I thought I would end our participation in Maori Language week with 2 poems. Beautiful words to inspire you to use some Maori phrases and encourage us all to pronounce our place names correctly. I have always loved this Eileen Duggan poem. Read it aloud. It won’t rhyme if you don’t pronounce Wairau properly. This poem was written in 1937.

The Tides Run Up The Wairau

The tides run up the Wairau
That fights against their flow.
My heart and it together
Are running salt and snow.

For though I cannot love you,
Yet, heavy, deep, and far,
Your tide of love comes swinging,
Too swift for me to bar.

Some thought of you must linger,
A salt of pain in me,
For oh what running river
Can stand against the sea?

And also

Pakeha Talk

When you said kia ora to me
For the first time – uninitiated, unsolicited…
It floated, and it was an object,
New, hard; it waka-ed and defined shores. 

You spoke an unspoken boundary,
Showing the terrain.
You bought a new map into the room
-the same size- more detailed,
In the kete of your kia ora.

Margaret Mitcalfe

Nga mihi na

Jane

Meg is on her way to a young academics’ conference in Brisbane so it is my turn to make an entry for Maori Language Week. I decided to explore Kekerengu a beautiful part of Marlborough on the Kaikoura coast. We source fruit from 2 vineyards there and of course rimurapa flourishes along the coastline.

Rimurapa

My first I thought was “what does it mean in English.”According to The Reed Dictionary of Place Names, AW Reed, 2^nd ed. 1982, Kekerengu is a black beetle. However the name comes from a young Maori chief called Te Kekerengu who had to flee to Kekerengu because he made an enemy of Rangihaeta, who was one of Te Rauparaha’s lieutenants.

This was such an intriguing story I have had a little look further.  The reference librarians at the Marlborough District Library provided me with this first information and then I had a look at http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/maori-tribal-history/4 and a fantastic electronic version of  History and Traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast North Island of New Zealand Prior to 1840, by  S. Percy Smith , ( Polynesian Society, 1910, New Plymouth) on New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-SmiHist-t1-body1-d17-d9.html.

So I am going to retell this amazing story.

Te Kekerengu was the son of Whanake the principal chief of Ngati Ira of the Wellington area, and Tamairangi, his wife. She was a celebrated beauty and a great chieftainess. Following an attack by another tribe Tamairangi and Te Kekerengu were offered protection by Rangihaeata of Ngati Toa. They were taken to Kapiti Island.

Now Te Kekerengu was apparently very handsome and Percy Smith describes him as a fine, handsome fellow and somewhat of a “gay Lothario.” This means that he was a good looking ladies man. Te Kekenerengu had an affair with Rangihaeata’s wife. Once Rangihaeata discovered this, Te Kekerengu and his mother were in great danger. They took a canoe and escaped by night with all of their relations. They crossed Cooks Strait to Aro-paoa Island (which we call Arapawa Island today). This is where Tamairangi came from. However still fearful of Ngati Toa, they moved onto Kaikoura area and joined their distant relatives of the Ngai Tahu tribe.

Te Rauparaha

Once Te Rauparaha heard about this insult to Rangihaeata he sent off to the South Island to avenge him. He saw an opportunity to attack the Ngai Tahu, who would have been viewed as guilty as they were giving shelter to Te Kekerengu. Initially he landed at Wairau (Blenheim) and then went overland to Kaikoura.  The Ngai Tahu had, however, heard of their coming and fled southwards. They were overtaken at Omihi, where they were attacked and defeated with great slaughter.

Te Kekerengu  escaped the slaughter and fled back up the coast. He and his relatives made their way up the Kaikoura Coast towards Cape Campbell.  How long they remained there seems unclear. However it would seem that the Ngai Tahu followed them. They saw Te Kekerengu as the cause of the slaughter at Omihi and avenged themselves by killing Te Kekerengu and all his relatives at the river now known as Kekerengu.

I am a history graduate but like most pakeha people of my generation have little knowledge of the stories of our past. I think we need to tell these stories and I tell this story with respect and apologies for any errors.

Nga mihi na

Jane

Nets up, after the Riesling was picked

Gosh, it is June and we are still harvesting. Today it is fantastic that the Riesling has been picked. During vintage Simon decided it would be the year we made a Noble Riesling so the nets went back on.

We last did this in 2007. So then we waited and waited. The weather was fine and the infection slowly developed and then it rained and rained. So we were pleased that the sun reappeared this week and Jeremy and Simon decided to pick today.

Nick with the mechanical harvester

However I had also booked a spot at the olive press for our first pick of olives. It has been a crazy day. Luckily Arabella was home on study leave and helped prepare morning tea and lunch for pickers of all varieties and crops.
This year we experimented with a mechanical olive harvester. It was an interesting day. Hand harvesting relies on lots of people to reach the required 300kg weight of olives to ensure to ensure a single grove batch press. It is also very pleasant gathered about the trees gently running your hands done the fruiting branches milking off the olives. However it is also a lot to ask of people. As we don’t sell the oil all we can offer is lunch, and a supply of delicious oil. So this year I borrowed a mechanical hand held machine from a friend and fellow grape/olive grower Jan Johns. The upshot was we managed to pick half the grove with 4 people. We also picked trees with a patchy crop that we would have left if we were hand picking. An interesting conundrum to consider is how I balance the argument in my head of mechanization versus hand picking. Tomorrow being Saturday we will pick traditionally by hand. The jury is out.

Winemakers helping out

Now with a number of people coming for lunch and the need for tasty winter fare I made a pot of Vegetable Soup last night. We have been going through a soup phase of late brought on by our harvesting of mushrooms. Alas the weather is too cold now for mushrooms but a good crop of pumpkins are stored in the shed in anticipation of my personal favourite Pumpkin Soup. However we did make pots and pots of Mushroom Soup, and using field mushrooms makes such a difference. Tomorrow Arabella will whip some savoury pinwheel scones to accompany the soup. Below is our Mushroom Soup recipe from the good old Edmonds cookbook.
Mushroom Soup
225g (8 ozs.) Mushrooms
½ cup Water
1 tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 cup Milk
Seasonings
Little Lemon Juice

Peel mushrooms, break into small pieces, and cook in the water until tender. Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour, and gradually stir in the milk. Cook until the mixture thickens, and cook a few minutes longer; mushrooms and liquor and seasonings. Just before serving,add lemon juice. A little cream improves the flavor.

Off to buy some shade cloth to make some new nets for the olive pick. Meg is home this afternoon and can help sew and bake treats for morning tea.

I have been in Vancouver from the past week with my Astrolabe hat on and this week I am multitasking between the two labels. However, do not worry, I have my Durvillea pinny in my bag.

We are off to a New Zealand Winegrowers Tasting, a trade event. Three sessions: trade, sommeliers and public. Then tomorrow we head back to Toronto for a similar event on Thursday.

I loved Vancouver. I had a day and a half off and did a fantastic walking tour through Gastown and Chinatown, biked and walked around Stanley Park, visited the Museum of Anthropology at UBC and Granville Island Markets. Jason and I meet Tim Pawsey for dinner and he took us to a terrific new generation Chinese restaurant in Chinatown called Bao Bei.

Tim is a wine writer whom we met in New Zealand for the first time last year.  It is always great to meet people and discover interesting places.We also visited Salt,  a cool wine bar in the fantastically named Blood Alley. We ended up at Boneta where we caught  up with the House Wine ladies.

Now I am home in Marlborough and it is raining and pouring. The garden badly needs it. Simon and I have been mushrooming and eating the product of our labours.  Autumn is advancing and the olives are beginning to turn coloured. I have booked dates at the olive mill for June.

I was so inspired by the public gardens of Vancouver and Toronto I have planted tulips. I have many plans for the garden over the coming months as we are having a wedding here next March. It is very exciting and a wonderful spur to planting. I want flowers, so dahlias and delphiniums are mycurrent focus. Daisies, salvias, and geraniums are also in my mind. It is such fun and I am looking forward to getting stuck in. However this week it is Perth and then home. Home sweet home.

Chocolate & Almond Cake 

200g 64-70% chocolate 

200g unsalteds butter 

200g caster sugar 

5 eggs separated 

250g peeled blanched almonds, pulsed to fine meal 

finely grated zest of 1 lemon 

icing sugar for dusting 

Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter a 23cm-diameter loose-bottomed tin and line it with baking paper. Break the chocolate into small pieces, place in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted. Add the butter in pieces and gently stir in. Add the sugar and stir to a creamy consistency. Remove from the heat and cool slightly then add the egg yolks. Stir in the almonds. In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, not too dry or the cake will have a hard crust. Add the lemon zest and gently fold in the chocolate, ensuring you don’t overmix. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30-40 mins until the cake is a lovely dark brown, has a light crust and is shrinking away from the sides of the. tin. 

Meg was home over the weekend and moved up a notch on the domestic goddess front by making quince jelly. The quince tree is laden with fruit and so using Granny Lois’ Constance Spry cookbook (which begins with a chapter on hosting a cocktail party. Here is the recipe: 

Quince Jelly 2.5 kg crabapples 2kg quince 

Pared rind and juice of 2 lemons sugar 

Wash apples and quinces and remove all blemished parts. Cut up and put in a pan with cold water to come level with the fruit. Simmer until pulpy. Turn into a jelly cloth or bag and leave overnight. Measure the juice and allow .5 kg sugar per litre. Put together into a preserving pan rubbed round with a piece of cut lemon, and the lemon rinds tied together, and the strained juice of the lemons. Bring to boil slowly, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Boil rapidly, skimming occasionally, until it will set lightly when tested. 

Quince Jelly in jars

Taken from “The Constance Spry Cookery Book  (J.M. Dent;1956) 

Lamb Shanks marinating in Durvillea Pinot Noir

Finally Arabella has been cooking a storm and here are  a couple of photos of her efforts. Both were fabulous with the Pinot Noir. 

So if you have been cooking up a storm too, make sure you add your recipe and wine match to our face book page (www.facebook.com/durvilleawines)

Then I had to check my new baby goldfish. Yesterday my lovely pilates teacher Marcia gave me 16 little goldfish for my pond. I have always disliked our funny little concrete pond which had a concrete statue of two little boys in the centre. From their little out stretched hands was meant to come a fountain of water but the pump has died. We named the boys Douglas and Michael after Doulas Wright and Michael Parminter. Unfortunately I knocked Douglas’ head off when cleaning out the pond. However the fish I hope will help the pond and the boys have been retired and I have planted watercress on their plinth instead.

So in the midst of bucolic bliss Sophie’s call sent me into a flap as I can’t find the recipe. I will look again but in the meantime here is the Kasundi recipe. This is from “The Best of Annabel Langbein: Great Food for Busy Lives.” Page 16. (Simon made this using plums and a little less sugar).

225g green ginger, peeled
100g garlic loves, peeled
50g green chillies, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed
2 1/2 cups malt vinegar
1 cup canola or safflower oil
2 tbsp tumeric
5 tbsp ground cumin
3 tbsp chilli powder
5 tbsp mustard seeds, ground to a powder
2kg tomatoes, washed and chopped
2 1/4 cups sugar
about 3 tbsp salt

Puree the ginger, garlic and chillies with a little of the vinegar to make a paste. Heat the oil in a very big pot or preserving pan. Add all the ground spices and fry until they exude a fragrant aroma. Add the pureed paste, tomatoes, the rest of the vinegar, sugar and half of the salt (check near the end of cooking to see if more is required). Cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil floats to the top (about half an hour). Bottle in sterilised jars while hot with a thin film of hot oil on the top of each jar (to prevent top from drying out) and cover with screwtop seal lids. Leave 2 weeks, keeps indefinitely. Makes about 2 litres.

A final note from Jane: we used old Durvillea bottles to bottle ours.

We set up the tent the day before and were very pleased as all the hard work Jane had put in making decorations was well worth it. We went for a green and brown palette for the Durvillea stall and a pretty gothic dark look for the Astrolabe side. The big pile of real life Durvillea seaweed and the handmade pinnies were a particular hit.

We were a little worried when we arrived on site to very heavy rain. It is local Marlborough lore that it never rains on festival day. However the rain cleared up about eleven and the rest of the day was very sunny and hot. Since the temperature was so high our chilled white wines were very popular. There was particular interest in the Pinot Grigio with punters interested in the choice to go with Pinot Grigio rather than the more usual Pinot Gris. There are two reasons that we call it Pinot Grigio, one is that we sell wine in the UK where they are more used to seeing Pinot Grigio’s and the other is a stylistic decision as the winemakers are aiming toward creating a wine more in the Northern Italian style as opposed to a French style.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to people about our wines. It is equally nice introducing the wines to new customers who haven’t heard of us before as it is meeting self described “Durvillea fans”. We also got a chance to catch some of the musical acts. Sophie went to watch Ladi 6, Henry, Claire and I were impressed with Liam Finn and Jane discovered Gin Wigmore. After the festival we packed up and headed back to Astrolabe Farm where Arabella was busy preparing lots of her delicious pizzas. Today I’m hoping that the rain holds off so I can get all the aprons dried!

Jane and Simon are headed down to Gore today for a tasting and Sophie and Jason are off to Melbourne tommorow. As I write this now in the Blenheim office people are busy planning the upcoming harvest with Jeremy our viticulturist and winemaker Tim. Looks like another very busy week for the Astrolabe/Durvillea team. For more photos from the Wine Fest check out our flickr page!

- Meg

The Durvillea banner turned up yesterday as it is our first Wine and Food festival for Durvillea we had to get one printed as a banner is one of the requirements for attending the festival. Like everything new we were a bit worried about how it would look, however it looks great and we are very pleased. We also got another Astrolabe one printed as we thought we had lost the old one last year, but as expected, as soon as it turned up we found the old one! Luckily, we got a different background this year, so we haven’t really doubled up too much!

On top of it being the week coming up to Wine and Food, it has been a catch up week, as I took two days off last week to head down to Rippon in Wanaka- incidentally it was a fabulously hot weekend, great to catch up with friends and a brilliant concert. Though while it was great for me to have to time off, it did add to the work Jane had to do in a particularly busy week, perhaps not the best planning on my part.

I do seem to be back tracking on this blog, and I apologise, but nonetheless, on Monday we had winewriter Leslie Sbrocco for lunch at Astrolabe Farm

.

She was great fun, and very insightful into the American market, she also loved that we are using face book, twitter and blogging with Durvillea.

In amongst the last two weeks, I have not forgotten my half marathon training. I have still been managing to run, actually, correction, I only got two runs in last week, but thats ok.  The most surprising, and motivating thing, was that this week on Monday when I went for my first run, after the last 4 days off I went for my long run (normally 7.7km that I have to run/walk) I managed to run the whole way, even making it a little bit longer! It took me just under an hour, so I was very pleased.

I am back to my training now of 3-4 runs a week, and another cardio activity, and am hoping to try a long run on Sunday, even if I have to run/ walk some of it. (Some of the girls I am hoping to run the marathon with are already up to a casual 10- 15km, so I do have a long way to go!!!)

Will try tweet and put photos up from the Wine and Food festival, and if any of you are going, we are just across the bridge, so come and say hi! PS. Sorry the blog had very little pictures, will make up for it after this weekend!

You may also find you know some people, so feel free to tag them and encourage them to vote for themselves! Thanks to Karyn, Jonnie, Janelle from Fabel for organising a fabulous day out, and to the great line up of artists.

1. We have decided I will run it in a Durvillea singlet, adding to the motivation of doing it, and wanting to do well.
2. I have managed to convince some friends to do it with me, also a good way to get them to visit me in Marlborough, also good motivation as I don’t want to be the last one out of all of us!

It is 14 weeks till the run tomorrow, and so far I am up to running comfortably 5km, a great website I have been using has been www.mapmyrun.com. I went into Newman Graphics yesterday who do all of aprons, t-shirts etc and they have got me a singlet, and we are currently trying to think of a design for the back. So far we are going with the Durvillea logo and “Durvillea Girl” Libby, I think you should come back and run it too, I can get another one printed!

Later this afternoon, Jane, Bella and I are off down to Christchurch as Sounday is on tomorrow, for those of you who are going make sure you come and say Hi to us, we will be there most of the day and hopefully getting some snaps of people drinking Durvillea, we might even chose a photo of the day and the winner will win 3 bottles of Durvillea, feel free to post your own up too!

Another event that we are busy organising (Jane is ordering the hesian for the table as I write this!) is the Wine and Food festival, this is a great event, but does require a lot of time to be put into it. The black boards are being printed, and we have just okay’ed the banner this week. Jane is going to make us pinny’s in the next couple of weeks, and we are just finalising who will work the day.

While all this is going on I am entering some of the national and international shows that are coming up, it is always a litle stressful trying to make sure you remember all the deadlines for entry, stock delivery etc. I have also just added us up to the www.lovewine.com website, a social network for wineries and those that love wine!

I am looking forward to going to CHCH, will be nice to be home, must remember to run though, hopefully will be up to 8km next time I blog…..