menu

THE CONTINUING STORY

Archive for the ‘Central Otago Riesling’ Category

1 January 2015

A Perfect Celebration

They say that when you’ve found the perfect setting it makes way for the perfect celebration and that’s what Zin found when he celebrated his birthday with friends at Archangel Vineyard.

Not a cloud in the sky, the group of friends began their afternoon with a tasting of award-winning Archangel wines – what better way to taste wine than in the place where they were grown! A delicious Afternoon Tea followed – platters of dainty sandwiches and handmade cakes.

With the vines making an ideal backdrop, Zin and his friends were able to sit back, relax and enjoy good wine, good food and good friendship in the most perfect setting – making this special occasion one to remember.

18 February 2014

Ladies Day Picnic – Vintage Style

Turning someone’s special day into a magical one is something we like to do at Archangel. Recently, we received this email request:

“Hi
I am trying to organise a lovely, memorable day for my best friend Tracey and 4 of her closest friends before her wedding. She is not keen on a hens doo, but a lover of all things wine and food.

I am looking for a beautiful scene, that is low key, private and somewhere we can drink good wine over good conversation! I want to create a picnic – think blankets, cushions, lanterns etc. Somewhere we can hang out privately and drink wine with perhaps a cheese platter and if it’s OK also can you cater with finger food (sweets, lollipops, cupcakes etc.).”

Ngaia.

Of course we said yes. To ensure the day would be extra special and become a wonderful lasting memory for Tracey and her friends, we suggested a picnic with a vintage styled theme at Archangel Vineyard.

Picnic day arrived. The sun was shining, the vintage scene was set, the picnic fair looked delightful and of course the Archangel wine chilled, ready to be poured.

It was a perfect setting for a very special Ladies Day Picnic – Vintage Style!

9 November 2013

The Naming of a New Wine

“It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars”
Richard Evans

Halina
One and a half winters in a Siberian labour camp taught Halina two things – resilience and hope. She knew that living in fear was wasted energy. For Halina and her family to survive, she would need strength of character and a belief that there was a better future ahead of her.

As a child, Halina enjoyed riding with her father on the cavalry horses. She was fascinated by the mutual respect and trust she saw between horse and rider. Every opportunity she could find, Halina would be with the horses – keeping the stables tidy and the horses groomed and fed. She liked the physical work and preferred this to household chores.  The more time she spent with the horses the more she understood them and they her. She was developing her father’s ‘horse sense’ and it was this, that would help her deal with life in the most practical way, but more importantly, it gave her the courage to deal with some of the adversities that lay ahead.

It was no wonder that when she arrived at the labour camp in Arkhangel’sk she was put to work, minding the farm animals for the Russian soldiers. Even though she had to work long hours, she didn’t complain. She would tend to the nutritional needs of the animals and the cows would need to be milked.

The harsh Siberian winter was taking its toll. With little food, Halina’s younger sisters were beginning to show signs of malnutrition.  Tending to the animals on a daily basis gave Halina the perfect opportunity to sneak away small containers of milk back to her mother. The Russian soldiers would never notice and it would allow her mother to make a warm soup of milk and bread to keep Lucia and Sabina nourished. Unfortunately for Halina, her resourcefulness was short lived. Caught red handed by a Russian officer, Halina was lucky to have got away with no more than a reprimand. Instead of farm work, she was sent to work in the forests to log trees. She didn’t mind – the dense, dark spaces were filled with the scent of pine and Halina knew that one-day, the sun would shine!

*****

Archangel Halina Riesling 2012
My mother had a spirit that no one could tame. She loved nature and animals, story telling and the stranger. She loved the snowflake on her face and the sun on her back. She loved a gathering of family and friends, eating cake and all things sweet. She had a natural beauty and was truly unique. The name ‘Halina’ means ‘sun-ray’.

The inaugural Archangel Halina Riesling 2012 is a medium sweet style wine that has been crafted from grapes hand-picked from vines that sit on the sun-drenched terraces of the Archangel vineyard. Naming this wine ‘Halina’ seems a fitting tribute. Halina would have liked it a lot!