Our Wildlife

The grapes & wines get most of the coverage on our blog. For a change here are some of our animals, who all contribute in their unique ways.

Michael Seresin

Harvest 2012 Begins

We have launched into our 2012 harvest at Seresin - a little later than usual! A unseasonably cool Summer has pushed harvest back a few weeks, but the great weather we've had recently has meant that grapes are looking fantastic.

Colin Ross, our Estate Manager, is shown here picking the first of our harvest - Pinot Noir from the Home Vineyard.

We'll be blogging throughout harvest - so watch this space as the action unfolds!

2008 Seresin Pinots' "so evocative of Burgundy"

The April issue of Decanter magazine has just arrived at the winery, bringing with it a review from Steven Spurrier of our range of 2008 Pinot Noirs which he recently tasted. Here's what he had to say about them and their evocation of Burgundy:

Needless to say, we're thrilled with his reviews!

While some of the 2008 Pinots he reviewed have sold out, there are still small amounts of the Single Vineyard wines here at the winery - send us an email if you'd like to get your hands on any of them.

Waterfall Bay Food & Wine Festival 2012

Nestled amongst native bush overlooking Waterfall Bay in the Marlborough Sounds, our occasional restaurant will again welcome guests to share in Seresin Estate’s Food & Wine Festival. Hamish Brown from ROKA restaurant in London is returning to the Waterfall Bay kitchen as our guest Chef for 2012.

Hamish spent his formative years growing up amongst Canterbury’s farming community. Learning the art and craft of food from his father, Graham Brown, a chef who has owned restaurants in New Zealand and Australia, Hamish developed a sense for the quality of lo cal ingredients and a passion for combining the Asian cuisines which make up the Western Pacific Rim..

After establishing himself in New Zealand, Hamish left New Zealand for England. His first employer was expatriate Peter Gordon at his London restaurant Providores where he worked for 18 months. Since 2006, Hamish has been at ROKA and has recently been promoted to Executive Chef, responsible for the London operations and future ROKA projects. Part of the worldwide Zuma-ROKA restaurant group, ROKA is renowned for its contemporary Japanese-inspired food.

“I missed out on Hamish’s previous stint at Waterfall Bay – so the only way to enjoy his food in New Zealand was to invite him back to Waterfall Bay. I’m sure our guests will agree”, says Michael Seresin.

Hamish adds “after my first visit to Waterfall Bay I was inspired by the Seresin ethos and really want to reflect that in this year’s dinners - using Seresin-grown organic salads and vegetables, combined with locally grown produce and, my favourite, foraging at Waterfall Bay itself”.

Tickets are $285 per person and are inclusive of a five course meal with matching wines and return boat transport from Picton. There is currently limited availability at Dinner on Thursday 9th February. Please contact us if you would like to make a reservation.

Reservations: Contact Moir Laird - moir@seresin.co.nz or +64 (0)3 572 9408

Dinners on Friday 10th, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th, as well as lunches on Friday 10th and Sunday 12th are fully booked.

Monty Waldin's Take on Biodynamics

Inspirational wine journalist Monty Waldin, author of the definitive biodynamic text 'Biodynamic Wine Guide', has posted this short video about biodynamics and its place in winegrowing and winemaking. He describes it as a "self sufficient way of farming which makes complete sense to me - and its changed my life". It's our favourite video at the moment - it's beautifully filmed, and it gives a great introduction to biodynamics.

Enjoy!

Seresin Winemakers Dinner at The Providores

These are a few photos from one point of view of a winemakers dinner at The Providores the other night. Peter Gordon and Christian Hossack produced wonderful food which matched with our wines perfectly. It was a lovely crowd, superb service and a witty and informative talk from Clive. Thank you all for a truly delightful evening.

Michael Seresin

Our newest resident

We have just been applying our spring dose of Biodynamic Preparation 500 to our entire estate - olives, vines, gardens and pasture alike. While the team was at Raupo Creek, our vineyard in the Omaka Valley, Erin got our closest contact yet with the newest Seresin resident.

Released as an injured hawk, Shaman (as he's been affectionately named) seems to have really settled in and is happy to call Raupo home.

Cows and Wine - a Fine Pairing

What do cows have to do with the creation of a fine wine? One might wonder. For us, the two go hand in hand. Cows are earthly creatures, connected to the earth more so than many others. They are heavy, pensive, and generally calm. Through their physical presence on the land and our use of their manures in our compost, compost teas and cow pat pits, this earthly influence permeates the Estate. Both energetically and physically, they help us to grow vines that are more deeply connected to the land, to our terroir.

From a biodynamic perspective, cows, particularly ones that are lactating (producing milk), are an essential part of a farm. Nayan, who was the first Jersey calf that we brought onto the farm, is now fully grown and has just had her first calf, Kiran (Hindu for ‘ray of light from the sun’). We like to think of Kiran as a force of warming, positive and formative energy on the land, like the sun. She is particularly significant to us since she is the first milking cow born on our land, a true biodynamic cow. She is of this land and her connection to it will be passed on to us, our vines and wines, through her energy and manure, for many years to come.

Welcome 'home' Kiran!

An Evocative Reportage from Paris

An evocative reportage from a few days in Paris, the City of Light and Bordeaux too.

We were visiting to introduce our wines. Lovely and positive comments from both professionals and amateurs. In the original sense of the word. Doing something for the love of it.

Thanks to Vins du Monde, Lavinia, bu Vin, the oldest wine store in Paris, Les Caves Auge [1850], and of course the French, and Justyna for the photos.

Michael Seresin

Seresin at Number 10

Earlier this month, The Providores restaurant catered a canapé reception at Number 10 Downing Street, the headquarters of the UK Government and residence of the Prime Minister. The occasion was a thank-you for all the supporters of the Leuka charity over the years, and The Providores were invited to host this at Downing Street by Samantha Cameron. Our 2009 Seresin Sauvignon Blanc was chosen as one of only two wines to be served on the night to accompany canapés prepared by The Providores Head Chef Cristian Hossack. It was an honour to have our wine chosen to showcase New Zealand with food from such a respected restaurant in such a prestigious address.

Leuka raises funds to support life-saving research into the causes and treatment of leukaemia and other blood disorders. The Providores co-owner, Peter Gordon, has been a long time supporter of Leuka and in 1997 came up with ‘Who’s Cooking Dinner?’ a gastronomic charity event to fundraise for the cause.

Seresin Landfall Residency 2011

In partnership with the Otago University Press, we are delighted to announce poet and fiction writer Serie Barford as the 2011 recipient of the Seresin Landfall Residency.

Barford has been publishing her work since 1985 and first had a short story in Landfall in 1987. After the 2007 publication of Tapa Talk, her third book of poetry, she returned to writing short stories, and this spring will use the Residency to work on a collection at Waterfall Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.

Serie Barford says ‘I’m delighted to be the recipient of the Seresin Landfall Residency. I’ve so many ideas and I’m grateful for the opportunity to establish creative space in a beautiful location. I’ll forget about the demands of my day job and will immerse myself in storytelling for a while. Fa’afetai tele lava.’

The stories in the collection are based on the concept of teu le va, the Samoan notion of taking care of relationships within and between the visible and invisible worlds.

Michael Seresin says ‘the creative world, in all its manifestations is a tough one to survive in, let alone thrive. I hope the powerful land & seascape of Waterfall Bay will provide a haven for Serie to find some stimulus to help her undoubted talent as a writer and poet. I love her work and know she is deserving of this award.’

Harvest 2011 Video

At the beginning of harvest, we had Aaron Dickson visit us to film this short video. Filmed for a Spring tasting with our UK importer, Armit, the video shows a snapshot of Seresin and the 2011 vintage with our winemaker, Clive Dougall.

Harvest 2011 Begins

This week marked the start of our 2011 grape harvest at Seresin. We kicked off with a small pick of pinot noir and chardonnay which will become our sparkling wine. (Don't hold your breath though - it will be another 3 years before this wine will be released!)

Seresin Vineyard Hand's Erin and Sean picking and sorting chardonnay on our Home Vineyard.

It was a gorgeous day to start our harvest. We hope Mother Nature will continue to give us beautiful days like this, allowing the grapes to continue ripening and be picked at their best.

Thank you to Peter Burge who kindly supplied these images.

Seresin Landfall Residency 2011

This New Year, we are delighted to announce the third annual Seresin Landfall Residency. Established in 2009 with the Otago University Press, the residency gives a writer the opportunity to spend six weeks in either Tuscany or Marlborough to work on a writing project.

The residency is the result of Michael Seresin's commitment to the arts and creative endeavour, and his desire to support the work of Landfall magazine. "I wanted to provide a place where writers feel comfortable and can write. We are fortunate to have access to two beautiful properties, which I hope will provide some inspiration for a writer during their six week stay."

Previous winners have included C.K. Stead, who took the opportunity to complete his memoirs, Southwest of Eden, and in 2010 Wystan Curnow, who worked on a book about Colin McCahon.

The residency is open to writers over twenty-one, working in any genre, who have previously published at least one book. Candidates should be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. To find out more about the residency, or for more information about how to apply, please visit the Otago University Press website.

The Peacock's Tail

This morning our copy of the latest Gourmet Traveller Wine arrived at the winery, with this glowing review from Bob Campbell MW of our 2007 Raupo Creek Pinot Noir:

'96 points, 5 stars. Concentrated, yet delicate wine showing surprising power and flavour length. Layers of cherry and berries, floral and savoury fruit flavours create a peacock's-tail effect on the finish. Very classy and attractive wine indeed.'

And the Sydney Morning Herald are running a feature on Huon Hooke's Top 50 wines for

Summer, and in his Sauvignon Blanc selection, the 2009 Seresin Sauvignon Blanc was the only New Zealand Sauvignon featured in a line-up of 6 international examples.

'93 points. A powerful sauvignon blanc that's a far cry from your typical Marlborough offering, with 14 per cent alcohol and rich, mouth-filling flavours. It has satisfying depth and complexity of character. Subtle barrel influence adds dimension. More, please!'

Huon suggests pairing the wine with Snapper and red capsicum puree. Delicious!

Opera in a Days Bay Garden

We are pleased to once again be supporting 'Opera in a Days Bay Garden' who are presenting Rossini's 'The Journey to Rheims' in outdoor European style. Guests will be welcomed with a glass of Seresin Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy a night of opera in Wellington's stunning Days Bay.

Organiser Rhona Fraser says 'musical performances in the garden sum up my life long asthetic. Music and nature, beautifully combined to create a higher art... I invite you to enjoy a very New Zealand performance. A New Zealand cast in a garden surrounded by nature in all its glory, with native beech forest framing the open air theatre, under our own Southern stars.'

For more information about the show or to book tickets, check out their website.

A note from a WWOOFer

Laying the foundations of a compost pile.

I spent two awesome weeks WWOOFing (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) at Seresin Estate. I will never forget all that I learnt from working with this team! Thank you to everybody for the tons of compost we made - my hands will smell like it for weeks!

This was my fourth experience working on an organic farm, and the one which confirmed that I have found my passion - all because of the happiness these people are giving to this place!

By Jeremy Therond of Montpellier, France

A Biodynamic Bible

We had a parcel arrive at the winery last week - a box containing Monty Waldin's Biodynamic Wine Guide 2011.

As well as being a highly respected wine writer and host of 'Chateau Monty', Waldin is well versed when it comes to organic and biodynamic winegrowing.

Monty has self-published the third edition of the book; a comprehensive guide to biodynamic wine. He clearly and concisely explains the ins and outs of biodynamic winegrowing and how it differs from organic and conventional wine, and profiles over 1500 wineries embracing biodynamics - including Seresin, which has one of the longest profiles of any winery in the book.

Otherwise only available on Lulu.com, we have five copies of guide for sale in our Cellar Door. If you would like to get your hands on a copy, please send us an email.

Diary of a WWOOFer

Melanie with some of the Seresin chickens.

At Seresin we have had two French WWOOFers with us for the last few weeks - sisters Melanie and Laetitia Quilici from Paris. And to the great delight of the staff, they were as handy around the estate as they are talented at making crepes!

Laetitia making crepes.

The sisters say 'we learned a lot of things, it is a lovely place and the people are really nice. I would recommend Seresin to anyone who wants to WWOOF in New Zealand.'

Horses Of Course

It's the time of year when our three vineyards receive their annual application of of Biodynamic Preparation 500. Last week, we hand applied 500 to our Raupo Creek vineyard.

Staff hand-stirring Preparation 500 for spraying on our Raupo Creek Vineyard.

Our Estate Manager Colin Ross took a short video of the staff standing at the top of the hill ready to spread the preparation over the Pinot Noir vines.

And yesterday it was the Home Vineyard's turn; using both staff and our one horsepower tractor, Bill.

Six year old Bill and his brother Tom are Seresin's newest additions. They came to us six weeks ago, and have been being trained by Phil Amberger. Phil and his brother Ron are shown here driving the horse sprayer.

Bill and Tom pull our specially designed Seresin Bertolini Horse Drawn Sprayer, which will spray up to 30 hectares of our Home Vineyard with Biodynamic Preparations and Compost Tea this year.

WWOOFing at Seresin

Anna with Bill and Tom, our two clydesdale horses.

We were lucky enough to have Anna Gual, a hardworking WWOOFer from Spain, with us for several weeks recently. Anna says 'Seresin is a place that I would like to spent at least one year of my life. Not only for knowledge and to learn, but also for all of you who work on the farm. I think you form a good team and that makes it all work well.'

Anna bringing Olga in for milking.

Thank you Anna for all your hard work!

Vine Life - Bud Burst

Last week our Semillon vine reached the Bud Burst stage. This is when the vine leaves dormancy - the sap starts to flow through the vine, the hard scales that have protected the tiny buds all winter peel back and let the vine really start to take off. It's a sure sign Spring has arrived!

And just a week later, the first leaves have started to unfold.

At the moment we are spraying compost tea across our entire estate, and this week the Home vineyard and the Semillon block got a turn.

Spraying compost tea helps create a culture of diverse biology on the vines and in the soil. This helps break down the canes (the pruned wood from last years vine growth) that we mulched into the soil under the vines through Winter. This biology also consumes any powdery mildew spores which are present on the vines from last year, and essentially does a big Spring clean of the vines and soil. This means we can delay spraying sulphur across the estate, because this biology is doing some of the cleaning up that sulphur would otherwise do. This Semillon block is completely sulphur free, so it's particularly important there is a strong, healthy environment to begin the growing season with.

The diverse biology that compost tea encourages also helps keep all the biology in check. Any disease cells present, like botrytis or powdery mildew, have to compete with all the beneficial bacteria and fungi. This maintains a balance in the biology and makes it very difficult for any particular species to get out of control.

Our compost tea also contains some biodynamic preparation 507 in it this time of year, to help protect the vulnerable new buds from frost damage. 507 is made with Valerian, a plant which has properties which excite bacteria - essentially making them move around and generate a small amount of warmth around the buds.

Dine with Seresin

This Monday, dine by Peter Gordon is hosting a Seresin Winemaker's Dinner. Join Seresin winemaker Clive Dougall for a six course degustation menu featuring Akaroa salmon, smoked kahawai and prawn tortellini, Cambridge duck, Cervena venison and a sesame Bombe Alaska; all matched with Seresin wines.

This dinner is on Monday 20th September at 6.30pm in Auckland, New Zealand. To make a booking please contact dine on 09 363 6000 or for more information please visit their website.

We would love to see you there!

A Complex Issue

This week marks the launch of an exciting New Zealand wine initiative in the USA; Complexity.

Complexity brings together 21 of New Zealand's great wineries with a single purpose: to establish our nation's credentials in the world of fine wine. The 59 fine wines in the Complexity portfolio showcase the diverse nature of our eight great wine growing regions.

We are really excited to be a part of this project, and have four Seresin wines included in the programme. Our Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Reserve, Leah Pinot Noir, and Rachel Pinot Noir were all selected.

The Complexity website is a spectacular display of New Zealand and our wines, producers and regions, and for more information about the initiative, please visit the website.

Diary of a WWOOFer

September 1

Today was another sunny day in Marlborough, and my first day WWOOFing at Seresin. The Seresin vineyards have an abundance of plant growth and the land looks healthy and lively. I met the vineyard team who were warm and keen to help me learn more about organics and biodynamics. They range from PhD graduates to gardeners, from India to Nova Scotia and work in all areas from pruning to milking to biodynamic preparations.

Right off the bat I got my hands dirty in the vegetable gardens in the Home Vineyard where rows of grapes have been removed. Sean (a well travelled farming guru) and I planted hundreds of onions using Japanese Nawashi tools to break up the soil. At 10am the team breaks for 'smoko' where we gather eggs, vegetables and rocket for a snack and people share fresh bread and cheese they've made.

In the afternoon Rob (an ex-Psychology professor) and I suited up like astronauts to go and check the beehives. Thousands of buzzing bees greeted us and we checked for Verroa mites which kill the hive and its honey production. The hive was thriving so we split it to start a new hive and in 21 days a queen will have been chosen and the new hive will grow.

September 3

The vineyard has about 40 chickens, ranging from zebra-striped barred-rocks to 1970's wallpaper patterned barnavelda, which produce eggs for the staff and the shells are used in the compost for their calcium. The chickens spend their days exploring every nook and cranny of the farm, and sometimes lay in the strangest places. This morning Erin (the apprentice) and I cleaned the coops and collected dry pine needles to lay in their cubbies.

Afterwards we walked Bill and Tom, our two clydesdale horses, to a fresh field so we could collect their manure for compost. The friendly giants are used to pull the spray machines in the vineyard.

Wendy and Kevin showed me how to make cowpat pits that result in highly nutritious soil for the crops. We turned a bathtub full amount of cow manure collected from the dairy cow over the week, added crushed eggshells and basalt meal until it was aerated and mixed. We placed the manure into brick pits in the ground where earthworms will work to decompose it. Finally we added biodynamic preparations 502-507; yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion and valerian. In three months this decomposed mix will be spread through the vineyard to increase moisture absorption, earthworm and humus forming bacterial activity, and root penetration.

September 6

First thing this morning, I met Olga the milking cow. Wendy (a biodynamic expert) and I collected her from the vineyard and took her to the milking shed where she was given a treat of molasses, water and a salt crystal to lick. I learned how to squeeze the udder, pulling the milk down to prevent mastitis. From 4 udders and 4 hands we gathered 8 litres of milk! Afterwards I took Olga outside for a thorough brush. We returned her to the vineyard to roam freely and I collected her manure for future cow pat pits.

Back in the meticulously clean milk shed, we filtered and bottled the milk, to be separated from the cream tomorrow. I put yesterdays milk into a huge bottle and churned it for an hour until it turned into butter. Once solid, I washed the rem

aining milk from the butter and molded it into bricks. For lunch our guests from the Nelson Wine Company in Melbourne were served some very fresh butter!

September 7

Today I learned how to make compost tea. On our 1980's Jeep we collected year old compost as dark as 70% chocolate. All organic waste is saved daily to contribute to the compost. We took the compost to the mixing tanks where we added water, biodynamic preparations, molasses and sweet-smelling seaweed which had been aerated in a freeflow tank, and we left this all to mix. This liquid seaweed fertiliser will be sprayed on the estate at a later date to improve the health of the soil and grape growth.

Later on, the rest of the onions were planted and I weeded the raspberry field. I picked fresh leeks and potatoes from the gardens which I used to make a delicious soup.

By Meg Blakeman, WWOOFer from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada. September 2010.

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