How Hawks Nest Wine got to Tennessee

We are about to start our third year selling wine in Tennessee and so far I have not officially thanked the person who is most responsible for it all. (besides my wife and banker)

Mark Johnson (the dude leaning on the bar in the photo) used to write a wine column for the Nashville Paper that I often read. I emailed him out of the blue several years ago and he was very nice to meet with and answer my questions about wine importing from NZ and wine sale in general. Mark set up a tasting for me and I brought back from NZ some of Matakana Valley's reds sold by our neighbours there.
He then worked at Sunset Grill and immediately organized a tasting there and invited some key players in the wine business to come meet me, taste some NZ reds from Matakana Valley, and hear of my plans to possibly import Hawks Nest red wine to Tenn. That is where I first met the nice guys from Lipman Brothers. The "rest is history "as the saying goes.

SOOOOOOO,, Mark Johnson A BIG THANK YOU FROM SANDRA AND I FOR GETTING US STARTED. (now will you pay some of my bills?????)

Seriously, we do appreciate Mark's advice and help. All has come full circle in 4 years as Mark now runs the really cool wine shop called Vinea at 2410 12th Ave. South here in Nashville. He has some neat wines, loves to talk about wine, and runs a nice series of FREE wine tastings next door at the cheese store just behind Vinea called CORRIERI'S FROMAGGERIA. Mark will have Hawks Nest Orchard Block Red in stock for a really good price soon. So drop in and tell Mark, Kristen, and the rest of his staff that Dr Jim told you to stop by. (that is Kristen in the middle shot between the guys)

I am hosting my next tasting event there on Sat. afternoon Aug. 25th so plan to come. More on that soon. Meanwhile I am off back to the pool and my G and T.


DR JIm