MATAKANA VERSUS LEAPERS FORK

Friends in Nashville as me just how big is Matakana. I guess the village closest to it nearNashville is Leapers Fork down in Williamson Co. The difference is that in Matakana one can get lunch in 10 different places and at last count there were only two places to eat in LP!!!! Also, Matakana now has is own real liquor store. I bet Leapers Fork will never match that back in good ole Tenn.!!!!

The photo is of the owners of the just opened Matakana Liquor Center (spelled the English way in NZ as you can see in the shot!!) That is Louise and John Walsh and their two cute boys standing in the doorway. I did a wine tasting there yesterday (yes, in NZ one can actually do wine tastings in liquor stores!!!!) and met a lot of locals in our valley who drive by our place every day but have not tasted our wine. I had a good time and met a lot of nice people with good palates for wine. Here in NZ we sell a Merlot (05) as well as our Orchard Block red blend.

The other shot is our is our our new house guests!!!!! That is a mallard duck mom and 13 (count them) of her chicks showed up the other day in our yard. Sandra thought that they were sooooo cute so she fed them corn flakes (go figgure????) and they won't leave now. The sure do crap a lot on our sidewalks and are driving our neurotic cat-Pepper-crazy. She is afraid of them actually. Fun and games at the Daniell home in Matakana Valley I say.

More soon.

Dr JIM