Harvest 2010 - Cleaning

One of the most important jobs in any winery over harvest, and one that keeps us very busy, is cleaning! Everything must be cleaned before and after coming in contact with any fruit, juice or wine.

Today we hand-picked some of the Riesling from our Home vineyard, and it was pressed this afternoon. After pressing the best juice from the fruit, the skins are emptied out of the press, and the press is then cleaned. To do this, someone has to climb into the press to hose it all out. Today it was Lars, our Swedish Cellarhand, who donned his wet weather gear and climbed in.


This photo shows the two main parts of the inside of the press. The tan coloured part on the left is the membrane - which inflates and squashes the grapes against the right hand side. The metal on the right hand side is covered in small holes which act like a sieve, and allows just the juice to drain out.

Here, Lars is about to clean the press, and get it ready for the next fruit to arrive.

Riesling Review

In the April/May issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine, Bob Campbell MW gives the 2005 Seresin Riesling 5 stars and 94 points. He describes it as an "Intense and vibrant organic riesling with lovely lime, honeycomb and mineral flavours. Now showing good bottle development, with the flavours beginning to build, mellow and integrate". Cheers Mr Campbell, we'll drink to that !

Sweet Memento

Charmian Smith had the following to say about the 2007 Seresin Memento Riesling in today's Otago Daily Times:
"Seresin Memento Marlborough Riesling 2007 (about $27) is medium-sweet, zesty and fragrant with floral overtones, suggestions of tropical and citrus fruit, rich and full in the mouth with a velvety texture and a crisp, limey finish. A smart wine that is delicious now but will develop."(4.5/5)

Sip of the Week

Along with slapping on 5 stars, Yvonne-Marie Lorkin had the following to say about Seresin's 2007 Memento Reisling in the Hawke's Bay's 48 Hours magazine (3 Nov).

"If this is what organics does to riesling, then bring it on! Lifted apple, apricot, honeysuckle, citrus and a hint of toffee too. On the palate it is lush, chompy and fresh, with mouthfilling, gum-tingling acidity. Love it!"

2007 Seresin 'Memento' Riesling

A well known UK wine writer who visited us recently, described the 2007 Seresin 'Memento' Riesling as "the perfect mid-morning wine". Judging by the reaction to the wine at today's Marlborough Farmers' Market, he may be onto something. It was a big hit with those tasting it at the market this morning in fine, warm weather.

As well as the buzz of spring weather and the opening day of the market, sales were also helped by Karl du Fresne's write up in this morning's 'Sunday' magazine. He described it as an "exquistely pure, fragrant and delicate Germanic-style example" of New Zealand Riesling.

If you can't wait for dinner to try it, enjoy it anytime from brunch onwards.

Fruit Day Wines

Today was an exciting day at Seresin Estate. Our winemaking team finalised three of our 2007 wines:

• a very special 2007 Sauvignon Blanc we have created exclusively for ad-Bibendum, our distributor in Belgium and Holland, to celebrate their 10th anniversary
• our 2007 Riesling - in our customary dry style
• a 2007 Riesling in a new style for Seresin Estate - reflecting the background of our winemaker Clive Dougall who joined Seresin Estate for the 2006 vintage from Pegasus Bay.

Being a fruit day, it was a very good day to be tasting wines and we know the wines finalised yesterday will be special, building on the wonderful fruit from the low-yielding 2007 vintage.

"Fruit day?" I hear ytou ask ... it's a type of day characterised in the biodynamic calendar based on moon and planetary influences.

Check out the article in The Observer last year by UK wine writer Tim Atkin at the following link (http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/experts/timatkin/story/0,,1786074,00.html) for a fascintaing perspective on wines tasting different on different days depending on the phase of the moon.