BACK IN SUMMER!!!

Boy, it sure is to be back in a second summer. (Actually this is our first summer of 08 as it is still Jan!!!) Sandra and I are all settled in and the weather is wonderful. Dry, hot, and low humidity. Perfect for grape and humans so all is well in our world.

We have caught up on all the local Matakana News and are happy to announce that the first annual Matakana Wine and Food Festival will be March 2, 08 a Sunday. It will be a big event and we are part of it!! Here is a little promo info and the web link. They expect up to 10,000 people for the day and we hope to sell hundreds of bottles of wine--wish us luck. If you are reading this in NZ be sure to pass this on to your wine loving mates as it will be an neat day with music, wine, and food all on a 21 acre site at the Matakana Country Market site.

More about that later.

Dr Jim and Miss Sandra--all settled in here in NZ for the summer.

Big News- the first annual Matakana Wine Festival !!!

The inaugural Matakana Wine and Food Festival is going to be held on Sunday 2nd March 2008 from 10.30am to 6pm at the 21-hectare Matakana Country park on the corner of Leigh Road and Takatu Road, Matakana, about an hour and a bits drive north of Auckland City. Details are a bit sketchy at this stage but it's limited to Matakana Winegrowers' members and the organisers expect a good turnout of the region's 29 wine producers. Modelled on the very successful Toast Martinborough but in a central location, each winery will have its own pavilion and dedicated restaurant or chef to match food to their wines and festival francs will be the currency of the day.

Ticket price is $65 per person, however an an 'early bird' discounted ticket is just $55 per person for those who purchase by January 30th. Tickets are available at the Warkworth iSite or from TicketMaster. Find out more from www.matakanawineandfoodfestival.co.nz.