WE JUST just talked to Jeremy, our manager, back in Matakana and he told us the they picked our Malbec yesterday. With the warm NZ fall the grapes got ripe about 2 weeks earlier than in the past. He said that we got 4.2 tons of grapes so that is fantastic. The brix level was 24 which is very good. (brix level=sugar content of the grape) One ton of grapes will give about 600 liters of wine which is around 70 cases. So, we could have a pure Malbec if we wanted and get over 250 cases. That is a small amount wine but we are happy to have such a good volume of grapes this year. We thought that we had bunch thinned enough to get small cropping but I guess we should be happy with that volume.
We will be picking the Cab Franc in about two weeks and should get 6 tons of that. If we do blend both together for our future 08 wine we could have 600 cases again!!! More on that in a long time as we won't have that wine ready for well over a year.
Sorry to be slow with postings but I have been busy with medicine. I do have three wine promotion events setup here in Nashville. I will be signing bottles tomorrow - Fri the 11th at Grand Cru here in Nashville. On this Sat from 1-3 I will do the same at the wine shopp next to the new Whole Foods Store in Green Hills Place. Finally on Fri the 25th of April I will be at Frugal McDougals from 4-6 also to promote Hawks Nest.
Here is what Frugals sent out as a pr promotional email about that coming event. Pass it on and do come to one of these three events if you want a signed bottle!!
More soon;
Dr JIM
Dr. Jim Daniell of Hawks Nest Vineyard to Appear at Frugal McDougal’s Liquor Store- Nashville, Tenn. April 25th, 2008
Nashville physician and New Zealand wine producer Dr. Jim Daniell will appear at Frugal MacDoogal's Nashville store, Friday afternoon April 25th, from 4 to 6 p.m. for a meet-and-greet and autograph event. There is no charge for the event and everyone is invited.
Dr. Jim will be signing bottles of his Hawks Nest Orchard Block Red wine, which is really quite rare. In fact, we're lucky to be able to buy it in Nashville. Hawks Nest imported just 160 of the total 600 cases of the 2006 vintage to the USA, and all of that came to middle Tennessee. The lion's share remains in New Zealand where it has received numerous accolades and sells out quickly.
Orchard Block Red (available for $19.99 at Frugal MacDoogal's) is a signature blend of Malbec and Cabernet Franc, styled to be enjoyed by itself or paired with the bounty of local New Zealand meats and fish. If you're looking for a red that is ideal with New Zealand lamb, while also versatile enough for fresh seafood or free range beef, take the doctor's advice and get some Orchard Block while it's available.
The Doctor, Winemaker, Bottle-washer and Orchardist
Hawks Nest gets its name from the native birds that soar over the hills of the scenic New Zealand coastal area where the vineyard is situated. Hawks Nest is nestled on gently sloping north facing soil in a working orchard block in the midst of picturesque Matakana Valley. At 37 degrees south latitude, Matakana Valley has a climate and soil not dissimilar to some of the great wine growing regions of the world. Less than an hour's drive north of Auckland, the Matakana region is blessed with pristine beaches, grass covered hillsides, and small pastoral communities for which New Zealand is renowned.
A native Tennessean, Dr. Jim semi-retired from medicine and moved with his wife Sandra to New Zealand part time in 1999 to seek a life "no less sophisticated but far less complicated." The Daniells go back and forth a half a dozen times each year from Nashville to Matakana, taking advantage of the opposite weather patterns of the northern and southern hemispheres. Dr. Jim still practices medicine 3 days a week for 4 months out of the year. "I am only 64 and still in my medical prime. Thus I have the best of both worlds," Daniell points out reflecting on the duality of his lifestyle.
When in New Zealand, days are spent in the Hawks Nest orchard and vineyard, tending to the raising of avocados, limes, olives, Asian persimmons and wine grapes. The grapes came most recently to the property, planted in 2001. "We only began to think of growing grapes in 2000 after meeting all our neighbors who grew grapes who told us we had perfect land for grapes." Now a typical April day will find Dr. Jim dressed in scrubs, with his trusty terrier in tow, surrounded by friends, harvesting grapes.
Jim's wife Sandra is a gourmet cook and the Daniells love fine quality fresh food. "All cows in New Zealand are free range and seafood is fresh and local. Don't forget the lamb and green lipped mussels for which New Zealand is famous. We sought to make a wine we could enjoy alone or paired with either meat or fish."
The Daniells have a blog you can visit to follow the happenings at Hawks Nest, and get a taste of life in both hemispheres. Check it out: http://www.hawksnestvineyard.blogspot.com.
