Winery Life

I haven’t been able to write very much in recent weeks because harvest has hit us like a team of rugby players might if we were carrying an oblong shaped object.  Fortunately, I have had one and a half days off in the last 3 weeks, but all of my time off is spent partying with my co-workers so I don’t get much of a chance to enlighten my dedicated readers.   Well here it is. 

A typical day of work lasts for about 14 hours, which is no different from other harvests that I’ve worked, but the big difference is that we take so many breaks!  We get to work at 7:30 AM and work for a few hours and then have our mid-morning break with catered breakfast and coffee (we have our own personal cook who provides food for every break).  Then we work for a few more hours and take an hour lunch.  A few hours later, it is Beer O’clock with some afternoon munchies.  If we are working late, we have dinner with several wines that we blind taste (This is where you try to guess what kind of wine it is you are tasting).   We get home at 10 PM, take a much needed shower, and go to bed only to wake up in 8 hours to do it again.   It’s a pretty sweet deal.  Lots of work, but lots of play too; That is the Kiwi way. 

The whole staff, including us interns, are included in every aspect of the winery.  We get to do blending trials and give our input, and last week we did a full out white burgundy tasting (chardonnay) next to a vertical of our chardonnay (5 consecutive years).  Once again, this is a totally opposite work environment from my last winery.  It fascinates me to see different winemaking techniques and witness that they can all make good wines (My last winery was very anal winemaking and this winery is extremely relaxed). 

Outside of winery life, the island life is also incredible.  We’ve gone swimming at 15 different beaches thus far, and fishing at 3 (We have fresh snapper at least once a week).  The views are epic on every hill, and I won’t even start in on sunrises and sunsets.  We are quite secluded out on our end of the island, so naturally there are very few women for me to use the Hinschberger charm on, but I suppose it is for the best since my harvest mustache makes me look like a creepy Burt Reynolds from the 80’s. 

Anyway, Hope you’re having a wonderful day. 

Cheers from NZ.

Paully

One of those sunrises that I mentioned

This is actually a beach on the mainland called Piha

Our break room, and Oscar the dog

Cameron and Bryony filling the press

The winery with two presses and a forklift

Enjoying a beer on the beach, through the perspective of  Cameron's glasses

Sans Zaniness

I don't really have anything zany to say, so here's some pictures.  

My sweet Mustache and I enjoying a sunset.

Just outside of the winery

sunset with a cow

My vehicle and living quarters

There are sweet beaches like this
 all around the island 

Fishing with some buddies

I think this is the first legitimate fish I've ever caught.

Man O' War

After working for one week on Waiheke Island, I think I’m in love.  I just came from Fiordland, probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, and Waiheke matches it in grace and beauty but is permeated with a rustic charm that penetrates your soul.  It’s like I’m stuck in a perpetual Bob Dillon song.  The Man O’ War Winery has about 110 acres of vines on its 2400 acre property which is about one fifth of Waiheke island.   They own the entire eastern end of the island which basically feels like I have my own private island.  Every morning, my two co-workers/roomies and I drive 15 minutes from our barn-like house over unkempt dusty red roads to the winery with 360 degree views of beaches, hills, vineyards and sheep.  Lots and lots of sheep.  There are approximately 73 beaches on the island, and me and my cronies have the lofty aspiration to swim in every one of them.  We’ll see if that happens. 

The winery itself is also quite rustic, and like everything else has a thick layer of red dust over everything.  Of course I will be cleaning it thoroughly before harvest starts (which is in about 3 days).  The wines are spectacular and certainly show off that red volcanic dirt minerality which makes them both tasty and unique.    

I really lucked out on this one.  Basically, I’m getting paid to be on holiday.  

epicness

The stalactites are actually hanging from the ceiling but I can't rotate in this program

Jeff looking over the vast clouds. Probably my favorite picture I've taken

Yep, that's right

Whelp, my traveling holiday has officially ended, and my working holiday has begun.  Both are holidays in their own right because, even as I work, it is still far from real life.   My last weekend in Te Anau was quite epic since I hiked one of New Zealand’s great walks with my good friend Jeff.  We hiked about 30 miles on what is called the ‘Kepler track’ in four days.  Sure, it would have been feasible to do it in 2 days, but with views like these, it would have been downright shameful to rush it.  I have to put Fiordland right up there in the ranks (maybe higher) with Yosemite, Glacier, and the Swiss Alps, which is no small feat.  Once again, although the pictures are beautiful, they really don’t capture the raw monstrosity of this place, and I only saw a small fraction of the park.     

Literally right after I got off of the Kepler, I hitched up to Christchurch because I had a flight out to Auckland the next day.  My first ride was from a sweet old lady named Margaret who picks up hitchers all the time.  She had to be at least 80 years old.  To use my favorite Kiwi-ism: Good on ya Margaret!    My other rides were just as intriguing, but in fact are so intriguing that it would be impossible to summarize.  I will simply say that overall I think that hitch-hiking has to be my favorite part of my trip.

I just arrived on Waiheke island a few days ago and it is in-cred-ible.  I will post some pictures of it soon.  Good on ya mate!  (It doesn’t really work in this sense because it is more of a congratulatory saying but what the hell, congratulations on your life)

Paul.