Vine Life - Pruning

Between now and harvest in April 2011, we are going to blog the growing season of a Seresin vine to show how we manage our vineyards and what being biodynamic means for us. Every time we touch this vine, be it pruning, leaf-plucking, or spraying compost tea we'll show you what we're doing and why.

Outside our Cellar Door are a few rows of Semillon vines, the fruit from which makes up around 5 per cent of our Seresin Sauvignon Blanc each year. We have chosen one of these vines to profile.

Yesterday brought the first job of the growing season for this Semillon vine; pruning it to remove last years growth and getting the plant ready to grow again. Here Wendy is removing some of the old wood.

While Semillon is typically spur pruned, we also prune almost all the vines on our estate the same way, which is not so typical. There's a great picture here which shows the difference between spur and cane pruning. We find that spur pruning gives us more control of how the vine grows and the spacing between the shoots. It also means that the vine naturally yields less fruit, which improves quality. It also makes the vine hardier, and gives it a buffer against damage from frost and grass grub.

Coming Out of Winter

We’ve had rather wet winter this year, but temperatures are starting to rise already (along with the daffodils) and in no time at all, budburst will be here. In the meantime, we’ve been busy pruning the vines, through June, July and August. Most of our vines are spur pruned. For this type of pruning, we cut out the canes (shoots that are now woody) that grew last year, but keep a “spur” of wood with 2 buds at the base of the cane. It will be these buds that will provide the bunches for this years’ crop. Some of the canes are completely removed to allow for better sun exposure and airflow, as well as to ‘guide’ how many bunches the vine will produce. Most of the canes we cut out get mulched in the vine rows and the woodchips break down naturally into the soil. This year, some of our canes were collected, mulched, and used in our compost. They provide a great source of woody material (carbon source) for our compost. Making compost is another main winter activity for us. To learn more about how and why we make compost, have a look at our composting blog.

2011 Waterfall Bay Food & Wine Festival - Chef Annoucement

Nestled amongst native bush overlooking Waterfall Bay in the Marlborough Sounds, our occasional restaurant will again welcome guests to share in Seresin Estate’s own Food & Wine Festival.  Guest Chef for 2011 is Liza Shaw from A16 restaurant in San Francisco.

Liza Shaw is Executive Chef and Partner in A16, a restaurant devoted to the food of Campania and named after the highway which runs from Naples to Canosa, Puglia. The food of A16 has its roots in the Mezzogiorno, commonly known as Southern Italy, and in la cucina povera, the art of wasting nothing whilst creating dishes that don’t sacrifice taste or goodness.

Liza Shaw says diners can expect a menu which celebrates local New Zealand ingredients, with a Southern Italian slant.  “My food is honest and soulful, with focused flavours that celebrate the seasons and ingredients at their peak. Handmade pastas, simple seafood preparations, house-butchered and cured meats, all enhanced by bright flavours and high quality ingredients.”

Dinners: Friday 11th, Saturday 12th, Sunday 13th and Monday 14th February
Lunches: Sunday 13th and Monday 14th

Reservations contact Moir Laird: moir@seresin.co.nz or Ph. +6435729408
Payment will be required to secure your reservation. 

MANA - Marlborough Natural Winegrowers

We're very pleased to be a part of MANA Natural Winegrowers, a group of five, like-minded premium Marlborough wineries who have joined together to help promote Marlborough as one of the world's great wine regions. 

Please see below for the full press release. If you would like to know more please visit the MANA website or contact Seresin General Manager, MJ Loza, on mj@seresin.co.nz 

Marcia's Pollo Arrosto with Seresin Chardonnay Reserve

Pollo Arrosto is one of Seresin Cook, Marcia Chang-Hong's, favourite winter dishes. Perfect for a dinner party, Marcia says this dish is a huge hit with anyone lucky enough to be invited to her place for a meal. 

Marcia says "it works well as you can prepare it hours before-hand and pop it into the oven an hour before you want to eat. It's also great for a big group. I like to serve the whole dish on the table as it looks great coming out of the oven."

Marcia suggests chopping about 4 large Desiree potatoes into big chunks, seasoning and covering them with a coating of olive oil before layering in the roasting pan under the chicken. "The potatoes soak up all the yummy juices of the chicken as it cooks, delicious served with a green salad and some crusty bread." 

Try this matched with a glass of the new release 2008 Chardonnay Reserve.

Lemon and Rosemary Chicken (Pollo Arrosto)

1 x 1.5kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon, peel removed, pith and pulp chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Toss chicken with oil, rosemary, lemon juice, garlic, lemon, and salt and pepper in bowl. Marinate for a couple of hours.

2. Heat oven to 245°C. Arrange chicken in baking dish; add remaining marinade. Roast, flipping once, until cooked through, 30–40 minutes.

SERVES 4

Fair Weather Blends

Small is beautiful, according to wine writer, Neal Martin. Check out his article on three boutique New Zealand wineries (including Seresin) who "beat the odds to develop praise-worthy wines in fragile micro-climates."

When Raewyn Atkinson left New Zealand to live in the USA, we were very sad to see her go. An acclaimed ceramic artist, we enjoyed catching up with her and Shaun in Wellington during our visits there -often sharing a glass of wine and meal with them.

The olive oil dishes for sale in our cellar door are a lovely reminder of her, as are the specially commissioned tableware and 'Light' installation at Waterfall Bay.

Of course we haven't lost touch with them and we especially enjoy hearing about their adventures in the USA. As unofficial brand ambassadors, they are busy introducing their new friends to our wines.

Here, Shaun is loading up with supplies from Vintage Berkeley - aptly located on Vine Street. Apparently the 2008 Seresin Sauvignon Blanc was a big hit with friends during a vacation at Lake Tahoe.

We're pleased they're enjoying a small part of New Zealand in the USA.

The Man Who Married Himself

Michael Seresin's latest film project, The Man Who Married Himself, premiered at the LA Shorts Fest at the weekend, winning Best Comedy.

The short film is about Oliver who, in his mid-forties, is fed up with failed relationships so decides to get married, to himself. His unusual union is a triumph until he starts feeling that something is missing from his life. He starts looking for happiness elsewhere and discovers some truths about life and love on the way.

Check out the film's trailer here.

With the win at the weekend, the film is now eligible for consideration at the Oscars.