Central Otago SummerOnline SalesPrelude to harvest

Summer Newsletter2012

Summer 2011-2012

Welcome to our first Newsletter - puttogether as we draw breath in the final

lead-up to harvest with nearly all the hard workbehind us.

This Newsletter includes a pictorial seasonalroundup plus details of where to buy our wine.

Our big news is that we can now offer you directand online sales.

Direct and Online Sales

T hrough our Online site, here, you canorder and pay for our wines using a credit cardwith Paypal. The payment is secure but youdo not need to be a Paypal account holder tomake a purchase. Wine is available in cases of6 bottles. We will dispatch your order thenext working day - and DELIVERY is FREEwithin New Zealand. It couldn't be simpler!

Should you prefer, orhave any special

requirements, you can alsocall or email us to place anorder. We will process yourorder as soon as payment isreceived.

As a recipient of ourNewsletter we are

including a promotional codewith each edition we sendyou.Enter this code on the onlineform when you make apurchase and receive apreferential rate.Code t49ck

Where to find our Wines

A list of stockists can be found on ourwebsite here .A recent addition is Rare Fare,29-31 Main North Road, Papanui, Christchurch.

Seasonal UpdateSummer 2011-2012

T he 2011 - 2012 season in Central Otagohas been very kind to us so far. Arelatively benign spring produced

a great flowering.

F ruitset was followed bya long hot summer, the bestwe can remember in the 20years we have lived here.

Practising an organic regime, we have come toaccept that the vineyard is visually not quiteas neat and immaculate as herbicided undervine

rows.I now view the "weeds" quite differently.

I take pleasure in the enormous variety, thedifferent colours of their flowers, the

different depths of their roots, the scentsthat some produce when crushed underfoot,- knowing that as they are worked into thesoil under the vines at intervals through theseason, they are each contributing to the

interest and complexity of the soil - whichwill in time find expression in the wines we

produce

T he extremely dry conditions meant ourdrip irrigation was in use daily to keep

the vines from undue stress. This patternwas finally broken by some good rains fromlate January, giving the vines a welcome boost.

With the nets nowprotecting the vinesthe final phase ofripening has begun.

S ue, Kris, Margie andEmily removed later-ripening bunches andcarefully reduced thecrop load on weaker vinesto ensure even ripening.Although the crop yieldis expected to be on thelight side of average, thequality is lookingexcellent.

Rabbits continue to be a plaguebut we now have stealth pestcontrol in the form of "SnoopDog" who manages to reduce

their population by at least onea day!

Now the wait!! We are hoping the weathercontinues to smile on us, allowing the grapes

to hang on the vines, accumulating sugars,flavours and fine ripe tannins.

Expecting to harvest immediately after Easter.

CheersSue & Thomo

www.tosq.co.nz