The last few days I've been busy booking flights and boats and beds. I will fly to Fiji tomorrow morning and stay for two weeks. An island hopping pass allows me to get up and move along whenever I want to. It works in the Mamanuca and Yasawa Island chains, which are popular with backpackers for beaches, snorkeling, and some hiking. Most of the islands are pretty small, including the one where "Castaway" was filmed. It should be a good time.
From there, I fly to Istanbul, Turkey to do more travelling while still finding time to relax on a beach somewhere. My friend Evren, who I saw in South Africa, said I could stop by to say hello.
I talked to Monsieur Luc Baudet from Chateau Mas Neuf at the Southern end of the Rhone Valley and he said he'd be happy to have me come work for him. The work permit for France is the biggest obstacle, so we have to start working on that.
I've enjoyed New Zealand and all the people here, but now it's time to leave because it is getting cold. And I might have to come up with a new name for the blog.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
No more work!
Last weekend a French ambassador and his staff came by the winery for a tasting, but they were over an hour late without calling, then decided to have lunch first and ended up trying two wines. Gerhard was not happy and cursed the French before he went home early. Olivier filled in for him at the tasting and the French people were more interested in Olivier than the wine. The next day was roast lamb at Gerhard's house, then Monday was beer and golf day at the Tui brewery. It was good fun and I got last place of the seven people playing, but I expected that for my second game of golf ever.
Two guys from another winery came by to taste out of the tanks and barrels, and I planned to meet the American one in Auckland in a few days. I left Gladstone for the Masterton bus stop to discover that the bus to Palmerston North didn't run that day, so I spent almost an hour in the cold before I managed to hitch a ride. The first woman who picked me up was from Hawkes Bay and had just been out hunting that day. The second woman was clinically insane. As soon as I got in the messy Lexus she dumped her life story on me: husband kicked her out after 25 years and three kids, doesn't take the meds her psychiatrist prescribes her and people still think she's crazy, doesn't talk to her family because they think she's nuts, and she just bought a house so she could write a book about her screwed up life. I was glad to be away from her and in a hostel with other backpackers again.
On Thursday I caught the bus to Auckland with no problem. It was a 10 hour ride for less than $30US so I can't complain. Two volcanic mountains in the middle of the North Island were covered in snow, and quite beautiful. My hostel in Auckland is full of French people. My roommate works in a French restaurant and speaks French to all the staff. I also met an American couple, and the girl lived in the Bay Area for a while. The kitchen smelled great with all the French people cooking. The chocolate "American" pie and crepes were very good.
I went to dinner at a Western-style restaurant with American pictures on the wall, but good food, but I wasn't about to try the $29 burrito. The next day I went to the museum, saw Pirates 4, and ate at my roommate's French restaurant "Le Garde-Manger". It had great food, good French wine, and good casual atmosphere. The beef bourguinon was delicious with a lemon and sugar crepe for dessert.
I've received a couple more replies from wineries in France, but nothing for sure yet.
Two guys from another winery came by to taste out of the tanks and barrels, and I planned to meet the American one in Auckland in a few days. I left Gladstone for the Masterton bus stop to discover that the bus to Palmerston North didn't run that day, so I spent almost an hour in the cold before I managed to hitch a ride. The first woman who picked me up was from Hawkes Bay and had just been out hunting that day. The second woman was clinically insane. As soon as I got in the messy Lexus she dumped her life story on me: husband kicked her out after 25 years and three kids, doesn't take the meds her psychiatrist prescribes her and people still think she's crazy, doesn't talk to her family because they think she's nuts, and she just bought a house so she could write a book about her screwed up life. I was glad to be away from her and in a hostel with other backpackers again.
On Thursday I caught the bus to Auckland with no problem. It was a 10 hour ride for less than $30US so I can't complain. Two volcanic mountains in the middle of the North Island were covered in snow, and quite beautiful. My hostel in Auckland is full of French people. My roommate works in a French restaurant and speaks French to all the staff. I also met an American couple, and the girl lived in the Bay Area for a while. The kitchen smelled great with all the French people cooking. The chocolate "American" pie and crepes were very good.
I went to dinner at a Western-style restaurant with American pictures on the wall, but good food, but I wasn't about to try the $29 burrito. The next day I went to the museum, saw Pirates 4, and ate at my roommate's French restaurant "Le Garde-Manger". It had great food, good French wine, and good casual atmosphere. The beef bourguinon was delicious with a lemon and sugar crepe for dessert.
I've received a couple more replies from wineries in France, but nothing for sure yet.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Grand Bordeaux tasting
My last week of work went by as normal and we had some spare time to practice rugby and golf outside the cellar. The big event of my week was the Grand Bordeaux tasting at a fancy hotel in Wellington. Our consultant winemaker, Gerhard, Olivier, Clara, and I all went to try to bring some class to the $130 tasting. I'm fairly certain we were the only ones there who made wine. I have some tasting notes for those who care about such things, as well as prices if you just want to be shocked into disbelief. Warning: You may have to care about wine to bother reading this entry.
Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur NV was great. It had subtle yeast/nutty flavors with good fruit and full-bodied for a champagne (US$55).
Chateau Durandal '08 from St. Emilion was a good starter; a Merlot/Cab Franc that was pretty soft, on the light side but well-balanced ($43).
Chateau La Gaffeliere '00 from St. Emilion was mainly Merlot with Cab Franc and Cab Sauv, but it tasted like green Cab Franc. It was decent, but not for $216. Robert Parker liked its "nobility/subtlety." Side note: Gerhard agreed with me that Robert Parker should die.
Cheval Blanc '07 from St. Emilion was the favorite among everyone we talked to. It was 55% Cab Franc, 45% Merlot, but wow! they fit a lot of layers into it. The nose: a hint of tobacco, definite coffee and some chocolate. Flavors: coffee, green Cab Franc, softness, good fruit, great finish. Silky smooth with amazing texture, lots of subtlety and complexity. A truly incredible wine at a more incredible price, $983! It is notable also for being different from anything else out there.
Chateau Beauregard '05 from Pomerol was decent, a softer green Merlot/Cab Franc for $197.
Chateau Siran '07 from Margeaux was a bargain at $43. It had very good black fruit flavors with strong front tannins, needing aging.
Chateau Poujeaux '08 from Moulis en Medoc was a 50% Cab Sauv, 40% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. This was getting to more my (California) style just because Cabernet Sauvignon was the dominant grape. It was good, well-balanced and smooth.
Chateau Chasse Spleen '00 from Moulis en Medoc was another favorite among us. 65% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Big Cab flavor with soft elegance, very concentrated, excellent integration and amazing tannins and acid to age for only $200 for a magnum!
Chateau Citran '98 from Haut Medoc was a 58% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot that had great balance, perfect integration, seemed near its peak age-wise, subtle berry flavors. Robert Parker had to be drunk when he gave this only and 86/100 ($55).
Chateau Camensac '05 from Haut Medoc was an enderwhelming Cab Sauv/Merlot with strong tannins and a hint of fruit. It needs age but I couldn't tell if it would open up ($58).
Chateau Talbot '05 from St. Julien was 66% Cab Sauv, 26% Merlot, 3% Cab Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It had a subtle fruit nose of Cab Sauv/Merlot. On the palate it was soft, supple, integrated, leather with blackberry fruit. Exceptional ($86).
Chateau Leoville Poyferre '04 from St. Julien had vineyards that were mostly Cab Sauv, some Merlot and a bit of Petit Verdot and Cab Franc (not sure about the wine). I got cab Sauv fruit, great balance, subtle oak (75% new), spicy, excellent. It was more California style with potential for aging and the group with me liked it a lot (as did Parker) ($138).
Chateau Pichon - Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande '05 from Pauillac was incredible. 64% Cab Sauv, 29% Merlot, then Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. There was cherry, complex fruit, hint of tobacco on the nose/cigar on the palate, big, can age 5-10 more years because it was just a tad bit short on the palate. Peak said to be 2012 to 2025 ($252).
Chateau Haut-Brion '95 from Pessac Leognan was the oldest wine there and it showed. The vineyard was 40% Cab Sauv, 37% Merlot and 18% Cab Franc. The nose had old leather (in a good way), and Cab Franc. It was well-aged with great integration but I felt it would not get better and didn't have the fruit to live up to its $1,180 price tag. Clara said I should taste it a second time because it got better when she did, but it was gone by then. I wouldn't buy it for $100 let alone $1,000.
Chateau Climens Cypers de Climens '06 from Barsac was a dessert wine Semillon at $67 for a 750ml bottle but I tasted rot, a bit dirty, but still honey and fruit flavors. Tasting the rot and dirt weren't terrible because they added some complexity, but there was too much for me, but it wasn't as popular as the next one.
Chateau d"Yquem '97 from Sauternes was highly praised by all. It got a 100 from one reviewer and a 96 from Parker. The vineyards were 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and a larger estate at 280 acres. At first I got clean, long, honey, apple, and nuts with incredibly subtle oak, smoky and a bit dirty (in a good way). Great ($390 for a 375ml bottle).
The ones with Cab Franc had that usual green flavor to them. The wines were usually more subtle, sometimes erring on that side instead of the California style of erring on the big and fruity side. The wineries all seemed to be fairly small (40 to 200 acres). Gerhard worked near St. Emilion in '01 and '03 and said all the best vineyards are on small, gravel hills that have better drainage because the sites nearest the Atlantic are almost a swamp.
Olivier and Clara said they would not be able to do a tasting like this in France for less than 500 Euros. Olivier is very difficult to impress with a wine, and Clara thinks people as well as wine should have elegance. To me, elegance in a wine means less fruit.
Overall some wines were very good and some were less than stellar, which I've found in any region I've tasted. I've had bigger (in my opinion) better wines tasting around Sonoma and Napa, especially for the price which did not always match the quality. But you can find overpriced Bordeaux varietals in Napa just as easily.
I might have to get used to this French style though because I'm trying to work there next harvest. I have a Skype interview with a winemaker in the Southern Rhone soon, but it sounds good so far.
Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur NV was great. It had subtle yeast/nutty flavors with good fruit and full-bodied for a champagne (US$55).
Chateau Durandal '08 from St. Emilion was a good starter; a Merlot/Cab Franc that was pretty soft, on the light side but well-balanced ($43).
Chateau La Gaffeliere '00 from St. Emilion was mainly Merlot with Cab Franc and Cab Sauv, but it tasted like green Cab Franc. It was decent, but not for $216. Robert Parker liked its "nobility/subtlety." Side note: Gerhard agreed with me that Robert Parker should die.
Cheval Blanc '07 from St. Emilion was the favorite among everyone we talked to. It was 55% Cab Franc, 45% Merlot, but wow! they fit a lot of layers into it. The nose: a hint of tobacco, definite coffee and some chocolate. Flavors: coffee, green Cab Franc, softness, good fruit, great finish. Silky smooth with amazing texture, lots of subtlety and complexity. A truly incredible wine at a more incredible price, $983! It is notable also for being different from anything else out there.
Chateau Beauregard '05 from Pomerol was decent, a softer green Merlot/Cab Franc for $197.
Chateau Siran '07 from Margeaux was a bargain at $43. It had very good black fruit flavors with strong front tannins, needing aging.
Chateau Poujeaux '08 from Moulis en Medoc was a 50% Cab Sauv, 40% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. This was getting to more my (California) style just because Cabernet Sauvignon was the dominant grape. It was good, well-balanced and smooth.
Chateau Chasse Spleen '00 from Moulis en Medoc was another favorite among us. 65% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Big Cab flavor with soft elegance, very concentrated, excellent integration and amazing tannins and acid to age for only $200 for a magnum!
Chateau Citran '98 from Haut Medoc was a 58% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot that had great balance, perfect integration, seemed near its peak age-wise, subtle berry flavors. Robert Parker had to be drunk when he gave this only and 86/100 ($55).
Chateau Camensac '05 from Haut Medoc was an enderwhelming Cab Sauv/Merlot with strong tannins and a hint of fruit. It needs age but I couldn't tell if it would open up ($58).
Chateau Talbot '05 from St. Julien was 66% Cab Sauv, 26% Merlot, 3% Cab Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It had a subtle fruit nose of Cab Sauv/Merlot. On the palate it was soft, supple, integrated, leather with blackberry fruit. Exceptional ($86).
Chateau Leoville Poyferre '04 from St. Julien had vineyards that were mostly Cab Sauv, some Merlot and a bit of Petit Verdot and Cab Franc (not sure about the wine). I got cab Sauv fruit, great balance, subtle oak (75% new), spicy, excellent. It was more California style with potential for aging and the group with me liked it a lot (as did Parker) ($138).
Chateau Pichon - Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande '05 from Pauillac was incredible. 64% Cab Sauv, 29% Merlot, then Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. There was cherry, complex fruit, hint of tobacco on the nose/cigar on the palate, big, can age 5-10 more years because it was just a tad bit short on the palate. Peak said to be 2012 to 2025 ($252).
Chateau Haut-Brion '95 from Pessac Leognan was the oldest wine there and it showed. The vineyard was 40% Cab Sauv, 37% Merlot and 18% Cab Franc. The nose had old leather (in a good way), and Cab Franc. It was well-aged with great integration but I felt it would not get better and didn't have the fruit to live up to its $1,180 price tag. Clara said I should taste it a second time because it got better when she did, but it was gone by then. I wouldn't buy it for $100 let alone $1,000.
Chateau Climens Cypers de Climens '06 from Barsac was a dessert wine Semillon at $67 for a 750ml bottle but I tasted rot, a bit dirty, but still honey and fruit flavors. Tasting the rot and dirt weren't terrible because they added some complexity, but there was too much for me, but it wasn't as popular as the next one.
Chateau d"Yquem '97 from Sauternes was highly praised by all. It got a 100 from one reviewer and a 96 from Parker. The vineyards were 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and a larger estate at 280 acres. At first I got clean, long, honey, apple, and nuts with incredibly subtle oak, smoky and a bit dirty (in a good way). Great ($390 for a 375ml bottle).
The ones with Cab Franc had that usual green flavor to them. The wines were usually more subtle, sometimes erring on that side instead of the California style of erring on the big and fruity side. The wineries all seemed to be fairly small (40 to 200 acres). Gerhard worked near St. Emilion in '01 and '03 and said all the best vineyards are on small, gravel hills that have better drainage because the sites nearest the Atlantic are almost a swamp.
Olivier and Clara said they would not be able to do a tasting like this in France for less than 500 Euros. Olivier is very difficult to impress with a wine, and Clara thinks people as well as wine should have elegance. To me, elegance in a wine means less fruit.
Overall some wines were very good and some were less than stellar, which I've found in any region I've tasted. I've had bigger (in my opinion) better wines tasting around Sonoma and Napa, especially for the price which did not always match the quality. But you can find overpriced Bordeaux varietals in Napa just as easily.
I might have to get used to this French style though because I'm trying to work there next harvest. I have a Skype interview with a winemaker in the Southern Rhone soon, but it sounds good so far.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Work has been pretty steady with the last of the grapes being picked last week, it has been mostly pressing and barrel filling. I've picked up some French, had a few good nights out, played golf for the first time, and met a couple of people who have worked in Napa.
When I want to know what an object in the winery is in French, I point at it and ask Olivier, then I tell him what it is in English. It's a good system we have. Clara has helped me with verbs and whatever else I want to write down. She even translated my resume into French so I could send it to wineries in France. We spent a night with two of their French friends, and I could definitely understand more than I could before I came here.
At the end of harvest party I met a New Zealander who worked at Clos Pegase near Calistoga at the same time that my dad was there and an American who worked with my first supervisor's son at Chasseur winery in Sonoma County. Christine, the owner, left for a business trip to Canada and London so it has been a bit more relaxed around the winery. Gerhard bought tickets for us to go to a Grand Bordeaux tasting in Wellington this Thursday. It will have the big names like Chateau Haut-Brion '95, Chateau d'Yquem '97, Cheval Blanc '07 and some other Chateaux as well. Fifteen wines for $120US sounds expensive but it should be worth it. I want to take notes because they will probably be the most expensive wines I've ever tasted.
Our game of golf was a lot of fun because Olivier, Clara, and I had never played before so we had trouble shooting in a straight line. We heard the ball hit a lot of trees and it took about three hours to play nine holes.
On Friday we had another end of harvest party just for our winery. We started at a locals' pub where one drunk old man complained about all us foreigners pissing in his rivers. He thought it was much better here 50 years ago. Then we went to The Lounge in Carterton because they have a good selection of beer and wine. I tried a pretty bad local IPA, but the American Pale Ale was much better. Then I went to the big town of Masterton (about 25,000 people) with the 25-year-old vineyard worker and we had a good time.
Yesterday we went to Wellington to see the museum, which was so-so but did have the largest giant squid on display. We met up with a couple more French people and I then led them to the Malthouse which had some great American-style beers. I even saw Sierra Nevada in the fridge. It seems like craft brewing has really taken off in New Zealand in the past two years. It made me very happy.
I have only one more week of work at Gladstone, then I will need to figure out exactly what to do next.
When I want to know what an object in the winery is in French, I point at it and ask Olivier, then I tell him what it is in English. It's a good system we have. Clara has helped me with verbs and whatever else I want to write down. She even translated my resume into French so I could send it to wineries in France. We spent a night with two of their French friends, and I could definitely understand more than I could before I came here.
At the end of harvest party I met a New Zealander who worked at Clos Pegase near Calistoga at the same time that my dad was there and an American who worked with my first supervisor's son at Chasseur winery in Sonoma County. Christine, the owner, left for a business trip to Canada and London so it has been a bit more relaxed around the winery. Gerhard bought tickets for us to go to a Grand Bordeaux tasting in Wellington this Thursday. It will have the big names like Chateau Haut-Brion '95, Chateau d'Yquem '97, Cheval Blanc '07 and some other Chateaux as well. Fifteen wines for $120US sounds expensive but it should be worth it. I want to take notes because they will probably be the most expensive wines I've ever tasted.
Our game of golf was a lot of fun because Olivier, Clara, and I had never played before so we had trouble shooting in a straight line. We heard the ball hit a lot of trees and it took about three hours to play nine holes.
On Friday we had another end of harvest party just for our winery. We started at a locals' pub where one drunk old man complained about all us foreigners pissing in his rivers. He thought it was much better here 50 years ago. Then we went to The Lounge in Carterton because they have a good selection of beer and wine. I tried a pretty bad local IPA, but the American Pale Ale was much better. Then I went to the big town of Masterton (about 25,000 people) with the 25-year-old vineyard worker and we had a good time.
Yesterday we went to Wellington to see the museum, which was so-so but did have the largest giant squid on display. We met up with a couple more French people and I then led them to the Malthouse which had some great American-style beers. I even saw Sierra Nevada in the fridge. It seems like craft brewing has really taken off in New Zealand in the past two years. It made me very happy.
I have only one more week of work at Gladstone, then I will need to figure out exactly what to do next.
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