Website updated and looking good! In case you were wondering where the newsletters had gone, here we are back on deck again after a prolonged period working on the website (www.baldhills.co.nz) as well as spending time marketing. A little holiday was also in order. Our website has been redesigned so that it is punchier and has a fresh new look but still retains those popular elements of simplicity and ease of navigation. The Wine Shop shows all wines available now including a few in limited supply. Click on a wine and you are taken to an entire page dedicated to that wine complete with tasting notes, technical details, major awards and a full sized bottle shot. Follow the link above to see the site. Shopping is now easier and security is of course paramount.
Until we develop an online “wine club” loyal buyers should continue to order direct from blair@baldhills.co.nz or by telephoning 03 4453161 in order to receive customary rewards.
The vineyard is a source of great pride to us so we are understandably upset to note the damage done by the cold snap in Central Otago! The wind machines worked overtime this week and helicopters hovered all around the skyline! Luckily though the damage is minimal at Bald Hills and while crop levels will be down it is not the end of the world.
Meanwhile it is work as usual. Sulphur spray each fortnight keeps the vines free of mildew and is a very important task which Blair undertakes himself. It takes him about 9 hours on the tractor. Blair finds it “blows the cobwebs away” and has the additional advantage of giving him a very good look at every row for work and repairs which need to be done – things like loose wires or damaged posts or rabbit holes.
The “team” have finished the first cut at crop thinning by removing surplus shoots and rubbing off the buds at ground level to concentrate growth above. They will be back again in about 3 weeks – anywhere between 10 and 20 workers, to continue with the ongoing hand tending of the vines to enable them to produce award-winning wines. The expression “great wines are made in the vineyard” is certainly true.
Our Tasting Room is open. We are now open 4 days a week from October through April from 1p.m.until 5p.m. If you would like to visit outside these days and hours we are always happy to show you our wines. Simply give us a call or a quick email (blair@baldhills.co.nz) if you are in the region or even at the gate; phones 03 4453161 or 027 2290032. Blair sometimes will leap off the tractor so you will have to forgive him his overly casual attire.
The good life at Bald Hills! The hens are not very consistent layers so we decided to let Old Blackie have her way. She is sitting on 9 eggs at present. Hopefully not too many of them will be roosters but even if they are a local lady likes to take them from us when they are fully grown and fattened, though still young (and alive!). She swaps them for two roosters from her freezer, plucked,dressed and ready for the table.This poultry is completely different in appearance and flavour from the Supermarket kind and we know it to be free of growth hormones and anti-biotics which is a huge plus.
The neighbour next door has sold us a young grass-fed pig which is currently at the local Butchery being made into roasts, ham, bacon, thick loin chops and pork belly with maybe a few leftovers minced for us to make delicious Asian pork balls. Another neighbour sold trailer loads of aged cow manure and “stack bottom” at $25, most of which went onto the roses. There is a lot to be said for living in the country!
The vegetable garden is planted with garlic, spring onions, red onions, silver beet, asparagus, potatoes, artichokes and the usual array of herbs. Just the asparagus is finding its way to the table at this stage though the early potatoes are almost at the flowering stage. It is too early for us to put in tomatoes and sweet corn as there is still a risk of frost.
Become a fan on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Here’s to all of us!
Estelle and Blair
