Big Sky Spring 2009 News

New Release
We are now releasing our 2008 Big Sky Pinot Noir. It’s looking really good, with ripe cherry and plum flavours, with hints of cinnamon, thyme and pepper on the finish. It has received silver medals at both the Royal Easter Show and the Romeo Bragato competition.  And we were rapt to see that it was judged as “excellent, verging on outstanding” (4.5 stars out of 5) in the November edition of Cuisine.

You can buy it online for $30 per bottle, for October and November.  Buy 6 or more and we will pay the postage.



Our 2008 Big Sky Sauvignon Blanc is also available for your summer drinking.  Many people comment that our Savvy is quite different to your run of the mill Sauvignon Blancs. The combination of minerality and tropical fruit make it a taste sensation without having the overpowering acidity that is normally associated with savvy. It is a great accompaniment with food.

You can buy it online for $20 a bottle. Buy 6 or more and we pay the postage.
 
Frost time
Spring is of course all about new growth, with the pruned vines waking up from their winter slumber.  One of my favourite days of the year is when looking down the rows I first notice the thin line of green along the fruiting wire -- buds bursting, new shoots shooting, and tender leaves unfurling.

Spring is also frost time and that can wreck havoc with those tender leaves and while Te Muna Road is only a few kilometres east of Martinborough, it's more exposed situation means it is more prone to extremes – hotter in summer, colder in winter, and a little frostier than the vineyards in town. 

We have quite a ritual which starts a few days before a frost looks likely. Studying weather forecasts, chatting to the guys at the service station to see how much diesel they’ve been selling and as the afternoon clears and the clouds scull away, phone calls with our neighbours  -- John at Te Hera and Jeff at Pond Paddock  -- to share views.

If it looks likely to be a cold night, it is early to bed with the phone close by.  If we are lucky the next morning comes around without it waking us up with a start.  Otherwise it is Jeff, letting us know that things are cold, the wind machines are on, and we’d better get out there!

Once out in the vineyard on those clear cold nights you always get awestruck at the fantastic starry sky, with the Southern Cross following its path slowly above our heads. As the night progresses we keep a close eye on the temperature, and with the help of wind machine and frost pots, try to keep things from going much below zero.

Earth, wind, fire, and ice. Very elemental and raw. Things don’t start to warm up until the sun comes up, usually making for a clear and sparkling spring day and then it’s home for a big breakfast and some sleep!

So you might ask why we choose to grow grapes in a site so prone to weather. Pinot needs hot days and cool nights to really develop complexity and depth in flavour and those temperature swings also mean frosts in spring and autumn. So to us it’s all a part of growing great pinot noir.