Want to try something new, and not already a member? Come on your own, grab a friend, workmate or partner and join us for our next tasting. Take a look and see who's presenting. Scroll down to view the website.
Darren Naylor from Brockenchack Vineyard in Australia, and a family representative [son-in-law converted from swimming coach], presented to us last month, when we had 26 people for the evening. Those that couldn’t attend missed a great evening and an opportunity to taste some new flavours, as this is the first time this family-owned vineyard has presented to us.
Their vineyard is in Eden Valley, which is described as being ‘Barossa’s beautiful high country, one of Australia’s premier cool climate wine growing regions, characterised by its rugged beauty and varied topography’. Darren explained to us the complexities of their property and vines, and the weather that effects their harvests, and how they work with other vineyards at times. And while all their wines matter to the family, their Shiraz is their primary wine.
He also revealed that other vineyards have started to use casks from Hungary, but they had found these to be inferior to the French or US casks, so they don’t use these in their productions.
To remind you of the wines we tasted on the night:
NV Great Scott Sparkling Shiraz the Welcome Wine
2023 Mackenzie William 1896 Riesling – cellars well, they are drinking their 2010 now
2021 Charli Jaye Chardonnay – made from Mendoza clone, only planted 12 years ago
2023 Tru-Su Rosé – made from their Shiraz
2021 Zip Line Shiraz – 60-95 years old vines
2021 Miss Bronte Cabernet Sauvignon – from 12-year-old vines
2018 Jack Harrison Shiraz – this will cellar for between 10-14 years
2018 William Frederick Shiraz – a special taster of premium wine and one of only two corked wines in their cellar. The rest of their wines are screw-cap.
Contact details for Brockenchack
Email NZ Agent, based in Queenstown +64 277 034 616
Wine orders on the night were good, thanks to everyone.
Thanks to all those who attended the Club’s AGM. It was a short and succinct meeting, with all the important matters passed or discussed promptly. For those that couldn’t attend:
Financial Report, a copy of which has been corrected for the $3K compensation and will be uploaded to the Club website if you wish to review it.
Election of Officers, including a new Secretary, welcome Gordon.
Subscriptions are to remain at $25 for the 24/25 financial year.
General Business:
Gary Milicich asked whether the Club had any relationships with wholesalers regarding the purchase of wine. The answer is that we do not currently.
Wayne advised that he is responsible for renewing the Club’s liquor license.
Wayne raised the topic of mid- and end-of-year dinners and noted that attendance numbers have dropped slightly over the last year. Members were asked to please let any of the committee members know if they had any suggestions.
A bus trip to the Wairarapa for club members was raised, and it was explained that our last one had been for the 40th anniversary of the Club and was a lot of work, especially when trying to co-ordinate with trains, etc
The supper put on by committee members was enjoyed, and so was the socialising.
Brockenchack With Representative and Global Business Development Manager, Darren Naylor
Wednesday 12th June, 8 pm Start
Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18
Brockenchack Wines | One family, connecting wine-enthusiasts across the globe through a shared love of storytelling and fine wine. All it takes is one memorable bottle of Brockenchack wine for the family reunion to begin.
Our presenter Darren has his own wine named after him (D.E.N Reserve Cabernet), is married to owner Trev’s daughter Sue (aka our Tru-Su Rose) and is father to Mack (aka Mackenzie William 1896 Riesling) and Bronte (aka Miss Bronte Cabernet), two of the grandchildren that Brockenchack is named after.
The heart of Brockenchack is our family, each member contributing their unique rhythm. If I steer the ship, Marilyn is our Bridge Watchkeeper as she continues her recovery with great-grandson Archie keeping her on her toes, and keeping us both young (at heart, if nothing else). The next generation; Mack, Jack and Charli step into the limelight, propelling the Brockenchack brand forward with fresh ideas and lots of energy. Darren’s relentless efforts span across Australia, NZ, Asia, and the USA, seasoned with a generous dose of dad jokes. Susan continues the hard-working genes, propelling her own business forward.
Bronte continues to immerse herself in the world of dance, seamlessly balancing that with her commitment to university studies and prac placements. Whilst Trudi seizes every chance to revel in precious moments with her grandson Archie, whenever she’s not at the helm of the bottling plant.
Brockenchack’s name is made from an amalgamation of the grandchildren’s names: this is a family endeavour, and is named after their four grandchildren; BROnte, MaCKENzie, CHArli and JaCK; Brockenchack is a cool climate, single vineyard wine producer in the Barossa’s picturesque Eden Valley nestled between world-renowned Henschke and Yalumba vineyards. They soared to new heights in 2023, taking their wines international. From South Korea to New Zealand, Malaysia to the UK, France to Switzerland, and across the USA, their wines made a global statement. Wine trips and tastings resonated with enthusiasts on every continent.
Ever wondered what happens to old vineyard posts when they are discarded?
Repost, a company based in Marlborough, has been repurposing vineyard fence posts for the past four years.
What started as a need to find a cost-effective way to source posts for 30km of stock fencing on Greg and Dansy Coppell’s 500-hectare sheep and beef breeding farm in Nelson Lakes has now turned into a thriving business.
The Coppells said their first thought was to find a quantity of discarded vineyard posts. Greg’s father Allan had been using them for decades on his farm.
They found a stockpile of posts at a Marlborough vineyard and after sorting over the pile, they returned, repurposing the broken posts into usable 1.8m and 1.6m half and quarter round posts. They transformed their farm into usable paddocks, maximising pasture and accommodating their various stock.
With the seed sown, Greg and Dansy were keen to make this work on a larger scale and thus began Repost.
While they drive the business development and partnership opportunities, their team now consists of Stu Dudley who has been in the viticulture industry for over 15 years and Liam Garlick who streamlines freight and logistics and day-to-day site operations; the glue that binds this operation together.
With thousands of tonnes of useful durable wood being put into landfills every year from the viticulture industry, and with the viticulture industry priding itself on being sustainable and always looking at ways to lower its environmental impact, repurposing their old posts was the way to go, they said.
Since its conception, Repost has stepped up to the next level and with a tick from WorkSafe and resource consent processes in place, they are now able to process on-site.
This has made their operation smarter and more productive, they said.
They have processed more than 600,000 posts in total since they started in business, with a gradual increase each year.
They are looking to process up to 400,000 alone in this coming year and in the long term, they are hoping to include added value products such as 5×2 battens that could be used for various uses, including by DoC for its walkways.
How Repost is supporting Cyclone Gabrielle relief efforts
Repost has a crew of four who are working in Hawke’s Bay, supporting the Cyclone Gabrielle relief efforts, along with the Hawke’s Bay Silt Recovery Taskforce.
Instead of the damaged vineyard posts being sent to Whangarei to be chipped, they are turning the posts into intermediate and strainer posts, which have been donated by the taskforce to rural communities up and down the East Coast including Otane, Pōrangahau, Pākōwhai, Esk Valley, Tutira and Wairoa.
They are working their way through some of the larger vineyards and orchards and expect to be in Hawke’s Bay for another 12 to 18 months.
### The good news
Repost says it is changing one of the viticulture industry’s largest waste issues while also introducing recycled low-cost posts for farmers. Repost has partnered with Mitre10 as a supplier of their posts.
Steve Brennan of The Green Circle shows how marc left over from winemaking will be made into biochar. PENNY WARDLE / MARLBOROUGH EXPRESS
The Green Circle, a Blenheim startup company, and Yealands Wine are piloting a method to convert grape waste into 80% pure carbon.
The resulting product, biochar, held up to four times its weight in moisture, provided a home for soil microbes, boosted the value of compost and fertiliser, and could be added to animal feed.
As part of last week’s Climate Action Week Marlborough programme, a demonstration at the Yealands plant near Seddon showed forestry wood-waste and grapevine stumps being fed into one end of a machine and biochar being spat out the other.
The biochar, a charcoal-like substance, was slightly damp from moisture added to reduce its temperature from as high as 1000C.
Brennan encourages people to see, touch and interact with the biochar product. PENNY WARDLE / MARLBOROUGH EXPRESS
The Green Circle founder and director Steve Brennan and chief executive David Savidan said the machine being used for the pilot would dry marc at Yealands this vintage.
Marc is the seeds, skins and stalks left behind when wine is made.
“As much as possible” would be converted to biochar using pyrolysis, which is the burning of organic material at super-hot temperatures with no oxygen.
The biggest challenge would be scaling up to use available waste, improve efficiency and make biochar affordable, Brennan said.
Depending on the size and moisture content of material being fed in, an average of 20 tonnes could be processed per day, Savidan later told the Marlborough Express.
This time next year, the company planned to have several machines with capacity to process 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes. These would be based at a site central to vineyards, ideally in Renwick or Riverlands.
Last year, about 393,865 tonnes of grapes were harvested in Marlborough, according to Marcus Pickens of Wine Marlborough.
About 20%, or almost 80,000 tonnes, of that volume was marc.
Brennan said the 6 million or so vine trunks that were removed from Marlborough vineyards each year and 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes of prunings could also undergo pyrolysis.
Wine companies could dig biochar back into vineyards to sequester carbon for a zero footprint, he suggested.
However, there was not yet New Zealand demand for high-carbon biochar, Savidan said. The Green Circle’s business plan included researching local benefits that would later be shared.
Yealands sustainability manager Andrée Piddington, right, talks about biochar benefits with, from left, Heather Turnbull, John Baldridge and Tracy Taylor. PENNY WARDLE / MARLBOROUGH EXPRESS
Yealands sustainability manager Andrée Piddington said the winemaker was keen for solutions because composting marc could cause leachate runoff.
Even if The Green Circle did nothing but dry marc, she would be happy, Piddington said. It could be stored with no risk of runoff and then sold as livestock feed.
Yealands was planning a trial in which biochar would be added to compost and then applied to soil.
Digging biochar into the ground to lock in carbon was appealing but not practical among the posts and wires of established vineyards, Piddington said. This could be possible as new areas were developed or old areas replaced.
Savidan said The Green Circle would charge clients to process their grape marc, at the cost of disposal. They could buy biochar at discounted rates.
Checking a handful of biochar are, from left, Nick Gerritsen, Gavin Beattie from Port Marlborough, and David Savidan of The Green Circle. PENNY WARDLE / MARLBOROUGH EXPRESS
The company was the sole New Zealand distributor of its pyrolysis machine, bought from an Australian manufacturer that planned to take the technology global, Savidan said. The Green Circle designed and owned the New Zealand-made drier.
The company was also talking with Marlborough forest and aquaculture companies, Savidan said. OneFortyOne was looking into transforming wood waste, while New Zealand King Salmon was considering turning dead fish into soil stimulants.
In June 2020, the Marlborough District Council, Massey University and the Ministry for the Environment analysed five options for repurposing grape marc.
In their report, biochar was said to deliver “far and away the best environmental outcome. Going down the biochar route means the industry potentially has the opportunity to offset the emissions from all other parts of the production and supply chain.”
We had Pegasus Bay wines presented to us by Ed Donaldson, Marketing Manager, who was informative and entertaining throughout the evening. Our club ordered 109 bottles from Pegasus.
Some of the information he imparted to us was:
Their venture started as a curiosity by Ed’s father, a surgeon 40 years ago.
That they have 40ha now planted in vines.
Their vines are not grafted from root stock.
They used to get grapes for their Main Divide range strictly from other growers/friends, this has now changed as they planted vines in 2008 to cover half this load.
There is seven family members involved in the day to day running of the business.
They export half of the wine they make to approx. 20 countries, including the UK, Belgium, Holland and Australia.
They will be 40 years old next year.
As a reminder of the wines we tasted during the evening:
Main Divide Rosé 2023 – Welcome wine a mixture of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Pegasus Bay 2021 Sauvignon Blanc had less than 15% Semillon added
Pegasus Bay 2020 Chardonnay the grapes for this were foot stomped!
Pegasus Bay 2023 Bel Canto ‘Dry Riesling’ this is a really important grape variety for the area, these grapes are picked really late in the season – Bel Canto translates as beautiful music/singing
Main Divide 2021 Te Hau Pinot Noir
Pegasus Bay 2020 Merlot Cabernet
Pegasus Bay 2021 Finale ‘Noble Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Hosted by Michelle Fraser, Clearview Sales Manager and occasional Wine Judge
Wednesday 10th April, 8 pm Start Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18
Please remember your tasting glasses
Immediately after the Gold Medal Winners from the New Zealand International Wine Show were announced last October, your club set out to acquire 3 bottles of 7 gold medal wines for us to taste this month. April was chosen to do this as that is a time of the year when the wine industry is busy with harvest and thus many wineries are unavailable to present to us.
The beauty of doing this immediately that the announcements were made were two-fold. It meant that the wines were still available and more importantly it also gave us an opportunity to secure 5 that were trophy wines, one of which was also the overall Champion Wine of the Show.
And to help us present these wonderful wines to you all, we have invited Clearview Sales Manager, Michelle Fraser back to help us. You may recall that last year she mentioned that she has been a wine judge but she also comes with an extensive knowledge of viticulture and wine making, so is well placed to provide background and her take on each of our wines that we will be tasting.
The wines we will be tasting are:
Lindauer Special Reserve Rose NV – Gold & Trophy for Champion NZ Sparkling Wine
2022 Leefield Station Gewurztraminer -Double Gold & Trophy for Champion Gewurztraminer
2022 Brancott Estate Letter Series O Chardonnay – Double Gold, Trophy for Champion Chardonnay plus Champion Wine of the Show
2021 Daisy Rock Reserve Pinot Noir – Gold Medal
2021 Esk Valley Artisanal Hawkes Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon – Gold Medal
2021 Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah – Double Gold, Trophy for Champion Syrah, Trophy for Champion Syrah & Predominant Blends & Trophy for Champion Commercial Red Wine
TAYLOR, Richard Hugh, on Thursday, 29th February 2024.
Dearly loved husband of Mary, much loved father and father-in-law of Jason, Simon and Kelly, proud granddad of Dylan.
Messages may be left here in Richard’s tribute book.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Richard to Mary Potter Hospice would be appreciated.
A Service for Richard will be held at the Guardian Funeral Home 4 Moorefield Road, Johnsonville, Wellington on Friday 8th of March 2024 at 11:00 am and followed by private cremation.
Service Information
Date: 8/03/2024 Time: 11:00 a.m. Location: Guardian Funeral Home Chapel 4 Moorefield Road Johnsonville, Wellington Map of location
Your committee continues to review the way in which it operates, particularly in respect of trying to work out which tasks need to remain with the committee, and which can be delegated.
We need to ensure that we have a good match of skills to match with the roles being vacated and in relation to this your committee is looking for someone to take on the role of Secretary.
This role is not arduous but includes attending the monthly committee meetings and taking minutes. The process of minute-taking has largely been templated to lighten the load on the person in this role.
Hall setup
We also continue to be delighted and thankful of everyone’s help with set-up of the hall for our gatherings, and then the pack down at the end of the evening.
Please remember: We can’t arrive to do the setting up activities any earlier than 7:30 pm as we may interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule, who have the hall until that time.
Upcoming events
April – Gold Medal Wines from the New Zealand International Wine Show, hosted by Michelle Fraser (Clearview Wines and Wine Judge). This tasting includes a number of trophy wines and so is a best of the best tasting, not to be missed.
Kevin presented to us, with his views on the Marlborough history of wine growing, supplying and the present, as well as his predictions for the future of the area. All very informative and well received, leading to more than a bit of discussion by the members present. An intriguing evening of information and wine tasting.
A reminder of the tastings we had during the evening:
Riverby Rosé 2023 – Welcome wine – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Cicada Gewurztraminer 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Riverby Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Gruner Veltliner 2022
Riverby OVB 2021
Riverby Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
Riverby Noble Riesling 2019 – multiple award winner.
As well as the above, we were offered a small tasting of two of Riverby’s Rieslings:
Sal’s Block Riesling 2023 – this was a dri-ish tipple with 20gm of sugar
Eliza Riesling 2023 [blend of Riesling and sweet grapes] with 40gm of sugar
Both well received, depending on how sweet you like your wines. Kevin mentioned that most of his Rieslings go to the Scandinavian countries in Europe.
This tasting was clearly enjoyed, as evidenced by the 141 bottles ordered from Kevin. Well done.
www.pegasusbay.com Wednesday 13 March, 8 pm Door Price: Members $16 / Guests $20 PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR GLASSES
The Family, mmersed in the wine industry since the early 1970s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making.
The Donaldson family have been seriously involved in wine since the early 1970’s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making.
Associate Professor and Consultant Neurologist, Ivan Donaldson, first became interested in wine when his girlfriend at the time, Christine, gave him a book simply called ‘Wine’, penned by English industry legend, Hugh Johnson.
After travelling to explore the wine regions of Europe, Ivan return home to plant one of the first vineyards of modern times in Canterbury, and to marry Christine, who has been an integral part of the Pegasus Bay story.
The first vineyard was a hobby with Ivan making wine in the garage at home on the weekends. In-between seeing patients at his private practice in the evening and after his shifts at the public hospital. He also started writing a wine column in the local newspaper and was a judge in numerous wine shows around the globe.
By the mid-1980s Ivan and Chris had decided there was definitely a future for wine making in Canterbury. They went on to plant Pegasus Bay with the help of their four sons, who have all ended up working in key role within the business.
Ed will be presenting a selection of wines from their premium Pegasus Bay label as well as some from their Main Divide collection:
Main Divide Rosé 2023
Pegasus Bay 2021 Sauvignon Blanc
Pegasus Bay 2020 Chardonnay
Pegasus Bay 2023 Bel Canto ‘Dry Riesling’
Main Divide 2021 Te Hau Pinot Noir
Pegasus Bay 2020 Merlot Cabernet
Pegasus Bay 2021 Finale ‘Noble Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
This year’s Christmas Dinner was held at the Wellington Club, a special location for our Christmas dinner.
We had 38 attendees, who enjoyed the superb venue and the manner in which we were accommodated in our own dining space.
The meal, service and the wines for the occasion ensured and added to a splendid evening for Club members.
This was a special evening, especially for Club members who had not been to the Wellington Club previously, and some people expressed that it was as good as our evening at Bellamys in previous years.
Thanks to your committee members for all the organising for our final event for 2023.
