Welcome to our Spring / Summer Newsletter Update
With the silly season fast approaching we are gearing up for the busy summer months. We have some fantastic new release wines from the 2008 and 2009 vintages which we are really excited about and lots happening at the winery over the coming months.
If you are planning a visit to Hawke’s Bay over the summer season we would love to see you at Sileni. Our Cellar Store is packed with superb new release wines and a fantastic range of Christmas gift ideas. Drop by for a taste and a browse - it’s a food and wine lover’s paradise!
We are very excited about the latest addition to the Sileni property – the Estate Marquee. Over the winter we welcomed Orton Catering to Sileni and we are just about to officially open the new purpose built marquee. Set amongst the vines, the Estate Marquee is Hawke’s Bays newest venue and the experienced Orton Catering @ Sileni Estates Team will ensure that your wedding, function or event will be an occasion to remember.
We have also finally entered the 21st century and now have our very own Facebook page. Regularly updated by Cairn Coghill (Winemaker by day, e-marketing guru by night), the Sileni Facebook page will let you know what we are up to both here at the winery and at various events and tastings throughout New Zealand and around the world. Log on and become a Sileni Facebook Fan.
So pull up a chair, grab a glass of your favourite Sileni wine and catch up on what we have been up to over the past couple of months.
SILENI VINTAGE UPDATE
So Al Gore was right all along. At least that is the way things appear when you look at the vintages we have been having for the last 3 or 4 years. They are getting steadily warmer, with more prevalent drought conditions and each harvest occurring earlier than the previous one. We do have the negative side of more frequent weather “events” to contend with, but the general warming that we have witnessed over this period has been a pretty good thing for the wine industry. It is especially good for those of us who grow classic Bordeaux reds, which thrive in the heat.
The first signs of a good year were evident in Hawke’s Bay by mid November, when the hills were turning golden as the grass dried off. In fact it was almost the opposite of a “normal” year when it is usually Marlborough that dries off first. This time the home of Sauvignon Blanc stayed remarkably verdant as unusually regular rainfall kept the grass growing down there while Hawke’s Bay baked under clear blue skies.
The rain made for trying times in the Marlborough vineyards, but the usual Indian summer finally arrived and allowed the fruit to ripen as expected. Hawke’s Bay had a single large dump of rain at the end of February just to remind us that Mother Nature is in control here, however by then the quality of the harvest was already set. All in all it has been an interesting year, with some exceptionally good reds in particular, but also some lovely ripe flavours across the whole spectrum of varieties.
Three Frenchmen (or should that be French persons?), a local farmer and an itinerant Kiwi winemaker joined the cellar crew for harvest this year. A great team and easily the best overall group we have had from overseas. Language never seems to be a barrier in the wine industry – perhaps because many of the terms we use are French.
Keep an eye out for our 2009 releases over the coming months. They are certainly worth waiting for!
Grant Edmonds
CHIEF WINEMAKER
SILENI EXPORT UPDATE
Sileni continues to grow its export sales despite the challenging global economic climate. We have worked very hard to help all our importers and distributors meet the changing needs of their customers.
All export markets are growing, especially Australia, Asia and Europe.
In Asia, Sileni wines are listed in all major international hotel chains and the lighter and food friendly style of our wines match very well with Asian cuisine. Pip Austin (GM Sales & Marketing) has recently returned from Thailand where Sileni was the featured winery at wine dinners hosted by three of Thailand’s most prestigious hotels – The Oriental in Bangkok, Four Seasons in Koh Samui and the Anantara in Phuket. Grant Edmonds (Chief Winemaker) has just returned from Seoul where he participated in the Masters of Food & Wine Event at the spectacular Park Hyatt Seoul.
In Europe, Sileni has recently been listed at the premier German department store chain Kaufhof Galleria, where the initial response to the wines have been excellent. Our Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2008 was recently voted the top imported wine in Germany by the leading trade magazine Weinwirtschraft.
With a production of just over 300,000 cases Sileni is now one of the larger mid to large size New Zealand producers and we are one of the fastest growing in terms of sales in both domestic and export markets. We are continuing to focus on the needs of our customers and adapting to best meet them in these very challenging economic times. This means more time than ever out in the market and are really seeing the benefits, having just experienced our biggest sales quarter ever!
Graeme Avery
CEO
 Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris 2009 – Bottled early to retain the fresh fruit flavours (and because the 2008 vintage had sold out), this wine is very similar in style to the previous vintage. Classic peach and pear characters lead into a soft, rich palate which finishes just off-dry. This is a great food wine, especially with Asian cuisine, poultry, or just as an aperitif.
Cellar Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – As the 2008 vintage comes to an end we have recently bottled the first of the 2009 Sauvignon. This is a riper style, with flavours primarily from the gooseberry and tropical fruit end of the spectrum, a well rounded palate and a fresh finish. Excellent on its own, or a traditional match with a wide range of seafood dishes.
Just bottled and worth waiting for are the 2008 vintage Estate Selection and EV reds. We’ll give you more details as they are released, but expect some of the richest and ripest Merlots, and a very smart Cabernet Franc, to come out of Sileni. Mouthwatering!
Grant Edmonds CHIEF WINEMAKER
SPECIAL OFFERS FROM THE SILENI CELLAR STORE
Our Cellar Store has some fantastic wines available and many of the newly released single vineyard wines are available only from the Cellar Store. There are also some great Cellar Store Specials available, so take advantage of these great deals and stock up your cellar for the approaching summer months.
In addition, the Cellar Store also has a superb special available on our three best known Estate Selection wines. Purchase 6 bottles of any of the Estate Selection wines listed below and receive a 1.5L Magnum of the award winning Estate Selection The Plateau Pinot Noir 2004 - ABSOLUTELY FREE!
The Cellar Store has some wonderful new items available including the delicious and unique Pacific Harvest Seaweed and Kelp range, as well as lots of festive goodies just in time for Christmas.
For those who enjoy a sweet treat but not the sugar, the Cellar Store has a great selection of sugar free chocolate and sweets, along with the usual old favourites for those who can’t resist a sugary hit!
Stuck for present ideas for Christmas? Come and see Anne and the Team! Our Team are experts in finding you the perfect gift solution for a loved one or corporate client and they can whip you up a gift basket in a matter of minutes that will suit any budget.
Now that we are starting to warm up, the Cellar Store is operating under summer hours and are open 7 days, from 10am – 5pm.
These offers are strictly for a limited time only!
ORTON CATERING @ SILENI ESTATES
 We were delighted to welcome Orton Catering to Sileni over the winter and have been working with them to establish a new function and events centre at Sileni.
Utilising the former Sileni Restaurant and associated facilities as the base for the venture, Orton Catering @ Sileni Estates now includes a range of indoor function rooms that have the ability to cater for private and corporate groups.
In addition, we are delighted with the spectacular new purpose built Estate Marquee set among the vines it is the perfect venue for larger functions, events and weddings.
For more information on Orton Catering @ Sileni Estate please click here.
WHAT'S ON
Orton Catering @ Sileni Estates Launch Weekend
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Sileni Estates Winery and the official launch of Orton Catering @ Sileni Estates, we would like to invite you to participate in our Launch Weekend on Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 November 2009.
On Saturday the Cellar Store will be hosting local artisan food producers on the terrace, there will be guided tours of the Sileni Winery and The Village Press olive oil press facility and live cooking demonstrations in the Sileni Estates Culinary School.
On Sunday you have the opportunity to experience the new Estate Marquee. Orton Catering @ Sileni Estates are delighted to showcase Hawke’s Bays newest venue with a two course lunch matched with Sileni wines and accompanied by the new season collection from RSVP Couture.
Spirits in Stone
We are once again delighted to be working with Birdwoods Gallery in Havelock North to bring the 4th annual exhibition of works from one of the world’s most collected sculpture forms – the beautiful and tactile Shona stone.
Throughout the summer from Saturday 21 November the Spirits in Stone exhibition will be on display in the Sileni Estates grounds. All pieces are available for sale and shipment can be arranged throughout New Zealand or internationally. For more information on Birdwoods Gallery and the Spirits in Stone exhibition please check out their website.
Hawke's Bay Events
We are looking forward to an event filled summer in the Hawke’s Bay. There is no better time to visit with so many wonderful events including Harvest Hawke’s Bay, Art Deco Weekend and the Mission Concert.
Harvest Hawke’s Bay will move to a new venue in 2010 and will be held in a centralised location at the newly developed ‘Roys Hill’ site on Saturday 30th January. With the best of wine and food from throughout Hawke’s Bay, along with live entertainment and wine workshops it is sure to be the major event of the summer. For more information on Harvest Hawke’s Bay check out the official website.
Hawke’s Bay’s Calendar of Events – Summer 2009 / 2010
| NOVEMBER |
|
| 21st - 22nd |
Orton Catering @ Sileni Estates Launch Weekend - Sileni Estates Winery |
| 20th - early March |
4th Annual Spirits in Stone Exhibition - Sileni Estates Winery |
| DECEMBER |
|
| - early March |
4th Annual Spirits in Stone Exhibition - Sileni Estates Winery |
| 5th |
Anika Moa - Black Barn Underground Cellar |
| 11th - 15th |
Black Caps v Pakistan (3rd Test) - McLean Park |
| JANUARY |
|
| - early March |
4th Annual Spirits in Stone Exhibition - Sileni Estates Winery |
| 1st |
New Years Day Races - Hastings Race Course |
| 13th |
Black Caps v West Indies (5th ODI) - McLean Park |
| 23rd |
Blues Brews & BBQs - Hastings Showgrounds |
| 30th |
Harvest Hawke's Bay - Roys Hill |
| FEBRUARY |
|
| - early March |
4th Annual Spirits in Stone Exhibition - Sileni Estates Winery |
| 5th |
Black Caps v Bangladesh (1st ODI) - McLean Park |
| 13th |
Mission Concert - Mission Estate Winery |
| 19th |
More FM Winery Tour - Black Barn Vineyards |
| 16th - 21st |
Art Deco Weekend - Napier City |
| 21st |
More FM Winery Tour - Sacred Hill Winery |
| 27th - 28th |
Kaweka Challenge |
| MARCH |
|
| -early March |
4th Annual Spirits in Stone Exhibition - Sileni Estates Winery |
| 3rd |
Black Caps v Australia (1st ODI) - McLean Park |
| 6th - 8th |
Sea Sky Bush - Central Hawke's Bay |
| 7th |
Long Lunch - Marine Parade, Napier (sold out) |
| 13th |
Triple Peaks Challenge - Havelock North |
| 16th - 21st |
Horse of the Year - Hawke's Bay Showground |
| 27th |
HB Adventure Race - Hawke's Bay Area |
|
