The New World of Wine in New Zealand March 22, 2008

The diversity in activities as well as wine are clear as one travels through New Zealand’s south island from Nelson to Queenstown.  After just one week in the south island, I have enjoyed gorgeous weather, spectacular landscapes, and magnificent wine and cuisine.  The Nelson region provided a much more relaxed atmosphere where I kayaked along the Abel Tasman National Park, starting at Kaiteriteri bay.

   

The water was so clear and blue and the view up to the mountains was particularly beautiful.  More outdoor adventurous are soon to come in the adrenaline-rushed town of Queenstown.

As for my wine experiences thus far, I visited two major wine regions near Nelson.  One is just west of Nelson and the other is due east in Marlborough.  According to NZWine.com, “The longer, cooler growing conditions in the Southern regions promotes stronger and more vibrant fruit flavors together with higher acidity levels. Well over two thirds of Sauvignon Blanc vines are to be found in Marlborough.” To the east, I stopped at Neudorf and Himmelsfeld.  Both produced excellent Sauv. Blancs, but Himmelsfeld’s wines in particular showed unique, aromatic characteristics that are the outcome of care and consistency of the winemaker, Elizabeth Eggers.  Beth was kind enough to give us a tasting of her range of wines, which included a “cool climate” Cab and Chardonnay unlike any I’ve ever tasted. 

To the east of Nelson, in the popular region of Marlborough, there were far more stops on the wine trail on the drive to Christchurch.  Focusing on recommendations and notable vineyards in this region, there were 5 cellar door stops including: Allan Scott, Hanz Herzog, St. Clair, Cloudy Bay and Huia.  All of Herzog’s wines were splendid, including their Pinot Noir, which was unexpected for the region.  My favorite Sauv. Blanc from this mix was Huia, but could have tied with St. Clair.  Since Marlborough is know for their Sauv. Blanc, it was hard to distinguish a clear favorite when all of them are so good.  What I consistently found, aside from Herzog, was that most of the Pinot Noirs were a little too tannic for my taste and tended to be more earthy and burgundian than the California Pinots I love.  However, I am yet to explore the Central Otogo region, which is known for their Pinots.  From the few I have already tried around Queenstown, I have a feeling that I will find some new gems in the Central Otogo region I will need to keep my eye out for when I get back to Ireland.

An Aussie Style Wedding March 22, 2008

Look at that volume!!  I never thought my hair could reach such heights, but Denise at Overhaul Salon proved me wrong.  Don’t mind the painting of the woman behind me – it’s all part of the cool Aussie image.  This photo was taken the morning of Ann and Adam’s wedding, when the bridesmaids met to get our hair done for the wedding.  As you’ll see, mind ended up in a classic french twist – nothing like what you might have thought by the looks of this photo.  The whole wedding weekend was perfect and actually rather relaxing with champagne before the ceremony, heavy hors d’ouevres through the reception to allow for pleasant mingling amongst guests, and an American-style brunch on Sunday with shrimp and grits, bloody marys, pancakes with Aunt Jemima Syrup and Starbuck’s coffee.  The rehearsal dinner was also a treat, as the theme was an Australian bbq, including Sue’s (Adam’s mom) famous Shrimp on the barbie.

What really made the weekend so special was that I was able to share it with my two best girlfriends from high school, Natalie and Ann (my toe tattoo buddies).   

Even though much time has passed since seeing them, we were able to instantly reconnect and have a wonderful time together.  I couldn’t have imagined a better start to my Aussie and New Zealand adventure! 

A Dynasty Uncovered March 16, 2008

I’ve made it out of Shanghai and am enjoying the warm weather of Byron Bay, Australia.  Tomorrow, I head out for New Zealand, where a world of new Pinots and Sauvignon Blancs are soon to be discovered.  The trip to Shanghai was unbelievable – beginning with the speedy magnetic train that gets you from the airport to the center of Shanghai – to the smog filled sky that blocks the beauty the country is developing.  During the trip, my classmates and I enjoyed excursions to various global companies and spent an afternoon with Communist leaders at the China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP). CELAP is a Shanghai-based national institution that assists in developing China’s senior leaders and executives across the government and state-owned enterprises.  The building itself is breathtaking, having just finished construction in 2005. 

Of course, I could not have gone to China without sampling their wines, so while at dinner on Sunday evening, I purchased a bottle of Dynasty wine to compliment our family-style meal.  The wine was described as a Dry Red Wine, but honestly, it was far from that.  To be fair, I will simply say that the Chinese have a way to go to compete in the developing wine market.  My friends who were brave enough to sample the wine also felt that the wine needed a little extra care and development, and after one sip, decided to stick with the Tiger Beer for the rest of the evening. 

Now that I’m on my way to New Zealand, I will be overwhelmed with fantastic wine from this relatively new wine growing region.  I hope to enjoy many Pinot Noirs, but anticipate that I’ll find some new gems as I explore around the islands. 

A quick note on the wedding festivities I have engaged in the past few days.  The wedding was absolutely breathtaking and delightful.  The setting in Byron Bay, the east coast of Australia, couldn’t have been more perfect, and the company, along with Ann and Adam’s friends and family made the experience so genuine and inviting.  It was such an honor to be part of the occasion and to see the union of two people who are meant to spend their lives together.  Once I have my photos loaded, I’ll share them some great pics of the wedding.

From Pinyin to Shiraz to Pinot Noir March 7, 2008

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a whirlwind tour of China, Australia and New Zealand.  The majority of the time will be split between China and New Zealand, with the highlight of the trip being a weekend in Brisbane for Ann’s wedding.  I can’t wait to reconnect with my best girlfriends from high school, Natalie and Ann, and do some much needed catching up.   

My time in China will be concentrated in Shanghai, where I, along with 60 other Full-time and Executive MBA students will be meeting with companies and exploring the cross-cultural opportunities of doing business in China.  We have some free time scheduled in, so I hope to do some exploring also.

Being the wine adventurer that I am, I will be scoping out the wine scene of these 3 incredible locations.  I was fortunate enough to tour Australia in June and visited the Barossa and Hunter Valley.  This time, however, I will be focused on the great Pinot Noirs and Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand’s wine regions.  But, I’m not going to hold off on my wine exploration until I head to Australia and New Zealand – I am going to try to make it to a wine bar in Shanghai to sample some pinyin (Chinese for wine) to see how Chinese “grape liquor” compares to my Californian standards. 

 I’ll be sure to keep the blog updates along my way.

Touch or Contact Rugby – Experiences at LBS Rugby Tournment February 20, 2008

With only 3 practices and an incredible amount of enthusiasm, the ladies Smurfit MBA Rugby team set out for London to participate in a competitive tournament of Touch Rugby with 6 other schools.   London Business School (LBS) hosted the event and other participating teams included Wharton, Columbia, Harvard, INSEAD, and IESE.  Unfortunately, our men’s team couldn’t make the event, but they plan to join the ladies when we head to Duke in April for the World MBA Rugby Tournament.   

Let me take a step back and explain how this rugby group got started.  For my friends and family in the States who are unfamiliar with Rugby, it is THE sport in Ireland and in Western Europe.  Smurfit’s MBA classes have been participating in Rugby tournaments over the past decade, including the LBS tournament in the winter and Duke’s tournament in the spring.  This year’s MBA class had just enough women to make up a team, so with much enthusiasm and some hesitation, we decided to form a team and compete this year.  My classmate Melissa’s fiance, Phillip, has been gracious enough to coach our team and is doing an excellent job.  We can’t wait to tell him about how well we did when we meet for practice again.

For just throwing together a team, we did pretty well.  We lost two matches and then won our next two, earning us a fifth place finish.  But more, we came out of the tournament with the will to improve and come out on top when we compete at Duke. 

The painful outcomes for me from the games include:  A Black Eye and the loss of my Two Big Toenails (which I had to perform surgery on when I got back to Dublin – ouch!) 

 In addition to the fun on the field, we had a great time out getting to know each other better and socializing with the other schools.  London is an amazing city, and LBS organized some great events to show us around the town.  Here are some pics from our evenings out.  I can’t wait for the next competition mid-April.  Those girls won’t even recognize us when we get there!

     

 

Master in Disguise January 28, 2008

After a long, exhausting first week back at school last week, my roommates and I decided that a glass of red wine was definitely in order.  Still stocked with wine from our Thanksgiving party, I went for a blend from Wrattonbully Vineyarads in Australia made from Cab Sav, Merlot and Shiraz.  It was a 2006 vintage, and the blending of the three grapes made it so smooth and fruit forward.  There was a hint of tannins on the finish, but just enough to give it character.

Wondering what the details were of this great wine, I flipped over the bottle and saw that it was purchased from Marks and Spencer.  I have heard that M&S tends to source wine from a variety of vineyards but is able to get their “special” lable on the bottle to differentiate their wine from others.  I did a little research and discovered that the Wrattonbully Vineyards comes family of Hill Smith.  Guess who that might be?? The maker of the famous Yalumba wines.  I had tasted Yalumba wines while out in Australia last summer but didn’t find any stand out wines.  Whatever Yalumba has done for M&S has done the trick for me, so now I’ll have to go back to try some actual wines from Yalumba to see how they compare with the imposter M&S is showcasing. 

Solo Sightseeing Adventure in London January 18, 2008

After returning back to Dublin after spending 2 weeks traveling around the States, I unloaded and repacked my suitcase and set out for my next destination – London.  I always wanted to make it over to London to see life through the British eye. Do they really eat mostly horrid food like fish and chips?  How does the Tube compare to the El, Subway and DART?  Can I navigate around easily enough so that I don’t get completely lost? 

With those questions in mind, I set out by myself for a four day journey to see the sights and sounds London has to offer.  First, having been without a car for around 4 years and having to rely on public transportation, I can confidently say that London has it down.  The city is so well connected by the Tube.  I’m also impressed by the amount of staff surveying the entrance gates and attending to customer needs.  Public transportation is one area London has definitely invested in heavily, which pays off for a person such as myself who lacks any sense of direction. 

My accommodation wasn’t anything 5 star, but it was a hostel in West Kensington that I would recommend to anyone travelling to London who wants to be in a great location at a low cost.  The hostel is called the Ace Hotel http://www.ace-hotel.co.uk/ and has the friendliest staff and great amenities including a bar, game room and internet.  I stayed in a 4-man female only room (two bunk beds) and roomed with two very sweet Italian girls who spoke very little English. 

When I arrived, I changed clothes and went for a run to get my bearings down.  I took in the sights of the Natural History Museum (later toured), Harrods historic department store and Windsor Castle.  That evening I headed to the West End to hand out with the other tourists.  I stumbled upon a sushi shop and grabbed a little dinner and then bought a ticket to see the play, The Lion King….which was spectacular!  Here’s me at the Sushi shop pre-showtime. 

The next day I toured the Natural History Museum and other parts of Kensington, which was great because there were no ques.  Next on the list was Buckingham palace and Westminster Abbey.  Both were hardly crowded at all, so I got to check things out up close.  I took a stroll over the bridge (don’t recall which one) and saw the London Eye; a gigantic Ferris wheel. Finally, on my way home after dinner, I strolled by London’s one and only Whole Foods! 

   

 Day three of my holiday in London included a trip to Vinopolis, a wine museum, and dinner out at a nice Italian restaurant.  As long as I stayed away from the chipperies, I figured I should be able to find some decent food.  At the wine museum I sampled wines from Israel, Argentina, France, and Spain.  The one that stands out is a desert wine from Israel, but unfortunately I don’t have the name. 

My last full day in London I only had time for one event, so I picked the Tower of London.  It was a drizzly day, which distracted visitors, and enabled me to avoid any ques.  The Crown Jewels were the best part of the tour, but the towers themselves brought a lot of history with them both inside and out. 

After hopping around London, I set off for Surrey, England, which is just south of London.  I decided to try out a Yoga retreat and see what it would be like.  Well, it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, but nevertheless I had a great time and got in some much needed rest and relaxation and learned how to cook some delicious Indian dishes.  I learned all about Ayurveda medicine and found out that my dosha is Vata-Pitta.  Apparently I have some imbalances which can hopefully be stabilized with herbal medicine.  The retreat is called Herbal Ayur and is run by a man who left his job as a CFO because he wanted to spread the practice of Ayurveda medicine to the Western world, hoping to help others find peace and balance. (http://www.herbalayur-retreats.co.uk/)I intend on going on another retreat, but instead of for relaxation purposes, I hope to improve my yoga techniques, especially with the Astanga Yoga practice. 

Taking a trip by yourself can be a scary thing, but I seized the opportunity to discover a new place and found a new city that I love. 

Enomatic Wine Machine January 8, 2008

This is one invention that is perfect for a wine lover like me.  It’s an Italian invention, called the Enomatic, and is a wine tasting and serving self-service machine.  The bottles you want to serve are placed in the machine, you load money onto a card, stick the card into the machine, choose a wine to taste,you are debited the amount of the tasting, and wallah the wine is automatically poured into your glass.  I am crazy about this invention and can’t wait to visit the location in Dublin where I can make full use of this gadget. 

 

Check out the company’s website for more details about how this machine works.  www.enomatic.it  Also, Dr. Vino has an interesting write up on this machine on his blog. (http://drvino.com/2007/02/16/enomatic-rewards-new-yorkers/)

Visitors From Abroad December 12, 2007

The past several weeks have been filled with visits from my family and friends.  My brother, Robert, his wife, Julia, and their boys (William, Grant, Jack and Alex)…yes, there really are 4 of them, ages 10, 8, 6 and 5, came over Thanksgiving week to tour Ireland.  I’m still waiting on their full set of pictures (hint, hint), but have a few of my own to show off here.  They managed to get around southern Ireland in a 9-passenger VW van, hitting several historic sites and castles.  I traveled north of the city with them on their last day and just missed the last touring of Newgrange.  I enjoyed having them in town immensely and am encouraged by their adventurous spirit to take their whole family to Ireland.   

My next family visitor was my aunt Marge.  Marge came in town last weekend and we filled our time catching up and visiting historic sites around the city.  We had an especially good time dining and drinking wine in addition to a trip to the Book of Kells and Dublin Castle. 

I was so grateful to have so many wonderful visitors in 2007 and hope 2008 brings more friends and family overseas!

 

 

 

Rioja with hints of menthol and tobacco November 28, 2007

Tonight, as I was taking a break from analyzing the case study, Ciba-Geigy and the Newport Investment Proposal, I decided to open one of the more than 20 bottles of wine from the Thanksgiving party.  It was interesting to see the mix of wines left over from the party.  There was an equal mix of reds and whites as well as grape varietals.  I can’t say there was much variation on the retail price of the wines, for most of them are in the 10-15 euro range.  There is nothing wrong with that – and I wouldn’t expect a guest to be bringing over a pricy bottle of wine – at least not until I can afford to host swanky cocktail parties. 

So, I decided to look through the stash and open a red wine.  The winner was a 2004 Campo Viejo Crianza Rioja that retails for about 9 euros.  I have to use the term “winner” loosly, because I was not a big fan of this wine.  I have enjoyed several Rioja’s, but this one fell flat for me.  It was dry, lacked structure, and as one reviewer from www.cellartracker.com put it, it had light cranberry and menthol on the nose and a hint of tobacco on the pallet.  Not the descriptions of a wine I’d pay money for.  I do want to thank the kind classmate who brought this wine over, but hate to say that I will probably not be going for seconds on this one.