Back to work

I started my new job as Sales Developement Manager for Advintage wines 2 weeks ago and so far it's all going very well although after 3 months off it's been a bit of a struggle persuading the ol' hamster to get back on the wheel.
The people seem really cool and nice- it's such a different environment then Averys that's for sure- the wine market is so different here. Hard to explain but because wine is a pretty new product here (beer is still far more popular) then there really aren't many companies just selling wine and those that do tend to be 'fine wine specialists'. Advintage's take on the market is to have really good non-supermarket wines, including fine wine but to sell them in a very down to earth way that appeals to the average kiwi who loves wine but doesn't want the snobbery factor. Sign up for the emails at www.advintage.co.nz and you'll see what I mean!

It's very fast paced and Mac the owner is certanly a character. He gets so excited about getting the deals- and he knows literally everyone whos anyone in NZ it seems. My first task (talk about straight in at the deep end) is to organise the launch of a new wine brand that Mac is one of 4 shareholders in and Advintage will be sole distributor off. It's called Frizzell - and it's the brain child of Dick Frizzell who is a really popular NZ artist who lives in hawkes bay. See http://www.gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz/editions/dickfrizzell.asp . He is a good friend of Mac. Anyway, Dick does sort of comic book style tongue in cheek paintings - very irreverent and modern so he has designed all the lables and packaging, the 'juice' is from Sacred Hills vineyards in HB and he's got Rod Mcdonald (winemaker at Matariki and NZ winemaker of 2008) to make the wine. There is a chardonnay, a sauv blanc and a merlot/malbec and they are all really good. So all in all, we are pretty excited about it. We are going to have launch parties in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Hawkes bay and I've spent the last few days compiling a list of the great and the good of the nz wine and art scene to invite (with Mac and Dicks help!) I've just got to organise venues,invites, press releases, food, transport, hotels, staff and how we are going to sell all the cases we are taking to each venue. And this is all happening in 2weeks time.

In the long term my role will be to improve the website create some customer database segmention to enable us to do more targetted offers and to work on getting some corporate deals with magazines etc. Having spent most of last week sending out launch party invites, at the moment i'm just a very expensive stamp licker!

AJ has also picked up some work with a guy he met at the Cricket club who owns a specialist ornate concrete cutting and core drilling business (don't worry, I'm not sure what that means either). AJ has used the machines before in England so he is working on a casual basis, 3 or 4 days a week as needed and it could turn in to something more permanent.

Other news - our shipping arrived safe and sound and it's nice to have a few of our own things from home around ( not to mention a few more clothes!). Rusty has started puppy pre-school classes and is already top of the naugthy chart. It's still very very hot here - infact today was the hottest ever recorded in Napier at 37 degrees. It was made worse by the wind which was so warm it was like having a hairdryer blowing in your face all day. We have decamped from the house to the pool. My feet are in it as I write this- God bless WiFi.

We are soooo excited that some of our very good friends have booked to come and see us in March this year. Alan and Laura will be here in March/April ( only 8 weeks to go!) and Kerry is also coming in May/june which will be also be amazing. Can't wait to see you guys.

That's all for now folks, being back in the workforce means I may not be updating this blog as often, but I will try my best to keep in touch.

10 Avos for $5!

Last week we decided to take advantage of my last weeks holiday and we headed off to visit AJ's uncle Chris and his partner Lynn. They live in KatitKati which is just north of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty (about a 3 and 1/2 hour drive north via Taupo and Rotorua). KatiKati is known for its Avocado and kiwi fruit orchards which are just everywhere- hence the cheap prices- but is also just an incredibly beautiful place. It is sandwiched between the eastern base of the Kaimai Ranges and the ocean. Chris and Lynn have built an amazing house on an elevated section of land that has the best views i think i've ever seen from a property. It's just amazing and we had a wonderful 4 days walking in the bush, swimming at Waihi beach, playing croquet on their lawn and over indulging on some seriously good food - lamb from their own sheep, beef from the farm next door and freshly caught Snapper from Chris's very generous friend Orlando who'd been fishing that day. Not to mention enough avocados and kiwi fruits to keep us in vitamin E for life. Rusty came with us for his first trip away from home and he was really good. He slept outside with Mac, Chris's 16 year old farm dog, and spent his days tormenting Chris's three pet alpaca's who are hilarious- such inquisitive and funny-looking animals! See pictures of the trip below;

Alpacas and avocados

AJ and Rusty at the lookout at the base of the Kaimai ranges. Chris and Lyns house is the grey one you can see through the rails on the right of the picture.

Presley cools off in his water trough

Golden kiwi fruit on the vine

Rusty on Waihi beach

The views from the house first thing in the morning.

Rusty and (from left to right) Boof, Bear and Presley.

Some like it hot..

But I don't. Not this hot anyway and my god it's hot right now. The last 3 days have been 32-34 degrees, but also cloudy so really sticky and no breeze at all. It only got down to 24 degrees one night- it's just impossible to sleep in that! We have been keeping our pillowcases in the freezer, living in the pool and trying to cool down the puppy by giving him icecubes. He just lies around on the floor panting. We were going to take him to the park yesterday but when i got his lead he just lifted his little head and looked at me as if to say 'no-way crazy lady' and went back to snoozing.

Sorry- I know you guys are all freezing your bits off right now but the other extreme isn't very nice either! It is very unusual for Napier to have temps like this and it's meant to clear tommorow so hopefully life can resume as normal. Right gotta go- I've started to sweat just from typing this. Eewwwhh.

Glorious couple of days

We've had a really wonderful couple of days; more fishing (the freezer is now well stocked!), trips to the beach and a lovely evening at the open air cinema at Black Barn vineyards in Havelock North.

You sit on grass terraces, like an ampitheatre and the movie starts when it gets dark! It was a gorgeous evening to be sitting out under the stars. We saw North by Northwest, ate cheese and sipped wine.

Te Mata peak in Havelock - it's so brown after just 5mm of rain in 2 months.

Glorious couple of days

check out the little shark we caught. we put him back so he can grow up and eat us in a few years.

yes, I dressed the dog. Stop judging me.

Fish, Fish, Fish

We have finally caught some fish! We caught 4 good size Kahawai yesterday and two more today (we actually caught about 8 today but had to throw most of them back as they were too small). Kahawai is similar to seabass in look and taste, but slightly more oily. AJ showed me how to smoke the smaller fish over some Manuka wood chip in a smoker. You put brown sugar on the fish so it caramalises - it is so delicious. It must have been less than two hours from catching to eating, you don't get much fresher than that. We filleted the largest of the fish and just pan fried it with some butter, lime and chilli and served it with homemade caper and lemon mayo and some chips.