Bron's trip so far..

From Auckland to San Fran airport, I jumped straight into a hire car ready to drive up to the Napa Valley and was sitting in the passenger seat.. ouch left hand drive, forgot about that!

An hour later I was sitting on Rob Mondavi's porch, in one piece sharing a bottle of Man o' War.

Had a wonderful few days touring the Napa Valley being chaperoned by one of the Napa's finest, visiting many fine wine stores, retail outlets and restaurants. There is a good presence of New Zealand wine in stores, the majority being Sauvignon Blanc, then Pinot Noir and small amount of Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Merlot. Lots of Napa Chardonnay, lots and lots!
Wholefoods was an amazing store, its a very high end organic food and wine store here in the US and has the most incredible collection of cheeses, meats and of course wine! I met Geoff, the fine wine manager who knew more fabulous facts about New Zealand than I did! He had me giggling for about 30 minutes.

Bouchon - Wow what a wonderful French restaurant, I wanted something light and ordered the french onion soup, Rob looked at me in surprise and muttered ' light..' and I realised soon why, it was incredible rich and full of cheese and bread and onions! Nothing a large glass of Napa Valley Chardonnay couldn't help digest!

Met up with the Folio team and it was interesting to hear their insight into where the market is at this time. Later I had the opportunity to meet Mary and Andy Lytle and their little bundle of joy Jasper. Andy has been in the wine industry most of his life so it was fascinating to hear his very reassuring thoughts on the state of the US wine industry.
We visited 'Mustards' an iconic restaurant here in the Napa and enjoyed ribs and a bottle of Jayson Woodbridges famous Napa Valley Cabernet Hundred Acre and a bottle of Mondavi's Spellbound Petit Syrah.

I loved my visit to the Napa Valley, it is very Grande, the wineries are very Grande, nothing like I have seen before - a stunning and beautiful place!
From the Napa to LA,
I was lucky enough to have the famous Jim (Hollywood) Malloy as my partner in crime in LA. We visited countless restaurants and fine wine stores including two stand outs.

- Wine House Fine Wine, an institution in LA. We met JIm Knight and tasted through the entire Man O' War range. This was by far the largest wine store I have encountered yet in the US, rows and rows of wine from all over the world.
- Wally's Fine Wine, this fine wine store perfectly rap each bottle of wine purchased and standing outside you see limo after limo pull up and take off.

LA to Montreal for the NZ Wine show.

Visited the SAQ to get a permit for our wine, as it was wrestled off me by customs!
Met the ever charming Jean-Charles Thiry and Jack Cohen from UVAS Fine Wine and was shown around Montreal visiting Le Gourmand an amazing restaurant in Pointe-Clair (Quebec) where i was lucky enough to have lunch with Jean-Charles and Micheal the owner/chef at Le Gourmand.

Montreal to Toronto - For the NZ Wine Show, a whirl wind trip where I met Lenny and the boys from BW Wines and Nick Hirons from The Merchant Vintner and later was lead astray by the likes of Sue and Paula and the rest of the crew from the NZ wine Show and missed my flight to New york in the morning! Phew I need to pick up my game. All in all the NZ Wine Shows were a hit, incredibly successful, so congratulations to Robert Ketchin (right).

New York, oh New York.. this City is just amazing..

I had the most incredible time meeting Pierre and Nicolas at Soho House, Craig and the sommelier team from Public, Ken from Sheree Lehmann and Diane from the famous Kiwi and Australian Nelson Blue Restaurant and Bar. I also caught up with the lovely Dana Johanson from New Zealand Trade and Enterprises for coffee and an insight into the NYC market and what was happening in the industry.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Anthony from Noble House Wine and Sheila from Martin Scott, a well renoun wine distributor in NYC.

I also had time to shop.. sight see.. shop... research the NY night scene... and did I mention shop?

NYC excites me and the markets response to Man o' War wines was incredible.. bring on August!

NYC to Vancouver - Just a day in Vancouver with a meeting with Darryl and Richard from Authentic Wine and Spirits, who walked the NZ Wine Show with me and gave me an insight into Vancouver and the BC Wine Market. Every Province in Canada has different Alcohol laws, its like dealing with a new country - a bit like the US and gets very confusing!

I also met some other great distributors Bob Guinn from TGIC Fine Wine Importers and Distributors (US and Canada) and Paul Martin (Peacock and Martin) a distributor based in BC, both lovely men of which I shared fish and chips with on the Vancouver water front.. just stunning!

And here I am in St Helena in the Napa Valley, the sun is shining and I am sitting on my bed typing this and having a glass of Napa Valley Chardonnay!

Bye for now..

Bronny

Man O' War on its way to Southampton

Man O’ War has left the “Rock of Gibraltar” and is heading for Southampton (where we are going to catch up with Stokes Fine Wines in Hampshire) en route to the Baltic. We are running along in a sturdy 40 knots and the rolling Atlantic swell off the coast of Spain. In this patch of ocean, a few miles offshore between the port of Cadiz and the western end of the Strait of Gibraltar, the supremacy of the Royal Navy was stamped indelibly on the history of the 19th century. When during a single terrible afternoon in October 1805, twenty-seven Man O’ War sailing ships commanded by Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson annihilated a combined French and Spanish fleet of thirty-three ships-of-the-line under the French Admiral Pierre Villeneuve. The nearest map reference, a remote coastal bay called Trafalgar, was to give the battle its name. Much like Man O’ War Bay gives it name to our vineyards and wine. In honour of Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar we have decided to name the latest addition to our black label range, a spectacular 2009 Viognier, “Victory” after Nelson’s flagship the H.M.S Victory. B

“The Rock” of Gibraltar

Man O’ War is currently sailing from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea. We hope to visit various friends along the way. We are currently anchored off “The Rock” of Gibraltar which is at the same latitude as “The Rock” of Waiheke Island. Tomorrow we sail past Cape Trafalgar the site of the most comprehensive naval victory of all time on our way to Southampton. We might need to name a wine in recognition of such an auspicious event! B

The Far East

Arrived to the rain and heat in Hong Kong , amazing smells everywhere for a first timer here, I am pleased to be tall. Such an interesting place. Checked out the local wine retail scene, very impressed with Ponti (www.ponti-fwc.com), Olivers and 360 (www.threesixtyhk.com). We need something like this at home! Very sophisticated wine market here.

Had a great tour around Tsim Sha Tsui and dinner with Vanessa from At Style wine importers in a traditional Chinese restaurant, where I tried ducks feet, cheek of snapper and goose, couldn’t quite brave the chicken feet.
Every night you can see a light & music show from 8pm from Tsim Shar Tsui looking back to Hong Kong Island.

Met some other great wine distributors and Eddie McDougall from the Independent Wine Centre, learnt a lot about this market. Excited about the opportunities for us here. Caught up with Travis & Natasha Brown who are Australians living here both working in hospitality so great to learn more about the market and what is happening here. We went to Lan Kwai Fong the expat hang out. Did I mention anything about the Super 14 Finals... never.

Caught the ferry to Macau, a fascinating place. To me a good combination of Hong Kong and somewhere in the middle of Europe. You can still see the influence of the Portuguese here. We have representation here with TH Fine Wines, www.thfinewines.com. We have had meetings with MGM and the City of Dreams complex, Dreadnought Syrah on the opening list of City of Dreams. It opens next Monday, they complex in the final stages with 6000 staff members in training still. It will be wonderful to see it again open.

Off to see some more complexes today, and then leave on Sunday for Shanghai. Hopefully without losing too much money at any of the Casinos here!
Until the next time. Sara

From Madrid to Hong Kong

Ola

Quick trip to Madrid on Wednesday to meet with Cesar Rodenas from Winetipodes to talk through some options for Spain with them.

It was 34*C and beautiful weather. We saw some amazing places including the Silken Puerta America Hotel (pictures), which as a very uber-cool restaurant & bar.

We had lunch at an amazing little restaurant, Edulis, it reminded me of French Cafe with only 6 tables. Luca the owner, chef, waiter and someillier all in one, looked after us so very well and the food was amazing. If your in Madrid, you must go www.edulisrestaurante.com and after July you should be able to find Man O' War there as well as around Spain in special outlets.

Back to London, England where the sun and warmth finally arrived just as I was leaving. There some very exciting developments happening here, more will be revealed soon.

Arrived in Hong Kong this afternoon to the rain (again), looking forward to the next exciting adventure. Will keep you posted...

Sara

Duncan's winery update

We have just finished pressing the last of our reds on Monday and the barrels are all stacked away, it’s the last week with all the workers here so we are glorified cleaners at the moment.

I’m ready to finish the Dreadnought this week for bottling at the winery in late June.
The Man O' War Sauvignon Blanc 09 and Man O' War Pinot Gris 09 are finished blends and I will start stabilising them for bottling in the spring.

Exciting times.
Duncan

LIWF 09

Kia Ora from London, England!

The 2009 London International Wine Fair

is over, we had amazing interest in

Man O’ War, the wines and what we

are all about.

Over the course of the 3 days, we scanned over 300 people (hopefully not

brainwashing them), making some amazing new friends and learnt a lot about the markets in UK, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Ireland, South Africa and even Canada. Many were from great retail outlets like Oddbins and Majestic, smaller independents like Thos Peatling Fine Wines and the Wig & Mitre group. We had a great catch up with Sam from Wine Thief, a brilliant online NZ wine store, who placed our first order with Ironclad. To be served at a function at New Zealand house at the end of May. Quite a few hotels came through and some buyers from British Airways, so a great way to meet the full spectrum of every type of establishment selling wine.

We were between Gary & Martin from Babich and Neil who was on the NZ Winegrowers stand showing great wines from Maven, Archangel and Judge Rock, and a great help at introducing Man O’ War to many punters at the show. Thank you Neil (on the left sans hat)!

The Man O’ War Sauvignon Blanc, Valhalla Chardonnay, Man O’ War Merlot Cabernet Franc, Dreadnought Syrah and Ironclad were huge hits! As was the new Man O’ War DVD, so many want to now visit Waiheke Island and New Zealand.

The team at NZ Winegrowers were brilliant, the stand looked amazing and many friends from other ‘large companies’ commented that the New Zealand stand was one of the busiest at the show.

There were some spectacular stands; favourites include McGuigan who had planted vines, who would have thought in the middle of London, England!

This week I am catching up with some potential distributors in UK and Spain, off to Madrid for a day on Wednesday, (so foreign for us Kiwis), and then heading to Hong Kong for the second leg of the trip. It’s been amazing to be in London, England. It astonishes me how far the New Zealand Wine industry has come, when you see 3 bays of New Zealand wine in Harrods. They really do love us over here. Yesterday an article came out that NZ bucks the trend in the UK market and is in growth and at a higher price point! (see blog below)

Until next time,
Sara

UK drinkers turn to New Zealand

May 15, 2009 Decanter Magazine,
Hazel Macrae

New Zealand is bucking the trend of declining wine sales in the UK according to the latest figures from AC Nielsen.

Having grown 11.5% over the last year, Nielsen statistics show sales of New Zealand wines have rocketed in the UK by 42% in the last 12 weeks. This is in direct contrast to European countries such as France, Spain and Italy which have suffered as a result of the strength of the euro and the harsh economic climate.

An unusually large 2008 harvest in New Zealand - up 39% in volume on 2007 - combined with favourable exchange rates, has resulted in greater value for money in NZ wines, which are being snapped up by consumers and retailers.

Sauvignon Blanc remains king, accounting for just over 75% of New Zealand's wine exports last year. New Zealand's average bottle price in the UK is £6.26. The average bottle price of all wine sold in the UK is £4.01.

http://www.decanter.com/news/282663.html

Napa to San Fran

Man O' War review in Australian Gourmet Pages May 09

Australian Gourmet Pages Newsletter News & Views May 2009


Man O'War - Wine of New Zealand
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By Franz Scheurer
Captain Cook is responsible for naming the Man O'War station on Waiheke Island (off Auckland), as this is where he cut the tall Kauri trees to be used as masts on his Man O'War sailing ships. The Spencer family planted the first grapes on the Man O'War station some fifteen years ago on the sheltered, and incredibly steep, north facing slopes. Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf is a rugged and beautiful place and the Man O'War farm encompasses an olive grove, a sheep and cattle farm and of course a vineyard and their wines are astonishingly good.

I had the chance to try all of their current releases over the last few days and I'm happy to share my latest 'discovery' with you. One of the points of difference is the fact that they work with a soil type that is unique to Waiheke Island. It is called stony batter clay loam and it contributes largely to the otherwise coastal terroir. This is reflected in their wines and adds an interesting dimension to their texture.

There are two tiers of wines, black labels and white labels. In the black label series there's the Gravestone Sauvignon Blanc, Valhalla Chardonnay, Ironclad Bordeaux Red and the Dreadnought Syrah. In the white label series you find the Man O'War Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Merlot Cabernet and Syrah. Let me tell you right now that every single wine is worth drinking. All of them are above average in quality and well worth seeking out. There are a couple of standouts:

The first outstanding wine is the Man O'War Valhalla Chardonnay 2007 and I'd be happy to compare this with any New World Chardonnay on the market. It is simply fantastic. Hand harvested, whole bunch pressed, cold settled, fermented in old French oak barrels and matured for 10 months. This is a rich, bold Chardonnay, definitely New World, but not oak dominated. It is golden in colour, bottled at a whopping 14.5% a/v but remains an elegant wine. With a grapefruit and honeydew nose, it confirms the citrus aromas on the palate and caresses the entire inside of your mouth with a creamy texture that is immediately alluring. It finishes long and perfectly balanced. Although there is still quite a bit of acidity present it never interferes with the balance of this wine and I expect this to get better for almost a decade.Fantastic wine!

The second outstanding wine is the Man O'War Dreadnought Syrah 2007. The fruit for this wine is harvested from the steepest and hottest vineyard sites, destemmed, open fermented, plunged throughout fermentation and the skins are left even after the fermentation has finished. This is a wine for lovers of 'dark aromas and flavours'. Although red berry fruit is there, this is a savoury, spicy wine with lots of 'forest floor' aromas. It is an 'in your face' wine that is eminently drinkable now but shows all the signs that make a great, aged wine. If you have the patience, leave it for at least a decade and it will reward you with one of the best, integrated and balanced wines I can imagine.

Both the above wines are a must in any wine lovers cellar. They are distributed in Australia, so it is possible to find then. Otherwise contact the winery direct on: +64 9 303 9677 or by e-mailA special thanks for Bronwyn Skuse for introducing me to these wonderful wines. I can't thank you enough!
Quick Links...
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Our Website

Contact Information
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phone: +61 412 233 201
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Festival Writers to taste Man O’ War Wines

6th May 2009

Writers in town for this month’s 2009 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival, which runs from the 14th to 17th of May, will be introduced to some of New Zealand’s best wine, grown and produced on nearby Waiheke Island. Man O’ War winemakers are the Festival’s wine sponsors, and over 100 well-known national and international writers will be served some of the very best wine New Zealand has to offer while they’re in Auckland.

The 2009 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival packs in more than 50 separate events over four days and is expected to attract a record audience in 2009, with overall ticket sales up more than 40% on 2008. World class wines from the spectacular Man O’ War vineyards, located on the eastern end of Waiheke Island, will be served to Festival writers at select Festival events, including the Opening Night celebration, after the popular New Zealand Listener Opening Night on Thursday 14th May at the Aotea Centre.

“We are really excited about being involved with the 2009 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival and look forward to being part of it,” says Bronwyn Skuse from Man O’ War Vineyards. “With record numbers expected, and lots of international guests in the programme, we are delighted to offer them the opportunity to sample some of the very best wine New Zealand has to offer.”

Staff writer for the New Yorker and celebrated fashion and culture journalist Judith Thurman will be a star attraction. The first event of the 2009 Festival programme is a sell-out lunch with Judith Thurman on Thursday May 14th at Soul Bar in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour. As the festival’s wine sponsor, Man O’ War wine will be served.
Another highlight of the 2009 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival is the announcement of the winners of the 2009 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book and Best Book Awards. The winners, who will be announced from four finalists in each of the two categories, will receive a magnum of local wine from Man O’ War.

Man O’ War boasts a pristine and beautiful spread of coastal hillsides with high cliffs and stunning beaches, and features 150 acres of vines strategically placed in 90 individual blocks. Within easy reach of the city and producing world class wines since 1993, Man O’ War’s support of the 2009 Auckland Readers and Writers Festival provides organisers with the opportunity to offer their guests a unique taste of New Zealand that will undoubtedly impress.

Anyone can go in the draw for Man O’ War wine giveaways by visiting Man O’ War’s exciting new website; go to www.manowarvineyards.co.nz and sign up to become a friend of Man O’ War to be in the draw to win.

Websites
2009 Auckland Writers and Readers Festival Website: www.writersfestival.co.nz
Man O’War Website: www.manowarvineyards.co.nz

For more information
Bronwyn SkuseMan O’War Vineyards
Tel. 021 619 051
Email. bronwyn@manowarvineyards.co.nz

Girls leave the Island

The Girls are off....
Follow Bronny & Sara on their journey.

Bronny to San Fran, Napa, LA, Miami, Chicago & Montreal and Sara through London, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai & Tokyo.

We will keep you updated with our antics, tasting comments and new friends of Man O’ War.

The boys & girls left behind will update what is happening on the island as we move through this exciting chapter at Man O’ War.

Haere ra from Bronny & Sara

Birth of the 'Man O' War On Tour' blog site

Welcome to the Man O' War On Tour blog site.
Follow us on our choice journey as we discover new friends around the world and catch up with old mates.

From this new and exciting blog page you can view our profile and link through to our brand spanking new website. Catch up with recent events on the Island and see what we are all up to.

www.manowarvineyards.co.nz

Please feel to comment on anything we post, we love hearing from you all.
As we will be travelling for some time, please keep in touch and follow us on our exciting journey to many corners of the world.