29 June 2009

Near Harvest

A prize to Mark Field for the weirdest Two Paddocks photo yet... Near harvest, icy nets shelter our Riesling on a frosty morning.
On a more conventional note, Mark looks over our autumnal orchard towards the red bank itself -- the strip of pinkish clay on the hillside.

27 June 2009

Pinot and Dance on the TODAY Show

This video appears in news.ninemsn.com.au and we thought you should see it.

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27 June 2009

Doggy Business

Yes , this week sees the proprietor in Sydney. But much more significantly, with the Dog Whisperer himself, Cesar Millan. A star if ever we saw one, and his about the only show we watch on TV. Brilliant.

We caught up with him a couple of times and gained much insight into that most fascinating subject -- dogs. Of course,we had to ask him about something that often pops up here on this site -- "dangerous dogs." So called. Cesar, with the wisdom of a veritable Solomon says,  "There are no dangerous breeds, only dangerous owners."

And so say all of us.

Woops. This should have been a photo of a terrier. Instead the system has thrown up a shot of our friend M.C. Gainey. A very dangerous breed indeed.

27 June 2009

Inspiration, Miracles and the Mundane

Requests have been made for more documentary evidence of latest T P exploratory mission. (See MARS story.)

G. Sachs finds rare balletic inspiration after a glass of our Pinot in (or even on?) Lake Eyre.
Our crack oenophile team have abandoned their sleeping arrangements to get an early start winetasting.
Hygiene advisor G. Gregan takes the lead in shovel service.
Our tasting panel retires to the jury room to decide, and collate results. Verdict:  TP Pinot  2006 a 'cracker,' a 'beauty,' a 'little ripper'  etc.

26 June 2009

Tasting Pinot on Mars

There no limits here at HQ to the lengths we will go, the places we will travel, to ensure our heavenly products are tested at the very limits of human endurance. Ultimately for the benefit of you, the customer.

On a regular basis, we assemble the very best palates we can find, (it helps if the said palates belong to good company — and when are they ever not?) and then send them to the most unlikely of settings to see if  Two Paddocks drinks well in situ. Alps, deserts, canyons, seabeds, jungles; you name it.

This week we found a crack panel of gourmets and bon vivants, and courtesy of NASA , sent them to Mars. You may be surprised to see the team freely helping themselves to the atmosphere, but then oxygen is essential for wine tasting.

Result: Two paddocks 2006 First Paddock is superb , even under these circumstances.
(The sharp – eyed  will observe one other wine we liked:  a Shaw Smith chardonnay,  very good indeed.)

OK, we made up the Mars bit; we are in fact near Lake Eyre in the deep interior of Australia, now in flood — a once in every 20 or 30 year event. But it might as well be Mars. And we certainly weren’t on a soundstage at Burbank.

Those familiar with our TP fan base will see at the opposite end of the group from the Proprietor, the most capped player in the history of rugby (139 international caps) George Gregan, ex Wallaby Captain. On team for comedic purposes and health and hygiene expertise. Leads by example. Also present: Bill Potter — Raconteur, marriage counselor, travel expert, jokes Dave Johnstone — Stand-up comedian, public relations, waste disposal Nick Collinshaw — Sit-down comedian, financial advisor "don't," security Gunner Sachs — Team leader, spiritual guide, photography and low surrealism

Footnote:

We found , no surprise,  that the bottle of Two Paddocks not finished drank even better the next day . Well of course it would. It is a matter of deep regret to wine makers all over the world that 99.9 % of wines are drunk within an hour of opening, thus never allowing the wine to open up to its full glory.

So here’s our suggestion; Open your lovely bottle of Two Paddocks or Picnic, drink half a glass, then put the  top back on. Then turn to the bottle of Two Paddocks you opened YESTERDAY, and drink  that , keeping the one you just opened for tomorrow. Repeat the next day.

You know it makes sense...

15 June 2009

Winter

 Yes its pruning time again and the A team are at it once more.  Supervisor, as always, is Fire.

Followers of T.P personnel will note that Casey of Team America is back in the fold again.
For followers of Clyde “H” it should be noted that Mike has a crook finger (as shown) and is on the side lines for 6 weeks.  The home team having a wee slump as a result.

15 May 2009

Wines  To  Avoid

Of course wine is not for everyone,and not all wines are to be recommended for the rest.
By and large,wine in an actual bottle ,as opposed to say a plastic bladder in a cardboard box is probably advisable.

We say pay a little more, go for quality, and instead drink a little  less. No change in outlay and you’ll feel better about pretty much everything. Also buy wines that are as clean and natural as possible, as free of sprays and other stuff as you can find. Central Otago wines are, in general, pretty clean as we have so little trouble with fungus issues, etc. Nice clean place ... come visit.

BUT ... while we’ve all known  desperation for a drink, nothing at all should drive you to drink your mate’s home brew. That way madness lies. Or blindness. Or worse.

Seen here, and below, Mike and Nathan are starting a brew with some spare grapes. They are NOT making Two Paddocks. It might not even qualify for “clean skin” by the look of it. Nil by mouth at costs.
Management have warned the boys that any damage will be at their own risk. And that the future of rugby in Clyde is of course dependent on Mike being able to see the ball.  [Clyde, with Mike as captain, doing very well this year, so far.]

11 May 2009

Further Absenteeism

Proprietor spotted today in Kuala Lumpur, or thereabouts, working with what seemed from a distance an orang-utan. The orang-utan seemed more competent with a bike than the Proprietor.  So no surprises really …

6 May 2009

More Field Tests in Foreign Parts

Further field tests today (assisted by David Wenham, actor) of Picnic Pinot Noir 2007 at Sydney's Rockpool Bar and Grill (ask for it by name). Drank beautifully and may just have contributed to RBG’s 17 points (out of 20) in Sydney Morning Herald today?

3 May 2009

Absenteeism

We have an answer as to the missing Proprietor at the critical moment of harvest this year; caught in an excellent episode of the splendid Bro’town  (5th and last series) aired on 3rd May. In this episode he teaches the boys drama as guest teacher for a week. A tatty postcard informs us he is still there trying to find the motorway out of South Auckland. But enjoying himself.
A case of Two Paddocks to our pals at Bro’town!

3 May 2009

Field Tests

Of course, the other reason we sometimes (in the interest of fine wine production) go fishing, say, is to try our wine under varied circumstances. This is not simply quality checking, but also we, rather like NASA scientists in the 50’s, test the quality of our staff – in this case the Proprietor.

Here the Proprietor, having shared a bottle of Picnic with R. Tomkins, casts a wet fly upstream. Result1:   Picnic Pinot Noir (2007 in this case) drinks very well in the High Country and is the perfect accompaniment to salami, lettuce and chutney sandwiches on Vogel’s wholemeal bread. Result 2:  The Proprietor demonstrates that Picnic Pinot Noir, in moderation, will not impair your cast. There have been instances recorded even of a slight improvement, albeit temporary

1 May 2009

Harvest Complete

With clockwork precision the final bucket of grapes from the 2009 harvest were emptied into the bin as the clock struck 5:00 p.m. on Friday. This was perfect timing, as the truck was busy being loaded with our day’s pickings, to whisk the grapes off to the winery!

In contrast to the last vintage it was our Redbank Riesling that was the last to be harvested; last year it was the first! Everything else was pretty much to schedule, albeit a week ahead of last year. Needless to say, it, as always, is a relief to have this crucial task for the year behind us!

Mike is pleased to have his first harvest at the helm behind him, and was seen racing out the gate to join in the start of the duck shooting season, and a spot of fishing. No doubt a well earned break after many nights enduring frost fighting over the past couple of weeks.

--Mark Field

With clockwork precision the final bucket of grapes from the 2009 harvest were emptied into the bin as the clock struck 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
The Gibbston crew posing for a photo op before the harvest.

FOOTNOTE: The Proprietor somehow mysteriously absent for harvest – anything that involves perspiration, back bending and so on he tends to regard with a certain hauteur. Idleness in other words.

27 April 2009

What We Did Not Eat for Lunch

(One disclaimer after another)
We know these days bloggers write about their morning shower, what they had for breakfast, who they fancy … BUT …

We don’t want it thought that we at HQ do anything but work tirelessly towards providing you with the world's greatest Pinot. We are unflagging in our enthusiasm and dedication towards our Great Mission.

However occasionally we do find ourselves elsewhere doing something, which on the face of things, may seem like an irrelevance. For instance:

Here the Proprietor finds himself up one of the South Island’s great fishing rivers...
...in company of R. Tompkins of Cranbrook Films. Seen here in action.
And surprise of surprises, the Prop finds himself in company of a 3 lb Rainbow. Let it NOT be thought this is a recreational activity – at H.Q.  we are assiduous in finding food matches for Two Paddocks or Picnic Pinot. We have established, beyond doubt that our Pinot is marvellous with trout, salmon and all manner of other fish (we do not eat whale, so no idea about that one, but then whale isn’t fish).
It is many years since we established the trout verity, and now we do NOT kill them from our rivers. In fact, we gently return them to their gorgeous environment. They are NOT lunch. They seem entirely at ease with this arrangement.

 
For the record here are some other things we match with Two Paddocks or Picnic Pinot:

• Lamb
• Roast vegies
• Thai food (various)
• Japanese food (various)
• Shepherd's Pie
• Tofu and mung beans
• Ship’s biscuits
• Montgomery Cheddar and chutney
• Pickled herrings
• Brassiere/bistro food (various)
• Peter Gordon’s great cuisine
• Comfort food (various)
• Fish and chips
• Vegan sausages
• Roast beef
• Curry
• Southeast Asian food (various)

And so on…
What marvellously flexible wines! After all these years of research we have only come up with one food to cross off the list:

                 x   Sticky toffee pudding

So… as they say “bon appétit” and “cheers.”

23 April 2009

Morale

Here for the purposes of morale, is an entirely gratuitous picture of a dog.  Our dog. Feeling better?

14 April 2009

Harvest Underway

Once again Two Paddocks’ vineyards were a hive of activity as harvest started in earnest at Alex Paddocks this morning. The Winemaker was heard to mutter “I think I can make something pretty smart with this fruit…” (Last Chance, we hope!)

--Mark Field

25 March 2009

Notes on Wine and Recession

The proprietor has been travelling the world in earnest these last few months doing what he can to staunch the haemorrhage in the world economy (5/8 of s.f.a.). However he has come to some fairly firm if mildly delusional solutions – some of which he passed on to the charming P.M. John Key last month.  We await major policy decisions from Wellington.

1. Apart from some really dud banking, some dodgy bilking from Hedge Funders etc, most of what has engulfed the world appears to have been a massive loss of confidence in reaction to an overblown and over confident market and economy in recent years. In short – panic.

However we think we could learn from  (of all people) George W. Bush. Bush, you may remember, rather perplexingly declared war on an emotion - the so-called “War on Terror.” More useful than that dubious enterprise might be a “War on Panic.”

• Our motto could well be that marvellous British WWII number “Keep Calm and Carry On”. Just the ticket for a blitz or a recession.
• In the War on Panic, be careful to handle statistics properly (they are volatile and can damage) for instance, 5% unemployment is also actually 95% employment.
• It is also important to identify and neutralize the purveyors of panic. Here we need to corral the business page editors, the T.V. pundits, the doomsday economists and so on and firmly exclude them from the process. They should be sent out for a good long lunch lasting for, oh, some six months. Their consumption alone at that old fashioned thing, the business lunch, will kick start the most flagging of economies! And fortified by half a year of pinot noir they will return to their desks cheerier and more constructive.

You know it makes sense! You’re either for us or you’re against us!

2. It is well documented that the Royal Navy rationed a tot of rum to its men every day for the purposes of morale. While we should not emulate the R.N. in all things – they did after all invent keel-hauling – we do think there’s something in this. Rum, however would not be our choice as a weapon in a war on low morale – a nice glass of red wine to all citizens looking a little peaky or depressed could work wonders. It certainly does for us. (Do not serve in lead beakers – that seems to have finished off the Roman Empire.)

24 March 2009

Vintages

At C.O.W.C.O. we have bottled our 2008 Picnic Pinot, Sauvignon, and Riesling: all splendid.

And now nets are on for 2009 – what promises to be a good vintage if miniscule in volume. (You may remember the catastrophic frost of early 2008 – the same day the proprietor caught his biggest ever fish. Isn’t life droll sometimes?)

23 March 2009

Pinot Knees Up January

Noted that this year was another successful Central Otago Pinot Celebration.  Present  (and correct); the always charming Jancis Robinson, and this year a first – Prime Minister John Key, who was unexpectedly very funny. Actually, why unexpected  - no reason he shouldn’t be funny. So there you are…

The Prime Minister also attended the N.Z. Premiere of “Dean Spanley” – which for those who haven’t seen it is a masterly meditation on that most profound of subjects: wine.

16 March 2009

Natasha Richardson

Beautiful woman, great actor, good fun, wickedly funny, lit up the world. Sad sad loss.

16 February 2009

Ringing Changes

Major change this week. We are sad to report that Richard (plus Sherree and family) leave this week – Richard to bigger things at Neudorf Wines in the Nelson district – colleagues well respected by all at Two Paddocks. Richard will be head viticulturist there under the august leadership of Tim Finn (the other Tim Finn). We congratulate Richard on this prestigious appointment and wish all the Flatman family all the best in the future. We will miss them. Neudorf is by our estimate, six times the size of our little concern, and its wines often just as good! Plus like us, they are fair and even handed to short people. Goodbye Richard.

On a brighter note, Mike Wing is stepping up to the plate as our vineyard manager. Mike has been with us for four years now and knows our vineyards like the back of his capable hands, and has energy and commitment to burn. We are all excited about a new era with Mike at the helm, with his staff and management behind him like Caesar’s legions. (all four of us).

In addition to this Mark is moving upwards to a more managerial role, and could probably call himself General Manager of Two Paddocks if we went in for honorifics. Whatever; Mark and Mike now blaze the way forward, even in these straitened times to prosperity and progress and most importantly a great wine year and many more to come. Onward, upward! Possibly even Sideways.

10 January 2009

Dog Coaches Actor

A new year. The Company Dog, Fire, is reluctant it seems to talk publicly about receiving more column inches than you could throw a stick at lately. The Proprietor, fairly or unfairly (you judge) has blamed or credited (you judge) the dog for his primary resource in his research for his role in DEAN SPANLEY – coming soon to a quality theatre near you. We have tried to reassure Fire that it could be worse – she gets, so far, no blame for the vampire in DAYBREAKERS (release in September). Now that would be upsetting for a staffy – a much misunderstood but adorable breed.