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.