First 2021 Postcard is Overdue

Off to another year of constant travel. However, we are starting the year with a string of house sits. The only house sits available are short ones because no one is venturing overseas on long vacations. So we have a string of one to three week stays. Thus far in NZ we have had 7 house sits; two of them were for the same home. One more scheduled next week before our visa runs out. An extension is in the works for another six months in this beautiful country, but until we get it secured, we are not able to commit to house sitting. 

This is our only week between house sits and we have secured an air B&B in the middle of a Marlborough vineyard, equipped with pool and nice outdoor dining venue. So far we have not had pool weather, but today it hit 36 C ( 97 F). Sun here is extremely potent so it feels much hotter; you can almost feel your skin frying. Sunscreen is sold in liters. Finally! Summer has been a long time coming. On our way here we stopped along the coast road and found a fur seal nursery. There must have been a thousand seals, mostly moms and babies. The babies about the size of dachshunds.

The grapes here are about a month from ripening. Remember the seasons are different. A 2021 wine from New Zealand may be released still in 2021, the Sauvignon Blancs are usually released the same year. 2020 (the covid year) will be a good year all over NZ. These grapes were picked by hand by friends and family of the vintner predominantly the usual migrant workers were not available; it was in the middle of our lockdown. You may remember, the NZ lockdown lasted only 8 weeks, but it was a serious lockdown. Pickers had to remain in their bubbles (family units), and use separate trucks and stay rows away from people in other bubbles. The bubbles were limited to about 6 people. There were officials checking on the vineyards to ensure compliance. It was tough, but the grape growers were grateful that the industry had been designated an essential service. For the most part, essential services in NZ were grocery stores, some food production, pharmacies and first responders. Winemaking really did not qualify, but because it was a year’s worth of production of a major economic segment, the government gave way. So when you have your next bottle of Kim Crawford, remember the hand holding this vintage received.

Speaking of Kim Crawford: did you know it is an American company? We have never seen a bottle of Kim Crawford in NZ. We are in Marlborough, the center of New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc production. It looks a lot like Napa: wide flat valley bounded by some big beautiful hills. Hectares and hectares of straight, flat rows of manicured grape vines. Last time we were here was winter, dormant vines, still not pruned. That was beautiful too, but the carpet of lime green vines under the hills is something special. All the big growers are here: Brancott, Babich, Oyster Bay, Yealands and Mt Riley. Yealands and Mt Riley are grocery store brands here, brancott too, but you will also see Brancott in the USA. Mt Riley is a family owned and operated winery. The vineyard we are living in, is growing grapes for Oyster Bay. 

Marlborough has sub regions, just like Napa, I have found one region I am particularly partial to: Awatere Valley (“A watt terry”); unfortunately it is the far other end of Marlborough from where we are staying; about an hour away. I will have to save tasting there for another time. It is closer to the ocean and produces a much mellower, creamy sauvignon Blanc. We are skipping visits to the big boys and instead search out small owner operated wineries, there are plenty of those. 

Yesterday we planned to visit 3 wineries. But the first, Forest Wines, had an acoustic guitar player and singer playing in a small garden, people lounging on beanbags with their own picnics. We tasted the wines, picked our favorite (mine was a low alcohol rose), and stayed for the afternoon. We will hit those other two wineries another day. It was a perfect Sunday. 

If you follow our blog, you know how enamored we are with NZ wines from most of the regions. Part of the reason why is the way they are grown. Almost always hand picked and often whole bunch crushed. Organic and biodynamic approaches to grape growing and winemaking are very common. The reason is because it is easy. There are very few bugs here, so pesticides are not needed. The canary rose buses are sometimes planted at row ends, but only for the tradition. Canaries because traditionally they were planted as an early warning to farmers that there was a disease or bug afoot: the roses are tender and show signs first. Grass is grown between rows, because it grows by itself, but also because it prevents erosion, provides protection to the vines, and promotes a healthy eco system in the soil. After the grapes are picked, the farmer brings in some sheep to cut back the grass. You wouldn’t want to do that before the grapes are picked or the sheep would graze on them. There is a wonderful network of cooperation in NZ among farmers. Sheep are often grazed on other people’s paddocks; the landowner does not need to cut the grass, and the sheep farmer feeds for free, symbiosis. Last Time we were here, the sheep were loose in the vineyards.

We were lucky enough to get private tastings at two of the most prominent wineries in Marlborough: Dog Point and Astrolabe. In both cases we were entertained by a member of the family and met the winemakers. The wines were superb. Dog Point is family run, they handle everything from growing to labeling. They sell their excess grapes to Cloudy Bay. That is remarkable because Cloudy Bay is a pretty high end wine itself; that Dog Point is selling their excess to them is mentionable. Astrolabe is different. Astrolabe makes a variety of wines: 4 different Sauvs and a range of other grapes. They manage about 25 families small farms. These families grow their grapes to Astrolabe’s specifics. Some of the family relationships go back to the 80’s (the earliest Marlborough vines). 

Here for another couple days before we head north to our last house sit. Where we will be after that is up in the air. New Zealand may show us the door. If so, we hope to be admitted to Australia. Our preference is another 6 months in NZ but that is up to them and we have not heard.