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Premium Sauvignon Blanc

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Eye doctors and skipping school – my path to winemaking…

March 13, 2015 by Sarah

Sarah Inkersell WinemakerA couple of weeks ago somebody asked me how I became a winemaker and it led me on a trip down memory lane… I can’t believe my 22 years in the industry all started with a visit to the optometrist as a teenager. It was Dr John Loughlin, who also owned Waimarama Estate, who asked me what I wanted to do when I left school. I replied that I wasn’t sure but I knew that I wanted a job with lots of variety that allowed me to work indoors and outdoors, he suggested wine making. The idea appealed to me, and not long afterwards, I found myself skipping an afternoon of school for an appointment with Kate Redburn (Villa Maria) to find out more…

My further education led me to Massey University (Micro & Plant Science). Eventually these studies were cross-credited to complete my Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science) from Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia. This was completed by distance education while I worked for various wineries, including:

  • Montana Wines at their Korokipo Vineyard, Hawkes Bay
  • Crab Farm Winery, Hawkes Bay
  • Delegat’s Wine Estate, Auckland
  • Soljan’s Estate, Auckland

After a spell as Assistant Winemaker and then Winemaker at Soljans Estate Winery, Auckland I moved to Marlborough.

In a recent post I wrote about whether I considered wine making art or science, (read it here), my next role within the industry definitely took the science side of the debate… I became an Oenologist for Pacific Rim Oenology Services, PROS in Blenheim. Find out more about Oenology here.

From 1999 to 2003 I worked at Grove Mill, (now The NZ Wine Company), again starting off as Assistant Winemaker before being promoted to Winemaker. After that the science bug bit me again and I went to work at Wine Bottlers Marlborough as Quality Manager to develop systems to meet BRC and even got to design the laboratory. In 2006 I returned to PROS as Consultant Oenologist and continue to support The Southern Pinot Noir Workshop on their behalf.

Screen Shot 2015-03-13 at 9.20.47 am

It was around 2004 that Russell and I recognised a unique opportunity in Marlborough… Whenever one considers the great wines around the world, and inevitably Europe, there are some common characteristics, they are style and site specific and they age well; because of this they are considered rare and attract a price that reflects this. At the time Marlborough was burgeoning with Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but nobody had filled that gap in the market with a Sauvignon Blanc wine that had its own individuality because of its terroir, many were still winemaker influenced. That’s why we created Fairbourne, which has been made to reflect where and how it has been grown. The hand-picked grapes from a single vineyard translate into something very special, which is why it represents Sauvignon Blanc under the “Specialist Winegrowers of New Zealand”, something that Russell and I are immensely proud to bring you.

 

Filed Under: Fairbourne, Hand Picked, Sauvignon Blanc, Specialist Winegrower of New Zealand, Uncategorized, Wine Making

Christmas – The perfect way to gift and wrap your wine.

December 3, 2014 by Sarah

fairbourne-gift-boxAs you can imagine, many of our friends and acquaintances receive a delicious bottle or two of Premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc as a gift at Christmas time, but this year I’ve decided to do a little research on how to make that gift just a little more personal. Russell thinks I’m mad, he says as I actually make the wine that’s pretty personal, but I’m not thinking about the gift itself more of how to wrap it up….. Here are my top 5 ideas so you can make your wine gifts personal.

How to wrap a wine bottle and make it personal:

  1. Idea #1 – For the hostess with the mostest…. Wrap your wine bottle in kitchen apron or a tea towel and secure it with ribbon or twine at the bottle neck. Now I’m not talking any old tea towel, check out these fabulous Kiwiana tea towels from Gecko.
  2. Idea #2 – For the gardener... Add a grapevine. The Country Trading company has a great selection. Then wrap your wine bottle in a plain jute bag or hessian sack, secured with some greenery from the garden. Add some used wine corks as decoration. Just like this.
  3. Idea #3 – For the foodie… Make some homemade Oat Cakes, (here’s a simple recipe), wrap them in a little cellophane bag and secure them to the bottle neck with some pretty ribbon. Add some homemade cheese! Check out my blog post on the Two Tails site which is about wine and cheese matching.
  4. Idea #4 – For the bottle half full person… Tie a decorative stopper on to your chosen bottle of wine. Stevens have a great selection.
  5. Idea #5 – For someone special… Add a save the date card and some cards printed with clues to a romantic destination for a summer picnic. Use a hole punch to keep them neatly together and tie with ribbon around the neck of the bottle. (Sssshhh, don’t tell Russell about this idea…. I might use it myself!)

Of course here at Fairbourne we make it easy for you with our Single Luxury Gift Box and Twin Luxury Gift Box. It’s pretty easy to wrap a box and with FREE delivery throughout New Zealand it makes it easier on the wallet too!

Happy Wine Shopping!

Filed Under: Gifts, Online Shopping, Sauvignon Blanc, Uncategorized

Tech Savvy

August 16, 2014 by Sarah

Fairbourne_WineAppAs producers of hand picked, premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, we’re always interested to see new ways for wine lovers to choose and review wines.

We’ve been doing a little research on some of the great wine apps out there for Android and iPhone and here are a couple of our favourites.

1: Vivino – Never Pick Another Bad Wine – Focusing on user generated content the Vivino app community has more than 5.5 million wine loving users (and that figure rises daily). It’s been reviewed as the wine app for “Normal People” (read the review on the Forbes website).

Here’s the Vivino app advert.

2: NZ Wine App – Launched at the end of last year, NZ Wine App allows users to scan the barcode of a wine bottle with its inbuilt barcode scanner, and gives instant access to that wine’s:

  • Tasting Notes
  • Food Match
  • Awards
  • Reviews
  • Wine Makers Notes
  • Technical Info, and more.

It also has user generated reviews. Read about the young entrepreneur, Alex Harper, and his launch of the app in this New Zealand Herald article.

Of course if you’re using either of these great apps already feel free to give Fairbourne a review, we’d love to hear what you have to say!

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Wine Reviews

The Specialist Winegrowers of New Zealand

January 20, 2014 by admin

The dedication of time, care and life-long passion to their craft is the distinguishing characteristic of ‘The Specialist Winegrowers of New Zealand’, the select group of ultra premium artisan winemakers who have each chosen to specialise in single wine varietals or styles. Between them the group produces Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Blends, Methode Traditionelle, Syrah, Pinot Noir & Sauvignon Blanc.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Sauvignon Blanc

Here at Fairbourne Estate we make premium, handpicked, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The word Sauvignon is a derivative from the French word Sauvage meaning wild or savage and of course the word blanc is the French word for white. The wild or … Read More

A little spice is very nice!

16th January marks International Hot & Spicy Food Day! While it’s common to reach for a beer when you're eating a … [Read More...]

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