Durvillea Wines » childhood

Merry Christmas!

Jane — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 02:04:30 +0000

From our family to yours, have a safe and happy holiday!

O’Tannenbaum – Arabella’s Christmas trees, recipe and competition

Jane — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:33:18 +0000

It’s less than one month until Christmas which means that it is time to start erecting and decorating your Christmas trees! At the farm we have already put ours up, we tend to get a bit overexcited by decorations and already have three trees fully decorated. We have a big tree with all of our old decorations on it, a smaller red and white tree with lots of ribbons and gingerbread men and our latest addition is a radical white tree with colourful Dr Suess-esque decorations.

Another festive thing we get a bit excited about is the food. Although we love traditional Christmas cuisine, being in Marlborough we also have lots of summer produce ready for eating at the farm. There are always plenty of berries, new potatoes and peas from Jane’s vegetable garden. One of my favourite Christmas dinner dishes is peas and pancetta. This salad looks lovely and green on the table and is a delicious interval to rich ham and turkey.

Peas and Pancetta

Olive oil

Pancetta (100 grams or so)

1 cup white wine

1 small onion

5 cups fresh picked peas

1 clove garlic

Cook chopped onion and pancetta in olive oil until brown. Add garlic and keep cooking until it smells nice! Add wine peas and black pepper and simmer until peas are tender and wine is absorbed.

We already have some delicious entries into this week’s draw: Danielle’s mushroom and bacon pate, Kathie’s Ham with Spicy Plum and Mustard Glaze, Erin’s Meat Sauce, Lucy’s Sultana Cake, Cynthia’s Christmas mince and Claire’s Parsley Butter. Check them out on last week’s blog. To enter your recipe see the info below.

- Arabella

Competition details:

Post up your favourite Christmas recipe, meal, or serving suggestion on this blog and we will do the second draw this coming Friday3rd Decmeber for the next two bottles of Durvillea wine (your choice)

Terms and Condition to Enter:
* Must be over 18
* Comments must be posted on this blog, not our facebook or twitter accounts
* Only those in New Zealand and Australia are eligible for this competition
* One person’s recipe a week will be drawn from a hat each Friday until the 17th December and that lucky person will win 2 bottles of their choice of Durvillea wines
*Everyone who posted a recipe will go in the draw for the Durvillea Sauvignon Blanc magnum to be drawn 17th December

South Australia and a lovely review

Jane — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:01:42 +0000

One of the obvious side effects of your parents being in the wine industry is that you always live in a wine region! We have lived in Marlborough since 1995 but all we three girls were born in different regions. Before Blenheim we lived in Gisborne where Arabella was born in 1990, Libby was born in Huntly in 1986 when Simon was working at a winery in Te Kauwhata and I was born in Adelaide in 1985. Dad did his wine making training in South Australia. So, yes, that means I am technically Australian by birth!

When we last visited South Australia as a family we spent time in both the Barossa and Clare Valley wine tasting. Unfortunately, at that time Libby, Bella and I couldn’t care less about tasting and stayed in the car listening to cds at half of the places! Adelaide is famous for its food and wine culture and although we didn’t take advantage of the wine at the time we did have some great food experiences. The most memorable was probably visiting the Jerusalem Sheshkabab House – an Adelaide icon that Mum & Dad frequented as young people! Lebanese food is very popular in our household – hummus and tabouleh were some of the very first things I learnt to make. Dad taught me his own variations on recipes that I think came originally from the Moosewood Cookbook. Just quietly, I make the best hummus ever (as long as you like heaps of lemon and garlic)!

Anyway, I would love to go back to Adelaide as an adult to really take advantage of the great wine and food. My partner’s parents were just over there last week and really enjoyed it. His mother spotted a great review for the Durvillea 2008 Sauvignon Blanc in the Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine and kindly brought the magazine back for me. The reviewer was Bob Campbell.

Thanks Bob! We are glad you enjoyed it! If you are keen to see if you agree with this review we still have a little ’08 Sav available. Just visit the Astrolabe site here: http://www.astrolabewines.co.nz/wines/durvillea.

Also, if you are interested in reading more reviews please check out our “Nice things people are saying about us” tab up at the top of the page.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Meg

Food and family

Jane — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:31:59 +0000

Libby, Arabella and Simon survey the tent before the party

Last weekend was a big one for the Waghorn family. Simon turned 50 and we threw him a big party at Astrolabe Farm. Sadly, none of us took many pictures but hopefully some that my aunt Nicki took will surface soon. A great time was had by all – particular highlight for me was watching Dad pogo-ing around the dancefloor to the B52′s later on in the evening…

Having the whole family together (along with lots of extended family and old friends) got us thinking about the next big occasion in the family calendar – Christmas. Every family has their traditional Christmas (or other seasonal holiday) foods and recipes. We’d like to share one of ours, the Christmas Cake. It’s not that original but , as for many other families, the making of the Christmas cake carries with it a lot of meaning and memories.

Ruthie using the Christmas Cake recipe for Jane & Simon's wedding cake

Our recipe comes from our maternal grandmother (Jane’s mother) Ruth Forrest. Our lovely Nana is sadly in a home suffering from severe dementia but we think of her often, particularly in the kitchen as she was a phenomenal cook. This is Nana’s recipe and the copy we have is precious to us, as it is hand written by her. The hard copies of recipes are so evocative, this one has the smears and smudges of a well used recipe as well as the conversions and additions written by my mother, Jane (and a few extras from Dad/Simon). It’s a very visual reminder of my family tree.

This cake has been a Christmas Cake, a wedding cake and a Christening cake in our family. The lucky way to make it is to let everyone stick their hands into it and mix it up a little.

Here’s the recipe:

Ruth’s Christmas Cake

625gms Butter

250gms Brown sugar

250 gms White sugar

750 gms Flour

12 eggs

Tbsp almond

1 kg Currants

1 kg Sultanas

375 gms Sunmaid raisins

125 gms cherries

60 gms almonds

250gms peel

2 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1/2 cup brandy

Pour brandy over fruit – I leave overnight. Better to line tin the day before also (easier next day). Cream butter & sugar, add essence. Add egg yolks & mix well (little flour with eggs [I can't quite read this bit - Meg.] won’t curdle.

Next add flour & fruit [and SPICE! - Simon's note]. Lastly beaten egg whites.

Cook six hours in lined tin, light cardboard base – newspaper folded about 3 thick then grease proof. Paper above tin about 2 inches – I put piece of cardboard over cake [can't read here! - Meg] about an hour, won’t burn but smells like it will. [Some hard to read instructions about lining tin]. Bake 300 for 1 hour then 250 – cook 6 hours – place middle – tray underneath.

Use 1/2 recipe will be big enough. 1/2 cooking time – don’t panic if getting too brown – turn to 200. Don’t open oven too much.

Leave in tin until cold, then remove.

Good luck.

- Ruth (& Meg)

Meg, Libby and Bella making the Christmas Cake

Who’s that girl? Introducing Libby!

Durvillea — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:07:18 +0000

The third ‘Who’s that girl?’ interview in an occasional series – questions and write up from Meg.

Born in Te Kauwhata/Huntly in 1987 Libby is the middle daughter in the Forrest-Waghorn family. Now living in Australia she represents the Queensland ‘branch’ of Durvillea. You’ll hear from Libby on our facebook page, this blog and she tweets the occasional update from Oz via our twitter account (@durvilleawines).

What is your role at Durvillea?: As the middle Waghorn daughter, I have so far been involved in the brand development and social marketing aspects of Durvillea. Also, living in Brisbane, I do a bit of pro bono work putting in a good word for the wine to anyone and everyone I meet over here. Inevitably, my role has included a bit of ‘product sampling’ as well. Tough job.

What’s the reason behind your move to Brisbane?: My boyfriend Pete lives here in Queensland; I moved over at the beginning of last year after spending two years to-ing and fro-ing between Brisbane and Wellington. I am now studying Law and International Relations at the University of Queensland. Luckily, my parents were pretty supportive of my move over here – in part, perhaps, because their own love story followed along similar lines: our mother Jane followed then-aspiring winemaker Simon to Australia when he moved to SA to study oenology at Roseworthy nearly 30 years ago. I certainly haven’t regretted the move; Brisbane is a great, easy going city, and I love that the climate means people spend a lot of time being active outdoors. Best of all, its only a three hour flight from home.

Perhaps why Libby lives in Queensland?

What are your other jobs?: Here in Brisbane, I work part time in a wine shop (Vintage Cellars in Indooroopilly for any Brisbanites who want to pop in and say hello), as well as working a few hours a week as a volunteer law clerk at the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service, which I love. At home in Blenheim during the summer holidays I can usually be found in the vineyard at Astrolabe Farm earning some pocket money wire-lifting and leaf plucking.

How has your family being in the wine industry impacted on you?: This is a hard question; Pa’s been a wine maker longer than I’ve been alive so the wine industry has always been a part of our family life. As a child, it meant we spent a lot of time at the winery (Corban’s in Gisborne was the first I can remember). When we moved to Blenheim in 1994 (I was 7) most of the people we knew were part of the wine industry in Marlborough, so a lot of our close family friends are wine people too. Moving to Astrolabe Farm a few years ago, with a vineyard in our back garden, meant getting involved in the practical side of wine production. And it is a direct result of growing up in the industry that I am now involved in wine retail and marketing.

Any childhood memories of being a winemaker’s daughter?: One of our favourite things as kids was this elaborate game we invented called ‘Winery Mice’. I can’t remember the specifics, but I remember it involved a lot of running around the winery and climbing over barrels. Riding on the mechanical harvesters at night during vintage was always pretty exciting. Oh, another of my favourite things was putting the magnetic beaker stirrer in the winery lab on the fast setting so the magnet flung off across the room at high speed. I don’t think we were terribly helpful…

Libby & Meg plunging some pinot c.1996

What’s your favourite thing about coming home to Marlborough?: Marlborough is a really beautiful place – much prettier than I realised when I lived there! I love flying into Blenheim in the tiny single-engine planes from Wellington over the Marlborough sounds. At Astrolabe Farm itself, its great to come home in winter to a roaring fire and Ma’s cooking. A winter trip home isn’t complete without toasting some marshmallows with Pa as well. In summer, sitting out on the verandah on the long warm nights with a book is nice. And I love our Christmas dinners in the Astrolabe Farm garden, with family and friends.

Any Blenheim local knowledge or tips you’d like to share?: Bamboo Garden chinese restaurant has long been a family favourite. I love the Wither Hills for walking, and the Tip Top Store on Scott St to get an old-school scoop icecream on the way home!

How about some Brisbane highlights?: I really like the South Bank cultural precinct for a wander through the galleries, or the New Farm markets on a sunny Saturday morning.

: Libby and Simon on a family trip to San Francisco

What’s your favourite wine?: Being a student, wine I buy has to be affordable. Lately, I’ve been drinking a bit of German riesling; the Dr Loosen Villa Wolf Dry Riesling 2006 is one of my current favourites and is only about $15.

And a meal to go with it?: Dry rieslings go well with Asian foods – I like making a stirfry of chicken and Asian greens like Bok Choy, and onion, garlic and ginger.

Who would you recommend Durvillea wines to? I think Durvillea wines are great for younger people becoming more familiar with drinking wine and who want to branch out from the entry-level big name brands, or for any one who hasn’t got a huge budget but wants to drink a quality wine with a bit of class.

Can you sum up the Durvillea range for us?: Top quality, good value wines that are classically ‘Marlborough’ in style while still managing to stand out from the crowd.

Who’s that girl? Introducing Sophie!

Durvillea — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:34:20 +0000

Sophie McLernon is officially the ‘Client Relationship Manager’ at Astrolabe Wines. More importantly to us she is also our cousin. Sophie is behind a lot of the tweets from @durvilleawines on Twitter. So that people could put a face to her tweets and facebook messages I (Meg) emailed her a few questions:

What is your role at Durvillea?: The official title is Client Relationship Manager, but my role is very broad, I am in the office, look after exports, accounts etc. I look after our distributors nationally and am starting to focus on Australia as well. I ensure they are supplied with enough marketing material- both Astrolabe and Durvillea, that they have enough wine, and manage their allocations. More recently I have been doing a lot of the social marketing for Durvillea.

What is your favourite part of the job?: Interacting with people from the many different markets we go into, and getting the chance to understand how each market works. Each market is so unique and must be approached differently. One of the best things is having your wine available in so many different countries- such as Mexico, Israel, Slovakia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Ireland, UK… to name a few!

And your least favourite part of the job?: Not sure if I have a least favourite part… maybe some of the paperwork, but you get that in any job…

What’s your favourite varietal?: Chardonnay – I’m sure it’s coming back into fashion!

Any recommendations for a great meal with a glass of Marlborough Sav?: Prawn and Avocado salad with a citrus dressing.

How did you come to be working at Astrolabe?: I moved to Marlborough in February 2008 to work a vintage at Whitehaven Wine Company. I became passionate about the industry and an administration role at Astrolabe came up at Astrolabe so I applied. This role has changed dramatically since I started and I have started to take on more responsibility, I now have Jane (my aunt) and who comes in to help me out three times a week, which takes a lot of the pressure off.

Meg & Sophie on Wainui Beach in Gisborne showing an early interest in seaweed

What’s it like working with your extended family: Great fun! I miss Jane not being in the office for our morning coffees! [She’s just on a short holiday – Meg]

How do you like living in Marlborough and working in the wine industry?: Living in Marlborough is a bit quieter than what I am used to, but there are enough bars, and a good crew of people that there are always things going on. We are close enough to the mountains to ski in winter and we are so near to the sounds that we can pop down after work for a few drinks or a skurf in summer. Working in the wine industry is great as there are always things going on and the year is never dull. From Vintage, to new release, to Christmas and then back to Vintage it is always busy and exciting and you are always learning. Plus the perk of getting a free bottle of wine now and then isn’t half bad either!

As a relative newcomer to Blenheim have you got any bar or restaurant recommendations?: Scotch is a great new wine bar that has opened, it has an interesting and international wine list and a great choice of tapas- the chilli salt squid is a favourite!

If you could visit or work in any wine region in the world where would you want to go?: I would love to go and visit France and tour around the country, spending a good few months there, exploring all the different wine regions. Friends have just started a winery in Spain, so that would be another option! Or completely off the wine regions, I would like to live in Canada, we are looking to expand our market share there now, and the way they do things is so different, the idea of working for an agent and with the liquor boards there is quite intriguing…

Who is your favourite Durvillea daughter?: Argh, this is awkward….

And finally, who would you recommend Durvillea to?: Anyone who is after a great wine, with an eye catching label and story, at an affordable price.

: The interviewer (on left) and interviewee (right) 1986