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contact us
For bookings and enquiries:
Ransom Wines 46 Valerie Close Warkworth Tel: +64 9 425 8862 Fax: +64 9 425 8864 Email: wine@ransomwines.co.nz Web: www.ransomwines.co.nz
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manaakitanga awards
Ransom Wines Winners "Outstanding Winery Experience"
what people are saying about us
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“I just wanted to email to compliment you on the wonderful afternoon we had at your winery. The wine tasting was interesting and informative and provided a great opportunity to us to try before we ordered. We were well looked after and the food was fabulous. I will certainly be recommending Ransom's and look forward to visiting another time.”—Christine Whyte, Education Faculty, Auckland University
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“WINNER: Outstanding Winery Experience”—Manaakitanga Awards 2010, Recognising Excellence and Sustainability
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“Ransom Wines is highly acclaimed for the elegance and finesse of its Bordeaux blends and for the great food and wine experience in its wine bar.”—Australian Gourmet Traveller
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“To miss Ransom Wines is to miss out on a real gem……a great range of wines”—Cuisine Wine Country
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“Ransom Wines is a must stop for seekers of interesting lunches in peaceful surroundings The platters are perfection.”—North & South Magazine
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“Too good to be true.”—Canvas Magazine, NZ Herald
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“I just wanted to email to compliment you on the wonderful afternoon we had at your winery. The wine tasting was interesting and informative and provided a great opportunity to us to try before we ordered. We were well looked after and the food was fabulous. I will cerainly be recommending Ransom's and look forward to visiting another time.”—Christine Whyte Auckland University, Education Faculty
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“I must also thank you for introducing me to Ransom Winery's 'Cosmos Chardonnay'. Please pass on my appreciation once again to Robin and Marion Ransom for providing a splendid meal in such attractive surroundings.”—David Huebner, USA Ambassador to New Zealand
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“Once again it was lovely to be able to come to you after our event at the Telecom 30m dish this morning. Thank you for the delicious breads, dips and platters. They were enjoyed by all, along with the famous Cosmos Chardonnay.”—Patricia Sallis, AUT
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“I wanted to thank you for the beautiful spreads of food and delicious wine last week. I really enjoyed sampling the wines, it was a nice change from being a spectator. The ladies had a fabulous day out and commented that Ransom Wines were superb”—Andrea Wouters, Great Taste Tours
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“Thank you for the great time the Federation had last Saturday, everyone loved it. The platters looked as fantastic as they tasted, and it was good getting the local background to the meal. You did really well, I am sure no one heading north wouldn't make this a compulsory stop. Thank you again, the North Shore Club will be back again I am sure.”—David Corlett President, North Shore Wine & Food Society for Federation of Wine & Food Societies Wine & Food Convention 2010
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“On behalf of the wine section of the Howick Club I wish to thank you very much for hosting our members at your winery on our day trip to Matakana on 2nd May. Everyone had a most enjoyable time listening to your very informative presentation while sampling your wines. Once again many thanks to you and your staff for giving up your valuable time for us”—Bruce Dickson Howick Club Wine Section Secretary
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“Many thanks for the lovely late lunch and wine tasting yesterday, you have some lovely staff and a great place to relax in.......we will look forward to enjoying your great wines soon.”—Gina Harrap Food and Beverage Trainer, Skycity Auckland
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“I would like to thank you for the beautiful lunch you provided us with on Friday. Everybody enjoyed themselves and the food was just delicious, not even the foul weather could dampen our spirits.”—Jacqui Hands, Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions
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“Thank you very much indeed for helping to make our Saturday party such an enjoyable time for everyone. The food was beautifully presented on the platters, totally delicious, and everyone commented on how lovely your vineyard venue is. The wine of course was gorgeous. Thank you again”—Heather Wheeler, GHD
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“Just wanted to thank you again for your tour and lunch - food and wine were beautiful. All the ladies had a fabulous day so thank you!”—Hen Party
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“Just a quick thanks for a fantastic hour or so at your vineyard yesterday. Our group enjoyed it very much.”—Staff and partners of Pinehurst School, Albany
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“Thank you for the wonderful time we had last Saturday, the platters in particular were fantastic. I am sure many of our members will be returning”—David Corlett, North Shore Wine and Food Society
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“Just a note to thank you for accommodating us this morning at such short notice. The girls were delighted with their visit, the wines and platters were perfect and, Marion, your description of each wine was just right to keep their interest. There will be several repeat visits according to the comments made on the bus. Your efforts were much appreciated, thanks again.”—Marilyn 3 Putt Club, Whangaparaoa
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“Just a quick note to say thank you so much for your hospitality on Saturday. Everyone was blown away with your beautiful vineyard, wine, food and hospitality! Thank goodness the weather was good. Thank you for coping so well with the numbers and allowing us to stay on, we simply had a wonderful afternoon. I'm sure we will be back again (in smaller numbers) soon.”—Kate Winstone
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“Just wanted to say hi and thank you for accommodating our groups on Anzac Day. The passengers loved it and thought that the wine tasting at Ransom was very classy and well done. The cheese platters were superb. Our ID Tours representative was very happy and full of praise”—Gabriele Kreuzer, Cruise Operations, ID Tours Sapphire Princess Cruise Group
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“I just want to thank you for your hospitality on Friday - we had a fantastic time and will be talking about it for weeks to come. Thanks again.”—Roz Towl, High Society Group
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“Thank you so much for providing an awesome lunch and venue for our Murder Mystery weekend. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the lunch stop - they have all promised to be back! Once again thanks!”—Pete, Jenni and Sam Mence.
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“Thanks so much for helping make my 40th birthday celebration such a fantastic day! Your warm hospitality really added to my special day. Everyone had a fantastic time. I will definitely be visiting again very soon.”—Janine
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“Our group had a very memorable and interesting time on Sunday morning…..Many have phoned to say how much they enjoyed it..Thank you for making it into such a successful outing”—Carmen and Graham, Auckland Gourmet Group
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“Father and son winemakers Robin and Gabe Ransom seem to have captured the essence of the local terroir in their wines”—Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
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“I was impressed with the high standard of winemaking and individuality of Ransom wines. They are serious, and mostly complex wines that reveal good cellaring potential and reflect a traditional winemaking approach. All suggest thoughtful and creative winemaking technique.”—Bob Campbell 2010
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“We started of at Ransom Wines, just south of Warkworth, where the drinkers enjoyed a five-wine tasting and we all scoffed a delicious platter of food. The weather was gorgeous, the scenery was stunning, the food was lovely, the wine was excellent. Good times! Ransom Wines will definitely form part of our "things to do with visitors" itinerary in the future. ”—What Jacq did next
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“Elliot Charng of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New Zealand, Kazutoshi Inadome, the Consul General of Japan and Mitusuko Ito, the Deputy Consul General all have contacted me to express their deep appreciation for the hospitality shown on the day. I consistently recommend Ransom Wines because of your consistent and high standard of service. Thank you once again for your wonderful hospitality to our guests. ”—Tracey Martin MP
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“Thank you for such a beautiful lunch on Saturday, everyone had a wonderful time and were so impressed.”—Kirsten, Hen Party Organiser
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“Just a quick message to say thank you so much for all your efforts last Saturday in making my birthday celebration a special day. We all had a great time (despite the weather) and all my friends and family thought the wine and food was superb. Once again many thanks.”—Mary
home
Ransom Wines from the Air
. It shows a spectacular view of our vineyard as seen through a drone camera. The drone is operated by Jae Frew, an Auckland-based cameraman who sees a big future for this kind of camera work. As you can see he very nearly flew the drone in through our front door!
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latest news
Almost Midwinter...
….and it seems like we only just finished the vintage. The new wines have all now been put to bed in barrels and tanks, to begin their slow graceful transformation into things of beauty. And the 2014s should be pretty good too, with the grapes having matured on the vine in very favourable conditions – a mostly dry and warm summer and autumn. The last of the vines to lose their leaves are the cabernet franc, at the highest point in the vineyard. Some varieties lower down lost foliage in the heavy frost we had in late May. Winter pruning will start any time now.
New releases
In the last few weeks we have released a number of wines:
Roussanne 2013. Grown locally, this is a new wine for us, Roussanne is a white grape from the Rhone Valley in south-eastern France. This wine’s aroma is a confection of nectarine and green apple, and it has a soft but firm, dry palate and a honeyed finish. Orders limited to six bottles as we have very little of this wine from 2013.
Clos de Valerie Pinot Gris 2011. With a delicate, perfumed nose redolent of honeysuckle, this dry, fresh and lively pinot gris has a pleasing, mouthfilling fruit sweetness on the palate and a lingering finish.
Mahurangi 2011. A blend of two thirds Syrah and Malbec, with the remainder comprising Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dried herbs and toasty oak on the nose and a warm, savoury palate. This eclectic blend has produced a harmonious wine, versatile with food or great by itself.
Carmenère 2011. Another typical, highly recognisable Ransom Carmenère, for those of you who know this wine. Violets and spice on the nose, with an intense palate featuring black fruits, sweet oak, silky tannins and a satisfying finish.
Did you know that all of the Bordeaux red varieties are closely related, with the key player being Cabernet Franc. This grape is a parent to Carmenère, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Carmenère is no longer grown in any quantity in Bordeaux, but during the 19th Century it was an important component in the wines of many famous Bordeaux Chateaux. If you have listened to our stories at the cellar door you will know that we have Carmenère quite by accident, as it was labelled Cabernet Franc when we planted it back in 1997. The planting material had been brought into the country from Italy by the Ministry of Agriculture in the mid-1980s, and we discovered what it really was by getting it DNA tested, as it looked very different in the vineyard from our other clones of Cabernet Franc, and made deeper coloured and more intensely flavoured wine.
Cheers
Marion, Robin and the team at Ransom Wines
ANNUAL HARVEST"WINE-DOWN"
Live music in the vineyard
with
the unique laid-back acoustic sound of
WHITE CHAPEL JAK
and good ole country in three part harmony from
GIRL FRIDAY
was held on Sunday 18th May
We were blessed with fantastic music, gorgeous weather and an appreciative audience!
Thanks White Chapel Jak and Girl Friday, we look forward to having you back sometime!
VINTAGE 2014
As I write we are about three-quarters through the harvest. All that is left to pick is one of our cabernet sauvignon clones, and our syrah. The season is looking very good indeed – the dry weather which is cursed by every other kind of farmer is ideal for us, so the fruit are coming in off the vines in tip-top condition. So as it was with 2013, so it should be with 2014: we can expect some pretty good wines.
As always at this stage of the vintage we are close to running on empty – energy reserves are running low, but the elation of having an excellent harvest keeps us going. The intense stage of work in the winery goes on for a couple more weeks yet, but by the end of April we will be able to stop for a cup of tea, in the immortal words of David Lange.
RANSOM WINES SUMMER AL FRESCO PHOTO COMPETITION
The judging of our photo competition has taken place in Melbourne by prominent NZ born Australian artist (son-in-law) Daniel Crooks.
There were some strong contenders but the winner is Kim Reiersen with "Cosmic oysters!".
A special humour award has been given to Marama Gossage for "Give us the prize else the bottle gets it!!"
Thanks to everyone who sent in shots. You made it a real competition. Thanks to Jaffray Sinclair for the inspiration.R.I.P.
SUMMER 2014 IN THE VINEYARD
You may recall how hot and dry last summer was – actually our driest in the 20 years we have been keeping records. Well 2014 is turning out similarly – so far. Not quite as dry and possibly not quite as warm, but ideal grape growing conditions nevertheless. We have good and even crops on most varieties, and the reds are well into veraison (which is when they start changing colour), so the nets are mostly on now. Dry conditions mean that birds look for sources of moisture, and while they won’t get much out of grapes prior to veraison, it doesn’t stop them from trying!
SUMMER 2014 AT THE CELLAR DOOR
We have had a very busy summer at the cellar door and wine bar and have seen many of you - thanks for coming and for continuing to support us.
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
2013 has been a year of achievement for us from the start. An exceptionally dry and warm summer and autumn produced a similarly exceptional vintage. At this stage it looks like the red wines from 2013, brooding in barriques and puncheons at present, will turn out to be amongst our best. The anticipated winter downturn in cellar door and winebar activity was nothing like the downturn we usually expect and this has been followed by a busy spring, with visitor activity levels and weather (the two are surely correlated) more like summer.
This spring has been very good for the vineyard and it is looking at this stage as if we will have abundant crops on most grape varieties (which is actually a legacy of last summer’s weather as much as this spring’s). The dry October and November have kept disease pressure very low in the vineyard, and the only downside from the dry has been the need to hand-water the many hundreds of replacement vines we have planted this year.
Our export business to China continues to grow, and we have in recent months started exporting to Japan. Our partners there are very enthusiastic and keen to see the business grow. Most indicators of economic activity are suggesting the NZ economy is coming out of the doldrums and this is certainly confirmed by our experience over the year.NEW RELEASES
We have released four wines since October:
Albarino 2013. Our first commercial release of Albarino. This is a beauty if you like a crisp, aromatic, flavoursome summer wine. Added bonus: a superb match with seafood, especially shellfish. The smallish crop has meant a limit of two bottles per purchase.
Cosmos Chardonnay 2009. If you liked the 2008 you will enjoy this one. Very similar flavour profile but perhaps a little softer and with a gorgeous smoky thread through the palate.
Mahurangi 2010. Another winner from the superb 2010 vintage. A different blend from the usual Mahurangi, the 2010 contains a significant proportion of syrah, but is dominated by cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. A powerful, flavoursome wine which is drinking nicely now but will stand the test of time.
Vin Gris 2012. This is also a first for our rosé in that it comprises 100% syrah. Soft and dry, the 2012 is another great summer option.
GIFT IDEASRansom Wines Olive Oil - $10 for 100mls, $29 for 375mls
Ransom Wines Limoncello - $29 for 375mls
Ransom Wines Teatowels - $18
Ransom Wines Gift Vouchers - $64 for a platter for two and two glasses of wine. or we can make your voucher to any value of your choosing
Barrel Platters - $129
Ransom Wines - available in single, two, three, six and 12 bottle cases.
We would be happy to gift wrap and to courier anything to get to you, friends or relations before Christmas, but it would be best to order as soon as you can.
We appreciate your continued loyalty and look forward to seeing some of you over the summer.
With very best wishes for Christmas and 2014.
Robin, Marion and the team at Ransom Wines.
A BRAND NEW WINE FROM RANSOM WINESWe are about to release our first Albarino. This is an exciting new wine for us, and very new to New Zealand, the first NZ version having been released in 2011. Albarino is a white grape, native to the Atlantic coast of Spain in the region of Galicia, commonly called "green Spain" because of the abundant rainfall and lush vegetation. It is also grown just over the border in Portugal, where it is called Alvarinho.
Albarino has become very popular in Europe and in North America just in the last two or three years. It is intensely aromatic, very crisp on the palate, with a mouth-tingling burst of flavour which is an absolute delight. In Spain it is regarded as the perfect seafood wine. especially with shellfish, prawns. lobster and the like and this reputation is spreading with it around the world.
The grape is well suited to our warm and sometimes wet climate, not dissimilar to that of Galicia. The Ransom 2013 Albarino has an aroma of orange blossom with traces of honey and grapefruit. It has an almost explosive sherbet-like entry, followed by layers of lime, gooseberries and honey mead. The finish is long and clean.
If you have not tasted Albarino before you are in for a surprise as it is quite unlike any other commonly available white wine. We have only a small stock of the 2013 so orders are limited to six bottles.TWO NEW RELEASES
Cosmos Chardonnay 2009 - Full and flavoursome, a great wine for chardonnay lovers.
Mahurangi 2010 - Cabernet Franc 38%, Cabernet Sauvignon 34%, Syrah 28% - Shares the same rich, ripe characters with the other 2010 reds already released.
Orders of mixed cases of these and any other of our wines is OK. There is no courier charge for orders of 12 bottle cases or more.
We also still have stocks of the Vin Gris 2011 rosé at the special price of $144 per 12 bottle case. A $10 courier fee will apply to orders for this wine at this special price.
Sending Wine Overseas for Christmas?
Cut off dates are -
UK & Europe – 10 October
USA – 22 November
Australia – 28 November
Japan – 5 December
New Release Ransom Grand'mère Pinot Gris Doux Naturel 2013
This wine is perfection. Beautifully poised between the sweetness of its residual grape sugar and the natural crispness which characterises our pinot gris, this is a very versatile wine. Serve well chilled, as a summer afternoon delight, or a couple of hours later as an aperitif, or a couple of hours later again with fruit or with cheese at the end of a meal, or otherwise, whenever you feel the urge. It’s that good!
For the technically minded the fruit were picked at normal ripeness (ie – not late harvest), and the fermentation was stopped by slamming on the refrigeration, before all of the grape sugar had been converted to alcohol. So it is sweet but not syrupy, crisp but not searingly so, and with low alcohol. Perfect!
Weathering the Winter
As winters go this one has not been too bad. Not very cold or wet, which means our winter pruning has not been disrupted. The very dry summer we had this year has meant the vines suffered very little of the fungal disease we can sometimes get. This has also facilitated the pruning task as there has been very little infected wood to remove. What we would like in the next little while is a couple of decent frosts, as winter frost serves to help maintain vineyard health by keeping spore counts of undesirable fungi in check.
New Releases
We have recently released two more of our 2010 reds – Dark Summit and Carmenère. 2010 was also a special season in the vineyard, and these wines, even though still rather youthful, are showing just how good that year was. They are dark and brooding beauties, both concealing a power yet to fully emerge. Carmenère is perhaps the more advanced of the two, this is reflected in the great comments we are already getting at the cellar door – “smooth” and “spicy” are common descriptions. The Dark Summit, again dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (this year with Malbec playing second fiddle, followed by Carmenère and Cabernet Franc), is mouth-filling, rich, complex and full-bodied, with loads of dark red fruits clamouring for attention.
We are about to release our 2010 Clos de Valerie Pinot Gris. A big wine (benefiting from what I call the 2010 effect), it has a gorgeous and multi-faceted and intensely aromatic nose, with praline, pineapple and pear, all embedded in a honeyed melange. The palate has a sweet entry followed by a rich fruity fullness and a lingering finish. Bottled two and a half years ago this wine has retained a youthful freshness but has had plenty of time to develop into a complex beauty
VERTICAL TASTING OF RANSOM “DARK SUMMIT” WINES
Dark Summit is the very first wine we made, in our first vintage back in 1996. From the outset we determined that whatever other wines we produced, Dark Summit was going to be our No. 1 red, and so it has turned out to be. Apart from one exception, the cepage has always been a blend of our Bordeaux red grape varieties, and the aim has been to combine the barrels from the best ferments in each vintage into this wine. In four of the 17 years since 1996 the vintage has not produced wines of the standard we look for, so there was no Dark Summit in 1999, 2001, 2006 and 2008.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the planting of our vineyard we have decided to review our Dark Summits so we will be having a vertical tasting of ten of these wines, from 1996 to 2010, to be held at The Vintry in Matakana. We plan to have two tastings if there is sufficient interest. The first will be on Sunday May 19 at 3pm, and the second on Wednesday May 22 at 7.30pm. Bookings are essential because there will be strictly limited spaces. Book directly with The Vintry
...by popular demand another date has been added for this event - Sunday, June 9 at 4.00pm
Ransom K Syrah 2010 "Star of the Show"
Hospitality Magazine recently undertook a tasting of Australian shiraz wines, mostly from Barossa and New Zealand syrahs, mostly from Hawkes Bay. 24 wines in all, most in the same price range as ours, or more expensive, and guess what - our K Syrah 2010 was named "Star of the Show".
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Staying Ahead of the Pack
With the explosion of winegrowing in New Zealand in the last 30 years or so it is easy to believe that we occupy an important place in the world of wine. The New Zealand wine industry has undoubtedly made astonishing achievements in a very short time, but it is important that we do not become complacent about this if we are to retain the leadership role we presently enjoy, because the rest of the world is rapidly catching up. [read more] -
Wine Label Speak for Beginners
The language of wine labels can seem curious. Here are a few explanations about information commonly displayed on labels. [read more] -
Sustainable Winegrowing
NZ Wine is the national organisation of the New Zealand grape and wine sector, funded under statutory authority through levies on grape and wine production. One of NZ Wine’s most important initiatives since the late 1990s has been to establish and promote the sustainable winegrowing project. This has been enthusiastically embraced by the industry, and NZ Wine estimates that in 2012 94% of the country’s producing vineyard area is participating in the Sustainable Winegrowing NZ programme. [read more] -
handcrafted wines
This is a description so commonly used by winemakers that some might think it does not mean much. Wrong. It is especially apt when used by small winegrowers to describe their process and wines. [read more] -
Vintage 2012 - Different but the Same
There has long been a tradition in New Zealand’s wine regions to “talk up” vintages, which I suspect happens in wine regions everywhere. My view is that this is driven largely by concern amongst winegrowers that if punters understood that the grapes harvested in a particular vintage were in less than perfect condition and not optimally ripe, they might be less inclined to buy the wines when they are released. [read more] -
In Anticipation .....
The next few weeks for winemakers are an incongruous mix of being busy getting ready for the vintage, but also getting impatient at the seemingly long drawn-out waiting period whilst the grapes become fully ripe. [read more]