Hawks Nest Wines of NZ: Hawks Nest Wines of NZ

Hawks Nest Wines of NZ:

Well, this will be my last blog of 2006. We have had a good holiday season with family and friends stopping by. I thought I would share two photos with you from our "family time" this last week. On the left that is our oldest son-Brandon- who is our in-house wine expert. (he spent several years in France in the nineties and acquired a good knowledge or wines to go along with his fine palate. He lives in NZ ( not with us but in Auckland where he is in the food business-he came to visit us in NZ and liked it so much that he moved there too!!!!) and was home for the holidays. He has been one of the main forces behind the scene to push us forward to get our wines into America. While in Nashville in December, he really enjoyed going by the many various bottle shops that he used to haunt regularly looking for deals on wines and finding our Hawks Nest Wine on the shelves. Here he his admiring our 2005 as it was just first placed on the shelf at the Wine Shoppe in Green Hills. Ed, Courtney, and Josh there have been most helpful to us to get us going with sales here in West Nashville. Thanks ED!!!!! The other shot is of my bride of 40+ years and one of her best friends-Dianne Sussman (on the left). You will have to agree that they both look pretty good to be "women of a certain age" as we say at the senior citizen's center. Dianne and her husband, Craig, have a real wine cellar and that is where we keep the good stuff. They also have supported our wine efforts here in Tennessee from the beginning. The have been to New Zealand several times and seem to love hanging out there with us at Hawks Nest Vineyard and Orchard. (I think they both love that terrible job of repeated barrel sampling of the wines--heck, someone has to do the dirty work I guess!!) So, we will enjoy New Years with them and watch a lot of football (gridiron for my Kiwi friends who read this) over the next week as we get ready to return to NZ on Jan 8th for the NZ summer. It will be nice to get back to the vineyard and summertime. A touch of winter goes a long way with me now so I look forward to long days, and lots of sunshine over Matakana!!!! Finally Sandra and I wish you all a Happy New Years and a healthy 2007 for you and yours:):):) Dr. Jim and Sandra -heading downunder soon!

Hawks Nest Wines of NZ

Hawks Nest Wines of NZ

I bet all of you are getting your least minute shopping done for wines before the year end parties. Here in Nashville our 2004 wins is sold out and there are only a few cases available in Chatt. at Riverside Wines??? Once that is gone there is NO more (except in my basement cellar)

ALERT TO YOU ALL IN CHATT!!! I WILL BE IN RIVERSIDE WINES AND SPIRITS TOMORROW- DEC. 23RD FROM NOON TO ABOUT 3 PM SIGNING OUR BOTTLES OF WINE AND HELPING CHRIS AND HIS STAFF FILL YOUR HOLIDAY LIBATIONS ORDERS. DO STOP BY TO LOAD UP AND VISIT WITH ME IF YOU ARE NEAR. IT WILL BE FUN TO TALK WITH YOU.

FOOD ALERT
The really good news for Nashville drinkers is that our wine is now placed in some of the area dining places. We are especially proud that Tayst on Hillsboro Rd. just across from the army navy store and St Bernards is now offering our 2005 Orchard Block Red. Tayst was rated Nashville's best new interesting dining place by the Food Network last year and you will see why when you visit. Very friendly staff, nice quiet and cozy environment, well located, easy parking, and best of all good food paired with yummy Wine!!!
Do call Tayst soon to make reservations and when there ask for Hawks Nest!! Tell them Dr Jim sent you!!!!

So, I will post again after the holidays as soon as I get over the overdose of food and family!!!

Sandra and I wish you and your family well.

Dr Jim

Hawks Nest Wines of NZ

Hawks Nest Wines of NZ

Well, it has been a busy December here in Tennessee as I have had to attend to my medical practice a bit as well as host our lovely grandchildren-Baylor and Cadance from Denver--they are 1 and 3 and are full of energy for sure. They were a hand full for Sandra and I but they have gone home to get ready to give a hard time to Santa and thus all is quiet here now.

So, what is going on in the world of Hawks Nest Wines? The good news is the early opinions by the "drinker on the street" here in Nashville is that our just released 05 Hawks Nest Orchard Block Red is well worth the higher price in the retail shops (it is selling for $37 here). Even though the wine is very young (just 2 months since bottling) it is opening up very nicely. We had a small NZ wine dinner at Mambu's last Monday and that was very successful. Anita, the chef/owner, prepared some wonderful food to match with our 04 and our 05 wine. Also I drove down to Chattanooga, Tennessee where my lovely cousin-Mufti- hosted a wine tasting at her home last Thursday night. Here is a shot of Mufti and her lovely daughter Ellis who is in her second year atd Auburn University. Ellis is soooo charming and mature- and did I mention very attractive to boot? She was great help to us for the tasting for about 90 people. (that is Ellis on the right in the photo but they do look like sisters in the shot I think) A lot of the guests placed orders for our wines which are available at Riverside Wine and Spirits there in Chatt.

We are closing in on the holidays but I do have two more tasting events in Nashville after the new year in the first week. One will be a free tasting (that one will draw a crowd I bet) sponsored by Grand Cru on Murphy Rd. on Sat. afternoon Jan 6th from 3 to 4:30. It is at the Portland Brew coffee shop right next to Grand Cru just off West End. Just plan to drop by for a taste. The second tasting will be a really nice new cafe in Green Hills area of Nashville called Macke's. (for you Nashvillians it is in the old Davis-Kidd upstairs spot) This will be with nibbles and will be from 5:30 to 7:30 on Wed. Jan 3rd. You need a reservation for this tasting and there will be a small fee to attend. This one is sponsored by Ed. at The Wine Shoppe of Green Hills. More by email about these two events.

I have some Christmas gifts to wrap so I better get off and get that work done before Sandra comes home and chastises me for being lazy!!!

Happy Holidays to all of you and think of Hawks Nest Red Orchard Block wine as you stock up for the year end parties!!!

Dr JIm-- covered with unwrapped gifts!!!

Hawks Nest Wines of NZ: Hawks Nest Wines of NZ

Hawks Nest Wines of NZ: Hawks Nest Wines of NZ

Well, the holiday season is for real now in Tenn. with colder weather which is great to get us all in the mood to celebrate. Good time to drink good red wine and I know just what you need- our new Orchard Blog Red of course!!!! . We have just released our 05 Hawks Nest Red here in Nashville and it is being well received. We had a final tasting with our importers last Friday and they really loved how the wine has matured since last July when they tasted our barrel sample. It is a very unique blend of Cab Franc and Malbac--bold but smooth. The wine will retail for around $35 here in Tenn and is well worth it. Reds from NZ other than Pinot Noir are very rare here so we have a whole new catagory of wine it seems. That makes us the catagory leader as they say when the talk "marketing talk"

Good news for all Tennesseans!! We have two wine dinners coming up next week to introduce our wines. One is on Sun the 10th out in Franklin sponsored by Del Rio Wines and one on Dec 11th in midtown sponsored by Mid Town Wine and Spirits. Do try to join us. If you need details, email me at JDGYN@aol.com and I will send info to you!!
Next blog, I will try to include a shot or two from the tastings. Here is one of Colin who owns Del Rio with our dog- Smudge, who will NOT be at the tasting dinners.):):):) He looks forward to having you drop in his store anytime.


More soon

Dr JIm -getting ready for the family holiday invasions!!!!