War Trucks, 10 early morning flights, 1 out of action Man O’ War boat, 18 ferry tickets (1 free gold card).

18 coffees and muffins delivered by Manuel.

45 minute bus ride with Jimbo, 16 slightly green passengers, 2 happy people in the green snot machine.

3 days of conference, Deb & Gian feeding 35 vineyard workers plus 18 Eurowine team, lots of happy tummys!

45 minute presentation from Sara, Berocca & Panadol distributed first.

One new vintage 08 tasting inside with Dunc, Matt, Sonic, Bron and Rach, one happy Jose with “beautiful” 08 Chardonnay”

Early BBQ at the anchorage, some world famous Gian grappa, lots of Man O’ War wine, very serious dart competition.

24 beers at Skinny Sardine…. Only the first night!

Day 2 = more serious meetings, Sally & Nick visit from Te Mata and don’t get lost.

Final dinner at Vino Vino, 6 magnums of LP!

Inaugural “MOP Award”, 1 Jose in tears!

280 beers at Skinny Sardine, no more Carchelo or Coleraine left.

Cheeky 21 year old whiskey to finish.

Day 3 = another 45min bus ride with Jimbo, a lot quieter this morning

25 question spot quiz, 16 new MOW fans

Sneak peak of the 09 wines in the winery, lots of excited people!

Last 45minute bus ride with Jimbo, a lot slower this time.

20 bottles of water, 16 return tickets to Auckland…

2009 very successful Eurowine conference!

Sara

Man O’ War to launch in Britain

Man O’ War will launch in the United Kingdom in September, teaming up with boutique wine distributor Stokes Fine Wines.

Stokes only represents winemakers who are passionate about making handcrafted wines, searching out those of the highest quality with bags of character; wines that speak of the place they are from and the people who make it. Man O’ War is family owned and all estate grown, found at the eastern end of Waiheke Island, New Zealand. The vineyards are a stunning spread of coastal hillsides — 150 acres of vines spread over 90 individual parcels selected specifically for their terroir and microclimate. It’s this attention to detail that produces such individual wines.

This obsession with quality and individuality means its wines find their way onto some of the best British wine shelves — including Harvey Nichols. Naturally, Man O’ War is thrilled to be able to provide knowledgeable British palates with the best Waiheke Island has to offer.

Stokes’ Sales and Marketing Manager, Justin Liddle, says: “I am delighted to be working with Man O’ War Vineyards in the UK, a really outstanding producer that shares our philosophy for having fun while achieving well-planned and executed success. Man O’ War is at the start of a very exciting adventure which I am so pleased to be part of and look forward to developing a long-standing partnership.”

Man O’ War’s winemaker Duncan McTavish will be attending the launch, at ‘Smiths’ of Smithfield on Tuesday 8th September 2009, with the owners of Man O’ War.

Rugby Trade Adventure

Yeah, Go the Blacks!

Last weekend Man O’ War hosted some fantastic trade partners from all around New Zealand and a few friends from across the ditch in Australia.

We kicked off the weekend with dinner on the Friday night at one of our key accounts SPQR in Ponsonby, to give the Aussies a taste of kiwi cuisine and check out the Auckland nightlife, later venturing to the Ponsonby Social Club to see our friends Sharr & Chris. A fairly tame night was had by all, as we had a big day planned on Saturday!

First thing Saturday we met at the ferry terminal in downtown Auckland.

We had a fabulous group of trade partners with us for the day including Aaron Winwood from Domaine Wine Shippers, our distributors in Australia, Aaron looks after most key accounts in Sydney city and is also a qualified sommelier.
We also had Simon from Catalina Restaurant in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and Wiremu from Bacash Melbourne. From Auckland we had Sharr, Chris and Rodney from the Ponsonby Social Club, Les Morgan from the Duxton Hotel Group, Francis and Kevin Fitzgerald from Fitzgerald’s Wine, Bill and a few of his friends from the Village Winery and several more keen wine enthusiast.

A very blowy ride over and yet I couldn’t get the Aussies to sit down, a little like the local paparazzi out in force; I was worried we may have lost one of them along the way.

Matt Allen Man O’ War’s Vineyard manager started the day with a tour of our gorgeous property, albeit a touch windy and then down to the winery to meet Duncan McTavish our famed wine maker.

We tried barrel samples and all of the individual components to our 2008 flagship Ironclad Bordeaux Blend, which was an interesting exercise and went down a treat with the wine nerds in the room (which was most of us!).
Back for lunch at Anchorage and another wine tasting of all of our recent releases and homemade venison pie thanks to Guan and Deb!

We loaded onto the ferry for our ride back to Auckland and then straight to the Duxton where Les had organised an incredible spread of food and more Man O’ War wine for the group.

The Rugby... well what a game! Duncan McTavish and his charming girlfriend Vanessa helped me co host the evening and

these photos should sum up the fun that was had and of course the fabulous win from the All Blacks!

After the rugby we piled into cabs and headed to La Zeppa for tapas, more Man O’ War wine and many more laughs!

What an awesome industry we are in and what fabulous friends and partners we have, thank you to everyone!

Victory!

See you soon!
Bronny